Automatic pressure and vacuum clearing skid method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10184496-B2
Application number	US-201615370487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2016
Priority date	Dec 6, 2016
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A method of pressurization and evacuation of a system including during a pressurization phase; introducing a pressurized gas stream into the top valve, which is actuated to direct the pressurized gas stream into the bottom valve, wherein the bottom valve is actuated to direct the pressurized gas stream to the customer apparatus; and during a vacuum phase; introducing the pressurized gas stream into the top valve, which is actuated to direct the pressurized gas stream into the inlet port of the pressure inlet of the educator, thereby producing a low pressure condition in the suction inlet, introducing a customer gas stream into the bottom valve, which is actuated to direct the customer gas to exit the bottom valve, wherein the low pressure condition causes the customer gas stream to be directed to the educator suction inlet, wherein it mixes with the pressurized gas stream and exits the educator discharge outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of pressurization and evacuation of a system comprising:
a pressurization and evacuation system comprising:
a top 3-way valve comprising a first port, a second port and a third port,
a bottom 3-way valve comprising a first port, a second outlet port and a third port,
and an eductor comprising a pressure inlet, a suction inlet, and a discharge outlet,

wherein:
a first conduit fluidically connects the top 3-way valve third port with the eductor pressure inlet,
a second conduit fluidically connects the top 3-way valve second port with the bottom 3-way valve first port,
a third conduit fluidically connects the bottom 3-way valve third port with the eductor suction inlet, and
a fourth conduit fluidically connects the bottom 3-way valve second port with a customer apparatus,

the method comprising, during a pressurization phase:
introducing a pressurized gas stream into the first port of the top 3-way valve, wherein the top 3-way valve is actuated to direct the pressurized gas stream to exit the second port of the top 3-way valve,
introducing the pressurized gas stream into the first port of the bottom 3-way valve, wherein the bottom 3-way valve is actuated to direct the pressurized gas stream to exit the second port of the bottom 3-way valve and to the customer apparatus;

the method comprising, during a vacuum phase:
introducing the pressurized gas stream into the first port of the top 3-way valve, wherein top 3-way valve is actuated to direct the pressurized gas stream to exit the third port of the top 3-way valve,
introducing the pressurized gas stream into an inlet port of the pressure inlet of the eductor, thereby producing a low pressure condition in the suction inlet,
introducing a customer gas stream into the second port of the bottom 3-way valve, wherein the bottom 3-way valve is actuated to direct the customer gas to exit the third port of the bottom 3-way valve,

wherein the low pressure condition causes the customer gas stream to be directed to the eductor suction inlet, wherein it mixes with the pressurized gas stream and exits the eductor discharge outlet.

2. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized gas stream comprises an inert gas.

3. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 2 , wherein the inert gas is nitrogen.

4. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 1 , wherein the top 3-way valve is controlled by a first actuator, and the bottom 3-way valve is controlled by a second actuator.

5. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 4 , wherein the first actuator is of a type selected from the group consisting of an electric actuator, a pneumatic actuator, and a hydraulic actuator.

6. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system 4 , wherein the second actuator is of a type selected from the group consisting of an electric actuator, a pneumatic actuator, and a hydraulic actuator.

7. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 1 , wherein the top 3-way valve and the bottom 3-way valve are controlled by a single actuator.

8. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 7 , wherein the single actuator is of a type selected from the group consisting of an electric actuator, a pneumatic actuator, and a hydraulic actuator.

9. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 4 , further comprising a pressure indicator in fluidic connection with the fourth conduit, wherein the pressure indicator provides a signal to the first motor, and wherein the pressure indicator provides a signal to the second motor.

10. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 9 , wherein the vacuum phase is initiated when the pressure indicator senses a pressure above a first predetermined threshold.

11. The method of pressurization and evacuation of a system of claim 10 , wherein the pressurization phase is initiated when the pressure indicator senses a pressure below a second predetermined threshold.

Assignees

• Air Liquide Large Ind Us Lp
• Airgas Inc

Inventors

• Harrington Jeffrey K

Classifications

• F17C1/00

  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 title

• Y10T137/86638

  Rotary valve · CPC title

• F16K11/0876 Primary

  one connecting conduit having the same axis as the spindle · CPC title

• F04F5/16 Primary

  displacing elastic fluids · CPC title

• Y10T137/87209

  Electric · CPC title