System and Method for Filling a Hydrogen Storage Vessel at Enhanced Flow Rates

Abstract

A compressed gas delivery vehicle has a cooling system that cools an interior of a gas storage vessel during filling of the vessel with the gas wherein the gas is sorbed by a sorbent material comprising an adsorbent or an absorbent.

1 . A method of filling a gas storage vessel, comprising the steps of:
 allowing compressed gas to flow from a compressed gas storage tank borne by a compressed gas delivery vehicle to a gas storage vessel where it is sorbed by a sorbent material contained therein, wherein the gas storage vessel is not borne by the vehicle; and   allowing a primary coolant fluid to flow through a primary coolant path circulating between the gas storage vessel and a primary cooling system borne by the vehicle thereby cooling the sorbent material.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material is a metal hydride and the gas is hydrogen. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is silane and the sorbent material is a zeolite. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a secondary coolant flow path extends between an internal combustion engine of the vehicle and a vehicle radiator and said primary and secondary coolant flow paths do not fluidly communicate. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a secondary coolant flow path extends between an internal combustion engine of the vehicle and the primary cooling system and the primary cooling system is a vehicle radiator. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing first and second valves adapted and configured to selectively allow flow of the primary coolant through the primary coolant flow path or the secondary coolant flow path; and   actuating the first and second valves to place them in orientations that either:
 allows a flow of the primary coolant through the primary coolant flow path or the secondary coolant flow path, or 
 allows a flow of the primary coolant through the primary coolant flow path or the secondary coolant flow path. 
   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of allowing a flow of hydrogen from the hydrogen storage vessel to a stationary hydrogen consumption device, wherein said stationary hydrogen consumption device is not borne by the vehicle. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the primary coolant is pumped by a pump utilizing electrical power while an internal combustion engine used to propel the vehicle is not running.