Liquid fuel storage system

Abstract

A liquid fuel storage system to be mounted on an electric motorcar has a first storage container for storing liquid fuel such as liquid hydrogen, one or more heat exchangers performing heat exchange between air and the liquid fuel or fuel gas vaporized from the liquid fuel, a second storage container, and a low temperature air supply line. The second storage container surrounds the outer periphery of the first storage container and stores the liquid air obtained by the heat exchange. An air conditioning system and/or a cold container that are mounted on the electric motorcar use the air supplied through the low temperature air supply line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried out into effect, there will now be described by way of example only, specific embodiments and methods according to the present invention with reference to the according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a liquid fuel storage system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an air conditioning step for a compartment in an electric motorcar equipped with the liquid fuel storage system according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a cold container to be mounted on the liquid fuel storage system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid fuel storage system comprising: a first storage container configured to store a liquid fuel;a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between air and liquid fuel or fuel gas vaporized from the liquid fuel and air;a second storage container, surrounding an outer periphery of the first storage container, configured to store liquid air obtained by the heat exchange performed by the heat exchanger; anda low temperature air supply line through which the air is fed from the second storage container and supplied to an outside of the liquid fuel storage system for use.

2. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 1, wherein the low temperature air supply line is joined to an air conditioning apparatus mounted on a vehicle, the air is supplied to the air conditioning apparatus through the low temperature air supply line, and the air conditioning apparatus performs air conditioning of a compartment of the vehicle using the supplied air.

3. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 1, further comprising: an air supply adjusting valve configured to open and close the low temperature air supply line; andcontrol means configured to control operation of the air supply adjusting valve.

4. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 3, further comprising liquid air storage amount detecting means configured to detect an amount of the liquid air stored in the second storage container, wherein the control means opens the air supply open/close valve when an judging result thereof indicates that the amount of the liquid air stored in the second storage container is an adequate amount for preventing vaporization of the liquid fuel stored in the first storage container, andthe control means closes the air supply open/close valve when the judging result thereof indicates that the amount of the liquid air stored in the second storage container does not reach the adequate amount to prevent vaporization of the liquid fuel stored in the first storage container.

5. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 3, further comprising an air supply pump configured to supply the liquid air exhausted from the second storage container to the low temperature air supply line, wherein the control means operates the air supply pump and opens the air supply adjusting valve simultaneously.

6. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 4, further comprising an air supply pump configured to supply the liquid air exhausted from the second storage container to the low temperature air supply line, wherein the control means operates the air supply pump and opens the air supply adjusting valve simultaneously.

7. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 4, wherein the liquid air storage amount detecting means is a liquid surface level sensor configured to detect a surface level of the liquid air stored in the second storage container.

8. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 5, wherein the liquid air storage amount detecting means is a liquid surface level sensor configured to detect a surface level of the liquid air stored in the second storage container.

9. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 1, wherein it is so constructed that the air supplied from the second storage container through the low temperature air supply line is directly introduced into a compartment of a vehicle on which the liquid fuel storage system is mounted.

10. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 2, wherein it is so constructed that the air supplied from the second storage container through the low temperature air supply line is directly introduced into the compartment of the vehicle on which the liquid fuel storage system is mounted.

11. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the supply amount of the liquid air from the second storage container according to magnitude of a requested load for the air conditioning of a compartment of a vehicle.

12. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 2, wherein the control means controls the supply amount of the liquid air from the second storage container according to magnitude of a requested load of the air conditioning for a compartment of a vehicle.

13. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 1, wherein the liquid fuel is liquid hydrogen as a fuel of a fuel cell stack mounted on a vehicle as driving power source.

14. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 1, wherein it is so constructed that the air fed to the outside from the second storage container through the low temperature air supply line is supplied into a cold container having a cold room in order to cool contents placed in the cold room and the cold container is mounted on an electric motorcar on which the liquid fuel storage system is mounted.

15. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 14, wherein the cold container is equipped with a temperature sensor configured to detect an inside temperature of the cold room, and the control means controls the supply amount of the liquid air from the second storage container through the low temperature air supply line based on the inside temperature of the cold room in the cold container detected by the temperature sensor.

16. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 14, wherein the liquid fuel is liquid hydrogen as a fuel of a fuel cell stack mounted on a vehicle as driving power source.

17. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 14, further comprising: an air supply adjusting valve configured to open and close the low temperature air supply line; andcontrol means configured to control operation of the air supply adjusting valve.

18. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 17, further comprising liquid air storage amount detecting means configured to detect an amount of the liquid air stored in the second storage container, wherein the control means opens the air supply open/close valve when an judging result thereof indicates that the amount of the liquid air stored in the second storage container is an adequate amount for preventing vaporization of the liquid fuel stored in the first storage container, andthe control means closes the air supply open/close valve when the judging result thereof indicates that the amount of the liquid air stored in the second storage container does not reach the adequate amount to prevent vaporization of the liquid fuel stored in the first storage container.

19. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 17, further comprising an air supply pump configured to supply the liquid air exhausted from the second storage container to the low temperature air supply line, wherein the control means operates the air supply pump and opens the air supply adjusting valve simultaneously.

20. The liquid fuel storage system according to claim 18, wherein the liquid air storage amount detecting means is a liquid surface level sensor configured to detect a surface level of the liquid air stored in the second storage container.