A dense fluid recovery and supply pressure sensing system includes a dense fluid source, recovery tank and working tank, where the recovery tank is in connection with the dense fluid source with an input pipe configured with a pre-pressure valve and pre-pressure compressor, and the bottom of the recovery tank is configured with a weight measuring device measuring the weight of the recovery tank and in electric connection with the pre-pressure compressor, allowing the pre-pressure compressor to control the go and stop of the compression according to a value measured by the weight measuring device; the working tank is in connection with the recovery tank through a delivery pipe configured with a pressure building compressor and configured with a recovery pipe, another end of the recovery pipe is in connection with the input pipe of the recovery tank, and the recovery pipe is configured with a recovery valve.

A method for filling tanks with pressurized gas via a filling station comprising at least one source of pressurized gas and a fluid circuit for transferring the gas, comprising a first end linked to the at least one gas source and a second end provided with a transfer line intended to be removably connected to the tanks to be filled, the circuit comprising a first isolation valve, a flow or pressure regulation member, a heat exchanger for cooling the gas transferred to the tank to be filled and a second isolation valve, the method comprising successively filling a first tank then a second separate tank, characterized in that, on completion of the filling of the first tank, the first and second isolation valves are closed to trap a reserve supply of pressurized gas in the circuit between said two valves and in that the reserve supply of gas is used to fill the second tank.

An apparatus for hydrogen dispensing can be configured to generate a display to be output visually to a customer that may use a dispenser to fill a fuel tank with hydrogen fuel. The display can include a graphical user interface or other interface that can show the customer information about the dispensing of fuel that is being provided to the user. This displayed information can include information to indicate an estimated time remaining to fully fill a vehicle's fuel tank so the customer can have visual and/or audible indications for how much longer the customer may have to wait to have the vehicle's fuel tank filled for continued use of the dispenser. This can improve the customer's experience at the fueling station. For instance, embodiments can allow the customer to more effectively use the fueling station and manage his or her time at the fueling station.

A method for calculating the remaining usage time of a gas cylinder equipped with a pressure reducer, the method comprising the following steps: (a) measuring the pressure of the gas in the cylin-der; (b) calculating the variation of pressure of the gas in the cylinder over time while gas is out-putted; (c) calculating a remaining usage time Tr based on the measured pressure in the cylinder and the calculated variation of pressure. Step (c) takes into account characteristics of the pressure reducer relative to variations of its nominal flow rate along the decrease of its inlet pressure while emptying the cylinder.

The invention relates to a pressurized gas container, in particular a gas cylinder, having an internal volume for gas storage, a fluid-distributing valve, a pressure sensor and microprocessor-based control means. The microprocessor-based control means are configured to detect filling of the gas container with gas, by comparing said at least one pressure value measured by the pressure sensor with at least one predefined and stored reference pressure threshold value; then to initiate a timer on the basis of a detection of filling of the gas container with gas; and to trigger a warning when the timer exceeds a given period calculated from the initiation of the timer.

Gaseous fueling systems and methods are provided for dispensing fuel to a vehicle or container. The distribution systems speed up the filling process and may eliminate the use of expensive cooling systems required in the art. The methods utilize sequences of filling and emptying the vehicle gas storage tank to control the temperature of the gas inside the tank. The methods repeatedly dispense fuel to the vehicle fuel tank at a first flow rate and for a first period of time and remove fuel from the fuel tank at a second flow rate for a second period to maintain fuel temperature within a desired temperature range and until the vehicle fuel tank is filled to a desired level. In addition, the fill-up mass flowrate can be maximized to system capabilities so a fill-up can be can be completed in about one minute.

A vehicle including: a tank configured to be filled with fuel gas; a receptacle configured to be connected to a nozzle included in a fuel gas filling apparatus; a filling passage configured to provide communication between the receptacle and the tank; a heating unit configured to heat the receptacle; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a parameter value, correlated with a filling speed of the fuel gas filled into the tank from the fuel gas filling apparatus, indicates decrease in the filling speed during filling of the fuel gas into the tank; and a control unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that the parameter value indicates decrease in the filling speed during filling of the fuel gas into the tank, to cause the heating unit to start heating of the receptacle during filling of the fuel gas into the tank.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for diagnosing a failure of a flowmeter in a measuring machine, includes calculating a filling amount at an end of filling of the hydrogen gas into a tank from the measuring machine by using a pressure, a temperature, and a volume of the tank; and determining whether or not the flowmeter fails by using a plurality of error values between a metering filling amount at the end of filling measured using the flowmeter and a calculated filling amount at the end of filling calculated using the pressure, the temperature, and the volume of the tank, the plurality of error values being based on a plurality of past performance data stored in a storage device, and an error value at the end of filling of the hydrogen gas at a present time, and outputting a result.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a hydrogen gas filling method includes receiving, from a vehicle equipped with a tank to be filled with hydrogen gas and powered by the hydrogen gas, a temperature of the tank before a start of filling; calculating a difference between a preset maximum temperature and the temperature of the tank; calculating a filling speed of the hydrogen gas depending on the difference; and filling the hydrogen gas from an accumulator in which the hydrogen gas is accumulated into the tank at the filling speed calculated via a measuring machine.

The invention relates to a gas container equipped with a gas distribution valve having an electronic device for measuring gas autonomy. Flow selection means allow a desired gas flow to be selected. The electronic device includes a pressure sensor. Signal processing means allow gas autonomies to be determined on the basis of the pressure signal and of the selectable gas flows. A selection component cooperates with the signal processing means in order to successively display, on data display means and in response to successive digital activations by the user of the selection component, the various selectable flow values and the various corresponding autonomies, with each flow value being simultaneously displayed with a corresponding autonomy.