Cascade bank selection based on ambient temperature

Abstract

A system for controlling the temperature of compressed gas being transferred from one or more high-pressure storage vessels to a receiving vessel includes a plurality of high-pressure storage vessels with compressed gas therein, a conduit for receiving the compressed gas from one or more of the storage vessels and being adapted to communicate with a receiving vessel to transfer the compressed gas thereto. A plurality of flow-control devices control the flow of compressed gas from one or more of the storage vessels to the receiving vessel and a controller regulates the flow-control devices in response to the ambient temperature measured by a temperature-measuring device of the system to thereby control the temperature of the compressed gas being transferred to the receiving vessel. The method in which the system of this invention operates also constitutes a part of the present invention.

1 . A system for controlling the temperature of compressed gas being transferred from one or more high pressure storage vessels to a receiving vessel, said system including: 
 A. a plurality of high pressure storage vessels including compressed gas therein;    B. a conduit for receiving compressed gas from one or more of the plurality of high pressure storage vessels and being adapted to communicate with a receiving vessel for transferring compressed gas from said one or more of the plurality of high pressure storage vessels to said receiving vessel;    C. a plurality of flow control devices for controlling the flow of compressed gas from one or more of said storage vessels to said receiving vessel;    D. a temperature measuring device for measuring the ambient temperature; and    E. a controller for regulating the flow control devices in response to the ambient temperature measured by the measuring device to control the storage vessel volume communicating with the receiving vessel from said one or more storage vessels, to thereby control the temperature of the compressed gas being transferred to said receiving vessel.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller sequentially controls separate flow control devices to selectively control the storage vessel volume communicating with the receiving vessel as compressed gas is being transferred to said receiving vessel.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of flow control devices controls the flow of compressed gas from a storage vessel volume to said receiving vessel that is different from the storage vessel volume from which compressed gas is transferred to said receiving vessel under the control of at least one other of said plurality of flow control devices.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of flow control devices controls the flow of compressed gas to said receiving vessel from a different storage vessel volume.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of high pressure storage vessels are arranged in two or more groups of storage vessels, each group of storage vessels communicating with said receiving vessel through a separate flow control device.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the storage vessel volume of each group is different from the storage vessel volume of every other group.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the volume of each of the storage vessels is approximately the same, and the number of storage vessels in each group is different from the number of storage vessel in every other group.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each storage vessel communicates with the receiving vessel through a separate flow control device.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flow control devices are valves.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving vessel is a tank in a vehicle to be operated by gas transferred from said one or more high pressure storage vessels.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , said controller including a preset temperature and said controller regulating the flow control devices in response to the difference between the ambient temperature and the preset temperature.  
   
   
       12 . A method for controlling the temperature of compressed gas being transferred from one or more high pressure storage vessels to a receiving vessel, said method including the steps of: 
 A. providing a plurality of high pressure storage vessels including compressed gas therein;    B. connecting the plurality of high pressure storage vessels to a receiving vessel so that the compressed gas in one or more of the high pressure storage vessels can be transferred to the receiving vessel;    C. measuring the ambient temperature; and    D. controlling the storage vessel volume in flow communication with the receiving vessel in response to the ambient temperature to thereby control the temperature of the compressed gas being transferred to said receiving vessel.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of controlling the storage vessel volume in flow communication with the receiving vessel is provided by a controller responsive to the difference between the ambient temperature and a second, preset temperature.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of controlling the volume of gas being transferred to the receiving vessel is carried out by controlling the number of storage vessels in communication with the receiving vessel as gas is being transferred from said storage vessels to said receiving vessel.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , including the step of changing the number of storage vessels in communication with the receiving vessel during the step of transferring gas to said receiving vessel, whereby different gas storage volumes are in flow communication with the receiving vessel during different portions of the gas transferring operation.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , including the step of controlling the volume of gas being transferred to the receiving vessel by communicating only one storage vessel at a time with the receiving vessel during the entire filling operation.