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US 5,169,295 AGranted
Method and apparatus for compressing gases with a liquid system
AssigneeTren.Fuels, Inc.
InventorsJohn Stogner, Steve Westmoreland, Dan J. Kicker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for compressing gas. Two accumulators are alternately filled with gas from a gas-supplying conduit, and the gas is forced out of one end of the accumulators into a gas-receiving conduit by liquid forced into the other end of the accumulators. A reversible pump moves liquid from one accumulator to the other accumulator. The reversible pump is connected so that pump cavitation is prevented. The invention includes a switching system to switch liquid flow from one accumulator to the other accumulator. Liquid that leaks from the system may be resupplied using a liquid supply system that comprises a pressure container with a compressible element.
Claims64
A gas compression system, comprising:
- a first accumulator;
- a second accumulator;
- a gas-supplying conduit connected to the accumulators;
- a gas-receiving means connected to the accumulators;
- liquid control means connected to alternatively introduce liquid into the first accumulator for forcing gas from it during use as liquid is drained from the second accumultor so as to cause the second accumulator to be refilled with gas from the gas-supplying conduit, and for introducing liquid into the second accumulator during use for forcing gas from it as liquid is drained from the first accumulator so as to cause the first accumulator to refilled with gas from the gas-supplying conduit;
- and
- wherein the liquid control means is adapted to reduce the rate that liquid is introduced into each accumulator before each accumulator is substantially filled with liquid during use.
4 more elements
A gas compression system, comprising:
- a first accumulator;
- a second accumulator;
- a gas-supplying conduit connected to the accumulators;
- a gas-receiving means connected to the accumulators;
- a reversible pump operable to alternatively pump compression liquid from the first accumulator to the second accumulator for forcing gas from the second accumulator during use, and from the second accumulator to the first accumulator for forcing gas from the first accumulator during use;
- a compression liquid control system operable to signal the reversible pump to switch compression liquid flow from the first accumulator to the second accumulator during use, and from the second accumulator to the first accumulator during use;
- and
- a diverting conduit for diverting a portion of the compression liquid during use from the reversible pump to a liquid cooler, wherein the cooler comprises a thermostat system operable to reduce the flow of liquid to the cooler as the temperature of the liquid flowing to the cooling during use decreases.
5 more elements
A method of compressing gas, comprising the following steps:
- introducing gas from a gas-supplying conduit to a first accumulator, while substantially simultaneously draining compression liquid from the first accumulator and pumping the compression liquid through a reversible pump to a second accumulator, wherein the compression liquid pumped into the second accumulator forces gas from the second accumulator to a gas-receiving conduit;
- signaling the reversible pump to switch and pump compression liquid from the second accumulator to the first accumulator;
- draining compression liquid from the second accumulator and pumping the compression liquid through a reversible pump to the first accumulator, wherein the compression liquid pumped into the first accumulator forces gas from the first accumulator to a gas-receiving conduit, while substantially simultaneously introducing gas from the gas-supplying conduit to the second accumulator;
- diverting a portion of the compression liquid to a liquid cooler;
- reducing the flow of the compression liquid to the cooler as the temperature of the compression liquid flowing to the cooler decreases.
2 more elements
A gas compression system, comprising:
- a first accumulator;
- a second accumulator;
- a gas-supplying conduit connected to the accumulators;
- a gas-receiving conduit connected to the accumulators;
- a reversible pump operable to alternatively pump compression liquid from the first accumulator to the second accumulator for forcing gas from the second accumulator during use, and from the second accumulator to the first accumulator for forcing gas from the first accumulator during use;
- a compression liquid control system operable to signal the reversible pump to switch compression liquid flow from the first accumulator to the second accumulator during use, and from the second accumulator to the first accumulator during use, and wherein the compression liquid control system is adapted to reduce the rate of compression liquid flow during use to each accumulator before each accumulator is substantially filled with liquid.
3 more elements
A method of compressing gas, comprising the following steps:
- introducing gas from a gas-supplying conduit to a first accumulator, while substantially simultaneously draining compression liquid from the first accumulator and pumping the compression liquid through a reversible pump to a second accumulator, wherein the compression liquid pumped into the second accumulator forces gas from the second accumulator to a gas-receiving conduit;
- signaling the reversible pump to switch and pump compression liquid from the second accumulator to the first accumulator;
- draining compression liquid from the second accumulator and pumping the compression liquid through a reversible pump to the first accumulator, wherein the compression liquid pumped into the first accumulator forces gas from the first accumulator to a gas-receiving conduit, while substantially simultaneously introducing gas from the gas-supplying conduit to the second accumulator;
- reducing the rate that compression liquid is pumped into each accumulator before each accumulator is substantially filled with compression liquid.
1 more element
A gas compression system, comprising:
- a first accumulator;
- a second accumulator;
- a gas-supplying conduit connected to the accumulators;
- a gas-receiving means connected to the accumulators;
- liquid control means connected to alternatively introduce liquid into the first accumulator for forcing gas from it during use as liquid is drained from the second accumulator so as to cause the second accumulator to be refilled with gas from the gas-supplying conduit, and for introducing liquid into the second accumulator during use for forcing gas from it as liquid is drained from the first accumulator so as to cause the first accumulator to refilled with gas from the gas-supplying conduit;
- and
- liquid supply means connected such that a portion of the liquid in the liquid control means is diverted from the liquid control means to a reservoir during use, and the liquid supply means is connected to pump liquid during use from the reservoir to a first connector connecting the first accumulator to the liquid control means, and from the reservoir to a second connector connecting the second accumulator to the liquid control means.
4 more elements
A method of compressing gas, comprising the following steps:
- introducing gas from a gas-supplying conduit to a first accumulator, while substantially simultaneously draining compression liquid from the first accumulator and pumping the compression liquid through a reversible pump to a second accumulator, wherein the compression liquid pumped into the second accumulator forces gas from the second accumulator to a gas-receiving conduit;
- signaling the reversible pump to switch and pump compression liquid from the second accumulator to the first accumulator;
- draining compression liquid from the second accumulator and pumping the compression liquid through a reversible pump to the first accumulator, wherein the compression liquid pumped into the first accumulator forces gas from the first accumulator to a gas-receiving conduit, while substantially simultaneously introducing gas from the gas-supplying conduit to the second accumulator;
- diverting a portion of the compression liquid to a reservoir;
- pumping a portion of the compression liquid from the reservoir to a first connector connecting the first accumulator to the reversible pump, and to a second connector connecting the second accumulator to the reversible pump.
2 more elements
A gas compression system, comprising:
- a first accumulator;
- a second accumulator;
- a gas-supplying conduit connected to the accumulators;
- a gas-receiving conduit connected to the accumulators;
- a reversible pump operable to alternatively pump compression liquid from the first accumulator to the second accumulator for forcing gas from the second accumulator during use, and from the second accumulator to the first accumulator for forcing gas from the first accumulator during use;
- a compression liquid control system operable to signal the reversible pump to switch compression liquid flow from the first accumulator to the second accumulator during use, and from the second accumulator to the first accumulator during use;
- a liquid supply pump connected to supply compression liquid to the reversible pump during use;
- and
- wherein the gas compression system is connected such that a portion of the compression liquid is diverted from the reversible pump to a reservoir during use, and the liquid supply pump is connected to pump compression liquid during use from the reservoir to a first connector connecting the first accumulator to the reversible pump, and from the reservoir to a second connector connecting the second accumulator to the reversible pump.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.