Subcooling method and apparatus
AssigneeThe BOC Group, Inc.
InventorRon C. Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for subcooling a liquid composed of a volatile fluid, for instance, a saturated liquid cryogen, in which two chambers are filled with the fluid and are each initially pressurized after filling so that the fluid is converted to a subcooled liquid. The pressurization of the two chambers is maintained as the subcooled liquid is delivered from each of the two chambers. The filling and the delivery of the two chambers is effected in accordance with a cycle in which one chamber is filled and initially pressurized just prior to the completion of the delivery from the other chamber to allow the continual delivery of the subcooled liquid.
Claims9
A method of convening a volatile fluid into a subcooled liquid for delivering the subcooled liquid:
- filling each of two chambers with the volatile fluid;
- initially pressurizing each of the two chambers after having been filled to a pressure sufficient to convert the volatile fluid into the subcooled liquid;
- and
- after the initial pressurization, delivering the subcooled liquid from each of the two chambers while maintaining each of the two chambers pressure by continually vaporizing a portion of the subcooled liquid contained within the one and the other of the two chambers during delivery of the subcooled liquid;
- the filling of and delivery from the two chambers being alternated in accordance with a cycle such that one of the two chambers fills with the volatile fluid and is initially pressurized with subcooled liquid vaporized within the other of the two chambers and vice-versa prior to completion of the delivery of the subcooled liquid from the other of the two chambers and vice-versa, and the subcooled liquid is delivered from the other and then the one of the two chambers and vice-versa without interruption.
An apparatus for converting a volatile fluid into a subcooled liquid and for delivering the subcooled liquid;
- said apparatus comprising:
- two chambers each configured to receive the volatile fluid and to be pressurized to a pressure to a pressure sufficient to convert the volatile fluid into the subcooled liquid;
- actuable filling means for filling each of the two chambers with the volatile fluid;
- delivery means for delivering the subcooled liquid from each of the two chambers;
- upper and lower level detecting means for respectively detecting an upper level of the saturated liquid attained at
- a pressure building circuit connected to the two chambers anti configured such that a portion of the subcooled liquid contained within each of the two chambers vaporizes to maintain the pressure within each of the two chambers during delivery of the subcooled liquid;
- the pressure building circuit having means for accumulating a sufficient quantity of vaporized subcooled liquid to initially pressurize each of the two chambers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.