Secure loop system and method for supply and delivery of product contained in a carrier

• US 7,775,245 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Gershtein, Vladimir Yliy, Mattiola, Paul Anthony, Campbell, Karen M., Miller, Derek, Joseph, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson; Gregory L
• Assistant Examiner(s): NIESZ, JASON KAROL
• Application Number:
  US11/398,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20070034532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 141/2, 141 4- 7, 141/18, 141/94, 141/100, 141/231, 141/232
• US Class Current: 141/18
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/00 Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it separation of gases by physical means B01D; Purification of hydrogen production of water gas or synthesis gas from solid carbonaceous material C10J; purifying or modifying the chemical compositions of combustible technical gases containing carbon monoxide C10K
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0015 Organic compounds; Solutions thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0026 of one single metal or a rare earth metal; Treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/005 for hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0763 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Systems and methods for distributing a product releasably incorporated within a carrier, and for removing the product and returning the carrier for rehabilitation. In one embodiment, the system includes a first supply loop comprising a manufacturing facility for releasably incorporating a product into a first carrier to form fresh. The first loop further includes transportation means for conveying fresh to a first user, the first user including a fresh storage vessel for receiving and storage of fresh. The first user further comprises means for removing product from the carrier to form spent, and a spent storage vessel for receiving, storing, and dispensing of spent. The loop further includes means for returning the spent to a rehabilitation facility of the spent to form fresh wherein a product is contained in a carrier. The carrier may be in any physical state such as for example, solid, liquid, vapor, plasma, or any combination thereof. In addition, the carrier may involve any known mechanism to capture, retain, or release product, for example, chemical reaction, adsorption, dilution, among others. Optionally, the invention comprises a second supply loop that received product liberated from the first supply loop, without exchanging carrier, fresh, or spent with the first supply loop. The invention thus provides for product transfer efficiently and economically with minimal possible losses of the carrier quantity and quality. Contamination of a carrier and/or unintended mixing of different carriers is avoided, or at least localized to limited quantities.

Claims

1. A system for distributing a product releasably incorporated within a carrier, and for removing the product and returning spent for rehabilitation, the system including a first supply loop comprising:

a rehabilitation facility for releasably incorporating a product into a first carrier to form fresh;

delivery means for conveying fresh to a first user, the first user comprising a fresh storage vessel for receiving and storage of fresh, the first user further comprising means for removing product or product elements from the carrier to form spent;

a spent storage vessel for receiving, storing, and dispensing of spent from the first user; and

means for delivering the spent to a rehabilitation facility of the spent to form fresh;

wherein the first user comprises means for storing the removed product and means for incorporating the product or product elements into a second carrier within a second supply loop that comprises the rehabilitation facility.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the product comprises hydrogen, wherein the carrier comprises at least one dehydrogenated organic chemical, wherein fresh comprises at least one hydrogenated derivative of the organic chemical, and wherein spent comprises at least one at least partially dehydrogenated derivative of the fresh.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of filling stations, storage facilities, vehicles, power generators, industrial processes, distribution facilities, devices, and combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for detecting at least one chemical or physical property of fresh, product, spent, carrier, or any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the instrumentation means comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

viscometers, conductivity and density measuring devices, chemical analyzers, gas analyzers, chromatographs, ultraviolet/visible sensors (UV/Vis), light and infrared light (IR) sensors, microwave sensors, and combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user comprises a filling station for a vehicle that utilizes the product as a fuel source.

7. A system for manufacturing and distributing a product releasably incorporated within a carrier, and for removing the product and returning the carrier for rehabilitation, the system including a first supply loop comprising:

a manufacturing facility for releasably incorporating a product into a first carrier to form fresh or producing a carrier having product incorporated therein;

delivery means for conveying fresh to a first user, the first user comprising a fresh storage vessel for receiving and storage of fresh, the first user further comprising means for removing product or product elements from the carrier to form spent, the first user further including delivery means for conveying the product to a second supply loop;

a spent storage vessel for receiving, storing, and dispensing of spent from the first user, spent being defined as fresh with at least some product removed therefrom; and

means for delivering the spent to a rehabilitation facility of the spent to form fresh;

wherein the first user further comprises means for incorporating the product or product elements into a second carrier within a second supply loop that comprises an on-site rehabilitation facility.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the product comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, oxygen, arsine, stibine, phosgene, methane, hydrogen fluoride, gases containing boron, phosphorus, aluminum, or silicon components, and combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a second user connected with the second supply loop so as to permit the second user to withdraw fresh, product, or combinations thereof from the second loop, and to deliver spent into the second loop.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first user comprises a filling station, and wherein the second user comprises a device that consumes product as a fuel source.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first user further includes:

a fresh storage vessel for receiving, storing, and transferring fresh from the rehabilitation facility;

a fresh transferring apparatus linked to the fresh storage vessel for transferring fresh to a user when the user is connected to the apparatus;

a spent storage vessel for receiving, storing, and transferring spent; and

a spent removal apparatus linked to the spent storage vessel for removing spent from a user when the user is connected to the removal apparatus.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising means for detecting at least one chemical or physical property change between fresh and spent.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the detecting means comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

viscometers, conductivity and density measuring devices, chemical analyzers, gas analyzers, chromatographs, ultraviolet/visible sensors (UV/Vis), light and infrared light (IR) sensors, microwave sensors, and combinations thereof.

14. A method of distributing a product releasably incorporated into a carrier, the method comprising the steps of:

releasably incorporating a product into a carrier to form fresh;

transferring fresh to a first user for removal of product to form spent, without contaminating the product or spent; and

delivering uncontaminated spent to a rehabilitation facility having means for rehabilitating the spent to form fresh; and

further comprising the step of the first user delivering the product to a second supply loop, the first carrier and second supply loop being separated from one another to form two separate supply loops that do not interchange fresh, carrier, or spent.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of detecting at least one chemical or physical property of fresh, product, spent, carrier, or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of detecting comprises detecting at least one chemical or physical property of fresh, spent, product, and combinations thereof comprises by using at least one detecting means comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of:

viscometers, conductivity and density measuring devices, chemical analyzers, gas analyzers, chromatographs, ultraviolet/visible sensors (UV/Vis), light and infrared light (IR) sensors, microwave sensors, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of detecting at least one chemical or physical difference between fresh and spent comprises detecting the presence of a contaminant.