Liquefied gas container of large capacity

• US 4,038,832 A
• Filed: 09/08/1975
• Issued: 08/02/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Valley Engineering, Inc. (Chart Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Beatrice Foods Company (Conagra Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lutgen, Harold Michael, Rezac, Terrence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Capossela, Ronald C.
• Application Number:
  US05/610,917
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 220/9 LG, 220/14, 220/15, 62/45, 62/54, 62/383, 114/74 A, 285/47
• US Class Current: 62/45.1
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/086 for Dewar vessels or cryostats
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/014 Suspension means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/901 Liquified gas content, cryogenic

Abstract

A container for low boiling liquefied gas formed of an inner and outer vessel spaced one from the other to provide an insulated space in between with the inner vessel being of cylindrical shape with the elongate axis horizontally disposed and means for supporting the inner vessel from the outer vessel by interconnection along the horizontal axis and in a manner to prevent relative rotational movement while permitting movement of the inner vessel relative to the outer vessel in the axial direction in response to expansions and contractions due to temperature change.

Claims

1. A low boiling liquefied gas container of large capacity comprising an inner vessel having a length of considerably greater dimension that its width with the vessel being disposed with the major dimension extending in the horizontal direction, an outer vessel surrounding the inner vessel and spaced therefrom to provide an intervening insulated space, conduit means between the outer vessel and the upper portion of the interior of the inner vessel for the removal of boil-off from within the inner vessel and for the introduction and removal of liquefied gas, means for supporting the inner vessel from the outer vessel in a manner to prevent rotational movement of the inner vessel relative to the outer vessel about a horizontal axis while permitting movement of the inner vessel relative to the outer vessel in the horizontal direction in response to expansions and contractions of the inner vessel relative to the outer vessel due to temperature change in which the means for support comprises cylindrical members interconnecting the adjacent end walls of the inner and outer vessels along the horizontal axis and engaged in telescoping relation with each other, said means for supporting the inner vessel from the outer vessel providing the entire support for the inner vessel and for stabilizing the inner vessel within the outer vessel.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the interconnecting means comprises a pair of tubular members in which one member of the pair extends outwardly from the end walls of the inner vessel in axial alignment with the other member of the pair extending inwardly from the end walls of the outer vessel, and means interconnecting the tubular members in telescoping relation in a manner to prevent relative rotational movement while permitting relative endwise movement.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2 which includes at least one axially extending elongate slot in one of the telescoped portions of one of the tubular members and openings in the other in registry with the slot and a pin extending through the openings into the slot to prevent relative rotational movement while permitting relative axial movement.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 in which the total length of the slot or slots is dimensioned to be greater than the maximum dimensional change calculated to take place between the inner and outer vessels.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 in which the free ends of the axially aligned tubular members are spaced one from the other and which includes an elongate sleeve between the tubular members of the pair with the opposite end portions of the sleeve in telescoping engagement with said tubular members.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 in which at least one of the telescoped portions of the sleeve and tubular member contains an elongate axially aligned slot with openings in the other in radial alignment with the slot and a means extending through the opening into the slot for interengagement between the sleeve and tubular member in a manner to prevent rotational movement while permitting relative axial movement therebetween.

7. A low boiling liquefied gas container as claimed in claim 1 which includes metal conductor means of high heat conductivity interconnecting the boil-off conduit with the laterally extending support means for transfer of heat from the support to the boil-off conduit.