Pressure vessel

• US 9,285,078 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Linde AG (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Linde AG (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Liebenberg, Adrienne, Trautz, Simone
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Paul D
• Application Number:
  US12/969,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20110309076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 702/43, 702/47, 702/50, 702/98, 702/99, 702/55, 702/250, 702/138, 220/203.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/00 Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge pressurised apparatus for purposes other than storage, see the relevant subclasses such as A62C, B05B; associated with vehicles, see the appropriate subclass of classes B60 - B64; pressure vessels in general F16J12/00 ; autoclaves B01J3/04; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons for carrying fluent materials B61D5/00; accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04; liquefied gas stoves F24C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/00 Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/025 having the pressure as the parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/026 having the temperature as the parameter
• 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 2201/058 portable (<30 l)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0619 with two layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0639 Steels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0646 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0656 in form of filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0126 One vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0165 with handgrip
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0308 Protective caps
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0329 manually actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0338 Pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/221 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/036 Very high pressure (>80 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/032 : using computers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0408 : Level of content in the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0421 : Mass or weight of the content of the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/043 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0439 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0491 : Parameters measured at or inside the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0495 : the indicated parameter is a converted measured parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/075 : when full
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/077 : when empty
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/026 : by calculation
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/04 : using an independent energy source, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0745 : Gas bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/147 : Details about the mounting of the sensor to support or covering means

Abstract

A gas cylinder for the storage of compressed gas includes a shut-off valve in engagement with a mouth of the cylinder; an external pressure sensor device for sensing pressure in the cylinder, the pressure sensor device being in continuous communication with the interior of the cylinder; a temperature sensor device for sensing temperature of the gas in the cylinder, the temperature sensor device being in thermal communication with the interior of the cylinder; a programmable computing device for calculating information from the temperature and pressure signals concerning the amount of contents in the cylinder; and a display screen operatively associated with the programmable computing device for displaying said information.

Claims

1. A pressure vessel apparatus for storage of compressed gas, comprising:

(a) a pressure vessel for containing the compressed gas, the pressure vessel including an outer plastic shell, said outer plastic she comprising a recess therein and a pair of integral handles;

(b) an inner liner of material selected from the group consisting of fibre-reinforced liner and fibre-wrapped liner encased by the outer plastic shell;

(c) a shut-off valve in engagement with a mouth of the pressure vessel;

(d) an external pressure sensor device for sensing pressure of a gas in the pressure vessel, the external pressure sensor device being in continuous communication with an interior of the pressure vessel and being adapted to generate a first signal which is a function of the pressure sensed in the pressure vessel;

(e) a temperature sensor device for sensing temperature of the gas in the pressure vessel, the temperature sensor device being in thermal communication with the interior of the pressure vessel and being adapted to generate a second signal which is a function of the temperature sensed of the gas;

(f) a programmable computing device for calculating information about the gas in the pressure vessel from the first and second signals; and

(g) a display screen operatively associated with the programmable computing device and disposed in the recess under a handle of the pair of handles for being protected and displaying said information.

2. The pressure vessel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the programmable computing device is programmable to calculate a mass of the gas in the pressure vessel.

3. The pressure vessel apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the programmable computing device is able to compare a calculated mass of the gas with that in the pressure vessel when full.

4. The pressure vessel apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display screen is able to display a comparison between a calculated mass of the gas with that in the pressure vessel when full in a medium selected from the group consisting of a pictorially, graphically, and digitally rendered display.

5. The pressure vessel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the compressed gas is a permanent gas.

6. The pressure vessel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the compressed gas is not permanent and a liquid phase is present in the pressure vessel, the apparatus further comprising a level detector for detecting a level of the liquid phase in the pressure vessel, the level detector adapted to generate a third signal which is a function of the level of the liquid phase sensed and to transmit the third signal to the programmable computing device.

7. The pressure vessel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external pressure and the temperature sensor devices are located within at least one corresponding sensing port in a shoulder of the pressure vessel.

8. The pressure vessel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external pressure and the temperature sensor devices are located within at least one corresponding sensing port in the shut off valve on a pressure side of the pressure vessel.