Warming system for high pressure gas storage devices utilizing the Joule-Thomson effect

摘要

A warming system is disclosed for hydrogen gas stored under high pressure in an on board motor vehicle tank. The system enables the temperature of the gas within the tank and the gas flow control components associated with one or more bosses at an end of the tank to be increased to a level above the lower design temperature tolerance limit of the tank and flow control components. The system comprises a high pressure hydrogen gas storage tank (140), a conduit (110out) for gas flow leading from high pressure gas stored in the tank to a pressure regulator that reduces the pressure of the gas flowing in the conduit to a level suitable for use in the vehicle power plant, and a heat exchange device (311) operatively interconnected with the conduit for gas flow disposed after the pressure regulator and before the gas inlet to the vehicle power plant, whereby the Joule-Thomson effect in gas flowing through the conduit is captured as heat and the heat captured is utilized to warm the gas within the tank and/or the flow control components of the tank assembly as the high pressure hydrogen gas is utilized during vehicle operation.