Installation for filling a container with gas

Installation for filling at least one container with at least one gas having a predetermined composition, comprising:

• at least two supply gas sources containing gases of different nature,
• at least one connecting means for connection to the container;
• a network of control valves, operable to selectively connect the outlet of each supply gas source to the connecting means, and
• at least one sensor couplable to the container for sensing a filling gas-linked parameter and adapted to generate a signal representative of a condition of admission of gas within the container,
• a valve control unit adapted to control the state of the valves for filling the container with gas from the gas source, the control unit comprising input means for loading a filling program constituted by a sequence of procedures, each procedure comprising an elementary task that can be performed by the network of valves under the control of the control unit,
• and processing means for processing successive procedures constituting the program, said processing means adapted to receive and process the signal from the sensor and to control the network of valves for carrying out sequentially elementary tasks comprised successively in the sequence of procedures constituting the program.

Installation for filling at least one container with a gas whose nature is according to a predetermined specification, comprising:

• a plurality of sources of supply gas (18, 20;
• 222, 228;
• 300);
• at least one connector (14) for connecting said at least one container;
• a network (12;
• 202A, 202B, 202C) of control valves, selectively connecting the outlet of each supply gas source to said at least one connector (14);
• and
• a control unit (16) for the network of valves adapted to control the condition of the valves for filling the or each receptacle with a gas according to the predetermined specification;
• wherein:
• each control unit (16) comprises means (60) for loading a program constituted by a sequence of procedures, each procedure comprising an elemental task that can be performed by the network of valves under the control of the control unit (16), and each control unit (16) comprises means (62) for processing successive procedures constituting the program, said means (62) are adapted to control the network of valves (12) for carrying out sequentially elemental tasks comprised successively in the sequence of procedures constituting the program;
• wherein each procedure comprises the designation of a single valve to be controlled in the network (12) of valves, upon performance of the corresponding elemental task, and data relative to the mode of actuation of the valve;
• wherein the data relating to the mode of actuation of each valve comprise a reference value, in that the installation comprises a plurality of detectors (36, 44A, 44B, 44C, 58;
• 80;
• 110;
• 120;
• 134, 136;
• 206A, 206B, 206C, 224, 234A, 234B, 234C;
• 305, 310, 312, 314, 316) adapted to carry out measurements of the condition of filling the or each container, and in that the processing means (62) are adapted to stop the actuation of the valve when the measurement carried out reaches the corresponding reference value;
• and
• wherein the plurality of detectors comprises at least one from among a detector (58) for measuring the temperature of the gas in at least one container, a scales (80;
• 110;
• 120;
• 234A, 234B, 234C;
• 314, 316) for weighing at least one container, a pressure detector (44A, 44B, 44C) disposed upstream of at least one container, and a humidity detector (232) disposed downstream of at least one container.