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CN-115605706-B - Apparatus and method for delivering cryogenic fluid

CN115605706BCN 115605706 BCN115605706 BCN 115605706BCN-115605706-B

Abstract

Method and apparatus for delivering a cryogenic fluid, comprising a first tank (2) for dispensing the cryogenic fluid, a second tank (3) for containing the cryogenic fluid, a fluid delivery circuit connecting the first tank (2) and the second tank (3), the delivery circuit comprising a first conduit (4) connecting an upper portion of the first tank (2) and an upper portion of the second tank (3) and comprising at least one valve (5), the delivery circuit comprising a second conduit (6) connecting a lower portion of the first tank (2) to the second tank (3), the second conduit (6) comprising a pump (7) comprising an inlet connected to the first tank (2) and an outlet connected to the second tank (3), and at least one valve (5) of the pump (7) and the first conduit (4) being configured to place the upper portion of the first tank (2) and the upper portion of the second tank (3) in fluid communication by opening the at least one valve (5) during delivery of liquid from the first tank (2) to the second tank (3) by the pump (7).

Inventors

  • Lauren Oridige
  • T. Fayer
  • C. Benistead-Hector

Assignees

  • 乔治洛德方法研究和开发液化空气有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20210519
Priority Date
20200520

Claims (6)

  1. 1. A method of delivering cryogenic fluid using an apparatus for delivering cryogenic fluid, the apparatus comprising a first tank (2) for dispensing cryogenic fluid, said first tank (2) storing cryogenic fluid having a lower liquid phase and an upper gas phase, a second tank (3) containing cryogenic fluid comprising a lower liquid phase and an upper gas phase, a fluid delivery circuit connecting the first tank (2) and the second tank (3), the fluid delivery circuit comprising a first conduit (4) connecting an upper portion of the first tank (2) and an upper portion of the second tank (3) and comprising at least one valve (5), the fluid delivery circuit comprising a second conduit (6) connecting a lower portion of the first tank (2) to the second tank (3), the second conduit (6) comprising a pump (7) comprising an inlet connected to the first tank (2) and an outlet connected to the second tank (3), and the pump (7) and the first conduit (4) being configured to be in fluid communication from the first tank (2) to the second tank (3) via the at least one valve (5) via the first conduit (5) and the second tank (3) during opening of the first portion (2), the method ensures the transfer of cryogenic fluid between the first tank (2) and the second tank (3) for dispensing cryogenic fluid, the method comprising the steps of transferring liquid from the first tank (2) to the second tank (3) by means of the pump (7) and simultaneously bringing the upper part of the first tank (2) and the upper part of the second tank (3) into fluid communication by opening at least one valve (5) of the first pipe (4), characterized in that the method comprises, before the step of transferring liquid, the step of bringing the pressure between the first tank (2) and the second tank (3) to be the same, during which only the upper part of the first tank (2) and the upper part of the second tank (3) are brought into fluid communication by opening at least one valve (5) of the first pipe (4), during the step of transferring liquid from the first tank (2) to the second tank (3) by means of the pump (7), the liquid being transferred to the lower part of the second tank (3) and the upper part of the second pipe (6) or the lower part of the second tank (3) is connected to the upper part of the second pipe (6), and the second conduit (6) comprises an end connecting the lower part of the first tank (2) to the upper part of the second tank (3), the method comprising, before the step of transporting liquid from the first tank (2) to the second tank (3) by means of the pump (7), the step of pressure balancing the upper part of the second tank (3) and the lower part of the first tank (2).
  2. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of keeping the pressure between the first tank (2) and the second tank (3) the same is maintained until the pressure difference between the first tank (2) and the second tank (3) reaches a determined threshold value.
  3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold is between 0 and 1 bar.
  4. 4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the method comprises the step of pressurizing the second tank (3) and/or the first tank (2) simultaneously with the step of transporting liquid from the first tank (2) to the second tank (3) by means of the pump (7).
  5. 5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the step of pressurizing the second tank (3) and/or the first tank (2) is performed by a system (8) for pressurizing the second tank (3) or the first tank (2), which system comprises a pipe connecting a lower part and an upper part of the second tank (3) or the first tank (2) and provided with a set of one or more valves and heaters.
  6. 6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the second tank (3) comprises a system (8) for pressurizing the second tank (3), which system comprises a pipe connecting a lower part and an upper part of the second tank (3) and provided with a heater and a set of one or more valves.

Description

Apparatus and method for delivering cryogenic fluid The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for delivering cryogenic fluid into a liquefied gas storage vessel. The invention relates more particularly to an apparatus for delivering a cryogenic fluid, comprising a first tank for dispensing the cryogenic fluid, said first tank storing the cryogenic fluid having a lower liquid phase and an upper gas phase, a second tank containing the cryogenic fluid comprising a lower liquid phase and an upper gas phase, a fluid delivery circuit connecting the first tank and the second tank, the delivery circuit comprising a first conduit connecting an upper portion of the first tank and an upper portion of the second tank and comprising at least one valve, the delivery circuit comprising a second conduit connecting the lower portion of the first tank to the second tank. To fill a liquid hydrogen tank from a mobile tank (semitrailer), a system for transporting liquid by differential pressure is generally used. Typically, the storage vessel to be filled is at a pressure between 1.0 and 13 bar absolute (typically 3 bar absolute) and the liquid contained in the transport tank is at a pressure between 1.0 and 13 bar absolute. In order to achieve this by means of a pressure difference, in most cases it is first necessary to pressurize the tank transporting the semitrailer to a pressure which is typically 1 bar gauge higher than the pressure in the stationary storage vessel to be filled. Currently, an atmospheric heater is typically placed under the transport semitrailer in order to allow pressurization and transfer of the contents of the transport semitrailer to the receiving tank. This system has several drawbacks. Thus, it is difficult to control the performance as this is related to weather conditions (temperature, wind, humidity). Furthermore, stratification (gas temperature increases with height) created in the gas headspace of the transport semitrailer will tend to heat the liquid hydrogen transported to the customer (especially in the case of multiple transport). Therefore, the quality of the transported hydrogen is low. Furthermore, depending on the level in the transport tank, the need to pressurize the tank of the transport semitrailer before starting transport may last 15 minutes to 60 minutes. Other known solutions use pumps to transfer liquid from one storage container to another. However, the use of a pump makes it necessary to provide an atmospheric heater in order to compensate the volume of liquid discharged with the gas from the heater. In addition, current transfer pump technology has other drawbacks. Thus, by pumping the liquid, the pump adds heat to the fluid to be transferred, and as the pumping flow decreases, the pump may be damaged due to cavitation within the cryogenic liquid. In addition, the pump provides a substantial flow into the customer tank. As a result, a large amount of gas must be vented to make room for such an incoming liquid volume. The object of the present invention is to remedy all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art described above. To this end, the device according to the invention, which in other respects also corresponds to the general definition thereof given in the preamble above, is characterized in that the second conduit comprises a pump comprising an inlet connected to the first reservoir and an outlet connected to the second reservoir, and in that the pump and the at least one valve of the first conduit are configured to place the upper part of the first reservoir and the upper part of the second reservoir in fluid communication by opening the at least one valve during the transfer of liquid from the first reservoir to the second reservoir by the pump. Further, embodiments of the invention may have one or more of the following features: the second conduit comprises an end connecting the lower part of the first tank to the lower part of the second tank, The second conduit comprises an end connecting the lower part of the first tank to the upper part of the second tank, The second tank comprises a system for pressurizing the tank, which system comprises a pipe connecting the lower and upper parts of the tank and provided with a heater and a set of one or more valves. The invention also relates to a method for transferring a cryogenic fluid between a first tank and a second tank of a device for dispensing a cryogenic fluid according to any of the above or below features, the method comprising the steps of transferring liquid from the first tank to the second tank by means of a pump and at the same time bringing an upper portion of the first tank and an upper portion of the second tank into fluid communication by opening at least one valve of the first conduit. According to other possible specific features: during the step of transferring liquid from the first tank to the second tank by means of a pump, the liquid is transferred into the lower liquid part and/