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US 4,718,239 AGranted
Cryogenic storage vessel
AssigneeUnion Carbide Corporation
InventorsJeffert J. Nowobilski, Richard C. Cipolla
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cryogenic storage vessel and method for a high value cryogenic liquid wherein a second cryogenic liquid is utilized as a refrigerant. The refrigerant cryogenic liquid is caused to pass between a large reservoir and a small accumulator by differential pressure caused by heat leak into the vessel whereby the refrigeration of the cryogenic liquid is more efficiently employed for cooling.
Claims20
A storage vessel comprising:
- (a) a large cryogenic liquid reservoir at one end of the vessel, a small cryogenic liquid accumulator at another end of the storage vessel, and means to pass cryogenic liquid between the reservoir and the accumulator;
- (b) means to maintain the pressure within the reservoir greater than ambient pressure;
- (c) a vent valve on the accumulator;
- and
- (d) means to operate the vent valve, said means actuated by action of hydrostatic pressure within the accumulator.
2 more elements
A method for maintaining a storage vessel at a low temperature comprising:
- (a) maintaining a large cryogenic liquid reservoir at a given pressure which exceeds ambient pressure;
- (b) passing cryogenic liquid from the large cryogenic liquid reservoir to a small cryogenic liquid accumulator which is at ambient pressure through a vent valve;
- (c) closing the vent valve when the liquid within the accumulator has reached a predetermined amount;
- (d) increasing the pressure within the accumulator to exceed the pressure within the cryogenic reservoir and causing cryogenic liquid to pass back into the reservoir;
- and
- (e) opening the vent valve when substantially all of the cryogenic liquid within the accumulator has passed into the reservoir.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.