Method for Storing and Dispensing Hydrogen Gas

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a hydrogen gas fueling system comprising at least two hydrogen gas storage zones disposed in fluid communication with the compressor, and a hydrogen gas dispensing section disposed in fluid communication with the cascade section. The method for storing and dispensing hydrogen comprises: compressing the hydrogen gas in a compressor, passing the compressed hydrogen gas to a cascade system comprising at least two zones in fluid communication with the compressor via an inlet valve, controlling the inlet valve based upon a first sensed system parameter, dispensing the hydrogen gas from the cascade section through an outlet valve, and controlling the outlet valve based upon a second sensed system parameter. When a zone pressure in a first zone from which the hydrogen gas is being dispensed decreases to below a desired dispensing pressure, dispensing can be ceased from the first zone and commenced from a second zone.

1 . A method for storing and dispensing hydrogen gas, comprising: 
 compressing the hydrogen gas in a compressor;    passing the compressed hydrogen gas to a cascade system comprising at least two zones in fluid communication with the compressor via an inlet valve;    controlling the inlet valve based upon a first sensed system parameter;    dispensing the hydrogen gas from the cascade section through an outlet valve; and    controlling the outlet valve based upon a second sensed system parameter;    wherein when a zone pressure in a first zone from which the hydrogen gas is being dispensed decreases to below a desired dispensing pressure, dispensing ceases from the first zone and commences from a second zone.    
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the compressor comprises multiple stages.  
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising filling the first zone while dispensing from the second zone.  
     
     
         4 . A storage medium encoded with a machine readable computer program code, said code including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method for storing and dispensing hydrogen gas, the method comprising: 
 compressing the hydrogen gas in a compressor;    passing the compressed hydrogen gas to a cascade system comprising at least two zones in fluid communication with the compressor via an inlet valve;    controlling the inlet valve based upon a first sensed system parameter;    dispensing the hydrogen gas from the cascade section through an outlet valve; and    controlling the outlet valve based upon a second sensed system parameter;    wherein when a zone pressure in a first zone from which the hydrogen gas is being dispensed decreases to below a desired dispensing pressure, dispensing ceases from the first zone and commences from a second zone.    
     
     
         5 . A method for storing and dispensing hydrogen gas, comprising: 
 producing the hydrogen gas in an electrochemical cell system;    compressing the hydrogen gas in a compressor;    passing the compressed hydrogen gas to a cascade system comprising at least two zones in fluid communication with the compressor via an inlet valve;    controlling the inlet valve based upon a first sensed system parameter;    dispensing the hydrogen gas from the cascade section through an outlet valve; and    controlling the outlet valve based upon a second sensed system parameter.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising transporting a second zone of the cascade system.