Fuel Gas Storing and Supplying Device

Abstract

It is an object to provide a fuel gas storing and supplying device in which high-pressure fuel tanks are disposed parallel to each other and each tank is provided with a discharge valve and a regulator valve; the apparatus being able to suppress the amount of fuel gas that has to be consumed or discharged when the system is stopped, and able to increase fuel efficiency, and to able make it possible to stop the system rapidly. The fuel gas storing and supplying device of the present invention includes high-pressure fuel tanks that are piped and connected in parallel to a fuel gas receiver device, a discharge valve provided for each high-pressure fuel tank, and a regulator valve provided downstream of each discharge valve; and at least one discharge valve is closed when fuel gas is supplied.

1 . A fuel gas storing and supplying device comprising:
 high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel with a fuel gas receiver device;   a discharge valve provided for each high-pressure fuel tank; and   a regulator valve provided downstream of each discharge valve, wherein at least one discharge valve is closed when fuel gas is supplied.   
   
   
       2 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 1 , further comprising control means for controlling each discharge valve so that fuel gas is supplied from one high-pressure fuel tank of the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel at least at a time when a system stop request can be received. 
   
   
       3 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 when the tank pressure of a high-pressure fuel tank that is supplying fuel gas becomes equal to or less than a threshold, the control means opens the discharge valve of the high-pressure fuel tank that is to be next used as a fuel gas supply source and closes the discharge valve of the high-pressure fuel tank that is supplying fuel gas.   
   
   
       4 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the control means judges that there is insufficient gas when the tank pressure of each high-pressure fuel tank is equal to or less than the threshold.   
   
   
       5 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the control means stops the operation of a system including the fuel gas storing and supplying device when the control means judges that there is insufficient gas.   
   
   
       6 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the control means controls each discharge valve so that the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel are used as supply sources in order of increasing tank pressure.   
   
   
       7 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the control means controls each discharge valve so that the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel are used as supply sources in order of decreasing tank pressure.   
   
   
       8 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the control means opens one discharge valve and keeps the other discharge valves in a closed state when the supply of fuel gas is started.   
   
   
       9 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the control means opens a discharge valve corresponding to the high-pressure fuel tank used during the previous system stop so that fuel gas from this high-pressure fuel tank is supplied when the supply of fuel gas is started.   
   
   
       10 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the control means opens a discharge valve corresponding to the high-pressure fuel tank for which the tank pressure exceeds a threshold so that fuel gas from this high-pressure fuel tank is supplied when the supply of fuel gas is started, when the tank pressure of a high-pressure fuel tank corresponding to the discharge valve that is planned to be opened is judged to be equal to or lower than a threshold.   
   
   
       11 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the control means judges that there is insufficient gas when the tank pressure of each high-pressure fuel tank is judged to be equal to or below the threshold when the supply of fuel gas is started.   
   
   
       12 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the control means opens a discharge valve corresponding to the high-pressure fuel tank with the highest tank pressure, from among the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel, when the supply of fuel gas is started.   
   
   
       13 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the control means opens a discharge valve corresponding to the high-pressure fuel tank with the lowest tank pressure, from among the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel, when the supply of fuel gas is started.   
   
   
       14 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the control means controls each discharge valve so that the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel are used as supply sources in order of increasing tank pressure.   
   
   
       15 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the control means controls each discharge valve so that the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel are used as supply sources in order of increasing tank pressure.   
   
   
       16 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the control means controls each discharge valve so that the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel are used as supply sources in order of decreasing tank pressure.   
   
   
       17 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the control means controls each discharge valve so that the high-pressure fuel tanks connected in parallel are used as supply sources in order of decreasing tank pressure.   
   
   
       18 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the control means opens a discharge valve corresponding to the high-pressure fuel tank for which the tank pressure exceeds a threshold so that fuel gas from this high-pressure fuel tank is supplied when the supply of fuel gas is started, when the tank pressure of a high-pressure fuel tank corresponding to the discharge valve that is planned to be opened is judged to be equal to or lower than a threshold.   
   
   
       19 . The fuel gas storing and supplying device according to  claim 18 , wherein
 the control means judges that there is insufficient gas when the tank pressure of each high-pressure fuel tank is judged to be equal to or below the threshold when the supply of fuel gas is started.