LOW-PRESSURE PUMP FOR HYDROGEN PUMPING SYSTEM
A hydrogen pumping system includes a low-pressure pump system. The low-pressure pump system includes at least one fluid reservoir, a hydrogen pump cylinder fluidically connected to the at least one fluid reservoir, a piston assembly positioned within the hydrogen pump cylinder, a hydrogen cylinder rod portion at least partially positioned within the hydrogen pump cylinder, and a plunger assembly including a sealing member and including a presser component, the plunger assembly operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion. The sealing member is configured to seal with a valve body of the piston assembly with the presser component not contacting the piston assembly. The presser component is configured to selectively force the valve body in a direction toward the sealing member.
1 . A hydrogen pumping system including a low-pressure pump system, the low-pressure pump system comprising:
at least one fluid reservoir;
a hydrogen pump cylinder fluidically connected to the at least one fluid reservoir;
a piston assembly positioned within the hydrogen pump cylinder;
a hydrogen cylinder rod portion at least partially positioned within the hydrogen pump cylinder; and
a plunger assembly including a sealing member and including a presser component, the plunger assembly operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion,
wherein
the sealing member is configured to seal with a valve body of the piston assembly with the presser component not contacting the piston assembly, and
the presser component is configured to selectively force the valve body in a direction toward the sealing member.
2 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 1 , wherein:
the piston assembly, the hydrogen pump cylinder, and the plunger assembly define at least in part a variable volume compression chamber above the piston assembly when the sealing member is sealed with the valve body;
the hydrogen cylinder rod portion defines a longitudinal axis; and
the presser component is located beneath the sealing member along the longitudinal axis.
3 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a guide operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion and configured to center the hydrogen cylinder rod portion within the hydrogen pump cylinder.
4 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 3 , wherein the guide is located beneath the presser component.
5 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 4 , wherein the piston assembly includes:
a hollow body;
a piston ring positioned about the hollow body; and
a presser surface axially aligned with the presser component with respect to the longitudinal axis and configured to be contacted by the presser component to selectively force the valve body in the direction toward the sealing member,
wherein
the valve body is a circular valve body.
6 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 5 , wherein:
the plunger assembly comprises a plunger operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion;
the sealing member is a circular sealing member;
the circular sealing member is supported by the plunger; and
the presser component is located beneath the plunger along the longitudinal axis.
7 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 6 , wherein:
an upper surface of the sealing member is spaced apart from a lower surface of the presser component by a first distance along the longitudinal axis;
the sealing member is configured to seal with a lower surface of the valve body;
the lower surface of the valve body is spaced apart from the presser surface by a second distance along the longitudinal axis; and
the second distance is greater than the first distance, such that the sealing member cannot seal with the lower surface of the valve body when the presser component is in contact with the presser surface.
8 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a pump head assembly located at an upper end of the hydrogen pump cylinder, the pump head assembly including a low-pressure pump unit outlet, the hydrogen cylinder rod portion extending through the pump head assembly;
an insulation vessel positioned around the hydrogen pump cylinder;
a thermal decoupling rod portion operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion within the insulation vessel at a location above the pump head assembly; and
a cold end portion top plate sealing an upper end of the insulation vessel, wherein the thermal decoupling rod portion extends through the cold end portion top plate.
9 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a drive rod of a drive system operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion;
a position indicator configured to generate a signal associated with a position of the drive rod; and
a control system configured to control the drive system based upon the signal generated by the position indicator to move the drive rod.
10 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 9 , the control system comprising:
a memory including program instructions stored therein; and
a controller operably connected to the memory, the drive system, and the position indicator, the controller configured to execute the program instructions to control the drive system to move the drive rod such that the hydrogen cylinder rod portion moves upwardly along the longitudinal axis from a first position whereat the presser component is in contact with the presser surface to a second position whereat the presser component is not in contact with the presser surface and the sealing member is not sealed with the valve body;
control the drive system to move the drive rod such that the hydrogen cylinder rod portion moves upwardly along the longitudinal axis from the second position to a third position whereat the presser component is not in contact with the presser surface and the sealing member is sealed with the valve body; and
control the drive system to move the drive rod such that the hydrogen cylinder rod portion moves upwardly along the longitudinal axis from the third position to a fourth position with the sealing member sealed with the valve body thereby compressing a fluid within the variable volume compression chamber.
11 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute the program instructions to control the drive system to:
move the hydrogen cylinder rod portion downwardly along the longitudinal axis from the fourth position to a fifth position whereat the sealing member is not sealed with the valve body and the presser component is not in contact with the presser surface;
move the hydrogen cylinder rod portion downwardly along the longitudinal axis from the fifth position to a sixth position whereat the presser component contacts the presser surface and the sealing member is not sealed with the valve body; and
move the hydrogen cylinder rod portion downwardly along the longitudinal axis from the sixth position to the first position with the presser component contacting the presser surface and the sealing member not sealed with the valve body.
12 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 10 , wherein the longitudinal axis is not aligned with a horizontal axis, such that gas within the hydrogen pump cylinder moves upwardly within a fluid in the hydrogen pump cylinder in a direction from an inlet at a bottom of the hydrogen pump cylinder toward the low-pressure pump unit outlet.
13 . The hydrogen pumping system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a vapor barrier extending from the cold end portion top plate and positioned about at least one of the drive rod and the thermal decoupling rod portion.
14 . A low-pressure pump for use in a hydrogen pumping system, comprising:
a hydrogen pump cylinder configured to be supplied with hydrogen from a fluid reservoir;
a piston assembly positioned within the hydrogen pump cylinder;
a hydrogen cylinder rod portion at least partially positioned within the hydrogen pump cylinder; and
a plunger assembly including a sealing member and including a presser component, the plunger assembly operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion,
wherein
the sealing member is configured to seal with a valve body of the piston assembly with the presser component not contacting the piston assembly, and
the presser component is configured to selectively force the valve body in a direction toward the sealing member.
15 . The low-pressure pump of claim 14 , wherein:
the piston assembly, the hydrogen pump cylinder, and the plunger assembly define at least in part a variable volume compression chamber above the piston assembly when the sealing member is sealed with the valve body;
the hydrogen cylinder rod portion defines a longitudinal axis; and
the presser component is located beneath the sealing member along the longitudinal axis.
16 . The low-pressure pump of claim 15 , further comprising:
a guide operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion and configured to center the hydrogen cylinder rod portion within the hydrogen pump cylinder.
17 . The low-pressure pump of claim 16 , wherein the guide is located beneath the presser component.
18 . The low-pressure pump of claim 17 , wherein the piston assembly includes:
a hollow body;
a piston ring positioned about the hollow body; and
a presser surface axially aligned with the presser component with respect to the longitudinal axis and configured to be contacted by the presser component to selectively force the valve body in the direction toward the sealing member,
wherein
the valve body is a circular valve body.
19 . The low-pressure pump of claim 18 , wherein:
the plunger assembly comprises a plunger operably connected to the hydrogen cylinder rod portion;
the sealing member is a circular sealing member;
the circular sealing member is supported by the plunger; and
the presser component is located beneath the plunger along the longitudinal axis.
20 . The low-pressure pump of claim 19 , wherein:
an upper surface of the sealing member is spaced apart from a lower surface of the presser component by a first distance along the longitudinal axis;
the sealing member is configured to seal with a lower surface of the valve body;
the lower surface of the valve body is spaced apart from the presser surface by a second distance along the longitudinal axis; and
the second distance is greater than the first distance, such that the sealing member cannot seal with the lower surface of the valve body when the presser component is in contact with the presser surface.
21 . A method of operating a low-pressure pump for a pumping operation, comprising:
providing a hydrogen cylinder output at an upper end of a hydrogen cylinder;
providing a hydrogen cylinder inlet at a lower end of the hydrogen cylinder;
providing a first hydrogen fluid to the hydrogen cylinder;
applying tension to a hydrogen piston rod portion within the hydrogen cylinder such that a gas at the upper end of the hydrogen cylinder is forced through the hydrogen cylinder output; and
continuing to apply the tension to the hydrogen piston rod portion such that the first hydrogen fluid is forced through the hydrogen cylinder output after the gas is forced through the hydrogen cylinder output.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the hydrogen cylinder defines a longitudinal axis which defines, along with a horizontal axis, an angle of at least 15 degrees.
23 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising;
moving second hydrogen fluid into the hydrogen cylinder by the applying of the tension to the hydrogen piston rod portion.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the second hydrogen fluid is moved into the hydrogen cylinder from a hydrogen supply pipe.
25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein:
the second hydrogen fluid is moved into the hydrogen cylinder from a hydrogen reservoir; and
the hydrogen cylinder is located at least partially within the hydrogen reservoir.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein:
applying the tension to the hydrogen piston rod portion includes controlling the hydrogen piston rod portion using a controller; and
the control of the hydrogen piston rod portion does not use an input associated with a hydrogen level in the hydrogen reservoir.
27 . The method of claim 21 , wherein:
the applying the tension to the hydrogen piston rod portion is performed without any previous venting of the hydrogen cylinder for the pumping operation.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the method is performed in a system which cannot be configured to vent the hydrogen cylinder.