Patent ID: 8365777
Filing Date: 2013-02-05
Classification: F17C,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of filling a vessel with a gas at a predetermined rise rate of gas pressure, said method comprising: (a) providing a source of the gas comprising a reservoir, the gas having a pressure ranging from about 15 MPa and about 70 MPa; (b) flowing the gas directly from said reservoir into said vessel until the gas pressure within the vessel substantially equalizes with the gas pressure within said reservoir; (c) subsequent to the gas pressure within the vessel substantially equalizing with the gas pressure within said reservoir, compressing said gas from said source into said vessel at a flow rate using a compressing means having a variable mass flow rate; (d) measuring an instantaneous value of a parameter selected from the group consisting of gas pressure within the vessel, gas temperature within the vessel, gas temperature before compressing said gas into said vessel, ambient temperature surrounding the vessel, and combinations thereof; (e) generating electrical signals indicative of the instantaneous value of the parameter; (f) transmitting the electrical signals to a controller; (g) using the electrical signals to vary the flow rate of the compressing means according to an algorithm used by the controller to adjust said flow rate of said gas into said vessel to achieve said predetermined rise rate of said gas pressure; (h) repeating steps (d) through (g) until said vessel is filled with said gas.