Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C5/00—Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures
  • F17C5/002—Automated filling apparatus
  • F17C5/007—Automated filling apparatus for individual gas tanks or containers, e.g. in vehicles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C5/00—Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures
  • F17C5/02—Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures for filling with liquefied gases
  • F17C5/04—Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures for filling with liquefied gases requiring the use of refrigeration, e.g. filling with helium or hydrogen
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C5/00—Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures
  • F17C5/06—Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures for filling with compressed gases
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
  • F17C2201/01—Shape
  • F17C2201/0104—Shape cylindrical
  • F17C2201/0109—Shape cylindrical with exteriorly curved end-piece
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2205/00—Vessel construction, in particular mounting arrangements, attachments or identifications means
  • F17C2205/03—Fluid connections, filters, valves, closure means or other attachments
  • F17C2205/0388—Arrangement of valves, regulators, filters
  • F17C2205/0394—Arrangement of valves, regulators, filters in direct contact with the pressure vessel
  • F17C2205/0397—Arrangement of valves, regulators, filters in direct contact with the pressure vessel on both sides of the pressure vessel
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2221/00—Handled fluid, in particular type of fluid
  • F17C2221/01—Pure fluids
  • F17C2221/016—Noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe)
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2223/00—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel
  • F17C2223/01—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel characterised by the phase
  • F17C2223/0107—Single phase
  • F17C2223/0123—Single phase gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2223/00—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel
  • F17C2223/03—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel characterised by the pressure level
  • F17C2223/035—High pressure (>10 bar)
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2223/00—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel
  • F17C2223/03—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel characterised by the pressure level
  • F17C2223/036—Very high pressure (>80 bar)
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2227/00—Transfer of fluids, i.e. method or means for transferring the fluid; Heat exchange with the fluid
  • F17C2227/03—Heat exchange with the fluid
  • F17C2227/0302—Heat exchange with the fluid by heating
  • F17C2227/0304—Heat exchange with the fluid by heating using an electric heater
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2227/00—Transfer of fluids, i.e. method or means for transferring the fluid; Heat exchange with the fluid
  • F17C2227/03—Heat exchange with the fluid
  • F17C2227/0337—Heat exchange with the fluid by cooling
  • F17C2227/0341—Heat exchange with the fluid by cooling using another fluid
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2227/00—Transfer of fluids, i.e. method or means for transferring the fluid; Heat exchange with the fluid
  • F17C2227/03—Heat exchange with the fluid
  • F17C2227/0367—Localisation of heat exchange
  • F17C2227/0369—Localisation of heat exchange in or on a vessel
  • F17C2227/0374—Localisation of heat exchange in or on a vessel in the liquid
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2227/00—Transfer of fluids, i.e. method or means for transferring the fluid; Heat exchange with the fluid
  • F17C2227/04—Methods for emptying or filling
  • F17C2227/047—Methods for emptying or filling by repeating a process cycle
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2270/00—Applications
  • F17C2270/01—Applications for fluid transport or storage
  • F17C2270/0186—Applications for fluid transport or storage in the air or in space
  • F17C2270/0194—Applications for fluid transport or storage in the air or in space for use under microgravity conditions, e.g. space
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2270/00—Applications
  • F17C2270/01—Applications for fluid transport or storage
  • F17C2270/0186—Applications for fluid transport or storage in the air or in space
  • F17C2270/0197—Rockets
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S62/00—Refrigeration
  • Y10S62/923—Inert gas
  • Y10S62/925—Xenon or krypton

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method and an installation for filling a pressure tank with a gas.
• the invention aims to propose a method and an installation for filling a pressure tank which obviates the aforementioned drawbacks of known techniques and allows reliable filling, which can be implemented, on a launch pad for launchers, without risk of pollute xenon.
• the invention relates to a method for filling a pressure tank with a gas, characterized in that it consists of:
• the intermediate container serves as a thermal compressor, that is to say allows the pressure of the gas to be raised relative to its pressure in a source such as a mother bottle.
• This thermal compressor is light, efficient compared to other solutions, and does not include a moving part, which is a guarantee of good reliability.
• the method also consists in heating the quantity of gas in the intermediate container, after the intermediate communication between the intermediate container and the reservoir. Thanks to this aspect of the invention, when the intermediate container and the reservoir have been placed in communication, the maintenance of the heating leads to a heating of the quantity of gas included in the intermediate container, which makes it possible to discharge continuously this quantity of gas which is then under high pressure towards the reservoir.
• the transfer of gas from the intermediate container to the tank takes place at substantially constant pressure.
• the refrigeration liquid used with the process of the invention is advantageously liquid nitrogen, the industrial production of which is well controlled.
• the invention also relates to an installation making it possible to implement the method of the invention and, more specifically, an installation which comprises at least one compressor thermal formed by an intermediate container disposed between a gas source and the reservoir, this thermal compressor comprising means of liquefaction by cooling a quantity of the gas being introduced into the intermediate container and means of heating this quantity gas inside the intermediate container.
• the liquefaction means comprise a tube for circulating a cooling liquid such as, in particular, liquid nitrogen.
• a cooling liquid such as, in particular, liquid nitrogen.
• the means for heating the quantity of gas included in the intermediate container comprise an electric heating element.
• an electric heating element allows rapid heating of the quantity of gas included in the intermediate container, and therefore a substantial reduction in the cycle time of a filling operation compared to known techniques.
• the circulation tube and the electric heating element are placed inside the intermediate container. Thus, only a small part of the thickness of the wall of the thermal compressor sees its temperature decrease or increase as a function of that of the fluid that it contains, so that the thermal inertia of the compressor is reduced.
• the intermediate container comprises a gas inlet in its lower part and a gas outlet in its upper part. This allows the gas to be drawn off in the part of the intermediate container in which the temperature of the gas is highest.
• the intermediate container may contain a cup for receiving the liquefied gas, this cup being spaced from the internal wall of the container. Thanks to this aspect of the invention, the thermal inertia of the compressor is also reduced.
• the invention also relates to an installation which comprises two thermal compressors capable of operating in opposition, one working on the liquefaction of a quantity of gas while the other works on the vaporization-compression of another quantity of gas. This makes it possible to carry out the liquefaction operations in masked time, and therefore to reduce the total duration of a tank filling operation.
• the invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the light of the following description of an embodiment of a tank filling installation in accordance with its principle and its process of implementation, given only by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:
• FIG. 1 is a fluid block diagram of a filling installation according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a vertical section of a thermal compressor used in the installation of Figure 1.
• a mother bottle 1 contains an amount of xenon, for example 50 kg, under a pressure of the order of 60 bars at 20 ° C.
• the role of the installation is to fill a tank 2 made of titanium, steel or carbon, intended to be carried on a satellite, at a pressure of between 80 and 300 bars approximately, for example of the order of 180 bars.
• the installation comprises an intermediate container 3 whose inlet 3a. is connected, by a line 4 through a valve 5, to the mother bottle 1.
• a line 6 connects the outlet 3b of the intermediate container 3 to the tank 2 through a valve 7.
• the container 3 comprises an enclosure 3ç_ defining an interior volume 3d of the exchanger 3, of the order of a few liters, for example about 4 liters.
• a tube 10 In this interior volume 3d is placed a tube 10 inside which circulates liquid nitrogen coming from a source 11 such as a bottle of liquid nitrogen.
• a valve 12 is provided for controlling the supply of the tube 10 from the source 11.
• a collecting member 13 is provided for receiving the liquid or gaseous nitrogen after it has circulated in the tube 10.
• An electric heater such as for example a heating resistor 15, is also arranged inside. volume 3d and connected to a potential source 16 by being controlled by a switch 17.
• the heating element 15 is also wound in the form of a spiral inside the volume 3d_ around the same axis.
• a cup 20 is disposed inside the intermediate container 3 around the tube 10 while being kept away from the internal wall of the enclosure 3ç_ by spacers 21.
• This cup 20 is intended to receive the liquefied gas, such so that it is kept at a distance from the enclosure 3ç_, which makes it possible to reduce the heat exchanges and therefore the thermal inertia of the container 3.
• the arrival 3a. xenon is disposed in the lower part of the intermediate container 3, while the outlet 3b is arranged in the upper part.
• the arrows LN 2 indicate the direction of circulation of the nitrogen
• the arrows X e indicate the direction of circulation of the xenon
• the arrow Q e indicates the quantity of electricity supplied to the resistor 15.
• the valve 7 When it is desired to fill the reservoir 2 from the cylinder 1 containing xenon, the valve 7 being closed, the valve 5 is opened to put the mother bottle 1 and the intermediate container 3 into communication, so that the gas is discharged from the cylinder 1 to the reservoir 3.
• the latter At fr and as the gas arrives in the reservoir 3, the latter is liquefied by contact with the tube 10 in which circulates liquid nitrogen at approximately -180 ° vs.
• the diameter of the tube 10 and the flow speed of the liquid nitrogen in this tube are calculated so that the consumption of liquid nitrogen is not too great and so that the nitrogen leaves the intermediate container 3 at a temperature close to the saturation temperature of xenon, i.e. 165K at 1 bar.
• the flow of liquid nitrogen in the tube 10 is between 2 and 20 g / s.
• the valve 5 and the switch 17 are then closed, so that the flow of current inside the resistor 15 results in a rapid rise in the temperature of the xenon contained in the container 3.
• This induces vaporization liquefied gas, then compression of this gas inside the container 3, this compression making it possible to quickly reach a pressure of the order of 180 bars.
• the intermediate container 3 therefore constitutes a "thermal compressor” making it possible to raise the pressure of a gas and comprising no moving part.
• valve 7 When a pressure of the order of 180 bars is reached, the valve 7 is opened so as to put the container 3 and the tank in fluid communication. The gas then discharges into the tank 2.
• the switch 17 is kept closed, so that the heating continues inside the intermediate container 3, which tends to increase the pressure inside the tank 3, the gas then being gradually evacuated.
• the discharge of gas from the intermediate container 3 to the tank 2 takes place while the pressure inside the intermediate container is kept substantially constant, or even slightly increases.
• the tests carried out have made it possible to show that, during the isochoric compression of the quantity of gas by heating in the container 3, the temperature of the xenon goes from approximately 210 K to approximately 245 K. Maintaining the heating after the opening of the valve 7 makes it possible to increase the temperature of the xenon vaporized from approximately 245 K to approximately 310 K.
• An exchanger 22 with high thermal inertia is arranged around the pipe 6. This exchanger, which can be formed of a block of aluminum, is able to receive, at the inlet, a gas between -30 ° C and 40 ° c and to deliver, at the outlet, a gas at approximately 5 ° C. This makes it possible to supply the tank 2 at a temperature above 5 ° C and to avoid any risk of condensation in or on the external surface of the tank 2.
• the thermal compressor or intermediate container 3 must be able to withstand low temperatures when the gas is liquefied, but also be sized according to the pressure at which the tank 2 must be filled.
• the thickness of the enclosure 3c is determined by based on these criteria.
• the thermal inertia of the compressor must be as low as possible so as not to penalize the performance of the process and, in particular, the cycle time.
• the volume of the compressor must be large enough to accommodate the tube 10 and the heating element 15, but not too large so as to limit the thermal inertia.
• the wall of the thermal compressor 3 may have a thickness of around 10 mm, its total mass being around 30 kg.
• the compressor is equipped with a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor, which are not shown in the figures, in order to check the correct operation of the device.
• the thermal compressor 3 can be installed on a scale.
• the power dissipated by the heating element 15 is not necessarily very large insofar as the quantity of fluid to be heated for each cycle is relatively small.
• the heating element 15 could be replaced by a water exchanger or any other fluid with high heat capacity.
• the arrangement of the inputs 3a. and 3b, as well as the arrangement of the inlet and outlet of the tube 10 and of the inlet and outlet of the heating element 15 could be modified.
• a refrigeration system with a fluid having a vaporization temperature close to 200K could be used in place of the tube 10 containing liquid nitrogen.
• the invention has been presented with a tank filling installation with xenon. It is understood that it is applicable with other gases at relatively high critical temperature and, in particular, with krypton.
• a preferred field of application of the invention is the filling on the ground of a xenon tank having to have a purity greater than 99.995, this xenon being used for the plasma propulsion of satellites. It is understood that the installation of the invention can constitute a light and compact assembly which can be easily moved on the launch pads of these satellites.
• the invention can also be used in xenon or krypton recovery installations, for example in the lamp industry.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9511872

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (12)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 1997
  • 1997-10-06 FR FR9712433A patent/FR2769354B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1998
  • 1998-02-20 WO PCT/FR1998/000341 patent/WO1999018387A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-02-20 JP JP52109799A patent/JP2001507435A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 1998-02-20 EP EP98910804A patent/EP0968387B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-02-20 CN CN98801474A patent/CN1086457C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-02-20 DE DE69840068T patent/DE69840068D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-04-30 US US09/069,843 patent/US6029473A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events