Solid-Hydrogen Fuel Storage Level Estimation Without Flow Meter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel storage systems, particularly those using solid hydrogen storage, face challenges in accurately determining the remaining amount of fuel without a flow meter, especially when power is cut off or under varying environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A fuel storage system that utilizes temperature and pressure sensors to predict the remaining amount of fuel based on relationships stored in tables, using a controller to calculate and display the fuel level, even without a separate flow meter, and includes a water gauge for enhanced visualization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a flow meter is used to measure fuel consumption, then the remaining fuel amount can be accurately determined, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the flow meter from the system and replaces it with a model-based estimation approach. The controller predicts remaining fuel amount using temperature, pressure, and pre-stored relationship data, eliminating the need for the separate flow measurement device while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical flow meter with an information-processing system. Instead of physically measuring fuel flow, the system uses sensors to detect temperature and pressure, then processes this data through stored relationships to calculate remaining fuel amount, substituting mechanical measurement with computational estimation.
2Device complexity
If temperature and pressure sensors are used to predict fuel amount, then the flow meter can be eliminated, but measurement precision may be affected under rapid environmental changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing relationship data between temperature, pressure, and fuel amount in the controller before actual measurement is needed. This pre-computed data allows the system to rapidly determine fuel amount without real-time complex calculations, maintaining precision during rapid environmental changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors temperature and pressure changes and uses this feedback to update the remaining fuel amount prediction. By comparing current sensor readings with the pre-stored relationships and adjusting accordingly, the system maintains measurement accuracy despite rapid environmental variations.
3Use of energy by moving object
If power is cut off, then energy consumption is reduced, but the ability to detect and measure fuel amount is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and storing the relationship between temperature, pressure, and fuel amount in the controller's memory. This pre-stored data remains available even when power is cut off, allowing the system to reconstruct fuel amount information without continuous power consumption for active measurement.
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
Accurately determines the remaining fuel amount in real-time, reduces costs by eliminating the need for a flow meter, and maintains accuracy under power loss or rapid environmental changes.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a coolant in the storage vessel
Implementation Method 2
a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of the gaseous hydrogen in the storage vessel
Implementation Method 3
Solid hydrogen storage is a scheme by which hydrogen is physically stored in a porous solid material and chemically absorbed by means of bonds between a solid material and hydrogen atoms
Implementation Method 4
chemically absorbed by means of bonds between a solid material and hydrogen atoms
Implementation Method 5
The controller may be further configured to calculate an equilibrium pressure in relation to the first internal pressure, the first temperature, and the first remaining amount of the fuel
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel storage system and a method for detecting a remaining amount of fuel are provided. The fuel storage system may include a storage vessel which accommodates fuel including a solid material and gaseous hydrogen, one or more sensors that measure a first temperature in the storage vessel and a first internal pressure of the storage vessel, a controller that predicts a first remaining amount of the fuel based on the first temperature and the first internal pressure and based on a relationship among different values of temperature, different values of equilibrium pressure, and different values of remaining amounts of the fuel as measured by the one or more sensors at different times, and a display that displays the predicted first remaining amount of the fuel.