High efficiency liquid oxygen system

A portable, high-efficiency liquid oxygen (LOX) storage/delivery apparatus, comprising:

• a portable LOX container;
• a portable-unit LOX transfer connector connected to said portable container and capable of receiving and transferring LOX to said portable container;
• an economizer valve for minimizing venting by balancing gaseous and liquid oxygen withdrawal from said portable LOX container, said economizer valve opening to allow oxygen gas from a gaseous head-space in said portable LOX container to pass through when the pressure of said oxygen gas in said portable LOX container exceeds a predetermined threshold level and otherwise is closed and allows oxygen gas from evaporated LOX to pass through;
• a liquid withdrawal conduit and a gaseous withdrawal conduit in communication with the interior of said LOX container, said liquid withdrawal conduit having an inner diameter sized so that when said economizer valve is open, gaseous flow from said head-space of said portable LOX container is preferred over flow through said liquid withdrawal conduit;
• a conserving device;
• and
• a portable-unit oxygen gas transfer connector for transferring oxygen gas to an oxygen gas delivery device for delivery.

A portable, high-efficiency liquid oxygen (LOX) storage/delivery apparatus, comprising:

• a portable LOX container;
• a portable-unit LOX transfer connector connected to said portable container and capable of receiving and transferring LOX to said portable container;
• a liquid withdrawal conduit and a gaseous withdrawal conduit in communication with the interior of said LOX container;
• an economizer valve for minimizing venting by controlling the flow of gas from said gaseous withdrawal conduit through said valve relative to the flow of gas from said liquid withdrawal conduit through said valve, said gas from said liquid withdrawal conduit comprising evaporated liquid from said liquid withdrawal conduit;
• wherein said liquid withdrawal conduit has an inner diameter sized so that when said economizer valve is open, gaseous flow from said gaseous withdrawal conduit takes precedence over gaseous flow from said liquid withdrawal conduit;
• a conserving device;
• and
• a portable-unit oxygen gas transfer connector for transferring oxygen gas to an oxygen gas delivery device for delivery.

A portable, high-efficiency liquid oxygen (LOX) storage/delivery apparatus, comprising:

• a portable LOX container;
• a portable-unit LOX transfer connector connected to said portable container and capable of receiving and transferring LOX to said portable container;
• an economizer valve for minimizing venting by balancing gaseous oxygen withdrawn from said portable LOX container via a gas withdrawal conduit and liquid oxygen withdrawal from said portable LOX container via a liquid withdrawal conduit, wherein a portion of the liquid withdrawal conduit is located within a portion of the gas withdrawal conduit;
• and
• a portable-unit oxygen gas transfer connector for transferring oxygen gas to an oxygen gas delivery device for delivery.

A portable, high-efficiency liquid oxygen (LOX) storage/delivery apparatus, comprising:

• a portable LOX container;
• a portable-unit LOX transfer connector connected to said portable container and capable of receiving and transferring LOX to said portable container;
• an economizer valve for minimizing venting by balancing gaseous oxygen withdrawn from said portable LOX container via a gas withdrawal conduit and liquid oxygen withdrawal from said portable LOX container via a liquid withdrawal conduit, wherein a portion of the liquid withdrawal conduit is concentric with a portion of the gas withdrawal conduit;
• and
• a portable-unit oxygen gas transfer connector for transferring oxygen gas to an oxygen gas delivery device for delivery.

A portable, high-efficiency liquid oxygen (LOX) storage/delivery apparatus, comprising:

• a portable LOX container;
• a portable-unit LOX transfer connector connected to said portable container and capable of receiving and transferring LOX to said portable container;
• an economizer valve for minimizing venting by balancing gaseous oxygen withdrawn from said portable LOX container via a gas withdrawal conduit and liquid oxygen withdrawal from said portable LOX container via a liquid withdrawal conduit, wherein the liquid withdrawal conduit and the gas withdrawal conduit open into the interior of the portable LOX container at locations substantially diagonal from each other relative to the interior of the portable LOX container;
• and
• a portable-unit oxygen gas transfer connector for transferring oxygen gas to an oxygen gas delivery device for delivery.