Use of multiple storage caverns for product impurity control

• US 9,365,349 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Original Assignee: Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Inventors: Strybos, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roy, Punam
• Application Number:
  US14/943,851
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 5/00 Storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/013 Carbone dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/014 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/031 Air
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/032 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/033 Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/042 with change-over from one vessel to another
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/047 by repeating a process cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0447 Composition; Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0452 Concentration of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0636 Flow or movement of content
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/056 Improving fluid characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0152 Salt caverns
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 7/00 Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0036 specially adapted to detect a particular component physical analysis of gaseous biological material G01N33/497
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 CO or CO2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0044 Sulphides, e.g. H2S
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0047 : Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage

Abstract

An inventory management method is also provided. This method includes removing and replacing the gas product from a first salt cavern as supply and demand dictate, analyzing the impurities in the gas product that is removed, predicting the duration until a maximum acceptable impurity limit is present, removing all the working gas from the first salt cavern when the maximum acceptable impurity limit is reached, then replacing the working gas in the first salt cavern, while concurrently, removing and replacing the gas product from a second salt cavern as supply and demand dictate, analyzing the impurities in the gas product that is removed, predicting the duration until a maximum acceptable impurity limit is present, removing all the working gas from the second salt cavern when the maximum acceptable impurity limit is reached, then replacing the working gas in the second salt cavern, while concurrently repeating steps a)-g).

Claims

1. An inventory management method, comprising;

a) introducing a gas product into Q salt caverns, where Q is a number greater than 1, setting cavern counter N to 0,

b) if N=Q, setting salt cavern counter to N=0,

c) if N<

Q, setting salt cavern counter to N=N+1,

d) removing and replacing the gas product from salt cavern N as supply and demand dictate,

e) analyzing the impurities in the gas product that is removed from salt cavern N,

f) predicting the duration until a maximum acceptable impurity limit is present in the product gas removed from cavern N,

g) removing all the working gas from salt cavern N when the maximum acceptable impurity limit is reached, then replacing the working gas in salt cavern N, while concurrently, repeating steps b)-f).

2. The inventory management method of claim 1, wherein the gas product is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, air, methane, ethane, ethylene, propylene, propane, ethane/propane mix, butane, and pentane.

3. The inventory management method of claim 1, wherein the gas product is hydrogen.

4. The inventory management method of claim 1, wherein the impurities are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ethane, and benzene.

5. An inventory management method, comprising;

a) if N=Q, setting salt cavern counter to N=0,

b) if N<

Q, setting salt cavern counter to N=N+1,

c) removing and replacing the gas product from salt cavern N as supply and demand dictate,

d) analyzing the impurities in the gas product that is removed from salt cavern N,

e) predicting the duration until a maximum acceptable impurity limit is present in the product gas removed from cavern N,

f) removing all the working gas from salt cavern N when the maximum acceptable impurity limit is reached, then replacing the working gas in salt cavern N, while concurrently, repeating steps a)-e).

6. The inventory management method of claim 5, wherein the gas product is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, air, methane, ethane, ethylene, propylene, propane, ethane/propane mix, butane, and pentane.

7. The inventory management method of claim 5, wherein the gas product is hydrogen.

8. The inventory management method of claim 5, wherein the impurities are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ethane, and benzene.

9. The inventory management method of claim 5, wherein the gas product is hydrogen.