Method and system for filling cryogenic liquid containers
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorJames VanOmmeren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Substance loss is minimized in a station for loading a container with cryogenic substance stored in a tank. A throttle vent valve is provided at the outlet vent of a container being loaded for controlling the differential pressure between the storage tank and the container. The throttle vent valve is adjusted to maintain the differential pressure at a value equal to the optimum differential pressure for minimizing substance loss. The optimum differential pressure is selected by determining the filling loss for a plurality of values of differential pressure and selecting the differential pressure which produces the minimum filling loss.
Claims9
A method for minimizing cryogenic substance loss in a filling station having a storage tank storing cryogenic substance for loading a container having an outlet vent with a throttle vent valve for adjusting the differential pressure between the substance being loaded and the container, comprising the steps of:
- (a) first determining a value of filling loss for each of a plurality of values of differential pressure;
- (b) selecting and storing prior to loading an optimum value of differential pressure from the plurality of values to produce the minimum filling loss;
- (c) loading substance into a container;
- (d) continuously monitoring the differential pressure during loading;
- (e) comparing the monitored differential pressure to the optimum differential pressure;
- (f) adjusting the throttle vent valve to maintain the monitored differential pressure at a value substantially equal to the optimum differential pressure value;
- (g) selecting at least one new optimum value of differential pressure during loading of the container;
- (h) adjusting the throttle vent valve to bring the differential pressure to a value substantially equal to the new optimum differential pressure value during loading of the container;
- and
- (i) repeating steps (g) and (h) until the filling process is terminated.
A method for minimizing substance loss in a filling station having a storage tank storing cryogenic substance for loading a container having an outlet vent with a throttle vent valve for adjusting the differential pressure between the substance being loaded and the container, the station having a fill valve for controlling the flow of substance from the storage tank to the container, comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting an optimum differential pressure;
- (b) loading substance into the container, thereby cooling the container;
- (c) monitoring the differential pressure during loading;
- (d) sensing the temperature substantially near the outlet vent of the container;
- (e) determining whether the temperature has reached a predetermined level;
- and
- (f) adjusting the throttle vent valve to bring the monitored differential pressure to a value substantially equal to the optimum differential pressure in response to the temperature determination for providing container cool down prior to adjusting the throttle vent valve;
- (g) selecting at least one new optimum value of differential pressure during loading of the container;
- (h) adjusting the throttle vent valve to bring the differential pressure to a value substantially equal to the new optimum differential pressure value during loading of the container;
- and
- (i) repeating steps (g) and (h) until the filling process is terminated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.