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 small scale natural gas liquefaction plant is integrated with an LNG loading facility in which natural gas is liquefied using a multi-stage gas expansion cycle. LNG is then loaded onto an LNG truck or other LNG transport vehicle at the loading facility using a differential pressure control system that uses compressed boil off gas as a motive force to move the LNG from the LNG storage tank to the LNG truck so as to avoid the use of an LNG pump and associated equipment as well as to avoid venting of boil off vapors into the environment.

Liquid storage systems for space vehicles include at least one storage tank including a tank inlet, a tank outlet, and a plurality of liquid storage compartments coupled to each other in series between the tank inlet and the tank outlet. Each liquid storage compartment includes an end plate including a porous outlet at an end of the liquid storage compartment adjacent to another liquid storage compartment. Propulsion systems for space vehicles include at least one such liquid storage tank. Methods of providing a liquid propellant to a thruster of a space vehicle include withdrawing a liquid propellant from a first compartment within a tank and flowing the liquid propellant from a second compartment into the first compartment through a porous element associated with an end plate separating the first compartment from the second compartment.

A system for dispensing a cryogenic fluid includes a bulk tank configured to contain a supply of a cryogenic liquid, a first sump and a first liquid feed valve configured to direct liquid from the bulk tank to the first sump when in an open condition and to prevent transfer of liquid from the bulk tank to the first sump when in a closed condition. A first positive displacement pump is positioned within the first sump and configured to pump and be submerged in cryogenic liquid when the first sump contains cryogenic liquid above a predetermined liquid level within the first sump. A delivery line is in fluid communication with an outlet of the first positive displacement pump and is configured to direct cryogenic fluid from the first positive displacement pump to a use device when the first positive displacement pump is activated.

A cryogenic nitrogen sourced gas-driven pneumatic device that is configured to provide a pressurized gas to end devices is described herein. In some instances, the a cryogenic nitrogen sourced gas-driven pneumatic device may include a cryogenic storage tank that stores liquid nitrogen under pressure, a pressure build circuit configured to build and hold pressure in the cryogenic storage tank, an economizer circuit configured to draw gas that forms in the cryogenic storage tank for an end device, and a vaporizer is configured to convert the liquid nitrogen into a gas as it is drawn through the vaporizer.

In a gas supply system of one embodiment, if first detection information of a high-pressure sensor exceeds a first threshold value, a gas control ECU causes a pressure adjustment range to overlap a second error range of second detection information of a mid-pressure sensor, the second error range being defined with a second threshold value as a reference point. If the first detection information is less than or equal to the first threshold value, the gas control ECU offsets the pressure adjustment range relative to the second error range defined with the second threshold value as the reference point.

A fuel delivery and storage system is provided. A further aspect employs a remote central controller and/or software instructions which receive sensor data from stationary and bulk fuel storage tanks, portable distribution tanks, and end use tanks. Another aspect of the present system senses and transmits tank or hydrogen fuel characteristics including temperature, pressure, filled volume, contaminants, refilling cycle life and environmental hazards. Still another aspect includes a group of hydrogen fuel tanks which is pre-assembled with sensor, valve, microprocessor and transmitter components, at least some of which are within an insulator.

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.

The invention relates to a device (1) for determining a filling level of a liquid (F) in a container (B), comprising a submersible unit (2) having a pressure sensor unit (3) and a transmitter unit (14) configured as a radio transmitter unit, an ultrasonic transmitter unit or a light signal transmitter unit, and a float unit (5) having a further pressure sensor unit (6) and a further transmitter unit (15) configured as a radio transmitter unit, wherein the further pressure sensor unit (6) is arranged at or in a floating body (7) of the float unit (5) in such a manner that, if the float unit (5) is arranged in the liquid (F) for which the device (1) is intended to determine the filling level, the further pressure sensor unit (6) is arranged below the surface (O) of the liquid (F).

A cryogenic system as well as a method of generating a pressurized, sub-cooled mixed-phase cryogen and a method of delivering such a cryogen to a cryoprobe are disclosed. In an embodiment, the cryogenic system includes a reservoir containing a liquid cryogen and a sub-cooling coil immersed in the liquid cryogen. The cryogen is supplied to the sub-cooling coil and is cooled under pressure to produce a pressurized mixed phase cryogen within the sub-cooling coil. This pressurized mixed phase cryogen is provided via supply line to a cryo-device for use.