The present invention relates to a novel full-service autonomous gas station comprising of a plurality of drive-through service bay lanes. The gas station includes an autonomous fueling section and a pick-up area in each service bay lane for autonomous fueling of the vehicle and delivery of ordered store items. The gas station determines the position of a vehicle relative to a fuel refilling robotic arm before automatically filling fuel in fuel tank of the vehicle. A voice-activated digital menu display board displays store items that can be ordered via a smartphone application or a voice-input system by a user of the car while remaining within the car. The fuel is also refilled without requiring the user to exit the vehicle. A second robotic arm provides ordered item(s) to the user and thus obviates the need of the user to exit the vehicle throughout the station.

A system, methods, and apparatus for preventing receptacle overfilling are presented. The system can include a sensor member configured to couple with a receptacle and sense a material level within the receptacle, such as via a sight glass of the receptacle. The system can include a controller in operable communication with the sensor member and configured to instantiate the shutoff of material flow from a material dispensing system if a particular material level is detected by the sensor member. The system can include an intermediate member configured to relay communications between the sensor member and the controller. The intermediate member can be coupled to a fluid line and can further act as a holster for the sensor member, such as by facilitating the coupling of the sensor member to the intermediate member and/or the fluid line.

A robotic servicing system. The robotic servicing system includes an evacuation system, a refill system and a robotic assembly. The evacuation system includes a first quick connect fitting configured to mate with a quick connect valve of a vehicle. The refill system includes a second quick connect fitting configure to mate with the quick connect valve of the vehicle. The robotic assembly is couplable to the evacuation system and the refill system, and is configured to autonomously connect the first and second quick connection fittings to the quick connect valve of the vehicle.

Provided is a device for automatic refueling of a vehicle that includes a nozzle having a flexible filler pipe with an open end. The filler pipe is inserted, with the open end first, into the tank pipe to deliver fuel through the open end into the tank pipe. An axial pressure is applied to the filler pipe to insert the filler pipe into the tank pipe. The filler pipe includes an inner fuel pipe of flexible hard plastic material, and an outer metal coil or a series of metal rings. The metal coil or metal rings are arranged to run in parallel to and outside of the inner fuel pipe. The metal coil is arranged to run in and along a recess in the surface of the inner fuel pipe and the metal rings are disposed in a series of annular recesses in the surface of the fuel pipe.

The automatic identification hydrogen refueling system includes a ground positioning module, a hydrogen storage module, a mechanical arm, a refueling module, an automatic identification module and an information processing module. The ground positioning module is provided with a sensor. A hydrogen conveying pipeline is connected with the refueling module. The hydrogen storage module is arranged at a tail end of the ground positioning module, and connected with the mechanical arm, the information processing module and the hydrogen conveying pipeline. The information processing module controls the mechanical arm to drive the refueling module to preliminarily align a refueling connector after receiving a sensor signal. The automatic identification module identifies an accurate position of the refueling connector, the information processing module drives the mechanical arm to move until butting of the hydrogen refueling gun head and the refueling connector is completed, monitors and controls the refueling amount and the refueling pressure.

A fuel delivery system automatically selects one out of several available fuels for a vehicle having a specialized fuel filler neck. A dispenser pump assembly includes a pump base, a hose assembly and a nozzle assembly which includes a nozzle spout and a cylindrical collar member slidably mounted on the nozzle spout. A sensor on the nozzle assembly generates a signal, based on a position of the collar when the spout is fully inserted into a fuel filler neck of the vehicle. The signal is transmitted via wires, wireless signal, fiber-optic cables or other medium. An electronic controller in the pump base selects an appropriate fuel, based on the signal received from the sensor. If the available fuels include percentages of ethanol or other additives, a precision blending system ensures that the correct amount of additive is provided. Methods of selecting a fuel using the system hereof are also disclosed.

In a multi-part refueling device for refueling an electric drive battery or a fluid tank of a movable vehicle, simplified, reproducible refueling is to be achieved. The vehicle-side coupling device carried on the vehicle has connecting means designed as at least one charging coil, charging contacts or as a loading nozzle and also has a descending mechanism for lowering the contact plate onto the ground, a displacement mechanism for displacing the contact plate in the ground plane up to a center of the stationary ground coupling device and a lowering mechanism for lowering the connecting means or contact plate as a whole with the connecting means onto the charging coil, the charging contacts or a tank nozzle, wherein the positioning of the contact plate on the stationary ground device is made possible in an automatically controlled manner by a computer and control unit.

Device and method for filling pressurized gas tanks, particularly vehicle pressurized hydrogen tanks, the device comprising a liquefied gas source, a transfer circuit comprising two parallel transfer lines each having an upstream end linked to the liquefied gas source, at least two separate downstream ends intended to be each removably connected to a tank to be filled, each of the two transfer lines comprising: a pump, a vaporizer for evaporating the pumped fluid, a branch for bypassing the vaporizer and a distribution valve(s) set configured to control the flow of fluid pumped and distributed between the vaporizer and the branch line, the device further comprising a storage buffer(s), which storage buffer(s) is(are) connected in parallel to each of the two transfer lines via a set of valves.

A robotic servicing system. The robotic servicing system includes an evacuation system, a refill system and a robotic assembly. The evacuation system includes a first quick connect fitting configured to mate with a quick connect valve of a vehicle. The refill system includes a second quick connect fitting configure to mate with the quick connect valve of the vehicle. The robotic assembly is couplable to the evacuation system and the refill system, and is configured to autonomously connect the first and second quick connection fittings to the quick connect valve of the vehicle.

A system, methods, and apparatus for preventing receptacle overfilling are presented. The system can include a sensor member configured to couple with a receptacle and sense a material level within the receptacle, such as via a sight glass of the receptacle. The system can include a controller in operable communication with the sensor member and configured to instantiate the shutoff of material flow from a material dispensing system if a particular material level is detected by the sensor member. The system can include an intermediate member configured to relay communications between the sensor member and the controller. The intermediate member can be coupled to a fluid line and can further act as a holster for the sensor member, such as by facilitating the coupling of the sensor member to the intermediate member and/or the fluid line.