US1901447A

US1901447A - Apparatus for preparing pressure gases

Info

Publication number: US1901447A
Application number: US616044A
Authority: US
Inventors: Heylandt Christian Wilhel Paul
Original assignee: FLUGA AG
Current assignee: FLUGA AG
Priority date: 1926-10-18
Filing date: 1932-06-08
Publication date: 1933-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1950-03-14
Also published as: NL25378C; BE344447A; FR642479A

Description

March 14, 1933. c. w. P. HEYLANDT APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PRESSURE GASES Original Filed Oct. 5, 1927 INVENTOR W A'lToRN Yfi Patented Mar. 14, 1933 crmrs'rmn WILHELM PAUL HEYLANDT, or BERLIN-BRITZ, GERMANY, ASSlIGNOR T FL'U'GA AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND, CORPORATION-OI SWITZERLAND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING- PRESSURE GASES Original application flied October 5, 1927, Serial No. 224,268. Divided and this application illed June 8,

1932. Serial The present invention relates to apparatus for containing liquefied gases of a character which is adapted to supply the same in the gas-phase at different desired pressures. The invention has for its object generally an improved arrangement for gasifying liquefied gases in their containers in a quick and expeditious manner with relatively small losses caused by heat leakage and the like.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a container for liquefied gas having draw-off connections which are so arranged with reference to their environment and the walls of the container that a relatively small amount of heat is transferred from the outside to the liquid in the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character indicated which is provided with inner and outer vesselsconstructed of a material in which the expansion does not vary appreciably even at the lowest temperatures.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character indicated, with internal means for conserving the refrigerating efi'ect of the gas which may be withdrawn or evaporated within the container.

features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of Which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view mainly in vertical central section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view in vertical central section of a modified form of apparatus.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1, 1 denotes a vessel for holding l quefied gas, the outer wall of which, somet1mes designated a pressure vessel, is made sufliciently strong to resist relatively high internal pressures; the vessel having a relatively long narrow neck 3. Within the vessel 1 is preferably disposed an inner receptacle or basket 4 which is made of a suitable ductile metal, for example tin, is relatively thin and is spaced from the inner surface of the vessel 1 to provide a relatively narrow chamber or gas space about the receptacle in order to reduce the amount of heat that would otherwise pass thereto. The receptacle 4 is open at the top so as to communicate with the gas space; care being taken when filling the receptacle with liquid to avoid any overflowof liquid into the gas s ace. By this arrangemenbit is seen that t e pressures on the two sides of the wall of the receptacle are always substantially in equilibrium and strain in the thin metal of the wall of the receptacle avoided.

The vessel 1 is enclosed within and supported in spaced relation to the walls of a casing 8 that has a base 19 and a cover 14:; the.

latter being shown as frusto-conical in form. The space between the vessel and the walls of casing 8 is substantially filled with a suit able non-combustible insulating material, for example slag wool or infusorial earth, in order to provide an insulating envelope for the liquid holding vessel.

A filling and withdrawal tube 7 is passed through the wall of the vessel 1 and extends to a point near the bottom of receptacle 4:. For filling purposes this tube-has a branch pipe or tube 2, which is preferably passed directly through the cover 14 and is arranged to be connected to a source of liquid supply (not shown in the interests of clearness). A valve 13 is provided to control the passage of liquid through the pipe 2, which may be coiled about the neck 3 of the vessel 1 in order to effect heat exchange between the gas in neck 3 and the liquid when passing in pipe 2. A controlled by-pass connection 12 is A second branch pipe or tube for with-.

drawal purposes is also arranged to commu- "iicate with tube 7. This second branch pipe is here shown as a double coil 5-6 that is arranged to have a portion leading from the top of tube 7 down over the side of vessel 1 to a point near the base 19 from which point it again is led upwardly in a series of convolutions having increasing diameters as the top of the casing 8 1s approached, the convolutions at first being disposed close to the vessel 1. From the top, still within the insulating space of easing 8, the coil descends in a second series of convolutions which have increasing diameters (with the exception of the lowermost turns) until a point near the bottom of the casing 8 is reached. From this point the coil is then led through the casing wall and thence upwardly in a third series of convolutions secured on the outside of the casing 8. The outer end of this coil communicates at 9 with a gas withdrawal conduit 10, leading from the neck 3 and provided with a discharge control valve 11; the outside portion of neck 3 being preferably arranged to minimize the conduction of heat to the vessel 1 as far as practical and in consequence is shown as having a separable portion secured in place by means of a stuffing box 15 on the crown of cover 14 and provided withaventvalve 20. In addition to the stufiing box 15, the casing 8 has its other joints preferably made airtight and accordingly is shown with

packings

16, 17 and 18 inserted at the joints in the manner illustrated.

The gas withdrawal conduit is adapted to supply gas directly to a consuming device at any desired pressure, the pressure had depending of course on the adjustment of the I valve 11. As the rate of gas withdrawal from the conduit 10 may at times exceed that at which gas is evolved from the vessel 1, it is desirable to have a supply of gas under relatively high pressure in reserve. This is accomplished by providing a gas receiver or cylinder B having a pipe connection 44 leading to the conduit 10 from which it is filled when the gas demand is nil or less than the rate at which gas is evolved in the container ofthe present invention. To permit the receiver B being conveniently filled when the gas demand is nil and the valve 11 closed, a valved by-pass is preferably provided, as shown at 43, connecting pipe 44 with conduit 10. The receiver B may also have an independent valved outlet, as shown at 45, at itslower end.

The operation of the liquid containing apparatus above described is as follows: Liquefied gas is first introduced to the vessel 1 by the conduit means 2 and 7. The gas which is evolved during the filling process is first.

filling operation. During this filling operation, the by-pass at 12 may be opened to convey the gas evolved during the initial cooling of the filling means. The normal withdrawal of gas from the container here provided may be had either through the neck 3 from the gas space above the liquid in vessel 1, or from vaporization of liquid with- .drawn through the coil 5-6;

If it is desired to withdraw gas from the coil, communication between pipe 10 and the gas space above the liquid level is shut off so that there is produced an excess pressure in the vessel, at the end of the coil within the vessel 1. In this manner the liquid is driven into the coil under pressure so that upon withdrawal of gas from the coil through pipes 9 and 10 the liquid contents of the vessel are forced into the coil to take the placev of the gas removed therefrom. The evaporation of the liquid is not in excess of the quantity of gas removed. If it is desired to draw oil from the space above the liquid level, this gas space is opened to communication with the pipe conduit 10. At this time, although the coil enters the consumption conduit at 9, nevertheless no liquid will evaporate from the coil, for the reason that the pressure on the liquid in the vessel is the same as that on the liquid in the coil. This pressure equalization takes place at 9.

In this connection, it may be stated that the coil may be constructed of any desired length and may also be of any definite diameter. These constructional dimensions depend upon the character of the liquid to be gasified. For instance, the evaporation heat required for methane is about 2% times as great as that for oxygen. It follows, therefore, that it would be necessary to make the coil for the gasification of methane longer, from point to point, in the vessel, than for oxygen.

It will be seen that the arrangement of the coil 5--6 in the insulating space about the vessel 1, in which the inner turns are in close proximity to the vessel,'.while the outer turns progressively increase their diameter as they-approach the casing 8, is such as to utilize the heating effect of the insulating envelope. It will be perceived that there is a more or less constant How of heat in the insulating envelope from the outside of easing. 8 to the outer wall of the vessel 1. Such heat as the insulating envelope contains may, therefore, be absorbed by the liquid withdrawn through the coil 56 as it progressiveevolution of gas.

While the withdrawal of cold gas mate rial from the vessel 1 involves heating 1n order to supply the same as compressed gas at a predetermined desired pressure, in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, which involves dissipating the refrigerating effect in.t1ally obtained by the process of liquefaction, 1t 1s contemplated conserving this effect in certain forms of practicing the present invention, the containing apparatus for the liquefied gas in such instances being modified to conserve the refrigerating effect by means of heat exchangers associated with the withdrawal conduits. An arrangement for carrying out this form of the invention is shown in the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2, the apparatus illustrated employs a vessel 1 having a restricted neck 3 supported and surrounded by a casing 8, having the intervening space substantially filled with insulating material, which construction ma be substantially the same as that disclose in Fig. 1, with the exception that a by-pass 21 is shown for providing communication between the neck 3 and the gas space about the receptacle 4, the by-pass being controlled by a valve 22 actuated from without by the stem 23 and hand wheel 24; the filling and withdrawal means comprising conduits 2, 7, and coils 5-6 being also the same,'but are partially omitted from illustration for the sake of clearness.

Supplementary gas withdrawal means are here provided in the form of a conduit 29 communicating at its inner end with the neck 3, as indicated at 28, this conduit having successive portions disposed in the insulating material so that the temperature rise therealong coincides approximately with the temperature increase in the insulating material in substantially the same manner as described above in connection with coil 56, the outer end of this conduit discharging into the conduit 10, and being provided with a flow control means here shown as a valve at 30. The heat exchanging means associated with this supplementary gas withdrawal conduit comprises a conduit 34, here shown as having a sufficiently small diameter, to be disposed within the conduit 29 and to traverse the same along the axis thereof until a point is reached near the outer end of the conduit 29, from which the conduit 34 is led out independently and provided with a valve 39 for controlling the ingress of compressed air or other gas thereto; the conduit 34 preferably having by-pass communication with the conduit 40, which is here shown as controlled by a valve 36 actuated by a stem 37 and hand wheel 38.

In carrying out the further conservation of the refri erating effect here desired, the inner end 0% the vessel 1 is shown leading to a distributor 41 of a rectifying column 25. This latter is 1 shown as housed within the vessel 1 and provlded with the usual counter-current contacting means26 and an evaporator or kettle 27 in the/lower end, vaporization being effected in the kettle by a coiled portion of the conduit 34, which is preferably made to ass therethrough, the dischargepf fluid rom the coil 34 through the distributor 41 being preferably controlled by valve 33, shown as actuated by stem 32 and hand wheel 31. The non-condensable constituents of the products of' rectification within the column 25 are withdrawn through a conduit 40, which is passed through the top of the vessel 1 and also arranged in heat exchanging relation with the supplemental withdrawal conduit 29.

The conduit 40 is of relatively largediameter and is preferably arranged to envelope the conduit 29, following the same to a point on the outside of the casing 8 where exit of the withdrawn products is controlled by a valve 42. The rectified product which collects in the bottom of the column 25 may be passed directly into the vessel 1 through a suiiable outlet from the column here shown at. 6.

The operation of this modified form of apparatus is the same as that shown in Fig. 1, except as the use of the

triple conduit system

29, 34, 40 and the rectifying column 25 are involved. When compressed gas is withdrawn through the conduit 29, the refrigerating effect of this gas is conserved by admitting compressed gas to the conduit 34, which is accomplished by opening the valve 39. The compressed gas being withdrawn in order to supply a consuming device, is passed in heat exchanging relation with the warm gas entering through the conduit 34, so that the refrigerating effect of the cold gases initially passing out through the conduit 29 has been substantially transferred to the gas entering the rectifying column 25. Here, a further refrigerating effect is practiced in the rectifying column, so that a liquefied product such as liquid oxygen is supplied to the vessel 1. The conduit 40 serves as the means for drawing ofi' nitrogen and other uncondensable gases from the column 25, and follows the conduit 29, so as to transfer its refrigerating effect to the gas material entering the rectifying column 25. By opening the by-pass valve at 36 and closing the valve 33, the rectifying column may be shortcircuited by way ofthe by-pass, whereupon the gas material supplied by the conduit34 will pass directly into the conduit 40, thereby increasing the rate of evaporation.

the conduit 34 depending into phase, a liquid phase Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Apparatus for the production of pres "sure gases of different adjustable pressures coil of which the vaporized gas flows, for precooling another medium in the inner coil thereby to assist in liquefying said medium.

2. Apparatus for supplying gas material in the gas phase converted from liquefied gas, comprising an insulated container for the liquefied gas, a receiver for gas in the gas phase, a gas phase withdrawal conduit leading from said container to a consuming device, flow controlling means in said conduit, a liquid phase withdrawal conduit leading from said container and communicating with said first named conduit in advance of said flow controlling means, and a, connection leading from said receiver to said conduit for supplging gas conserved from said container.

3. pparatus for supplying gas material in the gas phase converted from liquefied gas, comprising an insulated container for the liquefied gas, a receiver for gas in the gas phase, a liquid phase withdrawal conduit leading from said container to a consuming device. heating means in said conduit, flow controlling means in said conduit adjacent said heating means, a gas phase withdrawal conduit connected to said first named conduit in advance of said flow controlling means, and a connection leading from said receiver to said conduit for supplying gas conserved from said container. s

a. Apparatus for supplying gas material in the gas phase converted from liquefied gas, comprising an insulated container for the liquefied gas, a receiver for gas in the gas withdrawal conduit leading from said container to a consuming device. heating means in said conduit, flow controlling means in said conduit following said heating means, a gas phase withdrawal conduit including additional flow controlling means communicating with said first named conduit between said heating means and said first named flow controlling means, and a connection leading from said receiver to said conduit for supplying gas conserved from said container. 7

5. Apparatus for supplying gas material in the gas phase converted from liquefied gas, comprising an insulated container for the liquefied gas, a receiver for gas in the gas phase, a liquid phase withdrawal conduit leading from said container to a consuming device, heating means in said conduit, flow controlling means in said conduit followin said heating means, a gas phase withdrawa conduit communicating with said first named conduit at a point in advance of said flow controlling means, and a connection leading from said receiver to said conduit communieating at a point in advance of said flow controlling means.

6. Apparatus for supplying gas material in the gas phase converted from liquefied gas, comprising an insulated container for the liquefied gas, a receiver for gas in the gas phase, a liquid phase withdrawal conduit leading from said container to a consuming device, heating means in said conduit, flow controlling means in said conduit following said heating means, a gas phase withdrawalconduit including addition a1 flow controlling neans communicating with said first named onduit between said heating means and said first named flow controlling means, and a connection leading from said receiver to said conduit also provided with flow controlling means and communicating with said first named conduit at a point in advance of said first named flow controllin means.

In testimony whereof I a x my signature.

' CHRlfiTlAN WlLl'lELM PAUL HEYILANDT.