ES439254A1 - Method and apparatus for charging and discharging liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for loading a plurality of high purity liquids in various containers and/or discharging said liquids from said containers, characterized in that, by using a single annular tubular conduit provided at its ends with two mobile tubes respectively connected to the container to be loaded and/or unloaded and to the container already loaded and/or unloaded, said single annular tubular conduit being provided with one or more points of exit and/or entry of the liquids flowing therein, comprising the steps of: a) connecting one of the movable tubes of the annular tubular conduit, filled with the liquid previously loaded or unloaded, to the container to be loaded or unloaded, the other movable tube being connected to the container of the liquid already discharged or loaded; b) pumping with a first pump, into the mobile tube connected to the container to be loaded or unloaded, a liquid called "stopper" liquid, particularly water, capable of cleaning said mobile tube, this liquid preferably being introduced near the connection of the mobile tube with the container to be loaded or unloaded; c) passing through a second stopped pump the mixture consisting of the liquid "stopper" and the pure liquid contained in the section of the annular tubular conduit that extends between the connection point of the mobile tube with the container to be loaded and discharge and said second pump; d) using the mixture mentioned in c), compressed by the first pump, to push an inflatable rubber sphere inside the annular tubular conduit, said sphere, extracted from an appropriate container, having a diameter slightly larger than that of the tubular conduit; e) pumping, by means of the first pump, liquid "stopper" behind the mixture used to push the rubber sphere; f) again using the first pump to push a second inflatable rubber sphere inside the annular tubular conduit; g) pumping through the first pump another liquid "plug" behind the second rubber sphere; h) start the second pump and immediately interrupt the flow of the "stopper" liquid supplied by the first pump; i) open the loading and/or unloading valve of the tank to be filled or emptied and use the pure liquid contained in the container to be loaded or unloaded to push, by means of said second pump, a third inflatable rubber sphere inside the annular tubular duct; l) advance along the entire tubular conduit annular inflatable rubber spheres together with the liquid "stopper" interposed, said spheres being pushed by the pure liquid contained in the container to be loaded or unloaded, pumped by the second pump, taking care that the loading and/or discharge points along the annular tubular conduit are kept closed; m) discharge the pure liquid, previously loaded or unloaded, contained in the tubular conduit, in its own container and collect the inflatable rubber spheres in a collecting container; and n) open the entry and/or exit points along the annular tubular conduit and, in the case of discharge, feed through the second pump the liquid that must be displaced towards said entry and/or exit points, or, in In the case of loading, introduce the liquid through the entry and/or exit points and, after moving the mobile tube, connected to the previously discharged or loaded liquid container, from the latter to the container to be loaded, introduce said liquid into the container after stopping the second pump and after closing the container discharge valves. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)