A control unit for a pressure container system comprising at least one pressure container with a pressure container valve designed to conduct fuel from the pressure container into a removal line for supplying an energy converter. The control unit is designed to determine that a fueling procedure of the pressure container is occurring or has occurred. In response thereto, the control unit is additionally designed to cause the pressure container valve to open in a pulsed manner temporally prior to a removal request for fuel for operating the energy converter so that the pressure in the removal line approximates the pressure in the pressure container.

Heat is transferred from a flow of liquid hydrogen to a flow of a heat transfer fluid at a first heat exchanger to produce a warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen and a cooled flow of heat transfer fluid. Heat is also transferred at a second heat exchanger, to the cooled flow of heat transfer fluid, from a flow of pressurized hydrogen that is derived from one or more buffer vessels filled by the warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen and/or the warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen from the first exchanger to produce a cooled flow of pressurized hydrogen that is used to fill tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles.

A method for calculating the autonomy of a gas distribution system assembly including a container containing gas and equipped with at least one gas filling indicator device and a gas flow rate indicator device at the output of the container. The method includes recovering at least one item of identification information on the container and/or the gas used. The method also includes acquiring at least one image to recover a first datum on a value indicated by the gas filling indicator device and a second datum on a value indicated by the flow rate indicator device. The method also includes communicating the at least one acquired image and the at least one recovered item of identification to a computation module configured to deduce therefrom a corresponding value of autonomy of the gas distribution assembly, the computation module including at least the ability to process images.

According to aspects, hydrogen fueling systems and methods are provided, including vehicle-to-vehicle communication techniques, hydrogen cooling techniques and/or hydrogen dispenser control techniques that facilitate improving aspects of a hydrogen fueling station.

The invention can include a device and method for distributing a fluid in an industrial facility that comprises a fluid distribution pipe, a discharge pipe, a distribution valve that is positioned on the distribution pipe and controlling the distribution of fluid between an upstream area and a downstream area, a discharge valve positioned on the discharge pipe, and measuring means for measuring, in real time, a characteristic parameter of the distribution of the fluid within one of the pipes. A module is also included for calculating a sliding threshold value of the characteristic parameter and means configured to control the partial gradual opening or closing of the discharge valve depending on the result of the comparison of said sliding threshold value with an instantaneous value of the characteristic parameter, in order to improve reliability of the industrial facility.

A motor vehicle with a pressure vessel system includes at least a first pressure vessel arranged in a first region of the motor vehicle and at least one second pressure vessel arranged in a second region of the motor vehicle having a lower intrusion probability than the first region. Fuel is preferentially removed first primarily from the at least one first pressure vessel. When the lower limit of fuel level or fuel temperature is reached in the at least one first pressure vessel, fuel is removed from the at least one second pressure vessel. If the fuel supply rate from the at least one first pressure vessel is lower than an overall fuel supply rate for an energy converter, fuel is removed from the at least one second pressure vessel to meet the overall fuel supply rate needed by the energy converter.

The invention relates to a filling level measuring device for measuring the filling level in a container through the wall thereof by means of ultrasound, having an ultrasonic measuring head, a controller, and a fastening device by means of which the filling level measuring device can be fastened to the container such that the ultrasonic measuring head is pressed against the wall of the container. The invention further relates to a method of operating such a filling level measuring device, wherein a sampling rate is used which is situation-dependent. The invention finally relates to an assembly made up of such a filling level measuring device and at least one spacer which can be attached to the lower edge of a container to be provided with the filling level measuring device.

Station for filling one or more tank(s) with pressurized gas, in particular pressurized hydrogen, comprising at least two pressurized gas source stores, a transfer pipe having an upstream end connected parallel to the source stores and a downstream end intended to be connected to a tank to be filled, the station comprising a valve assembly for controlling the transfer of gas between the sources and the tank to be filled and an electronic controller connected to the valve assembly and configured to control the valve assembly, the electronic controller being configured to implement successive transfers of gas between the source stores and the tank to be filled via successive pressure balancing sequences, the electronic controller being configured to determine the temperature attained by the gas in the source stores or by the source stores during transfers of gas and, when said attained temperature is below a determined threshold, to prevent or to interrupt this transfer of gas or to reduce the flow of gas transferred during said transfer.

A dual-wall, vacuum-insulated container (30, 40) has an external wall (1), an internal wall (3) and there in-between a vacuum chamber (5), in which there is arranged a heat insulation device (2, 20). At least three temperature sensors (13, 13a, 13b, 14, 15) that are spaced apart from another recurringly register instantaneous temperatures (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.2A, T.sub.2B, T.sub.3) of the container (30, 40). At least in some points there is calculated a temperature course using a heat insulation model on the basis of the construction and material characteristics of the container and the heat radiation resulting therefrom, which temperature course contains at least two of the temperatures (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.2A, T.sub.2B, T.sub.3) registered. From the temperature course there is calculated a desired temperature value for the position of at least one further of the temperature sensors and compared with the actual temperature value actually registered by this temperature sensor. From the deviation between the desired temperature value and the actual temperature value there is detected a change of the heat insulation quality of the container.

A gaseous hydrogen storage and distribution system with a cryogenic supply and a method for the cryogenic conversion of liquid hydrogen into high-pressure gaseous hydrogen are provided. The gaseous hydrogen storage and distribution system includes pressuring liquid hydrogen from a cryogenic tank using a low pressure liquid pump before vaporization within a relatively small vaporizer. The resulting high pressure gaseous hydrogen is transferred to a plurality of storage tanks at ambient temperature according to a desired fill sequence. The high pressure hydrogen gas is subsequently distributed from the storage tanks through a hydrogen fueling dispenser according to a desired dispensing sequence. The present system and method provide improvements in operational safety, eliminates the use of high pressure gas compressor, and minimizes boiling off and ventilation losses at a reduced cost when compared to existing thermal compression storage systems.