Abstract:
A cryogenic gas storage system for optimal desorption of adsorbed gases, wherein a gas storage material is subjected to enhanced, ample selected recirculation of gas of the same type as the adsorbed gas, at suitable temperature and pressure, so as to supply of heat energy to the material and thereby provide optimal desorption of the gas. Output gas is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat utilizing at least one heat exchanger. A portion of the output gas goes to a gas consumer, the remainder is fed back to the container.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to desorption of gases and, more particularly, to an apparatus for optimal desorption of gases in cryogenic gas storage containers utilizing highly porous gas storage materials. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Newly developed highly porous gas storage materials suitable for cryogenic adsorption and desorption of gases are known in the Art. Such materials are, for example, activated charcoal, metal organic frameworks (MOFs and MILs), nano-cubes, coordination polymers (CPs), prussian blue analogues, or polymers of intrinsic microporosity. A description of highly porous gas storage materials can be found in the articles written by Professor Yaghi of the University of Michigan, published in Science magazine. (Systematic Design of Pore Size and Functionality of Isoreticular MOFs and Their Application in Methane Storage, Science Vol. 295, 18 January 2002; Hydrogen Storage in Microporous Metal-Organic Frameworks, Science Vol. 300, 16 May 2003). Also, in a press release by Dr. Ulrich Muller, of BASF, 28/29 10, 2002, “Nano-cubes for Hydrogen Storage” MOFs are described here as “Nano-cubes”. Highly porous polymers suitable as gas storage materials are also described in an article in Materials Today, April 2004, “Microporous Polymeric Materials”. All these highly porous gas storage materials have surface area densities from 3,000 m 2 /g (activated charcoal, MOF5) to more than 4,500 m 2 /g (MOF177, NATURE, Vol. 427, 5 February 2004, “A Route to High Surface Area Porosity and Inclusion of Large Molecules in Crystals”). Recently developed MOFs (MILs), such as nano-cubes, have shown surface area densities greater than 5,000 m 2 /g, ie., MEL 101 with 5,600 m 2 /g (MIL-101 is a new, unusually porous material whose unit cell has an unprecedented volume of about 702,000 cubic Angstroms, meaning that the solid is about 90% empty space once the solvent molecules normally filling its pores are removed. It also boasts pores that are 29 or 34 Angstroms across and an internal surface area of 5,900 m 2 /g (Science 2005, 309, 2040). 
     Due to their high porosity (typical mass densities ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 g/cm 3 ) and high surface area, highly porous gas storage materials could be used for the storage of gases, such as methane and hydrogen. The gas is adsorbed (using very weak van der Waals forces) on the large surface areas as a monolayer (for moist cases). These highly porous gas storage materials are usually fine powders. To increase the volumetric density, they could be compressed to be formed into fine or course granulated material (pellets). This granulated material has a higher mass density, eg., about 0.7 g/cm 3 , but also an up to 30% reduction in the surface area. These highly porous gas storage materials may be filled into a pressure vessel. The heat generated during the adsorption process (adsorption energy between about 3 and 6 kJ/mol H 2  with MOFs and about 6 kJ/mol H 2  with activated charcoal) should be compensated by a heat exchanger. There may be ambient temperature and cryogenic operation modes depending on the gas, for example H 2  or natural gas. 
     Cryogenic gas storage containers have become especially interesting to the automotive industry through the development of these aforementioned highly porous gas storage materials. The cryogenic storage of gaseous energy carriers, such as natural gas (methane) and hydrogen is especially interesting for automotive applications utilizing, for example, fuel cells or internal combustion engines since a high degree of development potential is available regarding tank volumes (required space), weight, and safety in conjunction with these aforementioned highly porous gas storage materials. 
     The stored gas is removed from the cryogenic gas storage containers by desorption. Desorption occurs by a suitable supply of heat energy and by a reduction, usually, of the gas pressure. 
     Previously, cryogenic gas storage containers were only built for purposes of research or material development whereby desorption of the stored gas is realized through the use of direct, internal electric heaters with heating wires imbedded in the gas storage media or heat exchangers with embedded heat exchanger tubes in the gas storage media. 
     An energy saving desorption strategy is not possible or possible only within limits through the introduction of heat for desorption using an electric heater since electrical energy for the electric heater must be supplied, with a loss of efficiency. Also, a space saving desorption strategy is possible only within limits utilizing embedded heat exchangers since a large number of heat exchanger tubes must be placed in the cryogenic gas storage container in order to transfer the necessary quantity of heat. This unacceptably increases the volume of the cryogenic gas storage container and only an incomplete uniform temperature distribution is achieved, with high costs. 
     Furthermore, an introduction of the entire heat requirement for desorption by an electric heater or by heat exchanger tubes is hampered in that direct heat contact with the highly porous gas storage material is inhibited through marginal heat contact of the electric heater or heat exchanger tubes with the surrounding gas storage media. Thus, a high temperature profile is necessary for the required desorption heat flux whereby significantly higher heat energy must be introduced into the cryogenic gas storage container than would be necessary for the pure desorption of the gases. 
     Cryogenic gas storage containers are also developed as testing devices, in which the gas storage material is enveloped by a sheathing made of liquid nitrogen. With desorption, the corresponding heat quantity is removed from the liquid nitrogen, to prevent too low a cooling of the gas storage material thereby maintaining the gas stream during desorption by pressure relief. Thus, today there is no existing optimum heating or space saving strategy for desorption of stored gas from cryogenic gas storage containers. 
     Even, for example, for automotive applications utilizing, for example, fuel cells, an optimal energy and space saving strategy for desorption of stored gas from cryogenic gas storage containers is not known, whereby the ambient heat and/or heat dissipation of an internal combustion engine and/or a fuel cell is utilized. The heat dissipation of an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell cannot be directly introduced in heat exchanger tubes within the cryogenic gas storage container since, for example, the heat transfer medium, coolant or water, would freeze. Even ambient air cannot be introduced directly into the heat exchanger tubes since, for example for cryogenic storage at 80 K, a separation and liquefaction of the nitrogen and oxygen gases would occur. 
     Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an optimal energy, weight, and space saving strategy for desorption of stored gas from cryogenic gas storage containers whereby, for example for automotive applications utilizing fuel cells, the ambient heat and/or heat dissipation of an internal combustion engine and/or a fuel cell is utilized. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a cryogenic gas storage system for optimal desorption of adsorbed gases, preferably hydrogen or natural gas, within a cryogenic gas storage container utilizing highly porous gas storage materials, in powder or granular form (pellets), wherein the highly porous gas storage material is, preferably, arranged in such a manner as to enhance ample flow of gases, at suitable temperatures and pressures, during adsorption and desorption processes and also allows for ample supply of heat energy during the desorption process, thereby providing optimal desorption of gases. The temperature of the cryogenic gas storage container is, preferably, approximately 80 K. Gas storage utilizing highly porous gas storage materials, in powder or granular form (pellets), within a cryogenic gas storage container can generally be done with significantly lower pressures (e.g., 10 bar to 50 bar) than with, exclusively, gas pressure storage (e.g., 200 bar to 700 bar). Furthermore, temperatures (e.g., 80K to 200K) of output gases from the cryogenic gas storage container utilizing highly porous gas storage materials, in powder or granular form (pellets), may be higher than temperatures of output gases from storage containers of gases, for example, hydrogen or natural gas, in liquid form. 
     The present invention consists of a cryogenic gas storage container utilizing, for example, a vacuum super insulation, containing gas stored in highly porous gas storage materials, in powder or granular form (pellets), within the interior, and a gas return circuit from the output of the cryogenic gas storage container to the input of the cryogenic gas storage container. An auxiliary, for example electric, heater may also be employed as a booster heater, if necessary, in the gas feed back path or gas return circuit. To flow into the input of the cryogenic gas storage container, the pressure of the return gas is also increased above the pressure of the gas within the cryogenic gas storage container. In one realization of the invention the storage container comprises one of the modules (with a large diameter) described in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0180998, published Aug. 9, 2007, the disclosure of which is hereby herein incorporated by reference. In another realization of the invention the container comprises several, smaller of those modules using an optimized stacking scheme for the modules. The input gas is delivered as described in the inner pipes of said U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0180998, and the output gas is removed from the void spaces in between the modules respectively between the modules and the pressure vessel. But, the invention described herein is not limited to these specific designs. 
     Herein the gas present in the return circuit is referred to as the “return gas”. Initially, the gas return circuit contains heated free gas (i.e., non-adsorbed gas) wherein the free gas is the same type of gas as the adsorbed gas and the cryogenic gas storage container contains free gas and adsorbed gas. The return gas is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) to provide the desorption heat for the adsorbed gas utilizing at least one heat exchanger, preferably, at the output of the cryogenic gas storage container. An auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater may also be employed as a booster heater, if necessary, in the gas return circuit. To flow into the input of the cryogenic gas storage container, the pressure of the return gas is also increased above the pressure of the gas within the cryogenic gas storage container. The heated, pressurized return gas enters the input of the cryogenic gas storage container, wherein gas desorption occurs by heat convection. The now cooled free gas and desorbed gas exit the cryogenic gas storage container at the output of the cryogenic gas storage container as an output gas. The output gas is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing at least one heat exchanger. The output gas is resolved into first and second gases. The first gas is fed back or returned to the gas feed back path or gas return circuit toward the input of the cryogenic gas storage container and now becomes the return gas, whereby the above process repeats. The second gas flows toward a consumer. A consumer may be, for example, an automotive application utilizing fuel cells and/or an internal combustion engine. 
     The ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing at least one heat exchanger to heat the return gas is used directly for desorption or for compensation of the desorption energy if an undesirable cooling of the cryogenic gas storage container occurs due to withdrawal of gas or by desorption with decreasing pressure. Compensation ensures that the operating temperature of the cryogenic gas storage container is maintained so that sufficient output gas is supplied to the consumer. An auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater in the gas return circuit may be employed as a booster heater allowing for further heating of the return gas up to 600 K, whereby the return gas can flow very quickly into the cryogenic gas storage container to rapidly increase (accelerate) desorption of the stored gas in order to react to a sudden gas increase required by the consumer without a large decrease in consumer gas pressure. Also, the use of an optional preheater in the interior of the cryogenic gas storage container facilitates desorption of the stored gas and allows for the use of a smaller amount of return gas as well as a smaller gas pump. 
     These strategies lead to optimized energy, weight, and space saving. Even with an optional booster heater or electrical energy used for valves and a gas pump, the energy balance is advantageous and optimal. The use of an optional preheater may facilitate desorption within the cryogenic gas storage container and allow the use of a smaller amount of return gas as well as a smaller gas pump. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an example of a first preferred embodiment according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an example of a second preferred embodiment according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an example of a third preferred embodiment according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an example of a fourth preferred embodiment according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  is an example of a first preferred embodiment  100  according to the present invention.  FIG. 1  utilizes highly porous gas storage material  103 , in powder or granular form (pellets), storing adsorbed gas  105  in the interior  102  of a cryogenic gas storage container  104  having a gas feed back path or gas return circuit  106 . Initially, the gas return circuit  106  contains heated free gas (i.e., non-adsorbed gas)  108 ′, wherein the free gas is the same type of gas as the adsorbed gas  105  (i.e., both are the same gas as, for example, hydrogen) and the interior  102  of the cryogenic gas storage container  104  contains free gas  110  and the adsorbed gas. The free gas  108 ′ is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) to provide desorption heat for the adsorbed gas  105  utilizing heat exchanger  112 . The pressure of the free gas  108 ′ is increased by a gas pump  114  (i.e., hydrogen pump) and is optionally heated by an auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater  122 , if necessary, and, subsequently, enters the input  116  of the cryogenic gas storage container  104  as heated, pressurized gas  118 ′, whereby free gas  110  in the interior  102  of the cryogenic gas storage container  104  is also heated. Heated free gas  110  or  118 ′ desorb gas  120  from the adsorbed gas  105  stored in the highly porous gas storage material  103  by heat convection, thereby cooling free gas  110 ,  118 ′. The now cooled free gas  110 ,  118 ′ and desorbed gas  120  exit the interior  102  of the cryogenic gas storage container  104  as output gas  124 ′. The output gas  124 ′ is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing heat exchanger  112  and is, subsequently, resolved into first heated gas  108  and second heated gas  126 . The first heated gas  108  is returned to the gas return circuit  106 , whereas the second heated gas  126 , in pipe  128 , flows toward a consumer  130 . The consumer  130  may be, for example, an automotive application utilizing fuel cells and/or an internal combustion engine. 
     The pressure of the first heated gas  108  is increased by energizing gas pump  114  and enters the input  116  of the cryogenic gas storage container  104  as heated, pressurized gas  118 . Heated, pressurized gas  118  desorbs gas  120  from the adsorbed gas  105  stored in the highly porous gas storage material  103  by heat convection, thereby cooling gas  118 . The now cooled gas  118  and desorbed gas  120  exit the interior  102  of the cryogenic gas storage container  104  as an output gas  124 . The output gas  124  is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing the heat exchanger  112  and is, subsequently, resolved into the first and second heated gases  108 ,  126 , whereby the above mentioned process repeats. 
     The auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater  122  may be employed as a booster heater, if necessary, for quick auxiliary heating of the pressurized gas  118 ,  118 ′ to provide faster desorption in the interior  102  of the cryogenic gas storage container  104  to react to a sudden increase in the amount of gas  126  required by the consumer  130  without causing a large decrease in gas pressure. 
       FIG. 2  is an example of a second preferred embodiment  200  according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  utilizes highly porous gas storage material  203 , in powder or granular form (pellets), storing adsorbed gas  205  in the interior  202  of a cryogenic gas storage container  204  having a gas feed back path or gas return circuit  206 . Initially, the gas return circuit  206  contains free gas (i.e., non-adsorbed gas)  208 ′ wherein the free gas is the same type of gas as the adsorbed gas  205  (i.e., both are the same gas as, for example, hydrogen) and the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  contains free gas  234  and the adsorbed gas. The free gas  208 ′, a first heat exchanger  210 , and, an optional, auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater  212 , employed as a booster heater, are located between first and second gas valves  214 ,  216  and collectively provide a volume in the gas return circuit  206  predetermined by desorption requirements and/or the quantity of highly porous gas storage material  203  in the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204 . A third gas valve  218  is located at the output  220  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204 . 
     With the first and second gas valves  214 ,  216  closed, the free gas  208 ′ is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing the first heat exchanger  210  to provide desorption heat for the adsorbed gas  205  and to increase the pressure of the free gas  208 ′ above the pressure of the free gas  234  in the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  in order that the free gas be able to flow into the input  222  of the cryogenic gas storage container. 
     Subsequently, opening the first gas valve  214  causes the heated, pressurized free gas  208 ′ to enter the input  222  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204 , whereby free gas  234  in the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  is also heated. Heated free gases  208 ′,  234  desorb gas  236  from the adsorbed gas  205  stored in the highly porous gas storage material  203  by heat convection, thereby cooling free gas  208 ′,  234  at which time the first gas valve  214  is closed, the second gas valve  216  is opened, and the third gas valve  218  is opened. The now cooled free gases  208 ′,  234  and desorbed gas  236  exit the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  at the output  220  of the cryogenic gas storage container as an output gas  226 ′. The output gas  226 ′ passes through the open third gas valve  218  and is resolved into a first gas  208  and a second gas  228 . The first gas  208  is returned to the gas return circuit  206  and passes through the open second gas valve  216  toward the input  222  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204 . The second gas  228  is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing a second heat exchanger  230  in pipe  232  and flows toward a consumer  240 . The consumer  240  may be, for example, an automotive application utilizing fuel cells and/or an internal combustion engine. 
     Now closing the second gas valve  216 , with the first gas valve  214  closed, the first gas  208  is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing the first heat exchanger  210  to provide desorption heat for the adsorbed gas  205  and to increase the pressure of the first gas above the pressure of the free gas  234  and desorbed gas  226  in the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  in order that the first gas be able to flow into the input  222  of the cryogenic gas storage container. 
     Subsequently, the heated, pressurized first gas  208  enters the input  222  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  when the first gas valve  214  is opened. Heated, pressurized first gas  208  desorbs gas  236  from the adsorbed gas  205  stored in the highly porous gas storage material  203  by heat convection, thereby cooling the first gas  208  at which time the first gas valve  214  is closed, the second gas valve  216  is opened, and the third gas valve  218  is opened. The now cooled first gas  208  and desorbed gas  236  exit the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  at the output  220  of the cryogenic gas storage container as an output gas  226 . The output gas  226  passes through the open third gas valve  218  and is resolved into a first gas  208  and a second gas  228 . The first gas  208  is returned to the gas return circuit  206  and passes through the open second gas valve  216  toward the input  222  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204 , whereby the above mentioned process repeats. The second gas  228  is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing the second heat exchanger  230  in pipe  232  and flows toward the consumer  240 . The consumer  240  may be, for example, an automotive application utilizing fuel cells and/or an internal combustion engine. 
     The auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater  212  may be employed as a booster heater, if necessary, for quick auxiliary heating of the free gas  208 ′ and first gas  208  to provide faster desorption in the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  to react to a sudden increase in the amount of gas  228  required by the consumer  240  without causing a large decrease in gas pressure. 
     In some instances, it may be desirable to cool or regenerate the gas return circuit  206 . To cool or regenerate the gas return circuit  206 , the cooled first gas  208  and desorbed gas  236  in the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  are made to flow in a reverse direction. If the third gas valve  218  at the output  220  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  is closed, opening the first and second gas valves  214 ,  216  causes the cooled first gas  208  and desorbed gas  236  in the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container to exit the cryogenic gas storage container as an output gas  242  in a reverse direction. That is, the cooled first gas  208  and desorbed gas  236  exit the interior  202  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  as an output gas  242  passing through the input  222  of the cryogenic gas storage container  204  through the gas return circuit  206  toward the gas junction  235 , thereby cooling the gas return circuit, whereupon it is diverted to the consumer  240  through pipe  232  due to the closed third gas valve  218 . Consequently, by repeating the above described procedure, a cyclical or intermittent output gas  242  may be directed to the consumer  240 . 
       FIG. 3  is an example of a third preferred embodiment  300  according to the present invention.  FIG. 3  utilizes highly porous gas storage material  303 , in powder or granular form (pellets), storing adsorbed gas  305  in the interior  302  of a cryogenic gas storage container  304  having a gas return circuit  306 . The gas return circuit  306  is comprised of first and second segments  308 ,  310 . 
     The first segment  308  is located between a first gas junction  312  and a second gas junction  314 . The first segment  308  consists of a first gas valve  316 , a first heat exchanger  318 , herein referred to as a “preheater”, and a second heat exchanger  320 . 
     The second segment  310  is located between the second gas junction  314  and the input  322  to the cryogenic gas storage container  304 . The second segment  310  consists of a gas pump (i.e., hydrogen pump)  324  and, optionally, an auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater  326 , employed as a booster heater. 
     Initially, the second segment  310  contains pressurized, heated free gas (i.e., non-adsorbed gas)  328 ′ wherein the pressurized, heated free gas is the same type of gas (i.e., both are the same gas as, for example, hydrogen) as the adsorbed gas  305  and the interior  302  of the cryogenic gas storage container  304  contains free gas  330  and the adsorbed gas. The pressurized, heated free gas  328 ′ is initially heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) to provide desorption heat for the adsorbed gas  305  utilizing, for example, the second heat exchanger  320  and pressurized by energizing gas pump  324 . An auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater  326  may also be employed as a booster heater, if necessary, in the second segment, as previously described. 
     The pressurized, heated free gas  328 ′ enters the input  322  of the cryogenic gas storage container  304 , whereby free gas  330  in the interior  302  of cryogenic gas storage container  304  is also heated. Heated free gases  328 ′,  330  desorb gas  332  from the adsorbed gas  305  stored in the highly porous gas storage material  303  by heat convection, thereby cooling free gas  328 ′,  330 . The now cooled free gas  328 ′,  330  and desorbed gas  332  exit the interior  302  of the cryogenic gas storage container  304  at its output  350  as output gas  338 . The output gas  338  is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing a third heat exchanger  336 . 
     The gas flow is regulated to assure a desired rate of gas desorption from the material  303 . The heated output gas  338  is returned to the first segment  308  of the gas return circuit  306  if the first gas valve  316  is open and a second gas valve  342  is closed, whereby the necessary desorption temperature of the material  303  is provided by recirculation. Otherwise, if sufficient desorption temperature is present in the material  303 , then the first gas valve  316  is closed and the second gas valve  342  is open, the heated output gas  338  flows through the second gas valve  342  toward a consumer  346 . The consumer  346  may be, for example, an automotive application utilizing fuel cells and/or an internal combustion engine. 
     The heated output gas  338  in the first segment  308  passes through the preheater  318  and the second heat exchanger  320  to the second junction  314 . If the gas pump  324  in the second segment  310  is energized, the heated output gas  338  in the first segment  306  is further resolved into a third gas  328  and a fourth gas  344  at the second junction  314 . The third gas  328  is pressurized by energizing gas pump  324  in the second segment  310 , whereupon the above mentioned process repeats. The fourth gas  344  at the second junction  314  flows toward the consumer  346 . 
     If the gas pump  324  in the second segment  310  is not energized, the heated output gas  338  in the first segment  308  does not flow into the second segment  310  but flows toward the consumer  346  at the second junction  314 . 
       FIG. 4  is an example of a fourth preferred embodiment  400  according to the present invention.  FIG. 4  utilizes highly porous gas storage material  403 , in powder or granular form (pellets), storing adsorbed gas  405  in the interior  402  of a cryogenic gas storage container  404  having a gas return circuit  406 . The return circuit  406  contains a gas pump  414  (i.e., a hydrogen pump), a first heat exchanger  422 , located within the cryogenic gas storage container  404 , herein referred to as a “preheater”, a second heat exchanger  430 , and, optionally, a booster heater  432 . Initially, the gas return circuit  406  contains heated free gas (i.e., non-adsorbed gas)  408 ′ wherein the free gas is the same type of gas (i.e., both are the same gas as, for example, hydrogen) as the adsorbed gas  405  and the interior  402  of the cryogenic gas storage container  404  contains free gas  410  and adsorbed gas. The free gas  408 ′ is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing a third heat exchanger  412 . The pressure of the free gas  408 ′ is increased by energizing gas pump  414  (i.e., a hydrogen pump). The heated, pressurized gas  418 ′ flows through the preheater  422 , thereby cooling the gas. The second heat exchanger  430  reheats the gas  418 ′ by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell), and then enters the input  416  of the cryogenic gas storage container  404  as heated, pressurized gas  418 ′ whereby free gas  410  in the interior  402  of the cryogenic gas storage container  404  is also heated. Gas  418 ′ and heated free gas  410  desorb gas  420  from the adsorbed gas  405  stored in the highly porous gas storage material  403  by heat convection thereby cooling gas  418 ′ and free gas  410 . An auxiliary, for example an electric or catalytic, heater  432  may also be employed as a booster heater, if necessary, in the gas return circuit  406  for quick auxiliary heating of the gas  418 ′ to provide faster desorption. 
     The now cooled free gas  410 , gas  418 ′, and desorbed gas  420  exit the cryogenic gas storage container  404  at its output  434  as output gas  424 ′. The output gas  424 ′ is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing the third heat exchanger  412  and is, subsequently, resolved into a first heated gas  408  and a second heated gas  426 . The first heated gas  408  is returned to the gas return circuit  406 , whereas the second heated gas  426 , in pipe  428 , flows toward a consumer  436  The consumer  436  may be, for example, an automotive application utilizing fuel cells and/or an internal combustion engine. 
     The pressure of the first heated gas  408  is increased by energizing gas pump  414  (i.e., a hydrogen pump). The heated, pressurized gas  418  flows through the preheater  422 , thereby cooling the gas. The second heat exchanger  430  reheats the gas  418  by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell), and then enters the input  416  of the cryogenic gas storage container  404  as heated, pressurized gas  418 . Gas  418  desorbs gas  420  from the adsorbed gas  405  stored in the highly porous gas storage material  403  by heat convection, thereby cooling gas  418 . The now cooled gas  418  and desorbed gas  420  exit the cryogenic gas storage container  404  at its output  434  as an output gas  424 . The output gas  424  is heated by ambient heat or dissipation heat (i.e., heat dissipation from an internal combustion engine or fuel cell) utilizing the third heat exchanger  412  and is, subsequently, resolved into a first heated gas  408  and a second heated gas  426 , whereby the above mentioned process repeats. 
     To those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, the above described preferred embodiment may be subject to change or modification. Such change or modification can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.