A hydrogen storage tank for a hydrogen fueled aircraft. The tank has a wall made of layers of aerogel sections around a hard shell layer, sealed within a flexible outer layer, and having the air removed to form a vacuum. The periphery of each layer section abuts other sections of that layer, but only overlies the periphery of the sections of other layers at individual points. The wall is characterized by a thermal conductivity that is lower near its gravitational top than its gravitational bottom. The tank has two exit passageways, one being direct, and the other passing through a vapor shield that extends through the wall between two layers of aerogel. A control system controls the relative flow through the two passages to regulate the boil-off rate of the tank.

A composite storage tank system for gaseous hydrogen comprises a composite storage tank having composite wall enclosing a gas storage volume, the composite wall including a metal hydride element, or a metal element capable of forming a metal hydride in the presence of hydrogen, the system further comprising measuring apparatus arranged to measure an electrical characteristic of the metal hydride element or the metal element. The history of leakage of gaseous hydrogen from the tank, the current rate of leakage and the physical condition of the composite wall in the vicinity of the metal or metal hydride element may be inferred from a measurement of the electrical characteristic, without taking the tank out of service as is required in the case of known leaks tests such as a vacuum test, helium leak test or hydrogen sniffing test.

Disclosed is a system for controlling gaseous hydrogen (GH.sub.2) refueling of a GH.sub.2 vehicle, wherein a vehicle fuel tank is refilled with GH.sub.2 from an external supply tank. The system includes a target patch or a cell of a temperature-dependent reflectivity material on an exterior of the vehicle fuel tank, and a sensor package including an electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitter and a radiation detection system positioned remote from the vehicle tank being filled. The sensor package is located on or adjacent an external refueling device with a line of sight to the target patch or cell.

A monitoring apparatus is provided for a pressure tank, in particular in a motor vehicle. The monitoring apparatus is designed to determine current operating parameters of the pressure tank and, on the basis of the operating parameters, to calculate and preferably to display a maximum possible filling level for the pressure tank under the current operating parameters.

A method for assisting the management of a vessel comprising at least one tank configured to contain liquefied gas and a vapor phase treatment system capable of sending boil-off gas exiting the tank to a propulsion engine of the vessel or to a gas combustion unit on board the vessel and capable of extracting a portion of the liquid phase contained in the tank and of evaporating this portion in order to send it to the propulsion engine. The method comprises: generating at least one tank management scenario defining an evolution of the pressure of the gas phase contained in the tank along a path of the vessel; computing a cost function that at least depends on a total amount of boil-off gas generated in the tank along the path; and displaying to a user the tank management scenario as a function of the computed cost function.

The invention relates to an intermediate gas store for an electrolysis system, more particularly for low-pressure proton exchange electrolysis, including a storage vessel which has a storage space into which a channel of a gas removal unit leads, via which channel gas produced during the electrolysis can be introduced into the storage space. The storage vessel has a pressure control device, by means of which a pressure setpoint value can be applied to the gas introduced into the storage space. The pressure control device includes a diaphragm and an actuator, the actuator acting on the membrane in such a way that the pressure setpoint value can be established. The invention also relates to an electrolysis system having an intermediate gas store and to a method for operating an electrolysis system.

A method for assisting the management of a vessel comprising at least one tank configured to contain liquefied gas and a vapor phase treatment system capable of sending boil-off gas exiting the tank to a propulsion engine of the vessel or to a gas combustion unit on board the vessel and capable of extracting a portion of the liquid phase contained in the tank and of evaporating this portion in order to send it to the propulsion engine. The method comprises: generating at least one tank management scenario defining an evolution of the pressure of the gas phase contained in the tank along a path of the vessel; computing a cost function that at least depends on a total amount of boil-off gas generated in the tank along the path; and displaying to a user the tank management scenario as a function of the computed cost function.

Methods and manufactures disclosed herein generally relate to a cannular composite (ITC) structure composed of multiple layers of sealing, reinforcement, sensing, protection, and interspatial injected materials.

An underground storage system for storing fluid includes a hole having a bottom, a support element including at least one opening able to receive a joining element, at least one reservoir having a longitudinal axis, a bottom end and a top end, a first closure able to close the reservoir at its bottom end, and a second closure able to close the reservoir at its top end. The top end is able to be joined to the support element via the joining element such that the reservoir is hung inside the hole and such that an axial clearance able to absorb axial thermal expansion of the reservoir remains between the first closure and the bottom.

A valve system that can quickly estimate the valve opening position including a tank to store fluid, a pressure sensor having a valve element to detect an internal pressure of the tank, a valve to open and close the tank, a driving device to stroke the valve element of the valve, and a control unit.