Filling apparatus
A filling apparatus that does not significantly reduce a required pressure immediately after a start of hydrogen filling, and can reliably fill fuel cell vehicles and the like. The filling apparatus ( 100 ) includes a control unit ( 10 ), and the control unit ( 10 ) has a function of boosting pressure required from a hydrogen filling apparatus ( 100 ) to a rear facility ( 200 ) until initial pressure measurement is completed. The control unit ( 10 ) may have a function of determining whether or not communication filling is established, and when communication filling is established, setting a pressure higher than an internal pressure of a tank received from a vehicle side by a predetermined pressure (for example, 5 MPa) as a pressure required for the rear facility ( 200 ) at an initial stage of filling.
1. A filling apparatus comprising a control unit, wherein said control unit is configured to:
execute control for boosting pressure required from a rear supply facility in operative communication with the filling apparatus until a discharge pressure of the filling apparatus is equal to a prescribed initial pressure magnitude; and
determine whether or not communication filling is established, and:
when communication filling is established, to set the discharge pressure to be higher than an internal pressure of a tank received from a vehicle side by a predetermined amount; and
when communication filling is not established, to set the discharge pressure to be equal to 30 to 60% of a maximum value.
2. The filling apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to set the discharge pressure to be higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the prescribed initial pressure magnitude is met.
3. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to increase the discharge pressure when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.
4. The filling apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to set the discharge pressure to be higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the prescribed initial pressure magnitude is met.
5. The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is additionally configured to increase the discharge pressure when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.
6. The filling apparatus claimed in claim 5 , wherein said control unit is configured to set the discharge pressure to be higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the prescribed initial pressure magnitude measurement is met.
7. A filling method comprising the steps of:
determining whether or not a discharge pressure of a filling apparatus has met an initial prescribed pressure magnitude, and boosting the discharge pressure until the prescribed pressure magnitude is met; and
determining whether or not communication filling is established, and:
setting the discharge pressure to a magnitude higher than an internal pressure of a tank received from a vehicle side by a predetermined magnitude amount when communication filling is established; and
setting the discharge pressure to be equal to 30 to 60% of a maximum value when communication filling is not established.
8. The filling method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said discharge pressure is increased when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.
9. The filling method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said discharge pressure is set higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the discharge pressure meets the initial prescribed pressure magnitude.
10. The filling method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said discharge pressure is increased when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.