US 4,897,226 A · Carbon dioxide storage and dispensing apparatus and method

Abstract

A carbon dioxide storage and dispensing apparatus and method for storing carbon dioxide which is characterized by a pressure vessel designed to hold carbon dioxide liquid and vapor, which pressure vessel is insulated to control heat input and includes a refrigeration system, fill and withdrawal piping, a fill line mixer provided in the fill line for rapidly mixing incoming liquid carbon dioxide with carbon dioxide in the vapor phase, a volume gauge, heating rod for introducing heat into the vessel and associated operating and safety control devices. The pressure vessel may be characterized by a horizontal or vertical tank and is designed to provide the user with an uninterrupted supply of carbon dioxide gas or liquid, while at the same time overcoming many of the problems associated with currently available carbon dioxide storage and dispensing equipment. A primary feature of the carbon dioxide storage and dispensing apparatus of this invention is the fill line mixer, which facilitates rapid intermixing of the gas phase fluid with the liquid phase introduced into the vessel during filling, in such a manner as to rapidly promote equilibrium conditions and resulting minimum pressure and temperature rise during filling, to eliminate carbon dioxide losses.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A carbon dioxide storage and dispensing apparatus comprising a vessel adapted to contain liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide;

at least one fill line extending into said vessel, with the discharge end of said fill line terminating inside said vessel and the supply end of said fill line connected to a source of liquid carbon dioxide;
and mixer means carried by said discharge end of said fill line, whereby impingement of liquid carbon dioxide against said mixing means dispenses said liquid carbon dioxide in said gaseous carbon dioxide in said vessel and effects rapid equilibrium between said liquid carbon dioxide and said gaseous carbon dioxide.

A carbon dioxide storage and dispensing apparatus comprising a storage vessel adapted to receive and store liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide;

a fill line projecting into said storage vessel, with said fill line terminating in a discharge end located inside said storage vessel and the opposite end of said fill line adapted for connection to a source of liquid carbon dioxide;
and mixer means carried by said discharge end of said fill line, for receiving a stream of liquid carbon dioxide flowing through said fill line from the source of carbon dioxide and dispersing said liquid carbon dioxide in said gaseous carbon dioxide to effect rapid thermal equilibrium between said liquid carbon dioxide and said gaseous carbon dioxide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Carbon dioxide storage and dispensing apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Carbon dioxide storage and dispensing apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31