Patent ID: 7637389

Claim:
An apparatus for filling a hydrogen tank with hydrogen, comprising: first and second hydrogen tanks spaced apart from each other; a first hydrogen supply pipe in fluid communication at one end with the first hydrogen tank and in fluid communication at an opposed end with the second hydrogen tank for supplying hydrogen from the first hydrogen tank to said second hydrogen tank; a second hydrogen supply pipe in fluid communication at one end with the first hydrogen tank and in fluid communication at an opposed end with the second hydrogen tank for supplying hydrogen from the first hydrogen tank to said second hydrogen tank; a cooling unit directly coupled to the second hydrogen supply pipe for cooling the hydrogen therein prior to introduction to the second hydrogen tank, wherein the hydrogen in the first hydrogen supply pipe has a temperature higher than the temperature of the hydrogen in the second hydrogen supply pipe after the hydrogen in the second hydrogen supply pipe has been cooled by the cooling unit; temperature measuring means for measuring a temperature inside said second hydrogen tank; switching means coupled to the first and second hydrogen supply pipes for selectively supplying hydrogen from the first hydrogen tank to the second hydrogen tank and through the first and second supply pipes; and control means coupled to said switching means and to said temperature measuring means for controlling said switching means in response to the temperature inside said second hydrogen tank as measured by said temperature measuring means to supply hydrogen to said second hydrogen tank from at least one of said first and second pipes so as to selectively adjust the temperature of the hydrogen within the second hydrogen tank.