Method and Apparatus for Dispensing Gaseous Fuel to a Vehicle

Abstract

A method and apparatus fueling vehicle with gaseous fuel includes storage vessels, dispensing sub-stations and a controller. The storage tanks or vessels can be at different pressures. The plurality of dispensing sub-stations each include a dispensing hose and a control valve. Each dispensing sub-station is in controllable fluid communication with the storage vessels so that fluid can flow from the storage vessels through the dispensing sub-station to a vehicle tank. A dispensing hose, and a control valve of the dispensing sub-stations are in the fluid flow paths. The controller receives feedback indicative of a filling parameter from the dispensing sub-stations, and provides control signals to the control valves of the first and second dispensing sub-station to implement one or more desired fill schemes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gaseous fuel dispenser for filling vehicle tanks with fuel, comprising:
 a first connection for connecting to a first storage vessel of a plurality of storage vessels;   a dispensing hose;   a first control valve;   a first gas flow path that includes the first connection, the first control valve, and the dispensing hose;   a controller, connected to receive first feedback indicative of a filling parameter from the first gas flow path, and connected to provide a first control signal to the first control valve to implement a desired fill scheme.   
     
     
         2 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second connection for connecting to a second storage vessel of the plurality of storage vessels;   a second control valve; and   a second gas flow path that includes the second connection, the second control valve, and the dispensing hose;   wherein the controller is further connected to receive feedback indicative of a filling parameter from the second gas flow path, and connected to provide a second control signal to the second control valve to implement the desired fill scheme.   
     
     
         3 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the controller includes at least two fill scheme modules. 
     
     
         4 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the dispensing hose is used to fill a first vehicle tank, and wherein the desired fill scheme includes controlling flow of gaseous fuel through the dispensing hose by at least one of the first and second control signals as a function of whether one or more other vehicle tanks are concurrently being filled from the plurality of storage vessels, and further as a function of priority in order of which vehicle tanks began to fill first. 
     
     
         5 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is also configured to implement a second fill scheme different from the preferred fill scheme, the second fill scheme filling the first vehicle tank as a function of equalizing fill rates of all such vehicle tanks being concurrently filled. 
     
     
         6 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is also configured to implement a third fill scheme different from the preferred fill scheme and the second fill scheme, the third fill scheme filling the first vehicle tank as a function of whether any such vehicle tanks being concurrently filled have a preferred status. 
     
     
         7 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the dispensing hose is used to fill a first vehicle tank, and wherein the desired fill scheme includes controlling flow of gaseous fuel through the dispensing hose by at least one of the first and second control signals as a function of whether one or more other vehicle tanks are concurrently being filled from the plurality of storage vessels, and further as a function of equalizing fill rates of all such vehicle tanks being concurrently filled. 
     
     
         8 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the dispensing hose is used to fill a first vehicle tank, and wherein the desired fill scheme includes controlling flow of gaseous fuel through the dispensing hose by at least one of the first and second control signals as a function of whether one or more other vehicle tanks are concurrently being filled from the plurality of storage vessels, and further as a function of whether any such vehicle tanks being concurrently filled have a preferred status. 
     
     
         9 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a nozzle coupled to the dispensing hose, the nozzle having a manual activation mechanism for enabling fuel flow.   
     
     
         10 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the manual activation mechanism has at least three operating positions. 
     
     
         11 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein each of the at least three operating positions has at least one unique function associated therewith, and wherein fuel flow is not enabled unless each function is performed in a defined sequence. 
     
     
         12 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the nozzle includes a locking mechanism and a valve. 
     
     
         13 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the at least three operating positions includes a first operating position which activates the locking mechanism, and a second operating position that opens the valve. 
     
     
         14 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 13 , wherein the second operating position cannot be accessed before the first operating position. 
     
     
         15 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the manual activation mechanism comprises a lever constrained to move along a path. 
     
     
         16 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the path includes at least two changes of direction. 
     
     
         17 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a check valve coupled to the dispensing hose, the check valve including an air foil having a closed position and an open position.   
     
     
         18 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a check valve coupled to the dispensing hose, the check valve including an air foil having a closed position and an open position.   
     
     
         19 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 18 , wherein the check valve is configured such that a pressure greater on a first side of the air foil than on a second side of the air foil causes the valve to move and remain in an open position. 
     
     
         20 . The gaseous fuel dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein the check valve includes a guide to maintain the air foil in a desired position with respect to gas flow past the air foil.