US 2026/0177205 A1Published application

Systems and methods for filling a plurality of storage devices

AssigneeCNX Resources Corporation

InventorsKevin Robert Egeland, Joseph Michael Fink

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of storage devices operable to receive compressible fluid from a source and a flow line network extending between and fluidly connecting the plurality of storage devices and the source. The system further includes a plurality of stoppage valves and a plurality of flow control valves in fluid communication with the flow line network and a plurality of chillers in thermal communication with the flow line network. The plurality of stoppage valves fluidly connects the plurality of storage devices in a series arranged sequentially from a highest-pressure storage device to a lowest-pressure storage device, fluidly disconnects storage devices from the series, and fluidly connects additional storage devices to the series. The plurality of flow control valves controls a flow rate of compressible fluid received by each storage device. The plurality of chillers decreases a temperature of the compressible fluid received by each storage device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a plurality of storage devices operable to receive compressible fluid from a high-pressure source;
a flow line network extending between and fluidly connecting the plurality of storage devices and the high-pressure source;
a plurality of stoppage valves in fluid communication with the flow line network, the plurality of stoppage valves operable to:
fluidly connect the plurality of storage devices in a series arranged sequentially from a highest-pressure storage device of the plurality of storage devices to a lowest-pressure storage device of the plurality of storage devices;
fluidly disconnect one or more storage devices from the series;
and
fluidly connect one or more additional storage devices to the series;
a plurality of flow control valves in fluid communication with the flow line network, the plurality of flow control valves operable to control a flow rate of a portion of compressible fluid received by each storage device;
and
a plurality of chillers in thermal communication with the flow line network, the plurality of chillers operable to decrease a temperature of the portion of compressible fluid received by each storage device.

7 more elements

A method comprising:

actuating one or more stoppage valves of a plurality of stoppage valves in fluid communication with a flow line network extending between a plurality of storage devices and a high-pressure source to fluidly connect the plurality of storage devices in a series arranged sequentially from a highest-pressure storage device of the plurality of storage devices to a lowest-pressure storage device of the plurality of storage devices;
receiving, by each storage device of the plurality of storage devices, a portion of compressible fluid from upstream in the flow line network such that the portion of compressible fluid received by the highest-pressure storage device is transported from the high-pressure source and the portion of compressible fluid received by the lowest-pressure storage device is transported from a sequentially upstream storage device in the series;
controlling, by a plurality of flow control valves in fluid communication with the flow line network, a flow rate of the portion of compressible fluid being received by each storage device;
decreasing, by a plurality of chillers in thermal communication with the flow line network, a temperature of the portion of compressible fluid being received by each storage device;
actuating one or more stoppage valves to fluidly disconnect the highest-pressure storage device from the series, wherein a storage device previously sequentially downstream of the disconnected highest-pressure storage device becomes the highest-pressure storage device;
and
actuating one or more stoppage valves to fluidly connect an additional storage device to the series, wherein the additional storage device comprises a pressure less than the lowest-pressure storage device such that the additional storage device becomes the lowest-pressure storage device.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.