Method and apparatus for vaporizing a liquid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022154885-A1
Application number	US-202117530718-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2021
Priority date	Nov 19, 2020
Publication date	May 19, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a method for vaporizing a liquid in a heat exchanger, a liquid vaporizes in the heat exchanger to form a gas which is sent to a user via a first pipe in normal operation, wherein if the rate of change of the rate of flow of liquid sent to the exchanger exceeds a threshold, the first pipe is closed and fluid, which may be gas vaporized in the heat exchanger and/or liquid not vaporized in the exchanger, is discharged into the atmosphere or to a flare stack through a second pipe and a valve, the opening of the valve being regulated by the fluid flow rate measured in the second pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for vaporizing a liquid in a heat exchanger in which a liquid vaporizes in the heat exchanger to form a gas which is sent to a user via a first pipe in normal operation, wherein if the rate of change of the rate of flow of liquid sent to the exchanger exceeds a threshold, the first pipe is closed and fluid, which may be gas vaporized in the heat exchanger and/or liquid not vaporized in the exchanger, is discharged into the atmosphere or to a flare stack through a second pipe and a valve, the opening of the valve being regulated by the fluid flow rate measured in the second pipe.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein if the rate of change of the rate of flow of liquid sent to the exchanger is below a threshold
i) vaporized liquid is sent to the user and/or ii) vaporized liquid is discharged to the atmosphere or to the flare stack through the second pipe and the valve, the opening of the valve being regulated by the pressure of the vaporized gas, which pressure is measured downstream of the heat exchanger.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, if the rate of change of the rate of flow of liquid sent to the exchanger exceeds a threshold, the opening of the valve is not regulated by the pressure of the vaporized gas, which pressure is measured downstream of the heat exchanger.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second pipe is closed in normal operation.

5 . An apparatus for vaporizing a liquid comprising a heat exchanger in which a liquid vaporizes to form a gas, a first pipe for sending the gas formed to a user in normal operation, a second pipe connected to the heat exchanger to send gas vaporized in the heat exchanger and/or liquid not vaporized in the heat exchanger to the atmosphere or to a flare stack, a detector for detecting whether the rate of change of the rate of flow of liquid sent to the exchanger exceeds a threshold, a first regulating means for regulating the opening of a valve in the second pipe according to the flow rate measured in the second pipe, a second regulating means for regulating the opening of the valve in the second pipe according to the pressure of the gas formed downstream of the heat exchanger, and a means allowing the valve to be connected selectively to the first and to the second regulating means,

6 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the means allowing the valve to be connected selectively to the first and to the second regulating means are suitable for connecting the valve to the first or second regulating means according to the rate of change of flow rate of the liquid entering the exchanger.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising an auxiliary valve connected in parallel with the valve in the second pipe.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , comprising a flowmeter for measuring the flow rate in the second pipe and for opening the auxiliary valve according to this flow rate.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising a valve for opening the first pipe and a means for opening this valve according to the pressure and/or the flow rate of vaporized gas.

Assignees

• Air Liquide

Inventors

• Luong Aurelie
• Prasad Bhadri

Classifications

• F17C9/02 Primary

  with change of state, e.g. vaporisation · CPC title

• F17C2205/0302

  Fittings, valves, filters, or components in connection with the gas storage device · CPC title

• F17C13/02

  Special adaptations of indicating, measuring, or monitoring equipment (measuring in general G01) · CPC title

• F17C2227/0388

  separate · CPC title

• F17C2250/0404

  Parameters indicated or measured · CPC title