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
  • F17C7/00—Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass
• • 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
  • F17C2205/01—Mounting arrangements
  • F17C2205/0123—Mounting arrangements characterised by number of vessels
  • F17C2205/013—Two or more vessels
  • F17C2205/0134—Two or more vessels characterised by the presence of fluid connection between vessels
• • 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
  • F17C2205/0302—Fittings, valves, filters, or components in connection with the gas storage device
  • F17C2205/0323—Valves
• • 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

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a method for discharging gas filled containers to a gas pressure lower than a first pressure, whereby the gas is discharged to a process station environment having the same pressure as the first pressure.
• Industrial gases in particular are transported and store at a very high pressure, e.g. 200 bar.
• a very high pressure e.g. 200 bar.
• the gas removed from the containers used at a variety of pressures, ranging from atmospheric pressure to fairly high pressures, such as 40 bar for certain chemical processes.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a metho and a means of discharging containers filled with gas to a recipient pressure below the working pressure or ambient pressure, without the use of compressors.
• Fig 1 shows a pressure reduction set-up for discharging gas containers in four stages to a pressure substantially lower than that against which the containers are working.
• the working pressure, designated PI is usually largely constant and is the existing pressure in a process station A or the environment.
• the outlet of the ejector 9 is connected to a line 20, preferably equipped with a valve 21, which is connected to the process station A, whose pressure is PI.
• a line 13 connected to a low-pressure inlet on the ejector 9 has three branch lines 14, 15 and 16, each of which is fitted with a valve 17, 18 and 19, respectively. All valves 7, 21, 17, 18 and 19 can be set to at least two positions, fully open and fully closed. Each branch line is connected to its own gas-charged container 2, 3 and 4, respectively.
• container 1 When container 1 is connected to line 8 it contains gas at a pressure Pm.
• container 4 of containers 2, 3 and 4 is charged to the highest pressure P7, which is generally corresponding to the working pressure Pi, container 2 is charged to the lowest pressure P2 and container 3 is charged to a pressure P5, which lies between pressure P7 and pressure P2.
• gas is made to flow from container 1, in which the gas pressure at the onset is Pm, through the ejector 9 to the process station A.
• Valve 17 being open, the gas in container 2 is in communication with the ejector 9 via the low-pressure inlet, with valves 18 and 19 being closed.
• the gas flowing from container 1 through the ejector 9 draws gas from container 2, causing the pressure inside container 2 to be reduced further.
• a predetermined quantity of gas has been discharged from container 1, i.e. when the pressure inside this container has been reduced to a predetermined value P3 the pressure inside container 2 will have been reduced from P2 to P4.
• valve 17 is closed and valve 18 is opened.
• the gas flo ing from container 1 now draws gas from container 3.
• P6 the pressure inside container 1
• P8 the pressure in container 3 will have bee reduced to approximately P2, which was the initial pressure inside the second container 2.
• Valve 18 is now closed and val 19 opened so that gas from the fourth container will be drawn to the process station A.
• the pressure in container 1 ha been reduced to P8 the pressure in the fourth container 4 wi have been reduced to P5, whereupon valve 19 is closed.
• valve 7 whic can be a valve on the container, is then closed, and container 1 is connected to line 14 in place of container 2, which is almost empt .
• valve 18 in line 15 is also opened, since container 3 now has the lowest pressure P2 of the three containers 3, 4 and 1, respectively, connected to line 13.
• valve 18 in line 15 is closed and valve 19 opened, with the pressure in container 5 having been reduced to P3.
• valve 19 is closed and valve 17 opened, an when the pressure in container 5 has been reduced to P8, valve 17 is closed.
• the pressure in container 1 will now have been reduced to P5, which is lower than PI.
• the pressur in container 5 is allowed to be reduced to PI, whereupon the container, with valve 7 closed, is connected to line 15 in place of container 3, which is now almost empty and having a pressure P4.
• the third stage process in a similar way: a sixth container, charged with gas to the pressure Pm is connected to line 8 and the procedure is repeated in the fourth stage.
• valve 18 When gas is released from container 1 and allowed to flow through the ejector 9 to the process station, in which the pressure PI, e.g. 40 bar, is maintained, valve 18 is open.
• the pressure in container 3 is P50.
• valve 18 is closed and valve 19 opened to connect the gas in container 4 with the flow of gas from container 1 through the ejector 9.
• the pressure in container 4 is P70, which is approximately equal to PI, i.e. 40 bar.
• P60 which in this example is 50 bar
• valve 19 is closed.
• the pressure in container 4 has now been reduced to P50, which is approximately 10 bar. Since the propelling force from container 1, where the pressure is 50 bar or lower, is sufficient to draw any * substantial quantity of gas from container 4, valve 19 can be closed as the pressure in container 1 is reduced to approximately PI.
• valve 7 When the pressure in container 1 is PI, valve 7 is closed and container 1 is connected to line 15 in place of container 3, which is now almost empty.
• a new container 5, charged with gas to a pressure Pm, is connected to line 8 and valves 7 and 19 are opened simultaneously.
• the pressure in container 4 is P50, i.e. 10 bar.
• P30 i.e. 100 bar
• valve 19 is closed and valve 18 opened.
• the pressure in container 4 is P50, which, in this example is 2 bar.
• valve 18 When the pressure in container 5 has been reduced to P60, i.e. 50 bar, valve 18 is closed, breaking the communication between the gas flow from container 5 and container 1, and the pressure in container 5 is then lowered to PI, i.e. 40 bar.
• container 5 is disconnected from line 8, and then connected to line 16 in place of container 4.
• a container 6, charged to a pressure Pm is now connected to line 8 in place of container 5.
• Valves 18 and 7 are then opened simultaneously, whereupon the flow of gas from container 6 draws gas from container 1, which, at the time valve 18 is opened is charged with gas to the pressure P50, i.e. 10 bar.
• P50 i.e. 10 bar.
• valve 1 is closed and valve 19 opened, container 5 in communication with the flow of gas from container 6, and the pressure in container 1 has been reduced to P2, i.e. 2 bar.
• this method makes it possible to reduce substantially the quantity of gas that is transported back an forth between the filling station and the process station.

Landscapes

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

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20365462

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (1)

• 1986
  • 1986-09-02 SE SE8603677A patent/SE454382B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1987
  • 1987-06-18 WO PCT/SE1987/000286 patent/WO1988001708A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1987-06-18 EP EP19870904977 patent/EP0323459A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1987-06-18 BR BR8707806A patent/BR8707806A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1987-06-18 JP JP50463587A patent/JPH01503796A/ja active Pending
• 1988
  • 1988-05-02 DK DK237888A patent/DK237888A/da not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1989
  • 1989-02-28 FI FI890959A patent/FI890959A/fi not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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