Compressed gas management system

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for managing compressed gas as an energy storage medium for providing power to vehicle uses. Compressed air has many pneumatic uses both inside and outside of vehicles and an Air Hybrid engine a source of compressed air energy for storage. This source of compressed air energy is stored, managed, and used in many methods and devices. The gas storage system presented is distributed over multiple storage units coupled to a gas flow network for control storage and use of the compressed gas.

1 . A system for storing and managing compressed gas in a vehicle, comprising:
 an engine having selectable cylinder compressed gas,   at least one compressed gas storage unit,   at least one pressure sensor for determining gas storage unit pressure,   compressed gas storage units coupled to engine cylinder for channeling bi-directional gas flow,   programmed logic for bi-directional flow control channeling gas from a programmably selectable cylinder to programmably selected storage unit and from the storage unit to the cylinder,   whereby compressed gas from dynamically selected individual cylinders can be flowed to disparate storage units for alternate on or off vehicle uses or redirected back to a selected engine cylinder for further compression or use.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the compressed gas storage units are coupled to a network of channels wherein electronic controlled valves using programmed logic actuates electronic controlled valves to maintain pressure ranges in selected gas storage units, cascading compressed gas to storage units in parallel or in series based on preset pressure limits, storage capacities and storage unit pressure. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas in the storage units is chosen from a group consisting of air, hydrogen, propane, methane, natural gas, nitrous oxide or combinations. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage unit comprises a plurality of gas storage units operatively connected in a gas flow channel network wherein actuation of valve opening and closing times are pre-determined based on gas travel time in mapped channels from source unit to channel target location, whereby transient pressures of compressed gases from more than one storage unit additively combine at a selected location, providing a cumulative higher pressure transient than the individual units could provide. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising logic for mapping available storage capacity to a required gas pressure and location wherein compressed gas storage units having electronically actuated valves isolating channel flow directing gas to mapped locations in without branching to other channels. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising small volume gas storage units operatively connected to a network channel for programmable controlling gas flow to reduce storage unit charge time in selected storage units. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising the compressed gas storage in a vehicle frame chassis. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein separated vehicle chassis storage units are communicatively coupled in a network of channels connecting vehicle chassis storage units in series, parallel or combinations. 
   
   
       9 . An energy storage and management system for compressed gas, comprising:
 computer readable memory and at least one processor;   sensors measuring gas state at pre-determined gas locations;   sensor data in communication with processor;   compressed gas sources;   a plurality of compressed gas storage units;   a net work of channeling conduits, headers or plenums coupling the compressed gas storage units via electronic controlled valves;   logic stored in memory for enabling a computer application, under the control of a processor, to perform:
 receiving compressed gas data from sensors, 
 determining compressed gas target locations, 
 determining compressed gas state, 
 identifying valves isolating a channel from compressed gas unit to target location, 
 actuating the opening and closing of electronically controlled identified channel valves, and 
   
     executing the logic to manipulate valve components channeling gas flow from the plurality of gas storage sources to the target locations at the gas state required. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the compressed gas is chosen from a group consisting of air, hydrogen, propane, methane, natural gas, nitrous oxide or combinations. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the coupling network comprises wireless electronic components such as and including all types of valves, electronically controlled, varieties of pressure, temperature, flow sensors, and signal transmission. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the storage unit comprises a plurality of gas storage units operatively connected in a gas flow channel network wherein actuation of valve opening and closing times are pre-determined based on gas travel time in mapped channels from source unit to channel target location, whereby transient pressures of compressed gases from more than one storage unit additively combine at a selected location, providing a cumulative higher pressure transient than the individual units could provide. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising logic for mapping available storage capacity to a required gas pressure and location wherein compressed gas storage units having electronically actuated valves isolating channel flow directing gas to mapped locations in without branching to other channels. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising small volume gas storage units operatively connected to a network channel for programmable controlling gas flow to reduce storage unit charge time in selected storage units. 
   
   
       15 . A method of storing and managing a compressed gas in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
 programmably identifying sources of individual cylinder compressed gas from an engine, identifying capacity available storage units,   selecting identified units based on a pre-determined pressure,   allocating a plurality of compressible gas storage units operatively connected with flow controlled through electronically controlled valves, for controlling gas flow from engine compressed air sources and to the allocated storage units,   accepting compressed gas from a identified compressed gas sources one or more pre-determined identified units,   accepting data from channel and storage gas pressure sensors,   storing the compressed gas in the allocated units, and   flowing gas from compressed gas source to storage unit or from storage unit to selected engine cylinder through a gas channel network programmably controlled by electronic controlled valves,   
     whereby compressed gas from engine generated sources can be directed to disparate alternate on or off vehicle uses or redirected back to the engine for further compression or use.