Energy source supply systems, energy source supply devices, and related methods

Abstract

Some embodiments include an energy source supply appliance. The energy source supply appliance can comprise an appliance energy source supply system, which in turn can comprise a first appliance energy source supply subsystem and a second appliance energy source supply subsystem. The first appliance energy source supply subsystem can be configured to receive a first energy source. Meanwhile, the second appliance energy source supply subsystem can be configured to make available a second energy source to a first receiver vehicle, and the second energy source can be different from the first energy source. Further, the first receiver vehicle can comprise a first drive system, and the first drive system can be configured to use the second energy source received by the first receiver vehicle to motively power the first receiver vehicle. Other embodiments of related systems, devices, and methods also are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An energy source supply appliance comprising:
 an appliance energy source supply system comprising:
 a first appliance energy source supply subsystem; and 
 a second appliance energy source supply subsystem that is coupled to the first appliance energy source supply subsystem; 
 
 wherein:
 the first appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to receive a first energy source; 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to make available a second energy source to a first receiver vehicle; 
 the second energy source is different than the first energy source; 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to receive the first energy source from the first appliance energy source supply subsystem and to convert the first energy source received by the second appliance energy source supply subsystem to the second energy source in a load-following manner; and 
 the first receiver vehicle comprises a first drive system configured to use the second energy source received by the first receiver vehicle to motively power the first receiver vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first energy source comprises a hydrogen fuel energy source; and 
 the second energy source comprises an electrical energy source. 
 
     
     
       3. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 2  wherein:
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem further comprises:
 a fuel cell system comprising one or more fuel cells; and 
 an electrical energy storage system electrically coupled to the fuel cell system and comprising one or more appliance electrochemical cells. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 3  wherein:
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem further comprises:
 a direct current to direct current voltage converter. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The energy source supply appliance of claim  2  1 wherein:
 the first drive system comprises one or more vehicle electrochemical cells, and 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to approximately fully charge the one or more vehicle electrochemical cells with the electrical energy source in less than or equal to approximately 5 minutes. 
 
     
     
       6. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 1  wherein:
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to receive the first energy source from the first appliance energy source supply subsystem and to convert the first energy source received by the second appliance energy source supply subsystem to the second energy source. 
 
     
     
       7. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 6  wherein:
 the first energy source comprises a hydrogen fuel energy source; and 
 the second energy source comprises an electrical energy source. 
 
     
     
       8. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an appliance vehicle; 
 wherein:
 the appliance energy source supply system is configured to be transported by the appliance vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 8  wherein:
 the first energy source comprises a hydrogen fuel energy source; and 
 the second energy source comprises an electrical energy source. 
 
     
     
       10. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 9  wherein:
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem further comprises:
 a fuel cell system comprising one or more fuel cells; and 
 an electrical energy storage system electrically coupled to the fuel cell system and comprising one or more appliance electrochemical cells. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 10  wherein:
 the second energy source further comprises:
 a direct current to direct current voltage converter. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 9  wherein:
 the first drive system comprises one or more vehicle electrochemical cells, and 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to approximately fully charge the one or more vehicle electrochemical cells with the electrical energy source in less than or equal to approximately 5 minutes. 
 
     
     
       13. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 9  wherein:
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to receive the first energy source and to convert the first energy source to the second energy source. 
 
     
     
       14. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 8  wherein:
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to receive the first energy source and to convert the first energy source received by the second appliance energy source supply subsystem to the second energy source. 
 
     
     
       15. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to make available the first energy source to a second receiver vehicle; and 
 the second receiver vehicle comprises a second drive system configured to use the first energy source received by the second receiver vehicle to motively power the second receiver vehicle. 
 
     
     
       16. The energy source supply appliance of  claim 15  wherein:
 the first energy source comprises a hydrogen fuel energy source; and 
 the second energy source comprises an electrical energy source. 
 
     
     
       17. A method of providing an energy source supply appliance, the method comprising:
 providing an appliance energy source supply system; 
 wherein:
 providing the appliance energy source supply system comprises:
 providing a first appliance energy source supply subsystem; and 
 providing a second appliance energy source supply subsystem that is coupled to the first appliance energy source supply subsystem; 
 
 the first appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to receive a first energy source; 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to make available a second energy source to a first receiver vehicle; 
 the second energy source is different than the first energy source; 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to receive the first energy source from the first appliance energy source supply subsystem and to convert the first energy source received by the second appliance energy source supply subsystem to the second energy source in a load-following manner; and 
 the first receiver vehicle comprises a first drive system configured to use the second energy source received by the first receiver vehicle to motively power the first receiver vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 providing an appliance vehicle; 
 wherein:
 the appliance energy source supply system is configured to be transported by the appliance vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17  wherein:
 the first energy source comprises a hydrogen fuel energy source; and 
 the second energy source comprises an electrical energy source. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17  wherein:
 providing the second appliance energy source supply subsystem further comprises:
 providing a fuel cell system comprising one or more fuel cells; and  
 providing an electrical energy storage system coupled to the fuel cell system and comprising one or more appliance electrochemical cells; 
 electrically coupling the fuel cell system to the electrical energy storage system. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 coupling the second appliance energy source supply subsystem to the first appliance energy source supply subsystem; 
 wherein:
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to receive the first energy source from the first appliance energy source supply subsystem and to convert the first energy source received by the second appliance energy source supply subsystem to the second energy source. 
 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17  wherein:
 the first appliance energy source supply subsystem is configured to make available the first energy source to a second receiver vehicle; and 
 the second receiver vehicle comprises a second drive system configured to use the first energy source received by the second receiver vehicle to motively power the second receiver vehicle. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22  wherein:
 the first energy source comprises a hydrogen fuel energy source; and 
 the second energy source comprises an electrical energy source. 
 
     
     
       24. A method comprising:
 using a first appliance energy source supply subsystem of an appliance energy source supply system to make available a first energy source to a first receiver vehicle, the first receiver vehicle comprising a first drive system configured to use the first energy source received by the first receiver vehicle to motively power the first receiver vehicle; 
 converting the first energy source into a second energy source in a load-following manner; and 
 using a second appliance energy source supply subsystem of the appliance energy source supply system to make available a the second energy source to a second receiver vehicle, the second receiver vehicle comprising a second drive system configured to use the second energy source received by the second receiver vehicle to motively power the second receiver vehicle; 
 wherein:
 the first energy source comprises a hydrogen fuel energy source; and 
 the second energy source comprises an electrical energy source. 
 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  wherein at least one of:
 the method further comprises:
 converting the first energy source to the second energy source;   
 the method further comprises at least one of:
 moving the appliance energy source supply system; and 
 
 using the second appliance energy source supply subsystem of the appliance energy source supply system to make available the second energy source to the second receiver vehicle further comprises:
 approximately fully charging one or more vehicle electrochemical cells of the second drive system with the electrical energy source in less than or equal to approximately 5 minutes or 
 the second drive system comprises one or more vehicle electrochemical cells. 
 
 
     
     
       26. The energy source supply appliance of claim 1 wherein:
 the appliance energy source supply system further comprises a diagnostic subsystem configured to monitor at least one of:
 the first appliance energy source supply subsystem; or 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem. 
   
     
     
       27. The energy source supply appliance of claim 26 wherein:
 the diagnostic subsystem is further configured to, upon detecting a failure in the appliance energy source supply system, at least one of:
 deactivate at least a portion of the energy source supply appliance associated with the failure; or 
 activate one or more safety devices to prevent propagation of the failure in the appliance energy source supply system. 
   
     
     
       28. The energy source supply appliance of claim 1 further comprising:
 an energy source safety management system configured to control the first energy source after the first energy source is made available to, and before the first energy source is received by, the second appliance energy source supply subsystem, wherein the energy source safety management system comprises one or more of:
 a pressure regulator; 
 one or more thermal control devices; 
 a flow manifold; or 
 a flow controller. 
   
     
     
       29. The energy source supply appliance of claim 28 wherein one or more of:
 the pressure regulator comprises a pressure regulation valve configured to control a pressure of the first energy source;   at least one of the one or more thermal control devices is configured to control a mass flow rate of the first energy source;   the flow manifold comprises a multi-directional valve configured to control whether one of the one or more thermal control devices receives the first energy source; or   the flow controller comprises a microcontroller configured to control the flow manifold.   
     
     
       30. The method of claim 17 wherein:
 the appliance energy source supply system further comprises a diagnostic subsystem configured to monitor at least one of:
 the first appliance energy source supply subsystem; or 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem. 
   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 30 wherein:
 the diagnostic subsystem is further configured to, upon detecting a failure in the appliance energy source supply system, at least one of:
 deactivate at least a portion of appliance energy source supply system associated with the failure; or 
 activate one or more safety devices to prevent propagation of the failure in the appliance energy source supply system. 
   
     
     
       32. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
 providing an energy source safety management system configured to control the first energy source after the first energy source is made available to, and before the first energy source is received by, the second appliance energy source supply subsystem, wherein the energy source safety management system comprises one or more of:
 a pressure regulator; 
 one or more thermal control devices; 
 a flow manifold; or 
 a flow controller. 
   
     
     
       33. The method of claim 32 wherein one or more of:
 the pressure regulator comprises a pressure regulation valve configured to control a pressure of the first energy source;   at least one of the one or more thermal control devices is configured to control a mass flow rate of the first energy source;   the flow manifold comprises a multi-directional valve configured to control whether one of the one or more thermal control devices receives the first energy source; or   the flow controller comprises a microcontroller configured to control the flow manifold.   
     
     
       34. The method of claim 24 further comprising:
 monitoring at least one of:
 the first appliance energy source supply subsystem; or 
 the second appliance energy source supply subsystem. 
   
     
     
       35. The method of claim 34 further comprising:
 detecting a failure in the appliance energy source supply system; and   when the failure is detected, at least one of:
 deactivating at least a portion of appliance energy source supply system associated with the failure; or 
 activating one or more safety devices to prevent propagation of the failure in the appliance energy source supply system. 
   
     
     
       36. The method of claim 24 further comprising:
 using an energy source safety management system configured to control the first energy source after the first energy source is made available to, and before the first energy source is received by, the second appliance energy source supply system, wherein the energy source safety management system comprises one or more of:
 a pressure regulator; 
 one or more thermal control devices; 
 a flow manifold; or 
 a flow controller. 
   
     
     
       37. The method of claim 36 wherein one or more of:
 the pressure regulator comprises a pressure regulation valve configured to control a pressure of the first energy source;   at least one of the one or more thermal control devices is configured to control a mass flow rate of the first energy source;   the flow manifold comprises a multi-directional valve configured to control whether one of the one or more thermal control devices receives the first energy source; or   the flow controller comprises a microcontroller configured to control the flow manifold.