IP Library Granted Patent US 6,899,115
Granted Patent B1
US 6,899,115 · App. 10/031,568 · Granted May 31, 2005

Method and filling station for filling a motor vehicle with gaseous fuel

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,899,115
App. No.
10/031,568
Granted
May 31, 2005
Kind
B1
Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a filling station for filling a motor vehicle with gaseous fuel. The fuel is compressed, stored temporarily and expanded in the fuel tank of said vehicle. The fuel has a high water content. According to the invention, oil or an oil mixture is added in a dosed manner to said fuel.

Claims (14)

1. A process for filling a vehicle tank with a gaseous fuel having a high content of hydrogen atoms, wherein the fuel is compressed, fed to temporary storage, and from said temporary storage is expanded in the vehicle tank, the improvement comprising adding an oil or an oil mixture in doses to the fuel upstream of said temporary storage.

2. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the gas stream to be compressed contains methane or hydrogen or a mixture of methane and hydrogen.

3. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the gas stream to be compressed contains a natural gas or a methane-containing fraction of a natural gas.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel contains the hydrogen atoms as a hydrogen molecule and/or as a hydrocarbon.

5. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the oil or mixture is added so that the highest fuel pressure occurring during the filling remains below the saturation vapor pressure of the oil or a component of the oil.

6. A filling station for performing the process according to claim 1 , comprising a compressor station for gaseous fuel and in communication with said compressor station, a high-pressure (HP) storage vessel means comprising compressed gaseous fuel, and wherein the filling station contains means for dosing oil or an oil mixture to said gaseous fuel, said means for dosing being located upstream of said HP storage vessel means.

7. A filling station according to claim 6 , wherein the means for dosing is disposed upstream from the compressor station.

8. A filling station according to claim 6 , wherein the means for dosing is placed between two compressor stages.

9. A filling station according to claim 6 , wherein the HP storage vessel means comprises a plurality of cylindrical storage vessels.

10. A filling station according to claim 7 , wherein the HP storage vessel means comprises a plurality of cylindrical storage vessels.

11. A filling station according to claim 8 , wherein the HP storage vessel means comprises a plurality of cylindrical storage vessels.

12. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel is dosed with the oil or oil mixture before the fuel is compressed.

13. A process according to claim 12 , wherein the resultant dosed fuel is natural gas having a content of 40–60 ppm mol of said oil or oil mixture.

14. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel is compressed in two compressor stages and the fuel is dosed with the oil or oil mixture between the two compressor stages.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 19, 2007
From: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 020261/0731 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 20, 2002
From: LINDE GAS AG
To: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 013014/0167 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2002
From: ADLER, ROBERT
To: LINDE AG
Reel/Frame 012966/0436 →