FR2475517A1 - PROCESS FOR FILLING BOTTLES OF LIQUEFIED GASES - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Process of filling liquefied-gas bottles capable of containing a random residual mass, the said process permitting the quantity of liquefied gas in the bottles to be limited between a maximum quantity QMax and a minimum quantity QMin while having an average weight greater or equal to QNom corresponding to the nominal quantity of gas, characterized in that it consists in : - selecting, before filling the bottles, those which contain a residual quantity of gas less than QMax - QNom (at 3, 3a) ; - filling the said selected bottles with the same quantity of gas QNom +- epsilon (epsilon representing the difference between the nominal weight and the average weight of the gas actually contained in the bottles after filling, which is determined periodically) (at 5) ; - removing, after filling, the bottles containing a quantity of gas greater than QMax and the bottles containing a quantity of gas less than QMin (at 12-14) ; - periodically checking the conformity of the charges of gas contained in the bottles with the specifications (at 16).

Description

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  The present invention relates to a new method of filling

  wise of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders (LPG), particularly

butane and propane bottles.

  The bottles are filled in factories and on

  5. Specialized arrangements that include a handling circuit and one or

  several filling devices that can be grouped together on a

rousel filling.

  After use, these bottles come back from customers with a rest of G.P.L. variable weight, usually zero or very low. But 10. sometimes this rest can reach in a random way one or more kilograms. The regulations, particularly in France, impose on the suppliers of liquefied gases packaged in bottles (butane and propane gas) two obligations, which must be checked periodically to ensure that they are well filled: 15. 25. 30. In 35. bottle binet.

  - on the one hand, the guarantee of a weight of G.P.L. in each

  gas, which is on average at least equal to the load

nominal of the bottle.

  Thus, in France, for standard 13 kg bottles, the average gas weight of each bottle must be at least 13 kg. The percentage of bottles weighing, full, less than 99% of the gross weight must not exceed 4%, which, due to the dead weight of the empty bottle, corresponds to

underfilling of about 2%.

  - on the other hand, for safety reasons, the filling of the

  container in G.P.L. must not exceed a maximum that

  hangs from G.P.L. (butane or propane) and the volume of the container.

  Thus, in France, the bottles of G.P.L. must be replaced

  plies in G.P.L. liquid so that at 500 C, this G.P.L. not oc-

  not more than 97% of their internal volume (which, for standard 13 kg bottles, corresponds to a weight of

gas up to 13.7 kg).

  the purpose of facilitating filling, the gross weight of each

  is inscribed on the dome of the bottle or on its bell

  The currently most commonly used filling process includes the following operations some of which can be mechanized

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  -2- and take place in a possibly different order - arrival of the bottle on an upstream handling circuit - orientation of the bottle - introduction of the bottle on the filling apparatus which 5. may possibly be part of a set of several filling machines mounted on a filling carrousel - connection of the bottle to the feed circuit

  G.P.L. by the worker placed at the entrance to the filling machine

  10. - opening of the cylinder valve - reading of the gross weight and display of this weight on the filling machine. by the worker

  - filling, weighing and automatic shutdown of the filling

  the gross weight is reached 15. - closing the tap and disconnecting the tap

  - ejection of the full bottle on the handling circuit

  downstream - leaving the full bottle on a handling circuit

  - periodic check of the filling of the bottles.

  20. With such a process, even on an automated carousel, the rate of production is limited to the possibilities of the worker placed at the entrance

  filling carousel, because this worker is rarely able to reach

  the rate of 1,300 bottles / hour in instant production and

  more than 1,000 bottles / hour of average cruising speed

25. 8 hours / day.

  The worker placed at the entrance to the filling machine must, in fact,

  fet, perform several operations: - orientation of the bottle opening of the tap 30. - connection of the bottle to the supply circuit - reading of the gross weight on the bottle

  - display gross weight on the filling machine.

  In particular, reading the gross weight on the bottle

  and its display on the filling machine by the worker placed in the

  35. the carousel limit the filling rate.

  On the other hand, several types of errors can occur at different stages of the filling process: - initial error in writing the gross weight on the bottles -3- - error reading this gross weight by the worker placed at the entrance to the filling machine

  - display error by this worker on the filling machine

  wise 5. - error of the filling apparatus - error in reading the gross weight and weighing at the periodic inspection.

  It goes without saying that the errors of the worker placed at the entrance of the app-

  like filling increase with the rate of production.

  10. The present invention proposes a new process for filling bottles of liquefied gas which may still contain a quantity of random residual gas and which makes it possible, in a simple and rapid manner, to

  filling the bottles with liquefied gas.

  This process is the result of a judicious combination of

  15. Its operations allow automation of the filling while re-

the risks of errors.

  The process proposed by the present invention makes it possible to limit the quantity of liquefied gas contained in the bottles between a maximum quantity QMax (13,700 kg if it is a 13 kg bottle) and a minimum quantity Qmin ( 12,700 kg if it is a 13 kg bottle) while having an average weight greater than or equal to QNom corresponding to the nominal quantity of liquefied gas that must contain the bottles

  (13 kg if it is a 13 kg bottle).

  The filling method according to the invention consists in selecting, prior to filling the bottles,

  those which contain a lower amount of residual gas

re to QMax - QNom

  filling said selected bottles of the same quantity

  gas pressure QNom + s (<being the difference between the nominal 30 and the average weight of gas actually contained in the cylinders after filling, which is determined periodically) - remove, after filling, the bottles containing a

  amount of gas greater than QMax and the bottles containing

  35. a quantity of gas less than Qmin '- periodically check the conformity of the gas charges

  contained in the bottles to specifications.

  According to an important characteristic of the process according to the invention,

  -4- tion, one discards, before the introduction of the bottles in the apparatus

  fillers, those containing a higher amount of residual gas than

than QMax - QNom

  The detection of bottles containing a remainder greater than this maximum

  5. It can be done, for example, by the technique of detecting

  calf by gamma rays or ultrasound.

  The bottles containing a remainder greater than the maximum defined are ejected on a holding circuit where they are taken and filled according to the previous method. It is also possible to introduce these 10. bottles into the filling apparatus used for carrying out the process according to the invention, if it is additionally provided on the apparatus

  filling the possibility of a manual display.

  According to another important feature of this process, after

  have discarded those with a remainder greater than QMax - _Nom, we replace

  15. folds the bottles of the same quantity of determined gas.

  The process according to the invention is carried out in a filling apparatus in which the filling stations with manual display are advantageously replaced by automatic filling stations set to deliver a determined quantity of gas corresponding to the quantity

  20. QNo gas, + E to be introduced into each bottle.

  It is easy to understand the simplification brought by this new process

  in bottle filling operations. In particular, the

  ration of reading and displaying the gross weight that had to be

  placed at the entrance of the filling machine, is removed.

  25. This operation is often the cause of errors on the part of the

  placed at the entrance of the filling machine, because this worker has only a very short time to read the gross weight on the

  bottle and display it on each of the filling stations.

  Thanks to the method according to the invention, two risks of errors are eliminated:

  - error in reading the gross weight by the worker placed in the

the filling apparatus

  - Error displaying gross weight by this. worker on the

filling.

  35. According to another provision of the invention, one discards, after filling

  wise, bottles containing a quantity of gas greater than QMax and bottles containing a quantity of gas less than Qmin '

  The detection of overfilled and / or underfilled bottles is

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  For example, by the gamma-level level detection technique. These non-conforming bottles are evacuated on a holding circuit where they are taken to put the weight of gas that these bottles

  5. Contain in accordance with the regulations.

  Periodically, a weight control is performed on the refilled bottles.

  to ensure that the weight of gas contained in

  the bottles comply with the regulations.

  The method of filling the liquefied gas cylinders according to the invention comprises the following operations which may be all

  automated, because the worker is no longer required to enter the carousel-

  salt - arrival of the bottle on a handling circuit

  - detection of bottles the rest of which is greater than

  15. maximum defined - ejection of these bottles on a holding circuit

  - orientation of the bottle before its introduction on the

  same filling - introduction of the bottle on the filling machine

  20. - connection of the bottle to the filling station and-

  valve opening - automatic tare cancellation - filling, weighing, automatic filling stop

  - closing of the tap and automatic disconnection of this

  25. binet - automatic ejection of the full bottle on the downstream handling circuit

  - transport of the full bottle on this handling circuit

  downstream 30. - detection and ejection of insufficiently filled cylinders - detection and ejection of overfilled bottles

  - periodic control of the weight of gas contained in the

Teilles.

  This weighing control operation is carried out periodically

  35. on a number of bottles at the exit of the appliance

  filling capacity, makes it possible to determine the average weight of gas that contains

  actually fill the bottles after filling and determine the excess or lack of filling medium as by the filling stations

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  -6- (that is, the difference between the nominal weight and the average weight of

existing gas in the bottles).

  After these periodic checks, the quantity of

  determined gas QNom +, delivered by each filling station of this

  5. excess or average lack of As to obtain an average weight of gas containing

  naked in bottles after filling equal to or greater than nominal.

  The information provided by this control alone, which translates into a

  identical setting of each filling station, allows. to have the

  statistical study that filled bottles contain a quantity of

  10. liquefied gas that is in compliance with the regulations.

  The invention also relates to an installation for the implementation-

of this process comprising:

  means for evacuating the gas cylinders containing a

  amount of residual gas greater than -QMax - QNom

  15. - at least one filling apparatus equipped with means for

  deliver a quantity QNom + s of gas on the fill posts--

wise

  means for adjusting the filling stations with the quantity

  * determined gas quantity QNom + to be introduced into the bottles

20. the

  - means for introducing on each of these posts the

  dies containing a remainder less than QMax - QNom

  means for connecting said bottles to the food

filling machine

  25. - means for detecting, at the exit of the filling apparatus

  wise, bottles containing a quantity of gas greater than QMax or less than Qmin '

  - means for determining the excess or average lack of

  pleating-ts whose quantity must be corrected QNom + s issued

30. on filling stations.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description which

  follows, with reference to the attached drawing.

  The single figure schematically illustrates the various operations

  that comprises the filling method according to the invention.

  35. Bottles arrive in 1 on a filling line. These bouts

  dies contain a quantity of residual gas that is more or less

you and who is unknown.

  We remove in 2 the cap of these bottles. These last ones

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  -7- in the usual way an indication of the gross weight (not shown) which corresponds to the weight that the bottle must have when it will be

correctly filled.

  We detect in 3 and we eject in 3a bottles that have a quantity

  5. Residual gas content greater than QMax QNom (eg 700 grs for

bottles of 13 kg).

  It should be noted that the percentage of bottles returning from

  with a remainder higher than 700 grs (if they are bottles of

  13 kg) is weak and does not exceed, in general, 4%.

  10. The detection of bottles containing a remainder greater than the maximum

  defined, for example, by a transmitter-detector system

  gamma element (not shown). These bottles are ejected on a cir-

cooked waiting 4.

  The selected bottles, that is to say those that have a remainder

  15. below the defined maximum, are introduced into a carousel of

  This carousel comprises a number of filling stations 6, each of these stations being equipped with an automatic filling apparatus.

  7 which may be a tare-canceling flip-flop.

  The bottles are placed on the trays 8 of these scales and 20. one opens in 9 the tap of these bottles. The opening of these faucets can be done either by a machine or manually. These bottles

  are connected to the gas supply circuit (not shown).

  The automatic rocker that equips each filling station delivers

  automatically a determined amount of gas which is the same for each

  25. bottle (13 kg + C for butane bottles weighing 13 kg).

  Once this quantity of gas has been delivered, the filling is stopped automatically. After the filling is stopped, the bottle tap is

  closed and it is disconnected automatically (which has been

30. in 10).

  The full bottles are ejected on a handling circuit 11. The insufficiently filled bottles (those containing

  amount of gas less than 12,700 kg) are detected at 12, for example

  ple by a gamma ray transceiver system. In the same way, too filled bottles (those which contain a quantity

  of gas greater than 13,700 kg) are detected at 13. These bottles are

  sufficiently filled or overfilled are ejected at 14 and evacuated on a holding circuit 15 where they are taken to put their

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  weight in accordance with regulations.-

  It is periodically carried out in 16 a bottle weight control

  met. This control, which is carried out on a specific number of bottles

  the, makes it possible to calculate the average weight of the gas contained in the bottles 5. and thus, to determine the excess or the average lack of.gaz delivered by the filling stations (this excess or this average lack representing the difference between the nominal weight and the average gas weight actually

contained in the bottles).

  It will suffice to correct from this difference the quantity of gas deter-

  10. minée, delivered by each filling station to obtain an average weight

  equal to or greater than the nominal weight.

  For example, if a check carried out at the exit of the carousel on a certain number of butane bottles of 13 kg gives a weight

  average weight of 13,200 kg, we will correct the weight displayed on the automatic weighing scales.

  15. Matches (which is not necessarily equal to 13 kg since this weight may already have been the subject of an earlier correction) of the difference between

  this average weight and the nominal weight is, in the example given, lowering

  will be 200 grs the displayed weight. It is naturally understood that at the time of starting the filling installation, the weight displayed on the automatic scales corresponds to the nominal weight of

  the gas that the bottles must contain (ie 13 kg in the case of

13 kg).

  This setting of the automatic scales makes it possible to be assured that the bottles are filled with a quantity of gas which is in compliance with the regulations, while taking into account the remains of gas in

  bottles and errors filling stations.

  Bottles that have a gas remainder greater than the maximum defined and that are stored on standby 4, are taken back to be

  fulfilled by the prior method.

  30. The bottles are introduced on a conventional filling circuit.

  where the filling stations are equipped with scales with manual display. In this type of installation, an operator placed at the entrance to the scales, reads the gross weight on the bottles and displays it on

the scales.

  35. It is realized the interest of the process according to the invention

  in terms of the operating economy that can be achieved by

  that, with such a method, the rate of filling is no longer limited to the possibilities of the man placed at the entrance of the carousel. This process,

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  thanks to the simplification it brings, it makes it possible to automate

  filling operations, and to achieve filling rates

  well over 1,300 bottles / hour.

  The invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described, but encompasses, on the contrary, all the variants thereof. Thus, in the context of a fully automated filling plant, it is conceivable to perform mechanically the corrections of the excess or the average lack of filling Ae

  10. the specified quantities of gas QNom + As delivered by each

pleating.

  For this purpose, it would be sufficient to have at the periodic checkpoint

  the weight of the filled bottles, a tabulator. This last

  would automatically record, at each periodic check, the actual weight of each 15 full bottle and the gross weight of the bottle

  read by the control worker who would display it on the tabular

  trice. We can even consider automating this reading if the indica-

  The gross weight can be read automatically.

  The excess or the average lack of filling which must be corrected. Each filling station is then determined by the tabulator. This

  correction can be done automatically, after each periodic inspection

  of information transmitted from the tabulator to all the

  automatic machines that equip the filling stations.

  The invention having now been exposed and its interest justified

  25. on a detailed example, the plaintiff reserves the exclusive right

  throughout the term of the patent, without any limitation other than that

my claims below.

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R EV E N DI C A T IO N S

  1. A method for limiting the quantity of liquefied gas in bottles that may contain a random residual mass, between a maximum quantity QMax and a minimum quantity Qmin 'while having a weight Maxmn 5. average greater than or equal to QNom corresponding to the quantity nominal gas, characterized in that it consists of:

  - select by sorting bottles whose residual mass

  the is lower than QMax - QNom - fill these bottles of the mass QNom + s, - representative

  10. the difference between the nominal weight of gas that the bottles

  should contain them and the average weight of gas they

  actually contain after filling, which is

periodically undermined

  (thanks to which it is possible to deli

  15. Make identical doses to all

* (fill them and avoid to have (to display the gross weight of the bottles

  (on each filling station.

  2. Installation for filling with a gas quantity less than QMax 20. but greater than Qmin bottles of liquefied gas having a residual mass of gas, characterized in that said installation comprises: - means for spreading the bottles-having a remainder greater than QMax - QNom

  25. - at least one filling apparatus equipped with means for

  deliver a quantity of QNom + s of gas to filling stations

wise

  means for regulating the quantity of gas determined to be introduced

in each bottle

  30. - means to introduce on each of these posts the

  dies containing a remainder less than QMax - QNom

  means for connecting said bottles to the food

filling machine

  - means for detecting, at the exit of the apparatus of em--

  35. pleating, bottles containing a quantity of gas

  less than QMax or less than Qmin

  - ways to determine the difference between the weight

  the minimum gas that the bottles should contain and the average gas weight they actually contain after filling.