A fluid drain system for pressurized fuel systems includes a fluid drain tool that includes: an enclosure including a collection cavity; a fitting configured for removable coupling to a fluid filter drain valve to fluidly couple the fluid drain tool to the fluid filter drain valve; a tube that fluidly couples the fitting to the enclosure, such that fluid collected from the fluid filter drain valve can be transferred through the tube to the collection cavity of the enclosure; and a selectively openable valve having a first end in fluid communication with the collection cavity of the enclosure, and a second end in fluid communication with an atmosphere.

A valve for use in a tank vessel that includes a valve housing configured to fit into a threaded vent opening of the tank vessel and a sleeve weldment coupled to the valve housing. The sleeve weldment includes a first end configured to protrude into an interior volume of the tank vessel, and the first end is thermally balanced with the interior volume of the tank vessel. The valve also includes a valve plunger configured to be installed within the sleeve weldment. The valve plunger includes a valve bottom configured to seal an opening between the valve bottom and an interior opening of the sleeve weldment. The valve also may include a cam configured to force the valve plunger into the interior of the tank vessel to break the seal between the valve bottom and the interior opening of the sleeve weldment.

A pressure vessel refueling system enables fast refueling of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel tanks. The system includes a pressure vessel having a gas inlet/outlet port and a liquid inlet/outlet port; a first liquid at least partially filling the pressure vessel; a liquid layer of a second liquid floating on top of the first liquid, wherein the second liquid is immiscible with the first liquid; a gas at least partially filling the pressure vessel above the liquid layer of the second liquid, the gas in fluid communication with the gas inlet/outlet; and a pump in fluid communication with the liquid inlet/outlet of the pressure vessel, whereby the first liquid can be pumped or returned to/from storage into or out of the pressure vessel.

An adsorbed natural gas storing tank is provided. The adsorbed natural gas storing tank includes a tank body that has an upper plate and a lower plate coupled to define an inner space provided with an adsorbent material. The tank body includes an opening that extends through the upper and lower plates. A central plate is inserted in the opening to seal one side of the tank body. Additionally, the central plate has a plurality of discharge apertures formed along a circumferential wall thereof to discharge natural gas reacted with the adsorbent material and has a mounting region therein. A filter assembly is inserted in the mounting region, is fastened to the central plate, filters natural gas passing through the discharge apertures, and is equipped with a control valve for adjusting natural gas discharge.

A pressure vessel refuelling system enables fast fill refuelling of CNG fuel tanks by inducing a stratification of gas temperatures inside a tank during refuelling, then re-cycling a portion of the relatively warmer gas out of the tank during refuelling and back to a gas chiller. The system includes a pressure vessel having a lower end, a first gas port and a second gas port, wherein the second gas port is positioned above the lower end of the pressure vessel; and a cooling circuit connecting the first gas port with the second gas port; whereby gas flowing from an interior cavity of the pressure vessel through the second gas port is cooled in the cooling circuit before returning to the pressure vessel through the first gas port; and whereby a temperature of gas inside the pressure vessel varies from a first temperature at a level of the lower end of the pressure vessel to a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature, at a level of the second gas port.

A hydrogen refueling station evaluation device includes a socket that is supplied with hydrogen, a hydrogen tank that stores the hydrogen supplied through the socket, and a discharge pipeline that discharges hydrogen from the hydrogen tank to the atmosphere. A discharge valve adjusts open and closed states of the discharge pipeline. A tank protection valve achieves a state in which the socket and the hydrogen tank are connected to each other, a state in which the socket and the discharge pipeline are connected to each other and the hydrogen tank is closed, and a state in which all of the socket, the hydrogen tank, and the discharge pipe are connected to one another. A gas supplier supplies an inert gas to the socket and a controller operates the tank protection valve, the discharge valve, and the gas supplier.

A gas filtering rubber pipe and a pressure regulating valve bank are disclosed. The pressure regulating valve bank includes an angle valve, a pressure reducing valve and the gas filtering rubber pipe including a pipe body and a filtering mechanism. The filtering mechanism includes a shell assembly and a connector arranged at a lower end of the shell assembly, the shell assembly is provided with a separation cavity and a gas outlet channel located in an upper portion of the shell assembly. The gas outlet channel can be communicated with the separation cavity. A lower end of the connector is provided with a connecting portion fixedly connected with an upper end of the pipe body, an upper end of the connector is provided with a filtering barrier. A gas outlet hole is arranged in a peripheral wall of the connector connected with the filtering barrier.

A compressed gas delivery system includes a control system and at least one compressor fluidly connected to the control system for providing a compressed gas to the control system. The system also has a backpressure apparatus that is fluidly connected between the at least one compressor and the control system. The backpressure apparatus conveys a portion of the compressed gas to the control system. The compressed gas delivery system also includes a bypass conduit that is fluidly connected between the at least one compressor and the backpressure apparatus. The bypass conduit conveys a portion of the compressed gas through the flow limiting distributor directly to one or more vehicles during a dispensing operation.

A home-based, low-cost, self-contained, fast-fill natural gas refueling station for providing compress natural gas (CNG) fuel for motor vehicles. The station compresses utility supplied natural gas and stores the CNG in a CNG storage facility located inside the station. In preferred embodiments the refueling station is located adjacent to a driveway at a home. The compressor preferably is a multi-stage gas compressor having at least three stages of compression. Applicant estimates that savings based today prices for CNG as compared to gasoline, a typical family with only one car could pay for the station in three years. If the family has several cars the station could pay for itself much earlier.

According to one embodiment, a CNG dispenser is provided that includes a user-actuatable button for allowing selection of a pressure to which to fill a vehicle tank with CNG, and a controller for opening a high pressure fill valve to dispense high pressure CNG into the vehicle tank while monitoring the pressure of the vehicle tank until the pressure reaches the user-selected pressure. According to another embodiment, the controller is operable in a selected one of two modes of operation. The two modes of operation include a one-pressure bank operation mode in which only the input of a high pressure fill valve is coupled to a CNG supply line, and a three-pressure bank operation mode in which the inputs of each of three fill valves are coupled to respective CNG supply lines. A graphic fuel gage may be provided on the dispenser payment terminal screen.