Inline cycle fuse

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837946-B2
Application number	US-201916596174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2019
Priority date	Jun 6, 2016
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A system and method of predicting impending failure of a pressure vessel include a pressure vessel, a fluid source, a line coupled to the pressure vessel and to the fluid source, an apparatus, a sensor and a controller. The apparatus includes a conduit and a containment structure. The containment structure includes a cavity separated from an interior of the conduit by a portion of a conduit wall of the conduit. The sensor is configured to determine a value of a physical property in the cavity. The controller is in signal communication with the sensor and configured to detect a change in the value. The method includes determining a first value of a physical property in the cavity, experiencing a failure of the conduit wall, determining a second value of the physical property in the cavity, and detecting a difference between the first and second values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system including:
a pressure vessel;
a fluid source;
a line coupled to the pressure vessel and to the fluid source, wherein pressurized fluid flows through the line;
an apparatus including:
a conduit connected in the line so that the pressurized fluid flows through the conduit between the pressure vessel and the fluid source, the conduit having a conduit wall that is exposed to pressure cycling of the pressure vessel;
a containment structure including a cavity separated from an interior of the conduit by a portion of the conduit wall; and
a weakness of the portion of the conduit wall configured such that the pressure cycling causes the conduit wall to fail at the weakness to permit the pressurized fluid to flow from the interior of the conduit into the cavity of the containment structure;

a sensor configured to determine a value of a physical property in the cavity; and
a controller in signal communication with the sensor and configured to detect a change in the value.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the physical property is selected from the group consisting of pressure, temperature, acoustic emission, conductivity, resistance, capacitance, optical, and substance concentration.

3. The system of claim 1 further including an indicator in signal communication with the controller.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a valve disposed between the fluid source and the pressure vessel.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the valve is in signal communication with the controller.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the weakness is a discrete structure located on the portion of the conduit wall.

7. A method of predicting impending failure of a pressure vessel, the method including:
fluidly connecting the pressure vessel to a source of pressurized fluid via a line so that the pressurized fluid flows through the line;
fluidly connecting an apparatus to the line between the pressure vessel and the source, the apparatus including:
a conduit connected in the line so that the pressurized fluid flows through the conduit, the conduit having a conduit wall that is exposed to pressure cycling of the pressure vessel; and
a containment structure including a cavity separated from an interior of the conduit by a portion of the conduit wall;

determining a first value of a physical property in the cavity of the containment structure;
experiencing a breach of the conduit wall that permits the pressurized fluid to flow from the interior of the conduit into the cavity;
determining a second value of the physical property in the cavity; and
detecting a difference between the first and second values.

8. The method of claim 7 further including determining whether the difference exceeds a pre-determined threshold difference.

9. The method of claim 8 further including:
determining that the difference exceeds a pre-determined threshold difference; and
relaying a signaling to a user.

10. The method of claim 8 further including:
determining that the difference exceeds a pre-determined threshold difference; and
closing a valve between the source and the pressure vessel.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein closing the valve is accomplished automatically by a controller.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the physical property is selected from the group consisting of pressure, temperature, acoustic emission, conductivity, resistance, capacitance, optical, and substance concentration.

Assignees

• Hexagon Technology As

Inventors

• Eihusen John

Classifications

• Y02E60/32

  Hydrogen storage · CPC title

• F17C13/123 Primary

  for gas bottles, cylinders or reservoirs for tank vehicles or for railway tank wagons · CPC title

• G01N29/227 Primary

  related to high pressure, tension or stress conditions · CPC title

• G01M3/04 Primary

  by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point · CPC title

• F15B1/083 Primary

  the accumulator having a fusible plug · CPC title