Ensuring proper operation of many devices that use liquefied natural gas (LNG) requires controlling the boiling pressure and temperature of the LNG delivered to the device. Controlling the boiling pressure (i.e. saturation pressure) of LNG in onboard vehicle fuel tanks is of particular interest. Conventionally, fuel delivery systems keep the saturation pressure, or boiling pressure, of LNG sufficiently high to ensure pressure is available to drive the natural gas to the engine of the use device.
In use device systems that include an onboard pump, the vehicle tanks that store LNG can utilize the onboard pump in place of venting vaporized natural gas. This increases the LNG holding time in the vehicle tank before venting of gas is necessary. In the course of delivering LNG, the liquefied natural gas absorbs heat, such as during pumping and other normal handling. To effectively remove heat and deliver LNG to the vehicle tank of a use device, the location of means for removing heat from LNG could be in the path of liquefied natural gas delivery, after the dispensing pump, on the way to the vehicle tank. Such configurations achieve lower LNG saturation pressures while dispensing liquefied natural gas to a use device.
Provided herein are systems and apparatus for controlling the temperature and saturation pressure of liquefied natural gas (LNG) while dispensing LNG to a use device, particularly a fuel tank of a LNG fueled vehicle. Methods of delivering LNG to a use device at the lowest reasonable saturation pressure are also provided.
In some embodiments, a system is provided for delivering a cryogenic fluid fuel at a predetermined saturation pressure to a fuel tank. The fuel tank can include a source tank, a pump, a cooling component, an ambient temperature, and a temperature sensing valve. The source tank has a top portion and a second portion, and the source tank contains a fuel, the fuel comprising a gas portion and a liquid portion. The pump is fluidly connected to the portion of the source tank by a vapor line and the bottom portion of the source tank by a liquid line, the pump configured to pump the fuel from the source tank towards vehicle fuel tank. The cooling component is configured to surround a cooling line with a cooling cryogenic fluid, the cooling line fluidly connected to an outlet of the pump at a first end and to a controlled inlet line at a second end, the controlled inlet line in fluid communication with the vehicle fuel tank. The ambient temperature line has first end connected to the outlet of the pump and a second end connected to the controlled inlet line. The temperature sensing valve controller is connected to a cold fuel control valve at the second end of the cooling line, a warm fuel control valve at the second end of the ambient temperature line, and the controlled inlet line. In such embodiments, the temperature sensing valve controller is configured to measure a temperature of the fuel in the controlled inlet line and to control the flow of fuel through the cold fuel control valve and warm fuel control valve to maintain the temperature of the fuel in the controlled inlet line within a predetermined temperature range.
The following features can be present in the system in any reasonable combination. In some embodiments, the cooling component includes a cooling tank with a top portion and a bottom portion in which the top portion of the cooling component surrounds a gas portion of the cooling cryogenic fluid and the bottom portion of the cooling component surrounds a liquid portion of the cooling cryogenic fluid. In some such embodiments, the system further includes a pressure control valve in fluid communication with the cooling component, in which the pressure control valve connected to the top portion of the cooling component. The pressure control valve releases cooling cryogenic fluid when a pressure of the cooling cryogenic fluid in the cooling component exceeds a predetermined set temperature, in some embodiments. The system can include an alternate venting line in which the alternate venting line has a first end in fluid communication with the liquid portion of the cooling cryogenic fluid and a second end in fluid communication with a venting valve. The alternate venting line can also include a contact portion that contacts the gas portion of the fuel in the source tank. In such embodiments, a rate of venting cooling cryogenic fluid from the alternate venting line depends on a set point of vapor pressure of the fuel inside the source tank. The system can further include a dispenser tank fluidly connected to the controlled inlet line and to the vehicle fuel tank, and the system can further include a direct input line with a first end fluidly connected to the source tank and a second end fluidly connected to the dispense tank. The fuel can be a liquefied natural gas. The cooling cryogenic fluid can be nitrogen in some embodiments. The cooling component can include two tanks connected by a conduit that includes a one-way valve. In such embodiments, the two tanks can include a first tank for containing cooling cryogenic fluid at a first pressure and a second tank for containing cooling cryogenic fluid at a second pressure, in which the first pressure is lower than or equal to the second pressure. Further, in such embodiments, the first tank is fluidly connected to a liquefaction engine, the second tank is configured to surround the cooling line with the cooling cryogenic fluid, and the one-way valve can be configured to allow fluid flow only from the first tank to the second tank when the first and second pressure are equal.
In a related aspect, a system for delivering a cryogenic fluid fuel at a predetermined saturation pressure to a fuel tank is provided. The system can include a source tank, a pump, a cooling component, an ambient temperature line, and a temperature sensing valve controller. The source tank can have a top portion and a second portion, in which the source tank contains a fuel and the fuel includes a gas portion and a liquid portion. The pump can be fluidly connected to the top portion of the source tank by a vapor line and the connected to the bottom portion of the source tank by a liquid line, in which the pump can be configured to pump the fuel from the source tank towards a vehicle fuel tank. The cooling component can contain a cooling cryogenic fluid, in which the cooling component is fluidly connected to a liquefaction engine. The pump, a controlled inlet line, and the controlled inlet line can be fluidly connected to the vehicle fuel tank. The ambient temperature line can have a first end connected to the outlet of the pump and a second end connected to the controlled inlet line. The temperature sensing valve controller can be connected to a cold fuel control valve at the second end of the cooling line, a warm fuel control valve at the second end of the ambient temperature line, and the controlled inlet line. The temperature sensing valve controller can be configured to measure a temperature of the fuel in the controlled inlet line and control the flow of fuel through the cold fuel control valve and warm fuel control valve to maintain the temperature of the fuel in the controlled inlet line within a predetermined temperature range, in which the fuel includes liquefied natural gas at a second pressure, the first pressure lower than the second pressure.
In some embodiments, the following features can be present in the system in any reasonable combination. The liquefaction engine of the system can be configured to remove heat from the cooling cryogenic fluid using electrical energy. The system can further include a dispenser tank that is fluidly connected to the controlled inlet line and to the vehicle fuel tank. The system can further include a direct input line with a first end fluidly connected to the source tank and a second end fluidly connected to the dispenser tank. The system can further include a vapor relief line that includes a first end fluidly connected to the cooling component and a second end connected to the source tank. The vapor relief line can be configured to convey the vapor portion of the fuel from the source tank to the cooling component. In some such embodiments, the liquefaction engine can include heat removing lines through which a heat removing fluid flows, in which the heat removing lines are connected to a separate source of heat removing fluid in which the flow of heat removing fluid is controlled by one or more liquefaction engine valves to maintain a pressure of the cooling cryogenic fluid in the cooling component.
In the figures:
Like reference numbers in the figures refer to the same or similar features.
Delivery systems for cryogenic fluids, particularly those used as fuel, need to be able to control the saturation pressure (i.e. boiling pressure) and temperature of the fluids during storage and delivery. In the case of liquefied natural gas (LNG), systems need to ensure that the saturation pressure enables natural gas to flow where it is needed, such as the engine of a vehicle, while being capable of holding the LNG at a saturation pressure low enough to increase the time before venting of gas from a vehicle tank in the system is needed. In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved systems and methods for delivering liquefied natural gas at the lowest reasonable saturation pressure while dispensing LNG to a use device.
Disclosed is a cryogenic fluid storage and delivery system. The system is primarily described herein in the context of being used for a delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a large pressure vessel to a vehicle tank that provides fuel to a natural gas engine of a use device. However, although the disclosure is primarily described in terms of supplying fuel to a vehicle tank connected to an engine, it should be appreciated that the disclosed system may be configured for use with any application that uses cryogenic fluids.
The liquid nitrogen component 120 is a cooling component. An insulating layer 121 surrounds the tank portion of the liquid nitrogen component 120. Inside of the liquid nitrogen component 120 are a vapor portion 122 and a liquid portion 123. The liquefaction engine 125 connects to the liquid nitrogen component 120 such that the liquefaction engine 125 is in fluid communication with the vapor portion 122 of the liquid nitrogen component. A nitrogen pressure control valve 126 is also in fluid communication with the vapor portion 122 of the liquid nitrogen component.
Liquid nitrogen does not directly contact LNG in the system shown in
In operation, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is kept at a certain temperature in the LNG tank 100 by controlling the saturation pressure of the LNG in the tank 100, by passing liquid nitrogen through the alternate nitrogen venting line 192, and with the help of the insulation layer 101. When LNG moves to the vehicle tank 115, the LNG can flow along two paths out of the LNG tank 100.
LNG can also leave the LNG tank 100 the liquid line 135 with help from the submerged pump 105. The action of the submerged pump 105 can add heat to the LNG. As the action of the submerged pump 105 forces the LNG through the ambient temperature line 150 and the cooling line 155, the temperature sensing valve controller 170 detects the temperature at the controlled inlet line 175 and controls the flow valves 160 and 165 accordingly until a desired temperature is detected at the controlled inlet line 175. Flowing LNG through the cooling line 155 removes heat from the LNG after the points in its path where energy is used to cause flow. Removing heat and controlling the delivery temperature at the controlled inlet line 175 allows for the LNG to be delivered at a suitably low saturation pressure.
The liquid nitrogen component 120 is maintained at a temperature and pressure that allows it to effectively cool LNG that flows through the cooling line 155. In the system shown in
The system of
In the system shown in
The liquefaction engine 125 can use electricity to remove heat from vapor coming through the vapor relief line 397 as well as liquid or vapor pumped into the low pressure LNG tank 320 by the submerged pump 105.
As in
In operation, liquefied natural gas can flow in the system shown in
As the liquefaction engine 125 operates, cold LNG accumulates in the low pressure LNG tank 320. If there is no demand for cold LNG from the use device, cold LNG can flow out through the relief line 395, to the dispenser 110, through the direct input line 140 (acting as a return line), into the LNG tank 100. Such return flow can take place when a predetermined amount of cold LNG has accumulated or when the pressure within the low pressure LNG tank 320 has reached a predetermined value.
When the temperature sensing valve controller 370 detects a need for cold LNG, it can activate the valve 365 between the submerged pump 105 and the low pressure LNG tank 320. This causes cold LNG to flow from the liquid portion 320b of the low pressure LNG tank 320 through low pressure outlet line 396 to the temperature controlled inlet line 175.
Though the apparatus, systems, and methods herein are described with respect to fuel storage and delivery, particularly for liquefied natural gas (LNG) used as a fuel for vehicles, the apparatus, systems, and methods can be used with other cryogenic fluids. The apparatus, systems, and methods can also be used for any type of storage and delivery systems of cryogenic fluids. The descriptions of exemplary embodiments associated with the figures provided may not include controls and system regulation features such as service valves, thermal safety valves, level and gauging circuits, primary pressure relief circuits, and fill circuits.
While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of an invention that is claimed or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or a variation of a sub-combination. Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results.
Although embodiments of various methods and devices are described herein in detail with reference to certain versions, it should be appreciated that other versions, methods of use, embodiments, and combinations thereof are also possible. Therefore the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/814,697, titled “Liquid Natural Gas Cooling On The Fly,” filed Apr. 22, 2013, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61814697 | Apr 2013 | US |