Filling station, in particular a hydrogen filling station

Abstract

A filling station for refueling a vehicle with a gaseous and/or liquid medium, in particular with natural gas or gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen, with at least one refueling device that corresponds to corresponding receptacle devices provided in the vehicles to be refueled. The refueling device is arranged so that the vehicles to be refueled can drive onto it and/or it can be moved into position beneath the vehicles to be refueled.

Description

This application claims the priority of German patent application DE 10 2004 026, filed Jun. 3, 2004, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a filling station for refueling a vehicle with a gaseous and/or liquid medium, in particular with natural gas or gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen, having at least one refueling apparatus which corresponds to corresponding receptacle devices provided in the vehicles to be refueled.

The term “vehicle” is understood below to refer to all conceivable types of vehicles, such as passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, working machines, locomotives, etc. which are refueled with gaseous and/or liquid media.

Traditional filling stations for refueling vehicles with gasoline and diesel have long been known. Furthermore, filling stations in which so-called natural gas vehicles are refueled with compressed natural gas under a pressure of up to 400 bar are also known. At the present, natural gas filling stations are already being planned at which the natural gas is stored at pressures up to 1000 bar and supplied to the vehicle to be refueled.

In addition, so far approximately 20 filling stations have been constructed worldwide in which suitably modified vehicles can be refueled with gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen. At these filling stations, referred to below as hydrogen filling stations, the gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen is transferred to the vehicle to be refueled via suitable refueling connections.

On the basis of vehicle designs in the past, the refueling device at the filling station is connected to the corresponding receptacle device on the vehicle that is to be refueled only at the side of the vehicle. In traditional filling stations, the nozzle is inserted into the corresponding filling connection of the vehicle to be refueled, whereas with natural gas and hydrogen filling stations, corresponding connectors are inserted into corresponding refueling outlets provided on the vehicle and connected to them in a form-fitting manner.

Another problem with traditional filling stations is that the vehicles to be refueled must be positioned according to the pump, i.e., the refueling apparatus, because of the fact that they will have filling connections and/or outlets on either the right or left side.

On the basis of various considerations, such as simpler and more rapid operability, safety requirements, etc., there will be a shift to automatic refueling processes, in particular in the case of hydrogen filling stations. This means that the connector and outlet will be brought together and connected automatically without requiring intervention by the driver and/or the operating personnel.

The object of the present invention is to provide a generic filling station for refueling a vehicle with any gaseous and/or liquid medium, in particular with natural gas or gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen, which will avoid and/or overcome the disadvantages of known filling station concepts.

To achieve this object, a filling station is proposed in which the refueling device is positioned so that vehicles to be refueled can drive over it and/or it can be moved beneath the vehicles to be refueled.

In a complete departure from the “side refueling” principle implemented in the past, now according to this invention refueling will be implemented by having the vehicle that is to be refueled drive over the refueling device or be moved over it or by having the refueling device move or be moved beneath the vehicle to be refueled.

This invention presupposes that the vehicles to be refueled via the inventive filling station will have a receptacle device-filling connection, outlet, etc.—for the refueling device of the inventive filling station on their underside.

In a further embodiment of the inventive filling station, it is proposed that the refueling device be provided with means for positioning the vehicle to be refueled above the refueling device.

Said means for positioning vehicles to be refueled are designed here, for example, as a conveyor device onto which the vehicle to be refueled can drive.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the inventive filling station, the refueling device has means for automatic positioning at the receptacle device of the vehicles to be refueled, and/or means for automatic positioning at the receptacle device of the vehicles to be refueled are provided for the refueling device.

It is thus conceivable for the refueling devices themselves to be provided with corresponding means for automatic positioning and also to provide such means separately from the actual refueling devices, where such means are in turn connected to the refueling devices and control them accordingly.

By refueling a vehicle on its underside, it is possible to ensure that the driver of the vehicle to be refueled is not in direct contact with the actual refueling device. Possible mistakes in operation by the driver and/or operating personnel can therefore be prevented. In particular in refueling vehicles with natural gas under high pressure and with gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen, the inventive filling station concept allows a significant increase in safety.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a filling station in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a detail of a possible embodiment of the inventive filling station, whereby a vehicle 1 (only the front area is shown here) is conveyed by a conveyor belt 3 and 3′ over the actual refueling device 2. The refueling device 2 is designed in the form of a carriage 4 which can be conveyed on a rail 9 between the conveyor devices and/or conveyor belts 3 and 3′. The carriage 4 has a cylindrical shape and is provided with a cross-arm 5. This includes two connectors 6 and 7 by which the gaseous and liquid hydrogen can be supplied to the vehicle to be refueled.

The refueling device 2 can now be arranged so that the vehicles 1 to be refueled can drive over it and/or it may be designed to be movable into position beneath the vehicles 1 to be refueled.

The coupling plugs 6 and 7 are extracted (as soon as the vehicle 1 to be refueled is positioned in the desired position in relation to the refueling device 2 and/or the carriage 4) and are connected in a form-fitting manner to the corresponding coupling sockets of the vehicle 1 to be refueled.

The cross-arm 5 can rotate 360° around the fulcrum 8 within the carriage 4 so that said coupling plugs 6 and 7 can reach each position on the underbody of the vehicle 1 to be refueled.

Automatic positioning of the refueling device 2 and/or the carriage 4 in relation to the vehicle 1 to be refueled can be achieved in a variety of ways. However, those skilled in the art are aware of the various possibilities so they need not be discussed in greater detail here.

In an advantageous manner, a cleaning device is provided for the refueling device 2 and/or the connectors 6 and 7, so that the connectors 6 and 7 and, if necessary, the corresponding outlets are cleaned.

In automatic positioning of the refueling device 2 in relation to the vehicle 1 to be refueled, alignment in two axes is now all that is necessary according to this invention.

With the side refueling processes implemented in the past, however, alignment in three axes has been necessary for automatic positioning. Automatic positioning of the refueling device 2 in relation to the vehicle 1 to be refueled is thus greatly simplified with the inventive filling station concept.

With the inventive filling station, the pumps required in the past are eliminated. In addition, a refueling concept similar to that of an automatic carwash can be implemented by having the vehicles that are to be refueled conveyed by means of a corresponding conveyor device over the refueling device(s) which travel(s) along with the vehicles to be refueled.

The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. Filling station for refueling a vehicle with a gaseous and/or liquid medium, having at least one refueling device which corresponds to a receptacle device provided in the vehicle to be refueled, wherein the refueling device is arranged to refuel the vehicle from beneath the vehicle.

2. The filling station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refueling device is arranged to be at least one of driven over by the vehicle and moved to a position beneath the vehicle to be refuted.

3. The filling station as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a vehicle positioning device for positioning the vehicle to be refueled over the refueling device.

4. The filling station as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vehicle positioning device is a conveyor device onto which the vehicle to be refueled is driven.

5. The filling station as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a refueling positioning device for automatic positioning of the refueling device at the receptacle device the vehicle to be refueled.

6. The filing station as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a refueling positioning device for automatic positioning of the refueling device at the receptacle device the vehicle to be refueled.

7. The filling station as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a cleaning device is provided for cleaning at least one of the refueling device and the receptacle device of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle filling station as claimed in claim 2, wherein the refueling device is on a movable carriage.

9. The filing station as claimed in claim 4, wherein the refueling device positioning device is a movable carriage.

10. A method of refueling a vehicle with a gaseous and/or liquid medium, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one refueling device which corresponds to a receptacle device provided in a vehicle to be refueled;

positioning one of the refueling device beneath the vehicle and the vehicle over the refueling device; and

connecting the refueling device to the receptacle of the vehicle beneath the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle positioning device; and

positioning the vehicle to be refueled over the refueling device with the vehicle positioning device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle position device is a conveyer device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

providing a refueling device positioning device; and

positioning the refueling device beneath the vehicle to be refueled with the refueling device positioning device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle positioning device;

providing a refueling device positioning device; and

positioning at least one of the vehicle to be refueled over the refueling device with the vehicle positioning device, and the refueling device beneath the vehicle to be refueled with the refueling device positioning device.