Container for low-boiling liquefied gases

• US 3,134,237 A
• Filed: 12/21/1960
• Issued: 05/26/1964
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1960
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles V. Snyder, David G. Driscoll, John A. Paivanas, John M. Canty
• Original Assignee: Charles V. Snyder, David G. Driscoll, John A. Paivanas, John M. Canty
• Inventors: Canty, John M., Driscoll, David G., Paivanas, John A., Snyder, Charles V.
• Application Number:
  US04/077,326
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• US Class Current: 62/48.3
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/032 with substantially vertical main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/056 Small (<1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/014 Suspension means
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/015 Bars
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0316 cooled by vaporised gas from the interior
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/032 Multi-sheet layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0325 Aerogel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0337 Granular
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0391 by vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0631 Three or more walls
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0165 with handgrip
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/018 Supporting feet
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0332 Safety valves or pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0394 in direct contact with the pressure vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/228 by screws, bolts or rivets
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/017 Helium
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0161 cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/047 : with a dip tube
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/047 : with a dip tube
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 3/02 : with provision for thermal insulation thermal insulation in general F16L59/00 ; refrigerators F25D; insulation specially adapted for cryogenic vessels F17C13/001; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons B61D5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 3/08 : by vacuum spaces, e.g. Dewar flask for household use A47J41/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/901 : Liquified gas content, cryogenic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/92 : Shock absorbing spacing element, e.g. spring

Abstract

932,197. Storing liquefied gases. UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION. Dec. 14, 1961 [Dec. 21, 1960], No. 44778/61. Class 8(2). Apparatus for storing a low-boiling-point liquefied gas, e.g. helium, hydrogen, neon, comprises an inner vessel 10 for storing the gas and an outer shell 16 surrounding the inner vessel with an insulation space therebetween, the vessel and shell being e.g. vertically mounted, the gas space of the inner vessel being connected to the atmosphere, and a thermal shield 11, of e.g. metal, disposed around the inner vessel and cooled by the passing vapour e.g. through flattened vapour conduit 21a direct to the bottom of the vessel 10 and through flattened coils 22a of extension vapour conduit 22 which may be attached to the surface of the shield. The insulation space is filled with e.g. alternate parallel layers of a heat reflective foil such as aluminium separated by submicron glass fibre paper or mat, or with equal parts by weight of copper flakes and finely divided silica. The inner vessel is filled, and discharged, through a conduit 31, which is preferably attached to a helical conduit 32 terminating in a valve 33 covered by a cap 34. The conduit 22 may be directed through a re-entrant tube 19 and pass via a safety valve 25 and bursting disc 26 and a hand valve 28 to atmosphere. The shield 11 may be supported by a hollow support member 17 and connecting means 17a, the upper portion of the member 17 being supported by radial curved arms 18. The inner vessel 10 is supported by spacers 12 and 14, of e.g. reinforced plastic such as melamine of epoxy base resin with a reinforcing material such as glass fibres added, which are rigidly attached to the vessel 10 and the shield 11, and the spacers 14 may be radially fixed to a support pin 14a, and a support ring 15 of e.g. austenitic stainless steel. Absorbent material such as silica gel or sodium zeolite A is located in an enclosure 36 attached to the bottom of the vessel 10 to assist in preserving the low vacuum pressure between the vessel 10 and the shield 11. Alternatively, the apparatus may be mounted horizontally and the shield may be laterally supported by the insulation. Specifications 853,584 and 853,585 are referred to.

Claims

1. A LIQUEFIED GAS STORAGE CONTAINER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION:

A LIQUEFIED GAS INNER STORAGE VESSEL;

AN OUTER SHELL SURROUNDING THE INNER VESSEL AND OUTWARDLY SPACED THEREFROM TO PROVIDE AN EVACUABLE INSULATION SPACE THEREBETWEEN;

A METAL THERMAL SHIELD POSITIONED WITHIN SAID EVACUABLE INSULATION SPACE SUCH THAT THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE THERMAL SHIELD AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER SHELL DEFINE AN OUTER ENCLOSURE AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID THERMAL SHIELD AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE INNER VESSEL DEFINE AN INNER ENCLOSURE;

SUPPORT MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID THERMAL SHIELD WITHIN SAID OUTER SHELL WHICH COMPRISES A RE-ENTRANT TUBE CONNECTING TO AN OPENING IN THE UPPER PART OF SAID THERMAL SHIELD AND DEPENDING INTO SAID INNER ENCLOSURE, AND A HOLLOW SUPPORT MEMBER CONNECTING TO AN UPPER SECTION OF SAID OUTER SHELL AND DEPENDING INTO SAID RE-ENTRANT TUBE AND CONNECTING THERETO;

SUPPORT MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID INNER VESSEL WITHIN SAID THERMAL SHIELD;

SUCH SUPPORT MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED FROM MATERIALS CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH STRENGTH -TO-THERMALCONDUCTANCE RATIOS;

LIQUEFIED GAS FILL-DISCHARGE MEANS PROVIDING LIQUID COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER VESSEL;

VAPOR VENT MEANS PROVIDING GASEOUS COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER VESSEL FOR THE CONTINUOUS VENTING THEREFROM OF VAPOR EVAPORATED BY AMBIENT ATMOSPHERIC HEAT UNAVOIDABLY TRANSMITTED THEREINTO, SAID VAPOR VENT MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO THERMALLY COOPERATE WITH SAID THERMAL SHIELD SUCH THAT SAID THERMAL SHIELD IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY COOLED TO AND MAINTAINED AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LOW TEMPERATURE BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE VENTED VAPOR CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THROUGH SAID VAPOR VENT MEANS.