Patent Description:
Fuel gases are often transported from a fuel gas source in one or more mobile fuel gas storage vessels by a vehicle (i.e. a truck) to a dispensing station. At the dispensing station, the fuel gas is off-loaded, either by transferring the fuel gas from the one or more mobile fuel gas storage vessels to fixed storage vessels at the dispensing station, or by leaving the one or more mobile fuel gas storage vessels at the dispensing station for dispensing fuel gas directly from the one or more mobile fuel gas storage vessels to fuel tanks in vehicles. Distribution of fuel gas is described, for example, in <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, and <CIT>.

<CIT> and <CIT> disclose a fuel gas distribution system comprising a mobile fuel gas storage vessel and a transport vehicle for transporting the storage vessel. The transport vehicle is powered by an engine able to use the fuel gas stored in the mobile fuel gas storage vessel as a fuel. The engine is fueled by fuel gas vapor directly from the fuel gas storage vessel without the need for on-board fuel gas storage tanks.

After the fuel gas has been off-loaded, the one or more mobile fuel gas storage vessels are transported back to a refilling station where the one or more mobile fuel gas storage vessels are refilled. A residual amount of fuel gas remains in each of the one or more mobile fuel gas storage vessels when one or more mobile fuel gas storage vessels are transported back to the refilling station. This residual amount of fuel gas is sometimes called the "heel". This residual amount of fuel gas that is transported back to the refilling station represents an inefficiency in the distribution of the fuel gas.

Industry desires greater utilization of fuel gases in the distribution of the fuel gases.

The present disclosure relates to a fuel gas distribution method. Subject-matter of the invention is a fuel gas distribution method according to claim <NUM>. The sub-claims describe further developments of that method.

The ensuing detailed description provides preferred exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the ensuing detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

The articles "a" and "an" as used herein mean one or more when applied to any feature in embodiments of the present invention described in the specification and claims. The use of "a" and "an" does not limit the meaning to a single feature unless such a limit is specifically stated. The article "the" preceding singular or plural nouns or noun phrases denotes a particular specified feature or particular specified features and may have a singular or plural connotation depending upon the context in which it is used.

The adjective "any" means one, some, or all indiscriminately of whatever quantity.

The term "and/or" placed between a first entity and a second entity includes any of the meanings of (<NUM>) only the first entity, (<NUM>) only the second entity, and (<NUM>) the first entity and the second entity. The term "and/or" placed between the last two entities of a list of <NUM> or more entities means at least one of the entities in the list including any specific combination of entities in this list. For example, "A, B and/or C" has the same meaning as "A and/or B and/or C" and comprises the following combinations of A, B and C: (<NUM>) only A, (<NUM>) only B, (<NUM>) only C, (<NUM>) A and B and not C, (<NUM>) A and C and not B, (<NUM>) B and C and not A, and (<NUM>) A and B and C.

The phrase "at least one of" preceding a list of features or entities means one or more of the features or entities in the list of entities, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every entity specifically listed within the list of entities and not excluding any combinations of entities in the list of entities. For example, "at least one of A, B, or C" (or equivalently "at least one of A, B, and C" or equivalently "at least one of A, B, and/or C") has the same meaning as "A and/or B and/or C" and comprises the following combinations of A, B and C: (<NUM>) only A, (<NUM>) only B, (<NUM>) only C, (<NUM>) A and B and not C, (<NUM>) A and C and not B, (<NUM>) B and C and not A, and (<NUM>) A and B and C.

The term "plurality" means "two or more than two.

As used herein, "first," "second," "third," etc. are used to distinguish from among a plurality of steps and/or features, and is not indicative of the total number, or relative position in time and/or space unless expressly stated as such.

In the claims, letters may be used to identify claimed steps (e.g. (a), (b), and (c)). These letters are used to aid in referring to the method steps and are not intended to indicate the order in which claimed steps are performed, unless and only to the extent that such order is specifically recited in the claims.

The present disclosure relates to a fuel gas distribution method. A fuel gas is any one of a number of fuels that under ordinary conditions are gaseous. The fuel gas may comprise at least one of hydrogen and methane. The fuel gas may be industrial grade hydrogen having a hydrogen concentration meeting established hydrogen fuel cell purity standards, or for example, at least <NUM> vol. The fuel gas may be natural gas comprising methane. The natural gas may have a methane concentration of at least <NUM> vol. The fuel gas may contain natural gas and hydrogen in a gas mixture.

The fuel gas distribution method is described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>.

The fuel gas distribution method comprises transporting a mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to a delivery location. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be adapted to store compressed fuel gas. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be one of a plurality of physically-connected mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, for example, on a tube trailer. The plurality of mobile fuel gas storage vessels may comprise any number of fuel gas storage vessels.

The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be adapted to store liquid fuel gas. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel may be a fuel gas storage vessel on a trailer, for example, an insulated tanker for carrying liquid fuel gas. When the fuel gas is stored in the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> as a liquid fuel gas, a portion of the fuel gas is evaporated to form gaseous fuel gas during transport of the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> by the transport vehicle. The liquid fuel gas may be evaporated in an evaporator to form the gaseous fuel gas.

A connection <NUM> may be provided between the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> and the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM> for transfer of the gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM>. The method may further comprise transferring the gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM> and consuming the gaseous fuel gas to generate power for the transport vehicle <NUM> while transporting the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the delivery location. Alternatively or in addition, the method may comprise transferring the gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to a power generator <NUM> of the vehicle to generate auxiliary power.

The plurality of mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may have been transported to one or more other delivery locations and fuel gas off-loaded from one or more of the plurality of mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> prior to being transported to this delivery location. The plurality of mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be transported to one or more other delivery locations and fuel gas off-loaded from one or more of the plurality of mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> after being transported to this delivery location.

The fuel gas distribution method comprises off-loading fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> at the delivery location until the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> has been depleted to a depletion level. The fuel gas may be off-loaded to a fuel gas dispensing station <NUM> at the delivery location. The off-loading may be, for example, carried out by transferring the fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to fixed storage vessels <NUM> at the delivery location as shown in <FIG>. The off-loading may be, for example, carried out by leaving the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> at the delivery location temporarily as shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG> where the off-loading is carried out by transferring the fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to fixed storage vessels <NUM> at the delivery location, the step of off-loading comprises operatively connecting the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to one or more fixed storage vessels <NUM> at the delivery location and transferring fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the one or moe fixed storage vessels <NUM> at the delivery location. The one or more fixed storage vessels may be part of a fuel gas dispensing station. The fuel gas may be dispensed from the fuel gas dispensing station to a plurality of receiving vessels, for example fuel tanks of automobiles. The fuel gas may be transferred from the one or more fixed storage vessels to the plurality of receiving vessels.

After off-loading the fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the depletion level, the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> has a residual amount of gaseous fuel gas contained therein. The depletion level is a "causal" depletion level, which is due to a physical limitation of how much fuel gas can be offloaded, for example, by pressure transfer or transfer using a pump/compressor. The residual amount of fuel gas may be decreased using a compressor during off-loading.

Off-loading fuel gas from mobile fuel gas storage vessels to fuel gas dispensing stations is known in the art, for example, from <CIT>, <CIT>, and <CIT>.

Subsequent to off-loading fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM>, the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be transported by a transport vehicle <NUM> to a refilling station <NUM> to be refilled with fuel gas. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be refilled with fuel gas at the refilling station <NUM>. The transport vehicle may be, for example, a truck or tractor.

The transport vehicle <NUM> has an onboard power generator <NUM> that can utilize the same fuel gas type to generate power for some or all of the requirements of the transport vehicle <NUM>. The power generator <NUM> can provide power for the powertrain of the transport vehicle and/or auxiliary power.

The transport vehicle may have an electric motor. Hydrogen may be used in a fuel cell to provide electricity for the electric motor. The fuel cell may constitute the power generator <NUM>. The transport vehicle may be supplemented by battery power. The transport vehicle may operate using battery power until the mobile fuel gas storage vessel is depleted to the depletion level and then switch over to using the residual fuel gas. The transport vehicle may operate using fuel gas from a primary fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> fixed to the transport vehicle. The transport vehicle may operate using fuel gas from the primary fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> until the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> is depleted to the depletion level and then switch over to using the residual fuel gas. The residual fuel gas is transferred from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the primary fuel gas storage vessel <NUM>.

The transport vehicle may have an internal combustion engine. Hydrogen or natural gas may be used in the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine may constitute the power generator.

The fuel gas distribution method comprises providing a connection <NUM> between the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> containing the residual amount of gaseous fuel gas and a power generator <NUM> of a transport vehicle <NUM> for transfer of gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM>. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be connected directly to the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM> or via the primary storage vessel <NUM>.

If the mobile fuel gas storage vessel has been left at the delivery location, as shown in <FIG>, the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be connected, after off-loading at the delivery location, to the same transport vehicle that transported the mobile fuel gas storage vessel to the delivery location. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may alternatively be connected to a different transport vehicle than that which transported the mobile fuel gas storage vessel to the delivery location.

The fuel gas distribution method comprises transporting the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> using the transport vehicle <NUM> while transferring a portion of the residual amount of gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the transport vehicle <NUM> and consuming the portion of the residual amount of gaseous fuel gas in the power generator <NUM> to generate power for the transport vehicle <NUM> while transporting the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM>.

The fuel gas distribution method may comprise dispensing fuel gas from the dispensing station <NUM> to a plurality of receiving vessels (not shown). The receiving vessels may be onboard storage vessels on board respective vehicles (i.e. a fuel tank in an automobile). The fuel gas may be dispensed to the receiving vessels according to any known dispensing method. The dispensing method may comprise cascade filling.

The plurality of physically-connected mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be transported to a second delivery location using the transport vehicle <NUM>. The fuel gas may be off-loaded to a second fuel gas dispensing station (not shown) at the second delivery location. Fuel gas may be off-loaded from a second mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> of the plurality of physically-connected mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> at the second delivery location.

The fuel gas may be off-loaded until the second mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> of the plurality of physically-connected mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> has been depleted to a depletion level, the second mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> having a residual amount of fuel gas contained therein. A connection may be provided between the second mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> containing the residual amount of fuel gas and the power generator of the transport vehicle <NUM> for transfer of fuel gas from the second mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM>. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> is connected to the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM> via the storage vessel <NUM>. The plurality of physically-connected mobile fuel gas storage vessels <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be transported using the transport vehicle <NUM> while transferring a portion of the residual amount of fuel gas from the second mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the transport vehicle <NUM> where the transport vehicle <NUM> consumes the portion of the residual amount of fuel gas in the power generator <NUM> to generate power for the transport vehicle <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be transported to the delivery location using a second transport vehicle <NUM>. The step of off-loading fuel gas may comprise detaching the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> from the second transport vehicle <NUM> at the delivery location and operatively connecting the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to a fuel gas receiving coupler at the delivery location.

The fuel gas receiving coupler of the delivery location may be a receiving coupler for a fuel gas dispensing station. The fuel gas may be dispensed from the fuel gas dispensing station to a plurality of receiving vessels where the fuel gas is transferred (directly) from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel to the plurality of receiving vessels via the fuel gas dispensing station (without intermediate storage of the fuel gas in any fixed storage vessels of the fuel gas dispensing station) thereby depleting the fuel gas in the mobile fuel gas storage vessel to the depletion level.

Fuel gas may be dispensed using the well-known cascade filling technique.

After the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> has been depleted to a depletion level, the transport vehicle <NUM> may collect the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM>. The connection <NUM> may be provided between the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> containing the residual amount of gaseous fuel gas and the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM>. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be transported using transport vehicle <NUM> while transferring a portion of the residual amount of gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the transport vehicle <NUM> and consuming the portion of the residual amount of gaseous fuel gas in the power generator <NUM> to generate power for the transport vehicle <NUM>.

The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be adapted to store liquid fuel gas. A portion of the liquid fuel gas may evaporate to form gaseous fuel gas during transport of the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> by the second transport vehicle <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, a connection <NUM> may be provided between the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> and the power generator <NUM> of the second transport vehicle <NUM> for transfer of the gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the power generator <NUM> of the second transport vehicle <NUM>. Gaseous fuel gas may be transferred from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the power generator <NUM> of the second transport vehicle <NUM> and gaseous fuel gas consumed to generate power for the second transport vehicle <NUM> while transporting the mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> to the delivery location. The mobile fuel gas storage vessel <NUM> may be connected directly to the power generator <NUM> of the transport vehicle <NUM> or via the primary storage vessel <NUM> fixed to the transport vehicle <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A fuel gas distribution method comprising:
transporting a mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) to a delivery location;
off-loading fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) at the delivery location until the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) has been depleted to a depletion level, the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) having a residual amount of gaseous fuel gas contained therein;
providing a connection (<NUM>) between the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) and a power generator (<NUM>) of a transport vehicle (<NUM>) for transfer of gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) to the power generator (<NUM>) of the transport vehicle (<NUM>); and
transporting the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) using the transport vehicle (<NUM>) while transferring a portion of the residual amount of gaseous fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) to the transport vehicle (<NUM>) and consuming the portion of the residual amount of gaseous fuel gas in the power generator (<NUM>) to generate power for the transport vehicle (<NUM>);
the transport vehicle (<NUM>) comprising a primary fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) which is fixed to the transport vehicle (<NUM>);
wherein transferring the portion of the residual amount of fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) to the transport vehicle (<NUM>) comprises transferring fuel gas from the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) to the primary fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>); and
wherein the mobile fuel gas storage vessel (<NUM>) is connected to the power generator (<NUM>; <NUM>) of the transport vehicle (<NUM>; <NUM>) via the primary storage vessel (<NUM>; <NUM>) of the transport vehicle (<NUM>; <NUM>).