Method For Managing Storage of Gaseous Hydrogen

Abstract

In order to increase the hydrogen utilization rate of the cascade storage system, after dispensing gaseous hydrogen to a hydrogen vehicle, gaseous hydrogen is transferred via a compressor from at least one storage vessel at a lower pressure to at least one storage vessel at a higher, dispensable pressure. The methods of the present invention economically and efficiently increase the utilization rate of gaseous hydrogen stored in a cascade storage system by managing the storage of gaseous hydrogen and increasing the utilization rate of gaseous hydrogen stored in a cascade storage system.

1 . A hydrogen cascade storage system method comprising:
 fueling a vehicle tank of a hydrogen vehicle with gaseous hydrogen from a cascade storage system comprising a plurality of stages of storage banks; and   refilling said plurality of stages of storage banks with leftover gaseous hydrogen contained within said plurality of stages of storage banks via a compressor by transferring said leftover gaseous hydrogen from said plurality of stages of storage banks with lowest pressure to said plurality of stages of storage banks with highest pressure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising introducing additional gaseous hydrogen to said cascade storage system via said compressor to refill said plurality of stages of storage banks. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said additional gaseous hydrogen is transported from offsite. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said additional gaseous hydrogen is generated onsite by a purified hydrogen generator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of stages of storage banks comprises a stage 1 storage bank, a stage n−1 storage bank, and a stage n storage bank. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein fueling of said vehicle tank with said gaseous hydrogen begins with said stage 1 storage bank, proceeds to said stage n−1 storage bank, and conclude with said stage n storage bank. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein after fueling said vehicle tank with said gaseous hydrogen, pressure of said stage 1 storage bank is less than pressure of said stage n−1 storage bank and pressure of said stage n−1 storage bank is less than pressure of said stage n storage bank. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein refilling said plurality of stages of storage banks with said leftover gaseous hydrogen begins by transferring said leftover gaseous hydrogen from said stage 1 storage bank to said stage n storage bank via a compressor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising introducing additional gaseous hydrogen to said cascade storage system to refill said plurality of stages of storage banks. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said additional gaseous hydrogen is transported from offsite. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said additional gaseous hydrogen is generated onsite by a purified hydrogen generator. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising simultaneously feeding additional gaseous hydrogen to said compressor for transfer to said stage n storage bank. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising introducing additional gaseous hydrogen to said cascade storage system via a separate compressor to refill said plurality of stages of storage banks. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said additional gaseous hydrogen is transported from offsite. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said additional gaseous hydrogen is generated onsite by a purified hydrogen generator.