JP2012047234A - Gas filling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To save electric power consumption of a cooler, by enhancing filling efficiency by cooling gas filled in a filling object tank by the cooler.SOLUTION: The gas filling device 10 includes a dispenser unit 20, the cooler 30, a gas storage unit 40 and a compressor 50. The dispenser unit 20 includes a gas supply system 60 communicated with the gas storage unit 40 and a nozzle 80 connected to the filling object tank 72 mounted on a vehicle 70. A control part 90 starts gas filling control to the filling object tank 72 when a filling starting switch 94 is operated to ON after the nozzle 80 is connected to the filling object tank 72 of the vehicle 70. The control part 90 has a control means for controlling the cooler 30 so as to operate the cooler 30 when a pressure detecting value detected by a pressure sensor TT is a predetermined value or less when filling the gas in the filling object tank 72 via the nozzle 80.

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas filling device, and more particularly to a gas filling device configured to efficiently fill a tank to be filled with gas.

  For example, there is a gas filling device that compresses a gas such as hydrogen gas or CNG (compressed natural gas) to a predetermined pressure and fills a tank to be filled (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In this type of gas filling apparatus, a nozzle connected to a gas supply system is connected to a tank to be filled, and the temperature of the tank rises in the process of filling the gas supplied through the gas supply system. Since the gas expands due to the rise and the pressure rises, the efficiency of gas filling decreases. Further, it is known that the heat generation at the time of gas filling tends to increase the temperature rise rate as the flow rate at the time of gas filling increases, and the temperature rise immediately after the start of gas filling to the tank to be filled is high.

  In order to reduce such a temperature rise at the time of gas filling, in the gas filling device, a cooler is provided in the gas supply system for supplying gas, and the nozzle detection switch detects that the nozzle has been removed from the nozzle housing portion. Then, the cooler is operated, and the gas is cooled by the cooler to fill the tank to be filled. Thereby, since the temperature rise of a to-be-filled tank is suppressed, it becomes possible to improve gas filling efficiency.

  Further, after the gas filling to the filling tank is completed, the cooler is stopped when the nozzle detection switch detects that the nozzle is returned to the nozzle housing portion.

JP 2006-220275 A

  In the gas filling apparatus, the cooler is operated until a predetermined pressure (target pressure) is reached after gas filling of the tank to be filled is started. Further, since the power consumption of the compressor of the cooler and the pump for circulating the coolant is considerably large, it is desired to save the power consumption of the cooler during gas filling.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas filling device that solves the above problems.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following means.
(1) The present invention is connected via a pressure accumulator that stores gas and a gas supply system, and fills the tank to be filled with the gas;
Pressure detecting means for detecting a gas pressure in the filling tank in a state where the nozzle is connected to the filling tank;
A cooler that is provided in the gas supply system and cools the gas filled by the nozzle;
Control means for controlling gas filling into the tank to be filled by controlling each device provided in the gas supply system including the cooler;
With
The control means operates the cooler when the pressure detection value detected by the pressure detection means is equal to or less than a predetermined value when the gas is filled into the filling tank via the nozzle. The gas thus cooled is controlled so as to be supplied to the tank to be filled.
(2) The present invention comprises storage means for storing the pressure in the filling tank at the end of filling the filling tank as a target pressure,
The control means includes
The pressure detection value detected by the pressure detection means in the process of filling the gas into the tank to be filled through the nozzle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the pressure detected by the pressure detection means When the difference between the detected value and the pressure setting value stored in the storage means exceeds a preset pressure difference, the cooled tank is operated to fill the tank to be filled with the cooled gas. And

  According to the present invention, since the cooler is activated when the pressure in the filled tank at the start of gas filling into the filled tank is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the power consumption of the cooler is reduced. In addition, the gas filling efficiency can be increased.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of one Example of the gas filling apparatus by this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the control processing which a control part performs. It is a figure which shows typically the database which stores the conditions of each control mode. It is a figure which shows typically the database which stores the conditions of the modification of each control mode. 10 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a first modification. FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the control processing which the control part of the modification 1 performs. It is a figure which shows typically the database which stores the conditions of each mode of the modification 1. It is a figure which shows typically the database which stores the conditions of the modification of each control mode of the modification 1. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a control process executed by a control unit according to a second modification. It is a figure which shows typically the database which stores the conditions of each mode of the modification 2. It is a figure which shows typically the database which stores the modification of the conditions of each mode of the modification 2. FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a gas filling apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the gas filling device 10 includes a dispenser unit 20, a cooler 30, a gas storage device 40, and a compressor 50.

  The dispenser unit 20 is configured to fill hydrogen gas, for example, and includes a gas supply system 60 communicated with the gas accumulator 40, and a nozzle 80 connected to a filling tank 72 mounted on the vehicle 70. Have In the gas supply system 60, each device is arranged in a gas supply pipe 61 having one end connected to the gas storage device 40 and the other end connected to the hose 82 of the nozzle 80.

  The gas supply pipe 61 is provided with an on-off valve 62 disposed on the inlet side, a flow meter 63, a control valve 64, a pressure sensor PT, and an on-off valve 66 on the outlet side. The branch pipes 67 and 68 branched from the upstream side and the downstream side of the on-off valve 66 are connected to the cooler 30 provided separately from the dispenser unit 20, and are switched to the branch pipes 67 and 68. Valves 69a and 69b are provided.

  The cooler 30 is composed of a chiller unit, and is configured to circulate a coolant containing ethylene glycol or the like to the heat exchanger and exchange heat between the gas flowing through the branch pipes 67 and 68 and the coolant. ing. For this reason, the cooler 30 requires a considerable amount of power because it cools the gas by driving a cooling compressor, a pump for circulating the coolant, and the like.

  The on-off valves 62 and 66 and the switching valves 69a and 69b are each composed of an electromagnetic valve, and are switched to an open state or a closed state by a control signal from the control unit 90.

  The flow meter 63 includes, for example, a Coriolis mass flow meter, measures the flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 61, and outputs the flow signal to the control unit (control means) 90. Further, the pressure sensor PT (pressure detection means) detects the pressure of the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 61 and outputs a pressure detection signal at that time to the control unit 90.

  The dispenser unit 20 is provided with a temperature sensor TT. The temperature sensor TT detects the outside air temperature and outputs a temperature detection signal to the control unit 90. The outside air temperature detected by the temperature sensor TT is considered to be substantially the same as or higher than the temperature of the filling tank 72 mounted on the vehicle 70, for example.

  The adjustment valve 64 is configured to adjust the pressure and flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 61, and the valve opening degree is controlled according to a control signal from the control unit 90. In addition, when the filling start switch 94 is turned on after the nozzle 80 is connected to the filling tank 72 of the vehicle 70, the control unit 90 opens the on-off valves 62 and 66 and sets the adjustment valve 64. The gas filling control to the tank 72 to be filled is started gradually.

  When the pressure of the tank 72 to be filled reaches a preset target pressure or when the filling stop switch 96 is turned on, the control unit 90 closes all the valves and supplies gas to the tank 72 to be filled. Stop filling. Further, the controller 90 operates the cooler 30 when the pressure detection value detected by the pressure sensor TT is equal to or less than a predetermined value when filling the tank 72 with gas through the nozzle 80. And a control means for controlling the cooler 30 so as to supply the cooled gas to the tank 72 to be filled.

  In the memory (storage means) 98 of the control unit 90, a control program for calculating the remaining amount of the tank to be filled 72 based on the tank initial pressure, the filling pressure to the tank to be filled 72 or the filling flow rate at a certain ratio ( A control program for controlling the valve opening of the regulating valve 64 so as to increase at an increasing rate), the initial pressure of the tank 72 to be filled, the pressure change of the gas to be filled, or the difference between the target pressure and the filling pressure. Various control programs such as a control program for switching 30 to the operation mode or the stop mode are stored.

  Further, when the pressure in the filled tank 72 at the end of filling the filled tank 72 is set as a target pressure, the memory 98 stores the target pressure as a pressure set value. Further, the memory 98 is filled with gas in the filling tank 72 in accordance with the tank internal pressure (tank initial pressure) in the filling tank 72 and the outside air temperature at the start of filling the filling tank 72. It has a database (see FIG. 2B) in which the rate of increase in pressure in the tank (pressure increase rate) and the conditions for determining whether or not to operate the cooler 30 are stored for each control mode A to F.

  In FIG. 2B, the tank initial pressure is divided into three parts of 10 MPa or less · 10 MPa to 30 MPa · 30 MPa or more, and the control mode is selected from the value of the tank initial pressure. It is not necessary to limit to a numerical value, and the tank initial pressure may be subdivided into three or more so that a control mode (pressure increase rate / whether the cooler is activated) can be selected. Furthermore, although the pressure increase rate is shown as “medium” or “high”, of course, in actuality, it depends on conditions such as a predetermined pressure increase rate (for example, cylinder target pressure, gas properties, etc.). (Numerically set values) are stored (stored).

  The cooler 30 includes a cooling unit that operates the compressor and circulates the coolant to cool the gas flowing through the branch pipes 67 and 68. Note that the details of the configuration of the cooler 30 are well known, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  The compressor 50 compresses the gas and supplies the compressed gas to the gas accumulator 40, and the pressure of the gas in the gas accumulator 40 is at the end of gas filling in the tank 72 to be filled with the gas from the dispenser unit 20. It operates so that the pressure in the to-be-filled tank 72 may become a pressure higher than the highest filling target pressure (for example, setting pressure = 70MPa). The gas storage device 40 preferably has a volume sufficiently larger than the volume of the tank 72 to be filled.

  Here, a control process executed by the control unit 90 will be described. FIG. 2A is a flowchart for explaining a control process executed by the control unit 90. FIG. 2B is a diagram schematically showing a database for storing the conditions of each control mode when performing the control process of FIG. 2A.

  When the vehicle 70 that receives gas filling arrives, the operator connects the nozzle 80 of the dispenser unit 20 to the filling port of the tank 72 to be filled of the vehicle 80. Then, the filling start switch 94 is turned on. The nozzle 80 has a coupler structure with a backflow prevention valve that is mechanically coupled, and the filling port of the tank 72 to be filled has a coupler structure with a backflow prevention valve. Moreover, since the coupler structure with the backflow prevention valve is well known, the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, when the filling start switch 94 is turned on in S11, the control unit 90 proceeds to S12 and opens the outlet side opening / closing valve 66 to increase the pressure in the tank 72 to be filled. The gas is introduced into the gas supply system 60, and the pressure of the gas supply pipe 61 downstream from the control valve 64 is made the same as the pressure of the tank to be filled 72.

  In the next S13, the temperature detection value signal output from the temperature sensor TT for measuring the outside air temperature is read, and the pressure detection value (filled tank 72 to be filled) output from the pressure sensor PT for measuring the pressure in the gas supply pipe 61 is read. The pressure signal).

  Then, it progresses to S14 and the initial pressure (pressure before filling) of the to-be-filled tank 72 is estimated based on the pressure detection signal output from the pressure sensor PT.

  In the next S15, an optimum control mode (FIG. 5) that matches the temperature and pressure is selected from the control modes A to F based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor TT and the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor PT. 2B) is selected, and the inlet-side on-off valve 62 and the control valve 64 are opened. Thus, the compressed gas from the gas accumulator 40 is supplied to the gas supply system 60, and the filling control based on the opening degree of the control valve 64 is started.

  Subsequently, in S16, it is checked whether or not the selected control mode is A. As shown in FIG. 2B, the control mode A is “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: high (above set reference temperature)”, and “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: medium”. (Medium level rate of increase (no specific figures are given)) ”,“ Cooler: Operation ”controls gas filling.

  When the control mode A is selected in S16, the supply amount at the beginning of filling is high and the temperature is likely to rise. Therefore, the process proceeds to S17, the outlet-side opening / closing valve 66 is closed, and the switching valve 69a is closed. 69b and the cooler 30 is operated. Thereby, the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 61 passes through the on-off valve 62, the flow meter 63, and the control valve 64, and then is supplied from the branch pipe 67 to the cooler 30 to be cooled. Further, the cooled gas returns to the gas supply pipe 61 through the branch pipe 68 and is supplied to the filling tank 72 through the hose 82 and the nozzle 80.

  As described above, when the tank initial pressure is equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure (10 MPa) and the outside air temperature is higher than a predetermined reference temperature (specific numerical values are omitted), the control mode A is selected, and the cooler 30 Gas filling to the filling tank 72 is performed in a state where the gas temperature is lowered, so that gas filling can be performed efficiently while suppressing the temperature rise of the filling tank 72.

  In S18, the valve opening degree of the control valve 64 is controlled to perform constant pressure increase filling control (pressure increase rate = set to medium). As a result, the filling pressure of the tank 72 to be filled is filled with gas at an intermediate pressure increase rate.

  In the next S19, the pressure detection signal output from the pressure sensor PT is read, and it is checked whether or not the filling pressure filled in the tank 72 to be filled has reached a target pressure (for example, 70 MPa) set in the memory 98. To do. In S19, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT does not reach the target pressure, the process returns to the process of S17, and the process of S17 to S19 is repeated to perform the gas filling control to the filling tank 72.

  In S19, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT reaches the target pressure, the process proceeds to S20, the operation of the cooler 30 is stopped, and in S21, all the valves (control valve 64, on-off valves 62, 66). Then, the switching valves 69a and 69b) are closed, and the gas filling to the filling tank 72 is completed.

If the control mode A is not selected in S16, the process proceeds to S22 to check whether any of the control modes B, C, D is selected. As shown in FIG. 2B, the database 100 stores the conditions of the control modes A to F.
As shown in the database 100 of FIG. 2B, the control mode B is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: low (below the set reference temperature)”. In this mode, gas filling is controlled by “pressure increase rate by control valve 64: high (high level increase rate)” and “cooler: operation”. Further, the control mode C is a control mode that is applied in the case of “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa to 30 MPa” and “outside air temperature: high (above a set reference temperature)”. Gas charging is controlled by “pressure increase rate by: high (high level increase rate)” and “cooler: operation”. The control mode D is a control mode that is applied in the case of “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa to 30 MPa” and “outside air temperature: low (below the set reference temperature)”. Gas charging is controlled by “pressure increase rate by: high (high level increase rate)” and “cooler: operation”.

  When one of the control modes B, C, and D is selected in S22, the process proceeds to S23, the on-off valve 66 on the outlet side is closed, the switching valves 69a and 69b are opened, and the cooler 30 is turned on. Operate. That is, when the tank initial pressure is 10 MPa or less and the outside air temperature is low, the control mode B is selected. When the tank initial pressure is 10 MPa to 30 MPa and the outside air temperature is high, the control mode C is selected. When the initial pressure is 10 MPa to 30 MPa and the outside air temperature is low, the control mode D is selected.

  As described above, any one of the control modes B to D is selected, the temperature of the gas is lowered by the cooler 30, and the “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64 is high (high level increase rate)” is set. In this way, the filling tank 72 is filled with gas, so that the gas filling can be performed efficiently while suppressing the temperature rise of the filling tank 72.

  In S24, the valve opening of the control valve 64 is controlled to perform constant pressure increase filling control (pressure increase rate = high). As a result, the filling pressure of the tank 72 to be filled is less than the target pressure as compared with the control mode A because the initial pressure is 10 MPa to 30 MPa with respect to the target pressure = 70 MPa, and the high level pressure increase rate. Thus, gas filling is performed by constant pressure increase filling control.

  In the next S25, the pressure detection signal output from the pressure sensor PT is read, and it is checked whether or not the filling pressure filled in the to-be-filled tank 72 has reached the target pressure (70 MPa) set in the memory 98. In S25, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT does not reach the target pressure, the process returns to the process of S23, and the processes of S23 to S25 are repeated to perform the constant pressure increase filling control.

  In S25, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT reaches the target pressure, the operation of the cooler 30 is stopped (S20), and all the valves (the control valve 64, the open / close valves 62 and 66, the switching valve) are stopped. 69a, 69b) are closed, and the gas filling to the filling tank 72 is completed (S21).

  If none of the control modes B, C, and D is selected in S22, the process proceeds to S26, and one of the control modes E and F is selected. As shown in FIG. 2B, the control mode E is a control mode that is applied in the case of “tank initial pressure: 30 MPa or more” and “outside air temperature: high (above a set reference temperature)”. The gas filling is controlled by “pressure increase rate by control valve 64: high (high level increase rate)” and “cooler: stop”. The control mode F is a control mode that is applied in the case of “tank initial pressure: 30 MPa or more” and “outside air temperature: low (below a set reference temperature)”. Gas filling is controlled by “pressure increase rate: high (high level increase rate)” and “cooler: stop”.

  In next S27, the on-off valve 66 on the outlet side is opened, the switching valves 69a and 69b are closed, and the cooler 30 is stopped. That is, when the tank initial pressure is 30 MPa or more and the outside air temperature is high, the control mode E is selected, and when the tank initial pressure is 30 MPa or more and the outside air temperature is low, the control mode F is selected.

  As described above, when the tank initial pressure is 30 MPa or more, the pressure difference with the supply pressure is small, the gas filling flow rate is small, and the temperature rise due to gas filling is expected to be low. The filling tank 72 is filled with gas while the cooler 30 is stopped. Therefore, gas charging can be performed efficiently while reducing power consumption by the amount that the cooler 30 is not operated.

  In S28, the valve opening degree of the control valve 64 is controlled to perform constant pressure increase filling control (pressure increase rate = high). Thereby, since the initial pressure is 30 MPa or more with respect to the target pressure = 70 MPa, the filling pressure of the tank 72 to be filled has a smaller difference from the target pressure than in the control modes A to D, and a high level pressure. Gas filling is performed at an increasing rate.

  In next S 29, the pressure detection signal output from the pressure sensor PT is read, and it is checked whether or not the filling pressure filled in the filling tank 72 has reached the target pressure set in the memory 98. In S29, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT does not reach the target pressure, the process returns to the process of S27, and the processes of S27 to S29 are repeated.

  In S29, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT reaches the target pressure, the process proceeds to S21, and all the valves (the control valve 64, the on-off valves 62 and 66, and the switching valves 69a and 69b) are closed. Thus, the filling of the gas into the filling tank 72 is completed.

  As described above, the cooler 30 is operated when the amount of heat generated is such that the gas filling flow rate is equal to or greater than the predetermined pressure based on the tank initial pressure, and the tank internal pressure reaches the target pressure from the start of gas filling into the tank 72 to be filled. Since the cooler 30 is actuated in the meantime, the power consumption of the cooler 30 can be reduced and the gas filling efficiency can be increased.

  Here, a modified example of each control mode will be described. FIG. 2C is a diagram schematically showing a database storing the conditions of the modified example of each control mode. As shown in FIG. 2C, the database 200 according to the modification stores each condition of the control modes A1 to F1 based on a threshold value of the target pressure difference in which the pressure difference between the target pressure and the detected pressure is set in advance. .

  The control mode A1 of the modification is a control mode applied when “target pressure difference: 60 MPa or more” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: medium”, Control gas filling with “Cooler: Activate”.

  The modified control mode B1 is a control mode applied when “target pressure difference: 60 MPa or more (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase by the control valve 64”. Gas filling is controlled by "rate: high" and "cooler: operation".

  The modified control mode C1 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa to 60 MPa (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure by the control valve 64” Gas filling is controlled by “Increase rate: High” and “Cooler: Operation”.

  The modified control mode D1 is a control mode applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa to 60 MPa (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure by the control valve 64” Gas filling is controlled by “Increase rate: High” and “Cooler: Operation”.

  Further, the control mode E1 of the modified example is a control mode applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”. ”,“ Cooler: Stop ”to control gas filling.

  Further, the control mode F1 of the modification is a control mode applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”. ”,“ Cooler: Stop ”to control gas filling.

  In each control mode of this modification, each condition is set according to the temperature and the target pressure difference (threshold). Therefore, the control unit 90 selects one of the control modes A1 to F1 based on the difference between the outside air temperature detected by the temperature sensor TT and the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT and the target pressure set in the memory 98. Select.

As in the case of the control mode shown in FIG. 2B, each of the control modes A1 to F1 of the modified example is any When the control mode is selected and applied to the filling control of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2A described above, the filling of the tank 72 to be filled is performed efficiently.
[Modification 1]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the first modification. In FIG. 3, the same parts as those in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cooler 30 includes two cooling units 30a and 30b. The two cooling units 30a and 30b are arranged in series in the branch pipes 67 and 68, and the two cooling units 30a and 30b are operated simultaneously according to the initial pressure of the tank 72 to be filled and the outside air temperature, or only one of them is operated. Both units are controlled in one of the stop control modes. In addition, the cooling units 30a and 30b have the same cooling capacity, and when only one of them is operated, the cooling capacity is reduced to almost half, but the power consumption is also halved to save power consumption. be able to.

  FIG. 4A is a flowchart for explaining a control process executed by the control unit of the first modification. FIG. 4B is a diagram schematically illustrating a database that stores conditions for each control mode according to the first modification.

  In FIG. 4A, the description of the same process as in FIG. 2A described above is omitted, and a different process will be described. When either control mode A or B is selected in S16a, the control unit 90 proceeds to S17a, closes the on-off valve 66 on the outlet side, opens the switching valves 69a and 69b, and opens the cooler 30. Is activated. Thereby, the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 61 passes through the on-off valve 62, the flow meter 63, and the control valve 64, and then is supplied from the branch pipe 67 to the cooling units 30a and 30b of the cooler 30 to be cooled. Further, the gas cooled by the cooling units 30 a and 30 b returns to the gas supply pipe 61 through the branch pipe 68 and is supplied to the filling tank 72 through the hose 82 and the nozzle 80.

  As described above, when the tank initial pressure is 10 MPa or less, the control mode A2 or B2 is selected, and the tank to be filled 72 is charged with the gas temperature lowered by the cooler 30. Gas filling can be performed efficiently while suppressing the temperature rise of the tank 72 to be filled.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the database 300 stores the conditions of the modified control modes A2 to F2. The control mode A2 is a control mode applied in the case of “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: medium”, “cooling unit” 30a, 30b: Operation "controls gas filling. The control mode B2 is a control mode applied when “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, “ The gas filling is controlled by “cooling units 30a, 30b: operation”.

  Therefore, when one of the control modes A2 and B2 is selected, the initial pressure of the tank to be filled 72 is 10 MPa or less, so the supply amount at the beginning of filling is high and the temperature is likely to rise. The two cooling units 30a and 30b are operated together. Thereby, gas filling can be performed efficiently while suppressing the temperature rise of the tank 72 to be filled.

  In S16a, if neither control mode A2 or B2 is selected, the process proceeds to S22a to check whether either control mode C2 or D2 is selected. As shown in FIG. 4B, the control mode C2 is a control mode applied when “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa to 30 MPa” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure by the control valve 64” Gas filling is controlled by “increase rate: high” and “only cooling unit 30a: operation”. The control mode D2 is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa to 30 MPa” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, Gas filling is controlled by “cooling unit 30a only: operation”.

  Therefore, when one of the control modes C2 and D2 is selected, the initial pressure of the tank 72 to be filled is 10 to 30 MPa and is less than half of the target pressure 70 MPa. Therefore, only one of the two cooling units 30a and 30b is operated. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently perform gas filling while suppressing the temperature rise of the tank 72 to be filled, and to reduce the power consumption of the cooler 30 to half.

  In S22a, when neither the control mode C2 or D2 is selected, the process proceeds to S26, and the control mode E2 or F2 is selected. As shown in FIG. 4B, the control mode E2 is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 30 MPa or more” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase by the control valve 64” Gas filling is controlled by “rate: high” and “cooling units 30a, 30b: both stopped”. The control mode F2 is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 30 MPa or more” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, “ The gas filling is controlled by “cooling units 30a and 30b: both are stopped”. Thus, when the tank initial pressure is 30 MPa or more, the pressure difference with the supply pressure is small, the gas filling flow rate is small, and the temperature rise due to gas filling is expected to be low, so the control modes E2 and F2 are selected, Gas filling to the filling tank 72 is performed in a state where both of the cooling units 30a and 30b are stopped. Therefore, the power consumption of the cooler 30 can be saved as much as the cooling units 30a and 30b are not operated.

  In the next S27a, the on-off valve 66 on the outlet side is opened, the switching valves 69a and 69b are closed, and both the two cooling units 30a and 30b are stopped. Therefore, when one of the control modes E2 and F2 is selected, the initial pressure of the tank 72 to be filled is 30 MPa or more and about half of the target pressure 70 MPa, so the supply amount at the beginning of filling becomes a small flow rate. Therefore, the temperature rise accompanying gas filling becomes small, and both the two cooling units 30a and 30b are stopped. As a result, the power consumption of the cooler 30 can be saved.

  FIG. 4C is a diagram schematically illustrating a database that stores the conditions of the modified example of each control mode of Modified Example 1. As shown in FIG. 4C, the database 400 stores the conditions of the control modes A3 to F3 based on the threshold value of the target pressure difference in which the pressure difference between the target pressure and the detected pressure is set in advance. The control mode A3 is a control mode applied when “target pressure difference: 60 MPa or more” and “outside temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: medium”, “cooling unit” 1, 2: Both are activated "to control gas filling.

  The control mode B3 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 60 MPa or more (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high. ”,“ Cooling units 30a and 30b: both actuate ”to control gas filling.

  The control mode C3 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa to 60 MPa (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: Gas filling is controlled by “high” and “cooling unit 30a only: operation”.

  The control mode D3 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa to 60 MPa (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: Gas filling is controlled by “high” and “cooling unit 30a only: operation”.

  The control mode E3 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa or less” and “outside temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, “ The gas filling is controlled by “cooling units 30a and 30b: both are stopped”.

  The control mode F3 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, “ The gas filling is controlled by “cooling units 30a and 30b: both are stopped”.

  In each of the control modes A3 to F3, each condition is set according to the temperature and the target pressure difference. The outside air temperature detected by the temperature sensor TT and the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT and the memory 98 are set. One of the control modes A3 to F3 is selected based on the difference from the target pressure.

As in the case of the control modes A2 to F2 shown in FIG. 4B, each of the control modes A3 to F3 is selected so that the pressure increase rate during the operation, stop, and gas filling of the cooler 30 is an optimum condition When the control mode is selected and applied to the filling control of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4A described above, gas filling to the filling tank 72 is performed efficiently.
[Modification 2]
FIG. 5A is a flowchart for explaining a control process executed by the control unit of the second modification. FIG. 5B is a diagram schematically illustrating a database that stores conditions for each control mode according to the second modification.

  In FIG. 5A, the description of the same process as in FIG. 2A is omitted, and a different process will be described. When either control mode A4 or B4 is selected in S16b, the control unit 90 proceeds to S17b, closes the on-off valve 66 on the outlet side, opens the switching valves 69a and 69b, and One cooler 30 (or the cooling units 30a and 30b in FIG. 3) is operated in all steps (from the start of gas filling until the filling pressure of the tank 72 to be filled reaches the target pressure).

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the database 500 stores the conditions of the modified control modes A4 to F4. The control mode A4 is a control mode applied when “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, the rate of pressure increase by the control valve 64 is “medium”, “cooler 30 (Or cooling units 30a, 30b): “activate in all steps” to control gas filling. The control mode B4 is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, “ Cooling unit 30 (or cooling units 30a and 30b): “activate in all steps” controls gas filling.

  Thereby, the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 61 passes through the on-off valve 62, the flow meter 63, and the control valve 64, and is then supplied from the branch pipe 67 to the cooler 30 (or the cooling units 30a and 30b in FIG. 3). To be cooled. Further, the cooled gas returns to the gas supply pipe 61 through the branch pipe 68 and is supplied to the filling tank 72 through the hose 82 and the nozzle 80.

  As described above, when the tank initial pressure is 10 MPa or less, the control mode A is selected, and the gas to be filled into the tank 72 to be filled is performed with the gas temperature lowered by the cooler 30. Gas filling can be performed efficiently while suppressing the temperature rise of the tank 72.

  If none of the control modes A4 or B4 is selected in S16b, the process proceeds to S22b to check whether any of the control modes C4 or D4 has been selected. As shown in FIG. 5B, the control mode C4 is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa to 30 MPa” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure by the control valve 64” The rate of increase is “high” and “cooler 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): operates in the first half (time zone from the start of filling to half of the total stroke)” to control gas filling. The control mode D4 is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 10 MPa to 30 MPa” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, Gas cooling is controlled by “cooling unit 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): operating in the first half of the process”.

  Therefore, if either of the control modes C4 and D4 is selected in S22b, the process proceeds to S23b, and the on-off valve 66 on the outlet side is closed and the switching valves 69a and 69b are opened in the first half of all steps. At the same time, the cooler 30 is operated. That is, since the initial pressure of the tank 72 to be filled is 10 MPa to 30 MPa and less than half of the target pressure 70 MPa, the supply amount at the beginning of filling becomes a medium flow rate, so the cooler 30 (or the cooling units 30a, 30b) is installed in the first half. It is operated in the process. As a result, gas filling can be performed efficiently while suppressing an increase in the temperature of the tank 72 to be filled, and the power consumption of the cooler 30 (or the cooling units 30a and 30b) can be reduced to half.

  In S24, the valve opening degree of the control valve 64 is controlled to perform constant pressure increase filling control (pressure increase rate = high). In this case, the filling pressure of the tank 72 to be filled is lower than the target pressure than in the control modes A4 and B4 because the initial pressure is 10 MPa to 30 MPa with respect to the target pressure = 70 MPa. Gas filling is performed at an increasing rate.

  In the next S24a, it is checked whether or not the first half of all the processes has been completed. In S24a, when the first half of all the processes is not completed, the process returns to the process of S23b, the processes of S23b, S24, and S24a are repeated, and the cooler 30 (or the cooling units 30a and 30b) is operated. The filling tank 72 is efficiently filled with gas.

  In S24a, when the first half of all processes is completed, the process proceeds to S24b, where the outlet-side on-off valve 66 is opened, the switching valves 69a, 69b are closed, and the cooler 30 (or the cooling unit 30a) is opened. , 30b). Thereby, in the second half of the whole process (the time period required for the filling pressure of the filling tank 72 to reach the target pressure from the end of the first half), the filling tank is operated without operating the cooler 30 (or the cooling units 30a and 30b). 72 is filled with gas. As a result, the power consumption of the cooler 30 can be saved.

  In the next S25, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT does not reach the target pressure (70 MPa), the process returns to the process of S24b and the cooling device 30 (or the cooling units 30a and 30b) is stopped. Gas filling to the filling tank 72 is performed.

  In S25, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor PT reaches the target pressure, all the valves (the control valve 64, the on-off valves 62 and 66, the switching valves 69a and 69b) are closed to fill the tank. The gas filling to 72 is finished (S21).

  In S22b, when neither the control mode C4 or D4 is selected, the process proceeds to S26, and the control mode E4 or F4 is selected. As shown in FIG. 5B, the control mode E4 is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 30 MPa or more” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase by the control valve 64”. Gas charging is controlled by setting “rate: high” and “cooler 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): stopped in all steps”. The control mode F4 is a control mode that is applied when “tank initial pressure: 30 MPa or more” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, “ Cooling device 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): Stop at all steps "controls gas filling.

  In next S27b, the on-off valve 66 on the outlet side is opened, the switching valves 69a and 69b are closed, and the cooler 30 (or both of the two cooling units 30a and 30b) is stopped in all steps. Therefore, when one of the control modes E4 and F4 is selected, the initial supply pressure of the tank 72 to be filled is 30 MPa or more and about half of the target pressure 70 MPa. Therefore, the temperature rise accompanying gas filling becomes small, and the cooler 30 (or both of the two cooling units 30a and 30b) is stopped. As a result, the power consumption of the cooler 30 can be saved.

  FIG. 5C is a diagram schematically illustrating a database that stores conditions for each control mode according to the second modification. As shown in FIG. 5C, the database 600 stores the conditions of control modes A5 to F5 based on a preset threshold value of the target pressure difference between the target pressure and the detected pressure. The control mode A5 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 60 MPa or more (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: medium”, Gas cooling is controlled by “cooler 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): activated in all steps”.

  The control mode B5 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 60 MPa or more (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high. ”,“ Cooler 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): operated in all steps ”to control gas filling.

  The control mode C5 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa to 60 MPa (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: “High”, “Cooler 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): operated in the first half of the process” is used to control gas filling.

  The control mode D5 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa to 60 MPa (threshold)” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: “High”, “Cooler 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): operated in the first half of the process” is used to control gas filling.

  The control mode E5 is a control mode applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: high”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, “cooler” 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): Stop at all steps "to control gas filling.

  The control mode F5 is a control mode that is applied when “target pressure difference: 40 MPa or less” and “outside air temperature: low”. In this mode, “pressure increase rate by the control valve 64: high”, “ Cooling device 30 (or cooling units 30a, 30b): Stop at all steps "controls gas filling.

  Each of the control modes A5 to F5 is divided into the first half and the second half of the entire process, as in the case of the control modes A4 to F4 shown in FIG. 5B, and the operation and stop of the cooler 30 (or the cooling units 30a and 30b) Further, any control mode is selected so that the pressure increase rate at the time of gas filling becomes an optimum condition, and is applied to the filling control of the flowchart shown in FIG. It is done efficiently.

  In the above embodiment, the case where hydrogen gas is filled into the tank to be filled has been described as an example. However, for vehicles using a gas other than hydrogen gas (for example, CNG (compressed natural gas)) as fuel. Of course, the present invention can also be applied to filling.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the target pressure is set to 70 MPa has been described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied when the target pressure is set to a value other than 70 MPa. .

  In the above embodiment, the case where the tank initial pressure is set to 10 MPa or less, 10 MPa to 30 MPa, 30 MPa or more, or the target pressure difference: 60 MPa or more, 40 MPa to 60 MPa, 40 MPa or less is described as the conditions stored in each database. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other pressure values may be set.

10, 10A Gas filling device 20 Dispenser unit 30 Cooler 30a, 30b Cooling unit 40 Gas storage 50 Compressor 60 Gas supply system 61 Gas supply piping 62, 66 On-off valve 63 Flow meter 64 Control valve 67, 68 Branch piping 69a, 69b Switching valve 70 Vehicle 72 Filled tank 80 Nozzle 82 Hose 90 Controller 94 Fill start switch 96 Fill stop switch 98 Memory 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 Database

Claims (2)

A pressure accumulator that stores gas and a gas supply system, and a nozzle that fills the tank to be filled with the gas;
Pressure detecting means for detecting a gas pressure in the filling tank in a state where the nozzle is connected to the filling tank;
A cooler that is provided in the gas supply system and cools the gas filled by the nozzle;
Control means for controlling gas filling into the tank to be filled by controlling each device provided in the gas supply system including the cooler;
With
The control means operates the cooler when the pressure detection value detected by the pressure detection means is equal to or less than a predetermined value when the gas is filled into the filling tank via the nozzle. The gas filling device is controlled to supply the cooled gas to the tank to be filled. Storage means for storing the pressure in the filling tank at the end of filling the filling tank as a target pressure;
The control means includes
The pressure detection value detected by the pressure detection means in the process of filling the gas into the tank to be filled through the nozzle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the pressure detected by the pressure detection means When the difference between the detected value and the pressure setting value stored in the storage means exceeds a preset pressure difference, the cooled tank is operated to fill the tank to be filled with the cooled gas. The gas filling device according to claim 1.

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