A floating cryogenic storage structure includes a hull with a center line extending in a length direction and two longitudinal side walls, the structure including at least three spherical storage tanks, two tanks being situated with their midpoints on spaced apart longitudinal positions along a first line extending in the length direction at a first side of the center line and a third tank being situated with its midpoint on a longitudinal position on a second line extending in the length direction at a second side of the center line, and a transverse distance between the first and second lines not larger than a diameter of the tanks and the longitudinal position of the midpoint of the third tank situated between the longitudinal positions of the midpoints of the first and second tanks.

A modular tank system includes at least two pressure tanks and a mounting frame. Each of the tanks includes a pressure vessel and a protection frame within which the vessel is arranged, the protection frame is adapted such that multiple tanks may be mounted on top of each other and the vessel includes a vent outlet and an inlet, where the outlet is arranged in an upper half of the vessel, the inlet is arranged in a lower half of the vessel and is fluidly connected to a tank process line, which includes a first fluid connector and a second fluid connector on opposite ends of the tank process line, such that the second connector of a first tank is connectable to the first connector of a second tank, when the second tank is mounted on top of the first tank; and the mounting frame includes a base frame.

A modular tank system includes at least two pressure tanks and a mounting frame. Each of the tanks includes a pressure vessel and a protection frame within which the vessel is arranged, the protection frame is adapted such that multiple tanks may be mounted on top of each other and the vessel includes a vent outlet and an inlet, where the outlet is arranged in an upper half of the vessel, the inlet is arranged in a lower half of the vessel and is fluidly connected to a tank process line, which includes a first fluid connector and a second fluid connector on opposite ends of the tank process line, such that the second connector of a first tank is connectable to the first connector of a second tank, when the second tank is mounted on top of the first tank; and the mounting frame includes a base frame.

Draining a cryogenic storage vessel to remove a pump is timing consuming, expensive and can result in increased greenhouse gas emissions. A cryogenic storage vessel comprises an inner vessel defining a cryogen space and an outer vessel spaced apart from and surrounding the inner vessel, defining a thermally insulating space between the inner and outer vessels. A receptacle comprises an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve, and defines passages for delivery of liquefied gas from the cryogen space to outside the cryogenic storage vessel. The outer sleeve intersects opposite sides of the inner vessel, with the opposite ends of the outer sleeve defining an interior space in fluid communication with the thermally insulating space that is sealed from the cryogen space. The inner sleeve has an open end supported from the outer vessel, and extends into the interior space defined by the outer sleeve, and a closed end opposite the open end, defining a receptacle space that is fluidly isolated from the thermally insulating space. A fluid communication channel extends from the cryogen space to the receptacle space, and can be selectively closed to allow the pump to be removed.

A tank valve system comprises a main valve body, an overfill protection device (OPD), a gauge drive apparatus and a fuel level indicator. The OPD and gauge drive apparatus are configured to both be inserted through a narrow neck of a fuel storage tank prior to connecting the valve body to the neck. The valve body includes a primary fuel channel and a shuttle interface channel. The OPD includes an overfill float driving an overfill shutoff valve for controlling fluid flow from the primary channel into the tank. The gauge drive apparatus includes a gauge float, a shuttle, and an elongated extension body. The gauge float is movable with respect to the extension body between an uppermost position and a lowermost position, thereby driving the shuttle. The shuttle has a gauge actuation portion transportable within the shuttle interface channel to thereby actuate the fuel level indicator.

A cryogenic dewar may include an inner tank and an outer tank. The cryogenic dewar may further include one or more longitudinal stiffeners coupled to the inner tank at locations of stress that provide resistance to such stress. The inner vessel may include a combination of longitudinal stiffeners to allow the dewar to meet governmental imposed regulations on strength and safety of the dewar without increasing the weight of the dewar or to increase the amount by weight of cryogenic liquid that can be transported under governmental imposed regulations, or both, by, with the addition of longitudinal stiffeners, simultaneously increasing the grade of the material of the inner tank.

The invention relates to a cryogenic unit comprising: a cryogenic tank; a receptacle; a pipe comprising: a first end connected to the cryogenic tank; a second end; a first longitudinal portion; a second longitudinal portion; a bend between the first portion and the second portion; a connecting flange situated between the bend and the second end, wherein the cryogenic unit further includes: an item of fluidic equipment comprising an inlet end; and an outlet end and configured to be mounted removably inside the receptacle.

The invention relates to a cryogenic unit comprising: a cryogenic tank; a receptacle; a pipe comprising: a first end connected to the cryogenic tank; a second end; a first longitudinal portion; a second longitudinal portion; a bend between the first portion and the second portion; a connecting flange situated between the bend and the second end, wherein the cryogenic unit further includes: an item of fluidic equipment comprising an inlet end; and an outlet end and configured to be mounted removably inside the receptacle.

Method and apparatus for blending first and second fuels for use by a combustion mechanism, such as a motor vehicle. The first and second fuels are stored in storage vessels of a fuel storage pod in a fuel storage ratio of total respective volumes established by a storage controller circuit of a storage module responsive to a predicted demand level. A blended fuel ratio is selected by a blend controller circuit of a blend module in response to an imminent demand parameter of a selected combustion mechanism, with the blended fuel ratio being different from the fuel storage ratio. A blend of the first and second fuels is thereafter dispensed to the selected combustion mechanism at the blended fuel ratio. The first fuel may be hydrogen (H2), and the second fuel may be a selected hydrocarbon, such as propane, butane, methane, hexane, gasoline or diesel.

Method and apparatus for adaptively adjusting the storage of fuels for use in a fuel blending process. First and second fuels are stored in storage vessels at an initial volumetric fuel storage ratio. A storage controller executes a performance strategy to adaptively adjust at least one storage parameter in response to a predicted or detected change in operating conditions of the system. The performance strategy can include increasing a storage pressure of at least one of the fuels and/or changing a total number of storage vessels used to store the respective fuels. A dispensing mechanism transfers a blended fuel formed from the first and second fuels in accordance with the execution of the performance strategy. The fuels can take a variety of forms including hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), hydrocarbons, etc. The blended fuel may be dispensed by a fueling station to a motor vehicle.