Method and Apparatus for Dispensing Natural Gas

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for measuring and controlling fluid flow rates and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for dispensing natural gas.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

Over the past few years, there has been a steadily increasing interest in developing alternative fuels for automobiles in an effort to reduce the harmful emissions produced by conventional gasoline and diesel powered vehicles. One such alternative fuel that has already been used with favorable results is compressed natural gas (CNG). Besides being much cleaner burning than gasoline or diesel fuel, most modern automobiles can be converted to operate on compressed natural gas or CNG. Typically, such a conversion may include various minor modifications to the engine and fuel delivery system and, of course, the installation of a natural gas fuel tank capable of storing a sufficient amount of CNG to provide the vehicle with range and endurance comparable to that of a conventionally fueled vehicle. In order to provide a reasonably sized storage tank, the CNG is usually stored under relatively high pressures, such as 3,000 to 4,000 pounds per square inch gauge (psig).

While the conversion process described above is relatively simple, the relatively high pressure under which the CNG is stored creates certain refueling problems that do not exist for conventional vehicles powered by liquid fuels, such as gasoline. Obviously, since the gas is transferred and stored under pressure, special fittings, seals, and valves have to be used when the CNG is transferred into the CNG storage tank on the vehicle to prevent loss of CNG into the atmosphere. Also, special precautions must be taken to minimize the danger of fire or explosion that could result from the unwanted escape of the high pressure CNG into an atmosphere that could be ignited. Accurate, yet convenient and easy to use measurement of the amount of CNG delivered into the vehicle"s storage tank is also a problem. Consequently, most currently available natural gas refueling systems require that relatively complex steps be performed during the refueling process to prevent leakage, minimize the risk of fire or explosion, and measure the amount of fuel delivered. Unfortunately, because such processes tend to be relatively complex, they cannot be carried out very easily by most members of the general public or even by unskilled workers. Therefore, most CNG dispensing systems usually require trained personnel to perform the refueling process. As of date, providing trained operators to perform the refueling operation has not yet posed a significant problem, because natural gas refueling stations are still fairly limited to fleet operators of vehicles who can afford to have trained personnel to perform the refueling operations and who either do not care to keep accurate measurements of each vehicle fill-up or who can afford complex flow measuring equipment to do it. However, because the interests in natural gas powered automobiles is increasing rapidly, and there is a growing need to develop a natural gas refueling system that is highly automated and has sufficient fail-safe systems to minimize the danger of fire or explosion, while at the same time being capable of accurate measurements and being used safely by the general public. Ideally, such a natural gas dispensing system should be as familiar to the customer and as easy to use as a conventional gasoline pump and refueling station.

As mentioned above, there are several natural gas dispensing "pumps" currently available. One such system is disclosed in the patent to Fisher et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,600. While the dispensing system disclosed by Fisher et al., is relatively easy to use, it requires certain relatively expensive components. For example, Fisher"s dispensing system utilizes differential pressure transducers to determine the amount of CNG that is dispensed into the vehicle tank. Disadvantageously, however, such differential pressure transducers are expensive, and have a rather limited range of operation of about 3 to 1.

Another significant problem associated with the dispensing systems currently available, such as the system disclosed by Fisher et al., is that such systems cannot determine accurately when the natural gas storage tank in the vehicle is filled to rated capacity, yet not overfilled. That is, since natural gas storage tanks in vehicles have to be rated to safely contain CNG under a given pressure at a given temperature (e.g., 3000 psig at a standard temperature of 70.degree. F.), it is important to determine the correct pressure to which the tank should be filled when the ambient temperature is not exactly 70.degree. F. For example, if the ambient temperature is warmer than the standard temperature of 70.degree. F., the tank can be filled safely to a pressure higher than the rated pressure. In fact, the tank will not be completely filled under such circumstances until it is at such a higher pressure. Conversely, if the ambient temperature is below standard temperature, the tank cannot be filled safely to the rated pressure, because as the CNG warms to the standard temperature, the pressure will exceed the rated pressure. In this situation, the tank is overfilled, and there is a significant danger of the safety relief valve on the tank venting the excess CNG to the atmosphere, thereby losing the CNG and possibly even creating an explosion hazard. Worse yet, the tank may actually rupture if the safety valve malfunctions.

Unfortunately, however, none of the currently available natural gas dispensing pumps compensate for changes in ambient temperature. Accordingly, these currently available dispensing systems are usually configured to turn off the flow of natural gas at pressures well below the rated pressure of the tank to avoid the dangerous overfilling and consequent overpressurization the vehicle storage tank described above. Consequently, if the ambient temperature is higher than the standard temperature of 70.degree. F., the tank will be substantially underfilled.

Therefore, there is a need for a natural gas dispensing system that provides the desired degree of safety for dispensing natural gas under high pressures that is preferably as easy to use a conventional gasoline pump. Such a dispensing system should be relatively simple and reliable and ideally would not require expensive and complex differential pressure transducers. Most importantly, such a dispensing system should be capable of automatically determining a temperature corrected cut-off pressure to ensure that the vehicle storage tank is completely filled regardless of the ambient temperature. Finally, it would be desirable for such a dispensing system to accommodate two or more dispensing hoses from a single supply plenum to reduce the number of pressure and temperature sensors to a minimum, thus providing better overall system reliability and lower cost.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a pressurized fluid dispensing system that can automatically compensate for non-standard ambient gas temperature to promote complete filling of a pressurized storage tank.

It is another general object of this invention to provide a pressurized fluid dispensing system that can accurately measure the amount of fluid transferred into a pressurized storage tank without the need to resort to expensive and performance limiting differential pressure transducers.

It is another object of this invention to provide a pressurized fluid dispensing system that uses sonic nozzles to measure the amount of fluid dispensed.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a natural gas dispensing system that is highly automated and simple to use while providing a high degree of safety.

It is yet another more specific object of this invention to provide a natural gas dispensing system that can easily support multiple dispensing hoses from a single supply plenum.

Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention shall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the foregoing or may be learned by the practice of this invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and in combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the natural gas dispensing system according to this invention may comprise a supply plenum connected to a CNG source and a control valve assembly for selectively turning on the flow of CNG through a sonic nozzle and out through a dispensing hose assembly. Pressure and temperature transducers connected to the supply plenum measure the stagnation pressure and temperature of the CNG and a pressure transducer fluidically connected to the vehicle tank via the dispensing hose assembly is used to determine the pressure in the vehicle tank. A second temperature transducer is used to measure the ambient temperature. An electronic control system connected to the pressure and temperature transducers and to the control valve assembly calculates a vehicle tank cut-off pressure based on the ambient temperature and on the pressure rating of the vehicle tank that has been pre-programmed into the electronic control system and automatically turns off the CNG flow when the pressure in the vehicle tank reaches the calculated cut-off pressure. In the preferred embodiment, two sonic nozzles, along with two corresponding control valve assemblies and two dispensing hoses are connected to the supply plenum and operate independently.

The method of this invention includes the steps of connecting a CNG supply tank and the vehicle tank with a pressure tight dispensing hose, sensing the ambient temperature before initiating the dispensing cycle, calculating a cut-off pressure for the vehicle tank based on the ambient temperature and based on the pressure rating for the vehicle tank, initiating the flow of gas through said dispensing hose from the supply tank to the vehicle tank while simultaneously determining the stagnation pressure of the vehicle tank, and terminating the flow of gas when the stagnation pressure of said vehicle tank substantially equals said cut-off pressure.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of this specification, illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view in elevation showing the natural gas dispensing system according to the present invention with the front panel of the lower housing broken away to show the details of the natural gas supply plenum and valve body assembly, and with the front cover of an electrical junction box broken away to show the location of the ambient temperature sensor;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the supply plenum and valve body assembly shown in FIG. 1 with the supply plenum cover removed and with a corner section broken away to reveal the details of the sonic nozzle, the control valve assembly, and the pneumatic air reservoir;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the supply plenum and valve body assembly of the present invention showing the plenum chamber cover in position, the various inlet and outlet connections, and the various pressure and temperature transducers used to sense the pressures and temperatures of the CNG at various points in the plenum and valve body assembly;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view in elevation of the supply plenum and valve body assembly taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3 more clearly showing the details of the plenum chamber cover, the supply plenum, one of the sonic nozzles, the corresponding control valve assembly, and the positioning of the various pressure and temperature transducers;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the pneumatic system of the present invention showing the pneumatic connections to the control valve assemblies, the locations of the various pressure and temperature transducers, and the path of the natural gas from the supply plenum through the sonic nozzles and ultimately through the hose connections;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the electronic control system used to control the function and operation of the natural gas dispensing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the steps executed by the electronic control system of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the detailed steps of the Start Sequence shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the detailed steps of the Fill Sequence of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a detailed flow chart showing the steps of the End Sequence of FIG. 7.

The major components of the natural gas dispensing system 10 according to the present invention are best seen in FIG. 1 and comprise a lower housing 12 which houses the supply plenum and valve body assembly 40 and associated components, as will be described in detail below. The electrical wires from the various pressure and temperature transducers 92, 94, 96, and 58 as well as from the solenoid valve assembly 42 are routed to two sealed electrical junction boxes 17 and 19, respectively, via pressure-tight conduit to reduce the chances of fire or explosion. Electrical wires from these two junction boxes 17, 19 are then routed in pressure-tight conduit to an elevated and pressurized penthouse 14 which houses the electronic control system (not shown in FIG. 1) and various display windows 136, 138, and 140. Penthouse 14 is mounted to the lower housing 12 by left and right penthouse support members 16, 18. Two vertical hose supports 20, 22 are attached to either side of lower housing 12 and penthouse 14 and support the two retrieving cable assemblies 24, 26, as well as a first dispensing hose 28 and a second dispensing hose 30, respectively. These first and second dispensing hoses 28, 30 are connected to the supply plenum and valve body assembly 40 via two breakaway connectors 36, 38 and two natural gas output lines 88 and 89. Finally, each dispensing hose 28, 30 respectively terminates in three-way valve assemblies 44, 46 and pressure-tight hose couplers 48, 50. Each pressure-tight hose coupler is adapted to connect its respective dispensing hose to the natural gas storage tank coupler on the vehicle being refueled (not shown).

The high degree of automation of the dispensing system 10 allows it to be easily and safely used on a "self serve" basis, much like conventional gasoline pumps, although the system could also be operated by a full-time attendant. In order to dispense the CNG into the vehicle tank, a dispensing hose, such as dispensing hose 28, is connected to the vehicle tank being refueled via pressure-tight coupler 48, which is adapted to fit with the standardized connecter on the vehicle. The customer or attendant would then move the three-way valve 44 to the "fill" position and move the transaction switch 32 to the "on" position. The natural gas dispensing pump 10 then begins dispensing CNG into the vehicle tank, continuously indicating the amount of natural gas being dispensed on display 140, the price on display 136, and the pressure in the vehicle tank on display 138, much like a conventional gasoline pump. After the vehicle tank has been filled to the proper pressure, as determined by the ambient temperature sensed by temperature transducer 91 located within junction box 17, the dispensing system 10 automatically shuts off the flow of CNG into the vehicle, as will be described in detail below. The customer or attendant would then move transaction switch 32 to the "off" position, and turn the three-way valve to the "vent" position to vent the natural gas trapped in the space between the hose coupler 48 and the vehicle coupler (not shown) into a vent recovery system (not shown), where it is recompressed and pumped back into the CNG storage tank (also not shown).

The supply plenum and valve body assembly 40, along with the electronic control system (not shown in FIG. 1, but shown in FIG. 6 and fully described below) forms the heart of the natural gas dispensing system 10 and includes sonic nozzles, digital control valves, and various pressure and temperature transducers to automatically dispense the exact amount of natural gas required to completely fill the vehicle storage tank as well as to automatically calculate and display the total amount of natural gas dispensed into the storage tank. Since the compressed natural gas (CNG) dispensed by the system 10 is under considerable pressure (about 4,000 psig), the dispensing system 10 also includes a number of fail-safe and emergency shut-off features to minimize or eliminate any chance of fire or explosion, as will be described below.

Another significant advantage of the natural gas dispensing system 10 is that it does not require performance limiting and complex differential pressure transducers to determine the amount of CNG dispensed into the vehicle storage tank. Advantageously, the present invention can accurately measure the amount of CNG dispensed using relatively inexpensive and simple gauge pressure transducers, as will be discussed below.

Yet another significant advantage of the natural gas dispensing system 10 is that a plurality of sonic nozzles can be connected to a single input or supply plenum, each of which may be operated independently of the others without adversely affecting the metering accuracy or performance of the other nozzles. Accordingly, the preferred embodiment utilizes two sonic nozzles and two control valve assemblies, so that two dispensing hoses can be easily used in conjunction with the single supply plenum and valve body assembly 40, thereby increasing utility and reducing cost. Furthermore, because more than one sonic nozzle can be connected to the single supply plenum, only a single set of pressure and temperature transducers are required to sense the stagnation pressure and stagnation temperature of the CNG contained within the supply plenum, even though two or more hoses or "channels" are connected to the single plenum, thereby further reducing the cost and complexity of the dispensing system 10

Perhaps the most important feature of the present invention is that the CNG dispensing system 10 is temperature compensated to automatically fill the vehicle natural gas tank to the correct pressure regardless of whether the ambient temperature is at the "standard" temperature of 70.degree. F. For example, if the ambient temperature is above standard, say 100.degree. F., the vehicle tank will be automatically filled to a pressure greater than its rated pressure at standard temperature, since, when the CNG in the tank cools to the standard temperature, the pressure will decrease to the rated pressure of the tank. Significantly, the dispensing system 10 automatically determines the proper cut-off pressure for the ambient temperature and automatically terminates the refueling process when the calculated cut-off pressure is reached. Such automatic temperature compensation, therefore, ensures that the vehicle storage tank is filled to capacity regardless of the ambient temperature.

The details of the supply plenum and valve body assembly 40 are best seen and understood by referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 simultaneously. Note that as described above, the preferred embodiment includes two separate and independent nozzle, valve, and hose assemblies, which may be referred to hereinafter as channels. However, to simplify the description, only the first channel i.e., the channel for hose 28 will be described in detail. The components utilized by the second channel (hose 30) are identical in every respect, and, therefore, will not be described in detail.

In the preferred embodiment, the supply plenum and valve body assembly 40 is machined from a single block of aluminum, although other materials could be used just as easily, and defines, in combination with the plenum chamber cover 112, a supply plenum 56, (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and a pneumatic reservoir 86. The supply plenum and valve body assembly 40 also houses the two sonic nozzles 52, 54 and the corresponding control valve assemblies 64, 65. Various pressure transducers 92, 94, and 96 and temperature transducer 118, as well as the solenoid valve assembly 42 (shown in FIG. 1, but not shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 for clarity), are also mounted to the supply plenum and valve body assembly, as will be described in detail below.

As mentioned above, the natural gas dispensing system 10 of the present invention utilizes sonic nozzles to accurately meter the flow of CNG through each dispensing hose. Such sonic nozzles have been used for decades as flow regulators because the mass flow rate of a gas flowing through such a nozzle is independent of the back pressure at the nozzle exit, so long as the gas is flowing at sonic velocity in the throat section of the nozzle. Put in other words, the metering accuracy is not affected by variations in the vehicle tank pressure. Therefore, sonic nozzles eliminate the need to measure both the upstream and downstream pressures of the gas in order to determine the gas flow rate.

Briefly, a sonic nozzle, such as sonic nozzle 52, comprises a converging section 442 and a diverging section 444 separated by a throat section 446, which represents that portion of the nozzle having the smallest cross-sectional area, see FIGS. 2 and 4. Gas entering the converging or inlet section 442 of sonic nozzle 52 is accelerated until it is flowing at the speed of sound in the throat, provided there is a sufficiently high pressure ratio between the "upstream" pressure (i.e., the pressure of the CNG in the supply plenum 56) and the "downstream" pressure (i.e., the pressure in the intermediate chamber 62). If the diverging section 444 is properly designed in accordance with well-known principles, the gas will decelerate in the diverging section 444 until nearly all of the velocity pressure has been converted back into static pressure by the time the gas enters the downstream or intermediate chamber 62. As mentioned above, one of the features of the sonic nozzle is that for a given set of stagnation pressures and temperatures of the fluid upstream of the nozzle, there is a maximum flow which can be forced through the nozzle that is governed by the throat area. No matter what happens downstream from the throat in the way of decreasing the pressure or increasing the flow area, the flow rate will remain the same, so long as sonic conditions are maintained at the throat. Accordingly, the mass flow rate through a sonic nozzle is governed by the following equation: ##EQU1## where m is the mass flow rate of the fluid passing through the nozzle; C.sub.d is the nozzle discharge coefficient for the particular nozzle being used; k is a constant depending on the ratio of specific heats and the gas constant of the fluid; p.sub.1 is the stagnation of pressure of the fluid in the supply plenum 56; A is the nozzle throat area; and T.sub.1 is the absolute temperature of the fluid in the supply plenum 56. Reference is made to the text, The Dynamics and Thermodynamics of Compressible Fluid Flow, by Ascher H. Shapiro, Volume 1, page 85, equation (4.17), the Ronald Press Co., New York, 1953, for the exact relationship between k, the ratio of specific heats, and the gas constant. The flow rate through a sonic nozzle is, therefore, proportional to the stagnation pressure p.sub.1 in the supply plenum 56 divided by the square root of the stagnation temperature T.sub.1 in supply plenum 56 times the effective throat area of the sonic nozzle. Thus, the fluid flow rate determinative parameter is the stagnation pressure p.sub.1 divided by the square root of the stagnation temperature T.sub.1. This linear relationship is maintained so long as the fluid flowing through the nozzle remains sonic at the throat, which eliminates any dependence of flow rate upon the pressure in the downstream or intermediate chamber 62 (see FIG. 2). Further, proper design of such a sonic nozzle will allow the velocity in the throat to reach sonic velocity or "choke" at reasonably small pressure ratios of about 1.05 or 1.1. That is, the pressure of the fluid in the supply plenum 56 need only be about 5 to 10 percent higher than the pressure in the intermediate or downstream chamber 62 to achieve and maintain sonic velocity in the throat section 446.

If the pressure ratio between the stagnation pressure p.sub.1 in supply plenum 56 and the stagnation pressure p.sub.2 in the intermediate (i.e. discharge) chamber 62, is not sufficient to sustain sonic velocity through the throat of the nozzle, then the flow rate through the nozzle is dependent on the upstream stagnation temperature and pressure (T.sub.1 and p.sub.1) as well as the downstream stagnation pressure p.sub.2, and the equation listed above becomes a function of the downstream stagnation pressure, thus: ##EQU2## where m is the mass flow rate of the fluid passing through the nozzle; C.sub.d is the nozzle discharge coefficient for the particular nozzle being used; k is a constant depending on the ratio of specific heats and the gas constant of the fluid; p.sub.1 is the stagnation of pressure of the fluid in the supply plenum 56; A is the nozzle throat area; T.sub.1 is the absolute temperature of the fluid in the supply plenum 56; and p.sub.2 is the stagnation discharge pressure.

Referring back to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, simultaneously, the flow of natural gas through the sonic nozzle 52 is controlled by a "digital" valve assembly 64 for the first dispensing hose 28 as shown in FIG. 1. The valve assembly 64 is referred to as a "digital" valve because it has only two positions: on and off: There are no intermediate positions typically associated with analog-type valves. As mentioned above, there is an identical sonic nozzle 54 and digital valve assembly 65 for the second channel, i.e., hose 30, as shown in FIG. 1.

The digital valve assembly 64 for the first channel is oriented at right angles to the sonic nozzle 52 such that an intermediate or downstream chamber 62 is defined in the area between the downstream section of the nozzle and the valve body assembly 64. A vertical condensate leg 82 extends downwardly from the intermediate or downstream chamber 62 to collect any condensate from the CNG as it flows through sonic nozzle 52. A suitable plug 84 or, optionally, a valve assembly (not shown), can be attached to the bottom of the condensate leg 82 to allow the leg 82 to be drained at periodic intervals. The provision of a suitable valve assembly (not shown) would be obvious to persons having ordinary skill in this art and therefore, is not shown or described in further detail.

The digital valve assembly 64 comprises a pneumatically operated valve actuator assembly 69 that is secured to the supply plenum and valve body assembly 40 via a plurality of bolts 70. The pneumatically operated valve actuator assembly 69 includes a piston 68 disposed within a cylinder 66 and suitable pneumatic ports 120 and 122. Air pressure applied to one side of the piston 68 via one such port 120 or 122 while the other side is vented by the other port allows the piston 68 to move in the preferred direction, as is well-known. Therefore, valve actuator assembly 69 controls the position of the pressure balanced piston 76 within sleeve 72 via piston rod 78 to selectively turn on or shut off the flow of natural gas from the intermediate chamber 62 through the outlet port 88. Note that pressure balanced piston 76 has a plurality of passages or drillings 80 therethrough to equalize the pressure on both sides of the piston 76. This pressure equalization is necessary because the natural gas in the intermediate chamber 62 is under relatively high pressure of about 4,000 psig, whereas the compressed air used to actuate the valve actuator assembly 69 is in the range of about 100 psig. If the pressure is not equalized on both sides of piston 76, the high pressure of the natural gas acting on the surface of piston 76 would force the piston and piston rod assembly 78 upwards, and the relatively low pneumatic pressure acting on the actuator piston 68 would be unable to move the piston 68 back downward against the high pressure of the natural gas. As a result, the valve assembly comprising piston 76 and sleeve 72 could never be closed. Note also that sleeve 72 has a recessed area 73 extending circumferentially around the sleeve 72 in the area of outlet port 88 to allow natural gas flowing through several radially drilled vent ports 74 in the sleeve 72 to exit through outlet port 88. The pneumatic reservoir 86 contained within the supply plenum and valve body assembly 40 provides a reserve of pneumatic pressure in the event of failure of the pneumatic supply pressure to the valve actuator 69, as will be described in detail below.

The supply plenum and valve body assembly 40 also houses the various pressure and temperature transducers required by the natural gas dispensing system 10 of the present invention. Essentially, the supply plenum 56 is fluidically coupled to a supply stagnation pressure transducer 96 via supply stagnation pressure port 60 (see FIGS. 2 and 4), which senses the supply stagnation pressure p.sub.1. Similarly, a temperature probe 58 from a stagnation temperature transducer 118 extends into the natural gas supply plenum 56 to measure the stagnation temperature T.sub.1 of the CNG. The stagnation pressure p.sub.2 of the CNG in the intermediate chamber 62 is measured by pressure transducer 92 via port 132 (FIG. 4). Finally, a vent pipe 98 and pressure relief valve assembly 99 is fluidically coupled to the outlet port 88 via passageway 134 to vent natural gas contained within the dispensing hose 28 in the event the pressure in the hose 28 exceeds a predetermined pressure. In the preferred embodiment, the pressure relief valve assembly 99 is set to about 3600 psig. Note also that a second vent pipe 100 and corresponding pressure relief valve assembly 101 are connected to the intermediate chamber of the second channel.

The details of the pneumatic system used to control the operation of the valve assemblies 64, 65, as well as the flow of the natural gas through the system and through the hose assemblies 28 and 30 are best understood by referring to FIG. 5. As was briefly described above, the natural gas control valve assemblies 64 and 65 are controlled by a conventional pneumatic system operating by instrument-quality pneumatic air under about 100 psig pressure supplied by a conventional compressor and regulator system (not shown). This pneumatic supply air enters the system through check valve 124 and passes through inlet 110 into pneumatic reservoir 86. See also FIG. 3. A small amount of air is taken off this line 110 and passes through a check valve and purge regulator assembly 130 to maintain the penthouse 14 under a small positive pressure, as will be described below. The pressurized air next passes into storage reservoir 86 out through outlet 90 (FIG. 2) and into the solenoid valve assembly 42, as seen in FIG. 1. Essentially, solenoid valve assembly 42 comprises two conventional electrically operated solenoid valves 41, 43, one for each channel or hose and which solenoid valves are controlled by the electronic control system, as will be described in detail below. Each solenoid valve 41, 43 in solenoid valve assembly 42 operates in a conventional manner. For example, a first solenoid valve 41 in valve assembly 42 is used to selectively reverse the flow to a valve body assembly 64 via inlet lines 120 and 122, therefore selectively opening or closing the digital valve assembly 64. An identical solenoid valve 43 in solenoid valve assembly 42 connected to valve assembly 65 operates the second "channel" i.e., hose 30 of the natural gas dispensing system 10.

As was briefly mentioned above, a purge regulator and check valve assembly 130 is used to supply air under very low pressure, i.e., about one to five inches of water, to the pressure-tight penthouse 14 to ensure that a positive pressure is maintained in the penthouse compartment 14 (which houses all the electronics used by the natural gas dispensing system 10) to eliminate any possibility of natural gas accumulation in the penthouse chamber, possibly leading to an explosion or fire hazard. Also in the preferred embodiment is a pressure relief valve 131, which vents excess pressure from the penthouse in the event of a malfunction of the regulator and check valve assembly 130.

In operation, the supply of CNG connected to the supply plenum and valve assembly 40 enters the supply plenum 56 via input line 114 and inlet filter 116, and the stagnation pressure p.sub.1 and the stagnation temperature T.sub.1 are sensed by pressure transducer 96 and temperature transducer 118. See also FIG. 4. Before the digital valve assembly 64 is opened, the stagnation pressure transducer 92 is adjusted for zero-drift using pressure transducer 96 as a reference, since the pressure in intermediate chamber 62 is the same as the pressure in the supply plenum 56 with the valve 64 closed. This procedure serves to eliminate any systematic errors that would otherwise occur. Of course, after valve assembly 64 is opened, the pressure sensed by transducer 92 is essentially that in the supply tank of the vehicle i.e., p.sub.2, neglecting pressure head losses through the hose and coupler assemblies.

After this zero-drift procedure is complete, the three-way valve 44 located at the end of the hose assembly 28 is moved to the "fill" position and the electronic control system then actuates solenoid valve 41, which opens valve 64, and the CNG will then flow through sonic nozzle 52, out through valve assembly 64, into hose assembly 28 and ultimately into the natural gas supply tank in the vehicle. During the filling process, the pressure p.sub.2 is sensed by transducer 92 and monitored by the electronic control system until the pressure p.sub.2 reaches the previously determined cut-off pressure p.sub.2 cutoff, as will be described below. After this filling process is complete, the operator would then move the three-way valve 44 to the "vent" position to allow the natural gas contained in the section between the coupler 48 on the end of hose assembly 28 and the coupler attached to the vehicle tank to be evacuated from the system through check valve 126 and into the vent recovery system (not shown), where it is re-compressed and pumped back into the CNG supply tank. If this pressurized natural gas is not evacuated from the section between coupler 48 and the vehicle coupler, it would be impossible for the user to disconnect the hose 28 from his vehicle, because the extremely high pressure in the hose would prevent the couplers from disconnecting, which is a characteristic of the type of couplers used in this industry.

The electronic control system used to control the operation of the solenoid valve assembly 42, as well as to calculate the cut-off pressure and monitor and determine the pressures and temperature measured by the various transducers as described above, is shown in FIG. 6. Essentially, the output signals from the various pressure transducers 92, 94, and 96, ambient temperature transducer 91 (FIG. 1) and stagnation temperature transducer 118 are received by analog multiplexer 136, which multiplexes the signals and sends them to an analog to digital (A/D) converter 138. The analog to digital converter 138 converts the analog signals from the various transducers into digital signals suitable for use by the micro-controller or microprocessor 140. In the preferred embodiment, microprocessor 140 is a MC68HCII manufactured by the Motorola Corporation, although other microprocessors could be used with equal effectiveness. Random access memory (RAM) 142 and read only memory (ROM) 144 are also connected to the microprocessor 140 to allow the microprocessor 140 to execute the desired routines at the desired times, as is well-known.

Microprocessor 140 also has inputs for receiving signals from the transaction switches 32 and 34 (see also FIG. 1) for each respective dispensing hose assembly 28, 30. Optionally, a number of authorization switches, such as switches 31, 33, 35, and 37 could be connected in series with switches 32 and 34 to provide additional authorization devices, such as a credit card readers, which must be activated before natural gas will be dispensed, or to provide an emergency shut-off feature by means of a switch (such as 31, 33, 35, or 37) remotely located in the station building.

A series of communication ports 146, 148, 150, and 152 are also connected to microprocessor to 140 for the purposes of transmitting and receiving data, which data may comprise new program information to modify the operation of the dispensing system 10 or may comprise specific authorization and coding data that could be fed to a master controlling computer remotely located from the dispensing system 10. Since the details associated with such communication ports 146, 148, 150, and 152 are well-known to persons having ordinary skill in the art, and since such persons could easily provide such communications ports depending on the desired configuration and after becoming familiar with the details of this invention, these communications ports 146, 148, 150, and 152 will not be described in further detail. Similarly, two relay outputs 164, 166 are used to send pulse data to optionally connected card readers (also not shown), as is also well-known.

A relay output latch 154 is also connected to the microprocessor 140 and multiplexes signals to relay outputs 156 and 158 which control the solenoid valves 41 and 43 for hose assemblies 28 and 30, respectively. Two spare relays 160 and 162 are also connected to relay output latch 154 and may be used to control other various functions not shown and described herein. Finally, in the preferred embodiment eight (8) rotary switches 145 are also connected to microprocessor 140 to allow the user to configure the microprocessor 140 to his particular requirements. Again, since such configuration-selectable features may vary depending on the particular use desired and microprocessor, and since it is well-known to provide for such user selectable features, the details of the rotary switches 145 will not be described in further detail.

The details processes executed by the microprocessor 140 during operation of the dispensing system 10 are best seen by referring to the flow diagrams shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10. When power is initially applied to the natural gas dispensing system 10, the microprocessor 140 executes an initialization procedure 210, which serves to clear all fault flags, blank out and turn on the displays, and perform various diagnostic tests on the microprocessor 140, the random access memory 142, and the read only memory 144. Since such initialization and diagnostic test procedures 210 are well-known in the art and are usually dependent on the particular hardware configuration being used, the precise details of these initialization and diagnostic procedures will not be explained in further detail.

After the initialization procedure 210 has been completed, the program flow continues to the idle loop and wait for start command process 212. Essentially, this process 212 places the dispensing system 10 in idle state, whereby the microprocessor 140 awaits input from one of the transaction switches 32 or 34 to signal that the operator wishes to begin dispensing natural gas. If the microprocessor 140 receives a signal from one of the transaction switches 32 or 34, the microprocessor 140 will proceed to the start sequence procedure 214 In this start sequence procedure 214, the microprocessor 140 executes a number of predetermined steps to measure and calibrate the pressures and temperatures received from the various pressure and temperature transducers connected to the supply plenum and valve assembly 140. The start sequence procedure 214 also calculates the vehicle tank cut-off pressure, p.sub.2 cutoff, based on the ambient temperature T.sub.amb, and data stored in the ROM relating to the rated pressure of the vehicle tank, as will be described below. After the start sequence procedure 214 is complete, the microprocessor proceeds to the fill sequence process 216. The fill sequence 216 performs all of the necessary functions to completely fill the natural gas storage tank in the vehicle including the monitoring the discharge pressure p.sub.2, computing the amount of natural gas being dispensed into the vehicle tank, and, of course, automatically shutting off the flow of natural gas when the vehicle tank has been filled to the previously calculated cut-off pressure. After the fill process is complete, the microprocessor will next execute the end sequence process 218 to complete the transaction process and return the system 10 to the idle state 212.

The details of the start sequence 214 are best seen in FIG. 8. The process begins by executing 220 to clear all channel-specific fault flags and wait for an authorization code from a host computer system, if one is provided. The process next proceeds to 222 which begins by clearing any transaction totals from a previous filling operation and turns on the display segments to indicate to the user that the electronic control system is active and proceeding with the filling process. Also during the step 222, the computer measures and stores values for P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 as sensed by transducer 96 and transducer 92, respectively. Since the valve 64 is not yet open, the pressures sensed by transducers 92 and 96 are identical, as mentioned above. The ambient temperature T.sub.amb sensed by transducer 91 is also measured and stored at this time. Step 222 next calculates a cut-off pressure limit p.sub.2 cutoff as a function of the previously measured T.sub.amb and the predetermined tank pressure limit that was previously programmed into the microprocessor 140. Finally, the process 222 resets a state timer to zero seconds. Next, the microprocessor 140 executes processes 224, 226 and 228. Essentially, these processes measure and store the values detected for P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 three (3) additional times, with at least a one second interval between measuring periods to insure that the pressures have stabilized and to compensate for the fact that the A/D converter 138 cannot convert the signals from the pressure transducers on a real time basis. Of course, if a real time A/D converter were used, then it would not be necessary to wait one second between readings. In step 228, the pressure transducer 92 (P.sub.2) is calibrated by summing the earlier measurements for P.sub.1 and subtracting the sum of the measurements from P.sub.2 and dividing by 4. This value is then stored by the microprocessor 140, which adds it to all subsequent pressure readings from transducer 92 to eliminate systematic errors. Finally, this process 228 sets a fault flag if the calibrated value for P.sub.2 (i.e., transducer 92) exceeds a predetermined limit, indicating a fault in the system or a defective transducer.

Start sequence step 214 next executes process 230 which rechecks the position of the transaction switch. If the transaction switch has been opened, the process will go back to the idle loop step 212. If the transaction switch is still closed, the microprocessor 140 will open the natural gas valve and set the transaction time to equal to the open valve response time. The reason that the transaction time is set to the open valve response time (in the preferred embodiment the open valve response time is about 0.1 second) is because in the preferred embodiment it takes about 0.1 second before sonic flow is established in the sonic nozzle 52. Note that this open valve response time is dependent on the particular nozzle and valve configuration employed and is determined for a particular set-up on an experimental basis, and the amount of natural gas that flows through the nozzle during this time will be added to the total amount of CNG dispensed. Finally, the start sequence process 214 executes step 232 which updates the transaction time and determines whether the transaction time is greater than the predetermined stabilization time. In the preferred embodiment, the stabilization time is approximately 1 second and is used because the analog to digital converter 138 connected to the microprocessor 140 does not operate on a real time basis, i.e., the A/D converter 138 is relatively slow and is only capable of updating the data received from the various transducers about every 0.3 to 0.4 seconds. Therefore, the microprocessor 140 will wait until the transaction time has exceeded the stabilization time before proceeding with the fill sequence process 216.

The details fill sequence process 216 are shown in FIG. 9. The fill sequence process 216 begins by executing decision step 240. In the preferred embodiment, the dispensing system 10 can be programmed to fill the natural gas tank in the vehicle according to a number of different circumstances. For example, before the dispensing process is initiated, the user can input a total dollar amount of natural gas to be dispensed into his vehicle tank. Alternatively, the system can be programmed to completely fill the vehicle tank. In any event, the process 240 forms a loop to continually check and determine whether the total dollar amount equals the preprogrammed fill limit or whether the pressure P.sub.2 is greater than the previously calibrated cut-off value p.sub.2 cutoff calculated in step 222 (see FIG. 8). Finally, step 240 also continually checks to insure that the transaction switch is still closed and that the computer has not received any emergency shutdown commands from an outside host computer or a fault code generated within the microprocessor 140 itself. If none of these events occur, the process proceeds to step 242 which first updates the cycle time and then calculates the flow rate and total volume dispensed. Data output pulses will be sent to a card reader (not shown) and the display will continually be updated with the total volume of CNG dispensed, the total cost as well as the discharge pressure p.sub.2 as measured by pressure transducer 92. Also during this process 242, the system continually monitors the time variation of the discharge pressure dp.sub.2 /dt. If dp.sub.2 /dt exceeds a certain predetermined limit, indicating a sudden loss of outlet pressure, such as would result from a ruptured dispensing hose, the computer will automatically set a fault code and immediately turn off the flow of CNG. Finally, this process 242 continually checks the ratio of the discharge pressure P.sub.2 against the supply pressure P.sub.1. If this ratio exceeds the preprogrammed limit, the computer will also set a flag. The reason a flag is set in this case is that if the ratio of P.sub.2 to P.sub.1 exceeds a certain limit, sonic flow will no longer be maintained and the sonic nozzle 52 and the mass flow calculations will no longer be correct. In this case, the microprocessor will automatically calculate the mass flow rate for subsonic nozzle conditions, as explained above. As shown in FIG. 9, this process 216 is repeated until one of the conditions in step 240 is satisfied, in which case the process proceeds to step 244 which closes the valve, updates the cycle time and directs the program flow to execute the end sequence process 218.

The detailed steps of the end sequence process 218 are shown in FIG. 10. This process 218 begins by executing step 250 which sets the total cycle or transaction time to equal the actual measured cycle time plus the valve close response time, which, in the preferred embodiment is about 0.25 seconds. Here again, the valve close response time is added to the total cycle time because the A-D converter 138 cannot convert data on a real time basis. Next, the total amount of compressed natural gas dispensed is calculated based on the total cycle time and in accordance with the preprogrammed relation for mass flow through the sonic nozzle, both when the flow was choked and when it was not choked (i.e., subsonic), plus the small amount of natural gas that flows through the nozzle during the valve opening and closing times. Output pulses are again sent to a card reader (not shown) and the total volume dispensed and the total cost are displayed on displays 140 and 136. Optionally, the pressure in the vehicle tank P.sub.2 can be displayed on display 138. Process 250 then updates the grand total of the volume of compressed natural gas dispensed from the system for accounting purposes and the mass and volume flows are zeroed by the computer. If any fault flag was detected, the computer will set the specific channel in which the fault flag was detected to a fault state. The process 218 next executes step 252 which continually monitors the condition of the transaction switch. If the switch is closed, the process will remain at this step until the user opens the switch indicating that the fill process is complete. Process 252 then sets the inter-transaction timer to zero seconds. Finally, the process 218 executes step 254 which waits until the intertransaction time-out period has elapsed. Once the time-out period has elapsed, the process will return to the idle loop 212 and the dispensing process can be initiated again by a new customer.

This completes the detailed description of the natural gas dispensing system 10 according to the present invention. While some of the obvious and numerous modifications and equivalents have been described herein, still other modifications and changes will readily occur to those having ordinary skill in the art. For example, none of the sealing devices required by this invention have been shown and described herein, as it is well-known to provide various types of seals, such as "O" ring type seals, to prevent the CNG from leaking, and persons having ordinary skill in this art could readily provide such seals after having become familiar with the details of the present invention.

Note also that the discharge pressure p.sub.2 is only equal to the pressure in the vehicle tank when there is no CNG flow through the hose. However, the vehicle tank pressure will be lower than p.sub.2 when natural gas is flowing into the tank, due to the frictional losses in the dispensing hose and couplers. Fortunately, the pressure drop caused by the frictional losses in the hose and couplers is relatively small compared with the overall tank pressure, and p.sub.2 will almost always be within a few percent of the actual vehicle tank pressure at any flow rate achievable in the preferred embodiment. Note that if the actual vehicle tank pressure is desired to be sensed by transducer 92, a suitable pressure correction factor could be programmed into the electronic control system to automatically compensate for the pressure drop through the hose and coupler assembly. Such a correction factor would, of course, be determined for the specific hose and coupler assembly being used.

Further, while this invention has been shown and described to dispense compressed natural gas, other fluids could just as easily be used with a system according to the present invention with little or no modification. For instance, the dispensing system shown and described herein could also be used to dispense hydrogen or propane gas. Moreover, more than two sonic nozzles could be connected to the supply plenum to provide an increased number of dispensing hoses from a single dispenser body or plenum. Finally, numerous enhancements of the operating program are possible by reprogramming the microprocessor to make the appropriate enhancements, as would be obvious to those persons having ordinary skill in the art.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of this invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be considered as falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.