US 4,905,719 AGranted

Flurocarbon pumping system

OwnerJames C. Lawlessinventor

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Abstract

A system and method for pumping liquid fluorocarbons and the like from a pressurized supply container to another container. The system compensates for the inherent vapor pressure drop occuring within any pressurized container of fluorocarbons as the fluorocarbons are pumped out. A phase conversion apparatus is provided to recirculate a portion of the liquid being pumped from the downstream side of the pump, through a phase conversion chamber into the supply tank in a vapor phase. This prevents a vapor pressure drop in the supply tank and avoids the flashing of the liquid into a gas at the discharge connection of the supply container. The invention also comprises an improved fluorocarbon gear pump and pressure regulation means. The gear pump utilized offset gear axes and porous gears to form a liquid film over the gears to prevent deleterious contact in the pump and extend useful pump life.

Claims7

Dependent claims

In a system for pumping liquid fluorocarbons and the like from a first container having a first liquid port and a vapor port to a second container having a second liquid port, said first and second liquid ports connected by a liquid output line, the system including a pump interposed in said liquid output line, the improvement comprising:

means for tapping said liquid output line at a point downstream of said pump;
first conduit means connected to said tapping means for continuously diverting a predetermined portion of the liquid output flow of said pump, said predetermined portion of the liquid output flow of said pump being that portion of said liquid output flow which, when converted to its vapor phase, will occupy a progressively increasing vapor volume, the rate at which said vapor volume increases being substantially equal to or greater than the rate at which the liquid volume of said first container decreases;
conversion means connected to said first conduit means for continously converting said predetermined portion of said liquid output flow into its vapor state;
a flow regulating means interposed between said pump and said conversion means for maintaining the liquid flow into the conversion means at substantially that rate of liquid flow which, when converted to vapor in said conversion means, will at least compensate for the decreased volume of liquid in said first container;
and
second conduit means connected to said conversion means and said supply container for continuously returning said predetermined vapor state portion directly to the vapor port of said supply container.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/338,494Filed 13 Apr 1989 · continuation
Priority: 30 Dec 1987
Granted: 6 Mar 1990
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

F17C 5/02
Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures: for filling with liquefied gases
F17C 7/02
Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass:…
F17C 2201/0109
Cylindrical: with exteriorly curved end-piece
F17C 2205/0338
Fittings, valves, filters, or components in connection with the gas storage device: pressure regulators