Process and arrangement for filling high pressure gas containers using a filling tube

Abstract

A process, an arrangement and a gas supply station for filling high pressure gas containers include supplying a liquefied or solidified first gas ( 2 ) from a gas supply station ( 13 ) through a thermally isolated filling tube ( 14 ) with a moveable tube head ( 15 ) to the high pressure gas container ( 1 ); as well as a process of batch filling of high pressure gas containers ( 1 ) with gas, wherein multiple gas containers ( 1 ) are cooled in parallel, which are filled sequentially using the process. The invention allows for fast, economical, reliable, reproducible and precise filling of high pressure gas containers, wherein a number of the known conventional devices that are not particularly suited for high pressure respectively low temperature appliances may still be used.

1 . Process for filling high pressure gas containers ( 1 ), comprising supplying a liquefied or solidified first gas ( 2 ) from a gas supply station ( 13 ) through a thermally insulated filling tube ( 14 ) with a movable tube head ( 15 ) to the high pressure gas container ( 1 ).  
   
   
       2 . Process according to  claim 1 , characterized in that during the supplying step of the first gas ( 2 ), the gas container ( 1 ) is cooled, in particular by a cooling bath ( 4 ).  
   
   
       3 . Process according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the filling tube ( 14 ) is cooled at least partially along its length, in particular by the cooling bath ( 4 ).  
   
   
       4 . Process according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the filling tube ( 14 ) is filled using a two step filling process, in which after the supplying step of the first gas ( 2 ), a gaseous second gas ( 3 ), in particular Helium, is introduced into the gas container ( 1 ).  
   
   
       5 . Process according to  claim 4 , characterized in that during the supplying step of the first gas ( 2 ), the gas container ( 1 ) is cooled, in particular by a cooling bath ( 4 ), and before or during the introducing step of the second gas ( 3 ) the cooling of the gas container ( 1 ) is stopped, in particular the gas container ( 1 ) is taken out of the cooling bath ( 4 ).  
   
   
       6 . Process according to  claim 1 , characterized in that high pressure gas containers ( 1 ) for air bag systems or for fuel cells are filled.  
   
   
       7 . Process according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the first gas ( 2 ) and/or the second gas ( 3 ) is a mixture of gases.  
   
   
       8 . Process of batch filling of high pressure gas containers ( 1 ) with gas, wherein multiple gas containers ( 1 ) are cooled in parallel, which are filled sequentially using the process according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       9 . Arrangement for filling high pressure gas containers ( 1 ) with gas comprising a gas supply station ( 13 ) and multiple high pressure gas containers ( 1 ), wherein the gas supply station ( 13 ) comprises at least one thermally insulated filling tube ( 14 ) with a movable tube head ( 15 ) for gas filling of the gas containers ( 1 ).  
   
   
       10 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , further comprising a positioning device ( 16 ) for moving the tube head ( 15 ) to the individual gas containers ( 1 ).  
   
   
       11 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that a metering valve ( 17 ) for controlling a gas flow through the filling tube ( 14 ) is provided in the tube head ( 15 ).  
   
   
       12 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the gas supply station ( 13 ) comprises a cooling bath ( 4 ) for cooling the gas containers ( 1 ).  
   
   
       13 . Arrangement according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the filling tube ( 14 ) is at least partially immersed in the cooling bath ( 4 ).  
   
   
       14 . Arrangement according to  claim 13 , further comprising a transport mechanism ( 12 ) for transporting the gas containers ( 1 ) through the cooling bath ( 4 ).  
   
   
       15 . Arrangement according to  claim 19 , characterized in that the filling tube ( 14 ) is at least doubled walled and comprises an insulation vacuum for thermal insulation.  
   
   
       16 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the filling tube ( 14 ) is actively cooled by a cooling medium, in particular a liquefied third gas ( 6 ).  
   
   
       17 . Arrangement according to  claim 16 , characterized in that the filling tube ( 14 ) comprises a gas channel ( 18 ) and a tubular heat shield ( 19 ) at least partially around the gas channel ( 18 ), wherein the heat shield ( 19 ) is cooled by the cooling medium.  
   
   
       18 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the tube head ( 15 ) comprises an auxiliary valve ( 5 ) for temporarily closing the gas container ( 1 ).  
   
   
       19 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the gas filling tube ( 14 ) is for filling a liquefied first gas ( 2 ) into the gas containers ( 1 ).  
   
   
       20 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the gas supply station ( 13 ) comprises a first container ( 21 ) for a liquefied first gas ( 2 ).  
   
   
       21 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the gas supply station ( 13 ) comprises an introducing unit ( 9 ) for introducing a gaseous second gas ( 3 ) into the gas container ( 1 ).  
   
   
       22 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the gas supply station ( 13 ) comprises a second container ( 22 ) for a liquefied second gas ( 3 ).  
   
   
       23 . Arrangement according to  claim 22 , characterized in that the gas supply station ( 13 ) comprises an evaporator ( 25 ) for converting the liquefied second gas ( 3 ) into its gaseous state.  
   
   
       24 . Arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the gas supply station ( 13 ) comprises a third container ( 23 ) for a cryogenically liquefied third gas ( 6 ) as cooling medium.  
   
   
       25 . Gas supply station ( 13 ) for filling high pressure gas containers ( 1 ) with gas for use in the arrangement according to  claim 9.