DE102021208098A1 - Method and device for filling up a vehicle at a hydrogen filling station - Google Patents

Abstract

Method (10) for filling up a vehicle at a hydrogen filling station, characterized by the following features:- after the vehicle has entered (11) the hydrogen filling station, the vehicle is assigned (12) to a fuel pump of the hydrogen filling station by radio and- a hydrogen tank of the The vehicle is refueled with hydrogen while the vehicle and the fuel pump are in wireless data exchange (13) via a communication unit.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for filling up a vehicle at a hydrogen filling station. The present invention also relates to a corresponding device, a corresponding computer program and a corresponding storage medium.

State of the art

US10800281B2 discloses systems and methods for communication between a hydrogen fueling station and a hydrogen-powered vehicle, which can use both near-field communication and communication between vehicle and infrastructure. Security, fueling, payment, and other information may be transmitted, and the redundant nature of the communications is intended to allow for troubleshooting and process monitoring.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a method for filling up a vehicle at a hydrogen filling station, a corresponding device, a corresponding computer program and a corresponding storage medium according to the independent claims.

The approach according to the invention is based on the knowledge that, according to the prior art, hydrogen vehicles are typically refueled via an infrared interface which transmits data unidirectionally from the vehicle to the filling station. Such a method is standardized in the SAE J2799 standard. Furthermore, SAE J2601 describes how the refueling process with hydrogen (H2) takes place - for example with which pressure gradient and up to which maximum pressure - and which data should be exchanged between the H2 vehicle and the H2 filling station. For this purpose, suitable refueling parameters are selected based on given tables, for example depending on the nominal pressure of the tanks, the ambient temperature and the initial tank temperature, according to which the filling station controls the refueling time-dependently without feedback from the vehicle.

The procedure described below takes into account the fact that infrared communication can be disrupted by solar radiation, physical damage or icing (due to the hydrogen that has been pre-cooled down to -40 °C). In addition, the SAE standards mentioned with regard to the planned refueling time are appropriate for the passenger car sector, but require very long refueling times for commercial vehicles due to their significantly larger tank capacity.

Another disadvantage of IR communication is that it requires a line of sight between the transmitter and receiver and the transmission range is limited, which is why the transmitter and receiver are placed directly in the tank nozzle or tank nozzle according to the prior art. There is no provision for a return channel from the vehicle to the fuel pump. Although, if necessary, refueling is also possible without any communication at all, such refueling takes place very slowly at best in order to rule out any danger.

Against this background, an advantage of the solution according to the invention is its suitability for ensuring a functional and information-safe data exchange between hydrogen filling station and hydrogen vehicle. This data exchange, in turn, allows for a quick and energy-efficient refueling process.

Advantageous further developments and improvements of the basic idea specified in the independent claim are possible as a result of the measures listed in the dependent claims. The use of ultra-wideband radio technology (UWB) according to IEEE 802.15.4z enables the vehicle to be reliably recorded and assigned to the nearest fuel pump.

According to a further aspect, data transmission can be provided using Bluetooth (BT). Advantageously, the standardized Bluetooth protocol already supports methods for authentication and encryption of the connection, which enable advanced mechanisms such as black channel communication for superimposed security-relevant data transmission.

Since UWB and BT open up secure data transmission between the vehicle and the gas station, other services can also access the communication interface created in this way: on the one hand, payment services can be processed here; but data can also be exchanged for diagnostic purposes, which is used to monitor the fueling process or for plausibility functions of sensors and other components.

According to a further aspect, a round-trip time-offlight (RTOF) measurement can be provided in order to detect any manipulation of the locating process. In this way, it can also be avoided that a vehicle does not use the associated, but communicates with a more distant gas pump.

character list

• 1 das Flussdiagramm eines Verfahrens gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung.
• 2 eine beispielhafte Anordnung zum Betanken eines Fahrzeuges an einer Wasserstofftankstelle.
• 3 das Blockdiagramm einer Zapfsäule gemäß IEC 61511 und eines Fahrzeugs gemäß ISO 26262.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description. It shows:

• 1 the flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.
• 2 an exemplary arrangement for refueling a vehicle at a hydrogen filling station.
• 3 the block diagram of a dispenser according to IEC 61511 and a vehicle according to ISO 26262.

Embodiments of the invention

1 illustrates the basic steps of a method (10) according to the invention, the sequence of which is now based on the arrangement according to FIG 2 explained.

The triggering event for the process is the entry (11) of a vehicle into the hydrogen filling station and its approach to one of its filling stations. The vehicle now serves as a so-called UWB tag, which is located by triangulation using an infrastructure of at least three UWB anchors installed at the gas station.

In one variant, for example, a multilateration can be used based on the transit time differences between the vehicle and different recipients (time difference of arrival, TDOA) without departing from the scope of the invention. In this way, the vehicle is assigned (12) to the fuel pump of the hydrogen filling station and its fuel nozzle (“tank nozzle”) is mechanically coupled to the tank nozzle of the vehicle.

The vehicle is now refueled according to a specified procedure protocol while it is connected to the fuel pump via a Bluetooth communication unit (20 - 2 ) are in a wireless data exchange (13). This refueling process is ended (14) as soon as the maximum pressure is detected at the gas station. A stop is also initiated in an emergency (emergency), for example if the on-board sensor data (21 - 2 ) detected temperature in the tank exceeds a predetermined threshold.

After the end (14) of the refueling, a possible payment process is initiated. Finally, the vehicle and fuel pump are mechanically decoupled (15) and wireless data transmission is stopped.

It goes without saying that the assignment (12)—for example by way of a phase-based distance measurement between the communication unit (20) and the gas station (high-accuracy distance measurement, HADM)—can also be carried out using Bluetooth. For this purpose, the use of a fixed infrastructure with at least three Bluetooth anchors is recommended. Conversely, it is possible for assignment (12) and data exchange (13) to take place equally using ultra-wideband radio technology.

This method (10) can be implemented, for example, in software or hardware or in a mixed form of software and hardware, for example in a control unit (electronic control unit, ECU), as shown in the schematic representation in FIG 3 clarified. Such a filling station control and regulation system (40) also determines the delivery rate of the pump (38) operated for refueling and other aspects of the provision of the hydrogen (33) - such as its pre-cooling temperature if necessary - and ensures wireless communication between the H2 vehicle (31 ) and hydrogen filling station.

In the present embodiment, the dispenser (30) also includes temperature, H2, hydrogen flow rate and other sensors (34) that detect the current state of the hydrogen (33), said pump (38) that measures the flow rate of the Hydrogen (33) intended for the vehicle (31), the tank nozzle (36) and hoses, which are used for mechanical coupling (35) to the vehicle (31).

The H2 vehicle (31) shown on the right in the figure includes the H2 tank system, which consists of various valves and the hydrogen tank (32). It also has a tank nozzle (37) as a receptacle for the tank nozzle (36) to physically connect the fuel pump (30) to the vehicle (31) and to fill up with hydrogen (33), sensors (34), to record the status of the tank system, for example in terms of temperature and pressure, and an optional control unit (39) connected via a CAN bus, to regulate the H2 tank system (control) and to design communication with the gas station via UWB and BT.

Claims (10)

Method (10) for filling up a vehicle (31) at a hydrogen filling station, characterized by the following features: - after the vehicle (31) enters (11) the hydrogen filling station, an allocation is made by radio (12) of the vehicle (31) to a fuel pump (30) of the hydrogen filling station and - a hydrogen tank (32) of the vehicle (31) is filled up with hydrogen (33) while the vehicle (31) and the fuel pump (30) are about a communication unit (20) in a wireless data exchange (13). Method (10) according to claim 1 , characterized by the following features: - the refueling is terminated (14) as soon as the hydrogen tank (32) reaches a predetermined fill level or - the refueling is terminated (14) as soon as an emergency is detected on the basis of sensor data (21). Method (10) according to claim 2 , characterized by the following features: - after the assignment (12), a refueling nozzle (36) of the fuel pump (30) is mechanically coupled (35) to a refueling nozzle (37) of the vehicle (31) and - after the end of refueling, the Coupling (35) released (15). Method (10) according to any one of Claims 1 until 3 , characterized by one of the following features: - the hydrogen (33) is conveyed during refueling by means of a pump (38) of the fuel pump (30) and - the pump (38) is controlled by a control unit (40) of the fuel pump (30). of data exchange regulated. Method (10) according to any one of Claims 1 until 4 , characterized by the following features: - the assignment (12) takes place using ultra-broadband radio technology and - the data exchange (13) takes place using Bluetooth. Method (10) according to any one of Claims 1 until 4 , characterized by the following features: - the assignment (12) and the data exchange (13) using Bluetooth and - the assignment (12) includes a phase-based distance measurement between the communication unit (20) and gas station. Method (10) according to any one of Claims 1 until 4 , characterized by the following feature: - The assignment (12) and the data exchange (13) are carried out using ultra-wideband radio technology. Computer program which is set up, the method (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 7 to execute. Machine-readable storage medium on which the computer program claim 8 is saved. Device (30, 40) which is set up, the method (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 7 to execute.

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