Pressure Vessel Fuel Withdrawal Switching for Gas Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas storage systems in vehicles face challenges in maintaining fuel temperature within a safe operating range during filling and withdrawal, leading to inefficient cooling processes and undesirable waiting times, especially when operating fuel cells under varying ambient conditions.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for controlling fuel withdrawal from interconnected pressure vessels with different volumes, prioritizing fuel extraction from the smaller vessel when its temperature is outside a defined range and switching to the larger vessel when its temperature is within the range, minimizing the need for active cooling and ensuring immediate vehicle operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fuel is rapidly filled into pressure vessels at high pressure, then filling speed and productivity are improved, but the temperature of the filling gas increases excessively due to compression heating
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure vessel system is divided into multiple individual pressure vessels (first, second, and third pressure vessels) with different volumes. This segmentation allows selective operation of vessels based on temperature conditions, enabling rapid filling of cooler vessels while allowing hotter vessels to cool down, thus resolving the contradiction between filling speed and temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different pressure vessels based on real-time temperature measurements. The control unit monitors temperatures and actively selects which vessel to fill or withdraw from, making the system adaptive to changing thermal conditions while maintaining high productivity.
2Temperature
If cooling devices are used to cool the filling gas after rapid filling, then the temperature limit is maintained, but the system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the natural temperature differences between multiple pressure vessels for self-regulation. Cooler vessels naturally receive fill gas while hotter vessels naturally cool down through thermal relaxation, eliminating or reducing the need for active cooling devices and their associated complexity and energy consumption.
3Temperature
If the vehicle waits for gas cooling after filling before operation, then safety limits are maintained, but the waiting time reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cooling by allowing temperature equalization between vessels during the filling process itself. By filling cooler vessels while hotter vessels cool down in parallel, the system prepares the fuel for immediate use without requiring post-filling waiting time, thus eliminating the contradiction between safety and productivity.
4Device complexity
If fuel is withdrawn from a single large pressure vessel, then the system is simpler, but temperature control becomes less effective under varying ambient conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the fuel storage into multiple pressure vessels with different volumes. This segmentation provides thermal diversity, where vessels at different temperatures can be selectively used based on ambient conditions and operational requirements, improving temperature control while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter (which vessel is active) based on temperature conditions. By monitoring temperatures and switching between vessels, the system adapts to varying ambient conditions and operational states, maintaining optimal fuel temperature for fuel cell operation without requiring complex active temperature control systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach maintains fuel temperature within safe limits, reduces cooling requirements, and enables immediate vehicle operation by optimizing fuel withdrawal strategies across varying ambient conditions.
Implementation Method 1
During filling, the gas flowing into the pressure vessel or pressure vessel system heats up due to compression
Implementation Method 2
Due to the throttling action and the associated Joule-Thomson effect at the pressure regulator, the temperature of, for example, hydrogen increases depending on the pressure difference between high and low pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating gas storage tanks. In particular, the invention relates to a method for filling and withdrawing gas from gas storage tanks, especially for filling and withdrawing gas from gas storage tanks for use in a vehicle, wherein the gas serves as fuel for operating the vehicle. The invention further relates to a system of gas storage tanks for carrying out the method. According to a first aspect, the stated problem is solved by a method for withdrawing fuel from a pressure vessel system comprising a first pressure vessel with a first volume and a second pressure vessel with a second volume, wherein the first volume is smaller than the second volume, and wherein either the fuel is first at least partially withdrawn from the first pressure vessel before the fuel is withdrawn from the second pressure vessel,provided that the fuel in the second pressure vessel has a temperature outside a previously defined permissible temperature range, or that the fuel is first at least partially withdrawn from the second pressure vessel before the fuel is withdrawn from the first pressure vessel, provided that the fuel in the second pressure vessel has a temperature within a previously defined temperature range, wherein the fuel withdrawal from the second pressure vessel is stopped and the process is switched to the first pressure vessel as soon as the temperature of the fuel from the second pressure vessel leaves the previously defined temperature range.