Abstract: An automatic filling system for a compressed gas tank includes a controller that measures the rate of fill of a tank being filled in order to provide an accurate estimate of the fill time for the tank, given available source pressure.

Abstract: An automatic filling system for a compressed gas tank includes a controller that measures the rate of fill of a tank being filled in order to provide an accurate estimate of the fill time for the tank, given available source pressure. The controller maintains a high set level and a low set level for banks or compressed gas reservoirs, and the controller automatically cycles a compressor to fill the banks when one of the banks falls below the respective low set pressure. Additionally, when the compressor is running to fill one of the banks, all of the banks are topped off to the high set pressure in order to minimize compressor cycling. The controller automatically directs compressed air to a booster pump when available bank pressure is insufficient to complete a filling operation. In this way filling operations are completed when a compressor is not available, or when it would be undesirable to cycle a compressor.

Abstract: An automatic filling system for a compressed gas tank includes a controller that measures the rate of fill of a tank being filled in order to provide an accurate estimate of the fill time for the tank, given available source pressure. Compressed gas flow is controlled with on/off valves that are driven open by a motor/gearbox/clutch combination to reduce thermal and physical shocks associated with opening of the valve. Whenever power is removed from the clutch, a spring automatically drives the valves closed quickly to provide fail-safe operation.