System and/or method for hydrogen refueling
A system for hydrogen dispensation can include: a hydrogen collector; a cryo-compressed buffer storage system; and a hydrogen dispenser. The system functions to facilitate hydrogen fueling/dispensation (e.g., rapid dispensation) while additionally utilizing hydrogen storage in a cryo-compressed hydrogen state. The system and/or method may be implemented in any general use case that requires hydrogen storage and/or hydrogen refueling.
1 . A cascade system for cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH 2 ) dispensation comprising:
a cryogenic pump;
a plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks, each housing CcH 2 and configured to be selectively fluidly coupled to the cryogenic pump;
a cooling system thermally coupled to the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks, wherein the cooling system is configured to maintain an internal temperature of the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks within a cryogenic temperature range;
a hydrogen dispenser comprising a set of fluid connections configured to be selectively coupled to the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks; and
a receiving tank comprising: a first inlet port and a second outlet port, the first inlet port coupled to a first fluid connection of the hydrogen dispenser, wherein CcH 2 pressure within the first fluid connection is configured to circulate CcH 2 through the second outlet port.
2 . The cascade system for cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH 2 ) dispensation of claim 1 , wherein the second outlet port is configured to be selectively fluidly coupled to a cryogenic buffer storage tank of the plurality via a second fluid connection of the hydrogen dispenser to reduce temperature rise due to hydrogen compression within the receiving tank during CcH 2 dispensation.
3 . The cascade system for cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH 2 ) dispensation of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid connection is configured to catalyze hydrogen spin-state conversion.
4 . The cascade system for cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH 2 ) dispensation of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks comprises a cascade filling system based on CcH 2 pressure.
5 . A method for managing cryo-compressed hydrogen comprising:
compressing a mass of hydrogen gas (GH 2 ) using a compressor;
using a cooling system thermally coupled to a plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks, cooling the mass of compressed hydrogen gas (CGH 2 ) to a cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH 2 ) state;
storing the mass of CcH 2 in the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks;
dispensing, from the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks, a first portion of the mass of CcH 2 by cascade filling; and
concurrently with dispensing the first portion of the mass of CcH 2 , cooling the first portion and catalyzing a hydrogen spin state conversion.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising: dispensing a second portion of the mass of CcH 2 , from at least one cryogenic buffer storage tank of the plurality; and heating the second portion to produce CGH 2 .
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first and second portion comprise hydrogen gas from a first cryogenic buffer storage tank of the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks.
8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the mass of CcH 2 is dispensed into a receiving tank via a first fluid connection, the method further comprising: contemporaneously with dispensing the first portion of the mass of CcH 2 , evacuating a subset of the first portion through an outlet of the receiving tank contemporaneous with dispensation into the receiving tank.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: externally cooling the subset of the first portion relative to the receiving tank; and, subsequently, storing the subset of the first portion.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the subset of the first portion is stored in a cryogenic buffer storage tank of the plurality.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein evacuating the subset of the first portion reduces compressive heating of CcH 2 within the receiving tank caused by hydrogen entering through the first fluid connection.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a fluid pressure within the first fluid connection is above 350 bar.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressure differential across the receiving tank is less than 50 bar.
14 . The method of claim 5 , wherein a mass flow rate of dispensation of the first portion is more than double a maximum mass flow rate of the compressor.
15 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks defines a cascade of CcH 2 pressures, wherein dispensing the first portion of the mass of CcH 2 comprises selectively dispensing from the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks, based on the cascade of CcH 2 pressures, from lowest to highest CcH 2 pressure.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein selectively dispensing from the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks is further based on a CcH 2 ortho-concentration.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: after dispensing CcH 2 from a first cryogenic buffer storage tank of the plurality, selectively heating the depleted first cryogenic buffer storage tank to increase the CcH 2 pressure within the first cryogenic buffer storage tank.
18 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising venting gaseous hydrogen from the plurality of cryogenic buffer storage tanks; and recycling the gaseous hydrogen to the compressor.
19 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first portion is cooled using liquid nitrogen (LN 2 ).
20 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first portion is cooled using a refrigeration system.