Back to results
US 5,685,159 AGranted
Method and system for storing cold liquid
AssigneeChicago Bridge & Iron Technical Services Company
InventorsRichard J. Kooy, Don Henry Coers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and system for storing cold fluid. The system includes a main tank and an auxiliary tank that are in fluid communication, and the auxiliary tank receives vapor and expanding fluid as the cold fluid in the main tank warms thereby avoiding overpressurization of the system.
Claims23
A cold fluid storage system comprising:
- (a) a main storage tank having means for receiving cold fluid until back pressure is applied;
- (b) an auxiliary tank in fluid communication with the main storage tank, the auxiliary tank having communicating means, the communicating means having means for receiving cold fluid and vapor from the main storage tank as the cold fluid warms and expands and, means for controlling flow of cold fluid into the auxiliary tank when the main tank is receiving cold fluid and for applying back pressure to the receiving means when the main tank is substantially full.
A cold fluid storage system comprising:
- (a) a main tank having means for receiving cold fluid until back pressure is applied;
- and
- (b) an auxiliary tank positioned inside the main storage tank, the auxiliary tank having communicating means, the communicating means having means for receiving expanding cold fluid from the main tank, means for controlling flow of cold fluid into the auxiliary tank when the main tank is receiving cold fluid, means for applying back pressure to the receiving means when the main tank is substantially full, and means for draining cold fluid from the auxiliary tank to the main tank by gravity.
A method for storing cold fluid comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a main storage tank for receiving cold fluid;
- (b) providing an auxiliary volume for receiving expanding cold fluid from the main tank as the cold fluid warms;
- (c) filling the main storage tank with cold fluid until back pressure is sensed, and simultaneously controlling the flow of fluid to the auxiliary tank thereby applying a back pressure to stop filling the main storage tank when the main storage tank is substantially full;
- (d) enabling flow of cold fluid into the auxiliary tank after the main tank is substantially filled to capacity;
- and
- (e) draining cold fluid from the auxiliary volume into the main storage tank by gravity as cold fluid is withdrawn from the main tank.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.