A gas supply system for providing high pressure (HP) gas to a low pressure (LP) gas destination, having a primary HP gas unit and a reserve HP gas unit, which provide regulated lower-pressure gas to a supply manifold, and an LP destination regulator that provides an LP regulated gas supply to a consumption subsystem. A one-way flow valve in fluid communication from the primary HP gas unit to the reserve HP gas unit, ensures that the reserve HP gas unit remains substantially full, even after numerous cycles of depletion and replacement of the primary HP gas unit, during which the HP supply is provided by the reserve HP gas unit, which helps to avoid the risk that the reserve tank pressure and supply might mistakenly, unexpectedly or unintentionally be depleted.

A pressure-based latching switch includes a shuttle valve, a first valve and a second valve. The shuttle valve may switch a fuel through one of a first port and a second port in response to a greater pressure of the fuel at the ports. The first valve may switch a fuel to the first port while a second pressure of the fuel at the second port is less than a second threshold pressure. The second valve may switch the fuel to the second port while a first pressure of the fuel at the first port is less than a first threshold pressure. The pressure-based latching switch may change the fuel supplied to the fuel cell system automatically from a first fuel tank to a second fuel tank in response to the first pressure of the fuel falling below the first threshold pressure.

A system for transferring cryogenic fluid from a dispensing tank to a receiving tank is disclosed. The dispensing tank stores a supply of cryogenic liquid with a dispensing tank headspace above the liquid. A compressor has an inlet connected to the headspace of a receiving tank and an outlet connected to the headspace of the dispensing tank. A liquid transfer line is in fluid communication with the liquid side of the dispensing tank and the receiving tank. Cryogenic liquid is transferred from the dispensing tank to the receiving tank when the compressor is activated so as to transfer vapor from the headspace of the receiving tank to the headspace of the dispensing tank to create a pressure differential between the dispensing and receiving tanks.

A method and apparatus fueling vehicle with gaseous fuel includes storage vessels, dispensing sub-stations and a controller. The storage tanks or vessels can be at different pressures. The plurality of dispensing sub-stations each include a dispensing hose and a control valve. Each dispensing sub-station is in controllable fluid communication with the storage vessels so that fluid can flow from the storage vessels through the dispensing sub-station to a vehicle tank. A dispensing hose, and a control valve of the dispensing sub-stations are in the fluid flow paths. The controller receives feedback indicative of a filling parameter from the dispensing sub-stations, and provides control signals to the control valves of the first and second dispensing sub-station to implement one or more desired fill schemes.

The invention relates to a method for operating a tank system (10) comprising a number of at least two tanks (21, 22, 23, 24, 25), which are connected in parallel and which contain a gaseous substance, and in which an interior pressure (PX) prevails, for supplying a consumer unit (12), which requires a full load volume of the gaseous substance, wherein each tank (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) has a safety valve (31, 32, 33, 34, 35), which shuts down the tank if a flow volume of the gaseous material through the safety valve (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) exceeds a shut-off volume. If the interior pressure (PX) in at least one tank (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) falls below a first threshold, at least one other tank (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) that was previously shut down is connected.

Gas supplying device including a changeover unit, the changeover unit including two inlets connected to two distinct pressurized gas sources, and one outlet connected to a user member, the changeover unit including an automatic and/or manual switchover mechanism making it possible to switch the supply of gas to the user member to one source or to the other source so as to ensure continuity of supply, the device including a pressure sensor measuring the gas pressure at the outlet and/or at least one inlet of the changeover unit, wherein the device includes an ambient temperature sensor and an electronic data processing and storage member, the electronic data processing and storage member receiving the measurement from the ambient temperature sensor and the measurement from the pressure sensor and being configured to calculate, the corrected variation in gas pressure which is not caused by the variation in ambient temperature.

A method and apparatus fueling vehicle with gaseous fuel includes storage vessels, dispensing sub-stations and a controller. The storage tanks or vessels can be at different pressures. The plurality of dispensing sub-stations each include a dispensing hose and a control valve. Each dispensing sub-station is in controllable fluid communication with the storage vessels so that fluid can flow from the storage vessels through the dispensing sub-station to a vehicle tank. A dispensing hose, and a control valve of the dispensing sub-stations are in the fluid flow paths. The controller receives feedback indicative of a filling parameter from the dispensing sub-stations, and provides control signals to the control valves of the first and second dispensing sub-station to implement one or more desired fill schemes.

Device for filling tanks with pressurized gas, in particular hydrogen gas tanks of motor vehicles, the device comprising at least one gas source, a transfer circuit comprising at least one upstream end connected to the source and at least one downstream end intended to be connected in removable fashion to a tank to be filled, the transfer circuit additionally comprising, between its upstream and downstream ends, a set of buffer storage container(s) which is (are) connected in parallel to the transfer circuit via a set of respective connecting valve(s), the transfer circuit comprising a portion of pipe(s) forming a loop, a plurality of the buffer storage container(s) being connected in parallel to the said loop, characterized in that the transfer circuit comprises a plurality of separate downstream ends each intended to be connected in removable fashion to a respective tank to be filled, the said downstream ends being connected in parallel to the said loop and comprising a set of respective linking valves, so that control of the connecting valves and of the linking valves makes it possible to bring at least one first buffer storage container into fluidic communication, via the loop, with a first downstream end and, simultaneously, to bring at least one second buffer storage container into fluidic communication, via the loop, with a second downstream end and/or to bring two separate buffer storage containers into fluidic communication.

The disclosure discloses an automatic gas cylinder filling device and an operating method thereof, includes a stand, an electronic scale, a PLC control unit, and a vacuum pump installed on an inner bottom plate of the stand. One side of the stand is provided with an 8-bottle gas cylinder rotating and weighing mechanism, a gas cylinder fixing mechanism, a gas cylinder filling fixture, a lifting frame and a bottle valve hand wheel switch mechanism that are arranged in sequence from bottom to top. The electronic scale is located below the 8-bottle gas cylinder rotating and weighing mechanism. The disclosure is used for filling gas cylinders, wherein the weighing, the fixing of the bottle valve and the rotation of the hand wheel are all automatically controlled and operated by the PLC control unit, and there is no need for operator to stay with the facility. The operation can be completed through operating the PLC control unit in the operation room, thereby preventing the filling personnel from being exposed to danger and harmed during the gas filling process. Meanwhile, the gas filling efficiency is greatly improved, the accuracy of the weighing is also ensured, and the proportion of each gas is highly accurate.

The disclosure discloses an automatic gas cylinder filling device and an operating method thereof, includes a stand, an electronic scale, a PLC control unit, and a vacuum pump installed on an inner bottom plate of the stand. One side of the stand is provided with an 8-bottle gas cylinder rotating and weighing mechanism, a gas cylinder fixing mechanism, a gas cylinder filling fixture, a lifting frame and a bottle valve hand wheel switch mechanism that are arranged in sequence from bottom to top. The electronic scale is located below the 8-bottle gas cylinder rotating and weighing mechanism. The disclosure is used for filling gas cylinders, wherein the weighing, the fixing of the bottle valve and the rotation of the hand wheel are all automatically controlled and operated by the PLC control unit, and there is no need for operator to stay with the facility. The operation can be completed through operating the PLC control unit in the operation room, thereby preventing the filling personnel from being exposed to danger and harmed during the gas filling process. Meanwhile, the gas filling efficiency is greatly improved, the accuracy of the weighing is also ensured, and the proportion of each gas is highly accurate.