WO2006043799A1

WO2006043799A1 - Improved liquid petroleum gas dispenser comprising a coriolis mass flow meter

Info

Publication number: WO2006043799A1
Application number: PCT/MX2004/000077
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jorge Cortes Garcia; Juan Bosco Amaya Torres
Original assignee: Jorge Cortes Garcia; Juan Bosco Amaya Torres
Priority date: 2004-10-18
Filing date: 2004-10-18
Publication date: 2006-04-27

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquid gas petroleum (LGP) dispenser. The inventive dispenser is characterised in that it comprises a Coriolis mass flow meter which provides more precise and reliable measurements of the LGP volumes delivered than those supplied by dispensers used until now at LGP supply centres or stations. The use a Coriolis mass flow meter dispenses with the need for: volume to be compensated in accordance with temperature, measurement adjustments in relation to variations in the volume of the meters, and the replacement of moving meter parts. In this way, the invention provides greater reliability in the measurement of the volumes effectively dispensed. The invention also relates to a method of supplying LGP using the inventive dispenser.

Description

LIQUID GAS DISPENSARY OF IMPROVED OIL WITH A MASSIC FLOW METER BY CORIOLIS EFFECT

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention participates both in the field of apparatus used for the controlled and measured supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), in fixed stations or supply centers, as well as in the field of methods for supplying LPG.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

To supply Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in fixed supply stations to vehicles or mobile tanks, dispensaries are currently in charge of supplying said fuel, in a controlled and measured manner; These dispensaries are generally installed in stations or fixed supply centers, open to the general public or as part of private self-supply systems within any particular company, but in any case, it is necessary that such dispensaries control and measure the volumes of Gas Petroleum smoothie supplied to users.

To achieve the purpose of controlling the volumes supplied, to date, various electronic and mechanical devices have been incorporated into the dispensaries, within which they stand out in the different types of flow meters, such as LPG meters, which work under the principles of positive displacement, oscillating piston and others, which measure with an acceptable degree of precision, the volumes of LPG that are supplied in the different supply centers. One way to measure the volumes of pressurized liquid fuel flows, such as LPG, is the coriolis mass flow meter, the same meter referred to in the patents indicated below: US4,491,025; WO03 / 056282 A1; EP1459O39; US6J82J64 B2; US6J82J62 B2; US4,109,524

This type of flow meter with a coriolis effect, has several advantages over the rest of the existing meters, since while the mass flow meter gives a reading from the density and mass of the liquids that are passed by the meter, with which a very precise volume measurement is obtained, the rest of the meters show variations in the measurement due to changes in temperature and pressure so that in many cases it is required to make a volume compensation according to the Temperature of the liquid, without achieving a completely correct and accurate measurement, in addition to the fact that according to this type of meters they suffer wear, they need to be adjusted periodically to compensate for changes in volume inside them.

To date, in no dispensary for the supply of LPG in fixed stations or supply centers, both public and private, a mass flow meter has been incorporated by coriolis effect to achieve, precisely, the measurement and controlled delivery of volumes supplied mainly to motor vehicles and other mobile containers. There are dispensaries that are used to supply Natural Gas in a liquid state, which if they use mass flow meters by coriolis effect for the measurement and control of the volumes delivered, but in no case has an application of this type of flow meters been made in dispensaries for the supply of LPG, as claimed in this patent document, which is partly explained by the fact that for the conduction of Natural Gas in a liquid state there are very different technical specifications and pressure conditions with respect to those existing for the conduction of LPG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1.- Brief explanation of the invention:

The invention consists of a dispensary to supply liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), whose novel feature is the incorporation of a mass flow meter by coriolis effect, as a device in charge of carrying out the measurement and allowing the control of the flows or volumes of LPG by the dispensary.

2.- Description of the drawings: Figure 1. Shows a dispenser (5) of Liquefied Petroleum Gas for fixed stations or supply centers, where a coriolis effect mass flow meter (7) is used as the controlling element and LPG volume meter delivered to a served tank (10), from a primary tank (1), and which is also equipped with the rest of the components necessary to perform the dispensary functions.

1) The pointer (1) shows the primary LPG storage tank.

2) The pointer (2) shows the pump that generates the pressure necessary for dispatch, measurement and stabilization of LPG. 3) The pointer (3) shows the valve that opens the return line of the dispensary, where the air, vapors and residues of the LPG are circulated, which for any reason are not delivered by the dispensary to the tank served.

4) The pointer (4) shows a pressure sensor used to monitor that the LPG entering the meter has the desired pressure precisely for its conduction and measurement.

5) The pointer (5) shows the dispensary cabinet.

6) The pointer (6) shows the screens incorporated into the dispensary cabinet, where it can show information to its users.

7) The pointer (7) shows the mass flow meter by coriolis effect. -TO-

8) The pointer (8) shows the flow control valve, which is generally placed at the outlet of the mass flow meter by coriolis effect.

9) The pointer (9) shows the coupling system between the dispensary and the tank served, and for illustrative purposes a "gun" type dispensing valve was incorporated.

10) The pointer (10) shows the mobile tank served by the dispensary, and for illustrative purposes, any vehicle with LPG storage tank was incorporated.

3.- Explanation of the invention:

This invention consists of a dispensary for the supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in fixed stations or supply centers, whose main characteristic is that in order to achieve a precise and reliable control and measurement of the delivered flows, it incorporates a mass flow by coriolis effect, this being a totally new application of mass flow meters by coriolis effect ..

Apart from the mass flow meter by coriolis effect, this dispensary is equipped with the rest of the peripheral components that any other LPG dispensary has that are used in stations or fixed supply centers, such as its cabinet, pipe, control valves (binary, dual flow or variable flow), safety valves, vapor elimination system, fuel pumps, electronic controller, display, etc.

For the use of the mass flow meter by coriolis effect in the dispensary to have the desired results, it is required that the dispensary be configured in the manner indicated below:

The dispensary must have a pressure pump (2), which feeds on LPG from a primary storage tank (1), and delivers the LPG with the pressure necessary to achieve its conduction, measurement and stabilization in an exclusively liquid state . This pressure pump (2) will lead the LPG directly to a vapor separator system from where a return line (3) leaves, where they are circulated back to the Primary storage tank (1), air, LPG vapors, and LPG waste that will not be passed through the meter. In the chamber where the return line comes from, which is also where the mass flow meter is fed by the coriolis effect (7), called as the intake chamber, where a pressure sensor is placed to verify that the LPG pressure existing in said chamber is adequate for the measurement of LPG. Once the vapors are separated, and when the pressure sensor (4) indicates that there is a suitable pressure for the LPG measurement, the same pressure produced by the pump (2), passes the LPG through a mass flow meter by effect coriolis (7), which is responsible for measuring the LPG volumes that are circulated through such a measuring device. At the outlet of the meter, a flow control valve (8) is placed, which controls the volume that is passed through the meter, since it closes and opens the LPG flow circulating through the meter (7). Both the return valve (3), as the meter (7), the pressure sensor (4) and the flow valve (8), are connected by electronic means to a generally electronic control system, which interprets the signals given by the pressure sensor (4) and the meter (7), as well as the signals or instructions captured by the dispensary user, to perform in an automated way, functions such as opening and closing the return valve (3), opening and close the flow valve (8), send audible or visual signals to the screen (6) of the dispensary, or turn on and off the pressure pump (2). After passing through the flow control valve (8), the LPG is circulated through a system of pipes, generally flexible, culminating in a hermetic coupling system (9) that allows delivery of the pressurized LPG to the tank served ( 10). The dispensary of course has a generally metallic cabinet (5), to which the elements that are part of the dispensary are incorporated, with the exception of the primary storage tank (1). In the case referred to in Figure 1, the pressure pump (2) also appears outside the cabinet (5) of the dispensary, since it is not necessary to be inside it, which can help reduce the physical space occupied by the dispensary itself. The coriolis mass flow meter (7) must be installed just after the vapor separation system, and just before the flow control valve (8), and these three elements in turn, must be physically placed As close as possible to the hermetic coupling device (9) through which the physical delivery of the LPG volumes supplied to the served tank (10) is carried out.

The tubes and hoses used to drive the flow of LPG from one element to another, of which they are part of the dispensary, may be rigid, but will generally be flexible, and in any case they must be able to resist the LPG conduction with a pressure of at least 220 pounds per inch.

This invention also consists of the LPG clearance method in which the novel dispensary referred to in this patent document is used.

4.- Innovative aspects of the dispensary:

The LPG dispensary for fixed stations or supply centers covered by this patent document has the peculiar and novel feature of incorporating a coriolis mass flow meter, as the device responsible for measuring and controlling LPG flows. delivered to the mobile tank served. This type of LPG dispensary is mainly used in supply centers or service stations, both public and private, where LPG is served or supplied from a primary tank, to one or several mobile or automobile tanks, also called tanks served.

5- New way in which the LPG dispensary performs its functions:

The dispensary is a device whose main function is to serve LPG from a primary storage tank, to a mobile tank served, measuring and controlling the flows or volumes of LPG served. The way of controlling and measuring the flows or volumes of LPG served is similar to the way in which all LPG dispensaries currently in operation operate, with the difference that this meter uses a mass flow meter by coriolis effect, instead of using meters of any other type, being that the meter used by the dispensary in question of this invention, allows to identify the density, temperature and mass of the LPG flows that are circulated through said measuring instrument. The measuring instrument sends its readings to an electronic control system, which interprets the information delivered by the meter, showing it in some simple way to the operator, either through a digital display, through a print, by sound signals or by counters mechanics To this dispensary, any type of peripheral accessories existing in the current state of the art can be incorporated, and which are also necessary for the dispensary to fulfill its function, such as filters, systems for separating and eliminating vapors, control valves of flows, electronic systems to interpret and manipulate the information provided by the meter, pressure sensors, pressure pumps, coupling systems with the mobile tanks served, rigid and flexible pipe, etc.

6, - Alternative in the dispensary configuration:

An alternative to the configuration of the dispensaries covered by this invention is to install two or more mass flow meters by coriolis effect to the same dispensary, so that LPG could be simultaneously supplied to more than one mobile or automobile served tank .

7.- Advantages of the LPG dispensary covered by this invention:

The invention described herein has several advantages over LPG dispensaries that have been traditionally used in stations or supply centers, among such advantages are the following: a)

The precision in measuring the volume of assorted liquid LPG is increased; b) The need for periodic calibrations of the dispenser meters is eliminated; c) it is not necessary to calculate volume compensations due to the effect of temperature; d) Mobile parts that suffer wear and tear are not used, and therefore require expensive periodic replacement and maintenance. All these advantages are due to the application of a mass flow meter by coriolis effect to the LPG dispensary, compared to the traditional application of positive displacement meters, oscillating piston and others where the measurement of LPG flows is achieved by mechanical procedures. The main additional advantage that would have the application of two or more mass flow meters by coriolis effect in the same dispensary, is that in this way an important space saving can be achieved in LPG stations or supply centers; However, significant cost savings can also be generated, since a dispensary with two meters will be much cheaper than two dispensaries with a single meter each, since there are several accessories that the two meters can share, such as the pump pressure, the vapor separator system, the return line, the cabinet, the electronic controller, etc.

8.- Method to serve LPG using a dispenser with mass flow meter by coriolis effect:

The method of supplying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), characterized by using a LPG dispensary such as the one described in this patent document, is equally novel and original, because unlike traditional methods, flows are measured LPG with greater precision, without the need to make calculations or adjustments in the measurement, according to the temperature of the LPG, or depending on the natural wear of the moving parts of the measuring instruments, thus increasing the reliability of the supply process in general.

Claims

1. The dispensary to supply Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from those used in fixed stations to supply mobile tanks from a primary storage tank, and which are generally composed of at least one pressure pump, a separating system of vapors, a return line, a control system, a flow measurement system, a flow control valve, a hermetic coupling system with the tanks served, a display or numerical counter and a cabinet where the Ia are physically integrated All of the elements, characterized by incorporating one or more mass flow meters by coriolis effect, for the measurement and control of the LPG delivery, towards one or more mobile tanks served simultaneously.

2. The method of supplying Liquefied Petroleum Gas characterized by using a Liquefied Petroleum Gas Dispensary (LPG) with one or more mass flow meters by coriolis effect, as described in claim 1, to supply LPG from a tank Primary storage, up to one or several mobile tanks served simultaneously.