Sealed and insulating reservoir to contain a pressurized cold fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625095-B2
Application number	US-201314434014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2013
Priority date	Oct 9, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A sealed and insulating reservoir contains a pressurized cold fluid in a rigid, sealed enclosure. A fluidtight membrane is positioned to contact the cold fluid contained in the reservoir. An insulating barrier is placed between the fluidtight membrane and the internal surface of the rigid enclosure, with the insulating barrier forming a support surface to support the fluidtight membrane. A pressure balancing device is able to limit the pressure difference between a first sealed volume located inside the fluidtight membrane, and a second sealed volume located outside the fluidtight membrane. The pressure balancing device typically includes a fluid circuit having two chambers sealingly separated by a movable separator. The first chamber is linked to the first sealed volume, and the second chamber is linked to the second sealed volume. The movable separator exerts a loading force in the direction of the second chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sealed and insulating reservoir to contain a pressurized cold fluid, the reservoir comprising:
a rigid, sealed enclosure ( 4 ),
a fluidtight membrane ( 1 ) intended to come into contact with the pressurized cold fluid contained in the reservoir,
an insulating barrier ( 3 ) placed between the fluidtight membrane and an internal surface of the rigid enclosure, the insulating barrier forming a support surface to support the fluidtight membrane, and
a pressure balancing device ( 5 ) able to limit a pressure difference between a first sealed volume ( 2 ) located inside the fluidtight membrane and a second sealed volume ( 3 ) located outside the fluidtight membrane, wherein the balancing device includes a fluid circuit ( 30 , 40 ) having two chambers separated sealingly by a movable separator ( 32 , 42 ), a first of the chambers being linked to the first sealed volume ( 2 ) and a second of the chambers being linked to the second sealed volume ( 3 ) and in which the movable separator is able to exert a loading force in a direction of the second chamber in response to a positive pressure difference between the second sealed volume and the first sealed volume and a loading force in a direction of the first chamber in response to a positive pressure difference between the first sealed volume and the second sealed volume,
wherein the movable separator includes a quantity of liquid ( 42 , 45 ) contained in the fluid circuit ( 41 , 43 ), the fluid circuit including a portion ( 41 ) oriented vertically in a gravitational field to produce the loading force hydrostatically.

2. The reservoir as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: a secondary fluidtight membrane ( 7 ) and a secondary insulation barrier ( 9 ) arranged between the insulation barrier ( 3 ) and the internal surface of the rigid enclosure ( 4 ), and a second pressure balancing device ( 50 ) able to limit a pressure difference between a third sealed volume ( 9 ) located between the rigid enclosure and the secondary sealed membrane and the second sealed volume ( 3 ), the second sealed volume being located between the first fluidtight membrane ( 1 ) and the second fluidtight membrane ( 7 ).

3. A fuel supply system for an energy generation facility, the fuel supply system including the reservoir as claimed in claim 1 filled with a quantity of liquefied gas ( 2 ) in two-phase equilibrium at a relative pressure above 3 bar, and a supply circuit ( 6 ) linking the reservoir to the energy generation facility ( 8 ) to supply the pressurized liquefied gas to the energy generation facility.

4. A sealed and insulating reservoir to contain a pressurized cold fluid, the reservoir comprising:
a rigid, sealed enclosure ( 4 ),
a fluidtight membrane ( 1 ) intended to come into contact with the pressurized cold fluid contained in the reservoir,
an insulating barrier ( 3 ) placed between the fluidtight membrane and an internal surface of the rigid enclosure, the insulating barrier forming a support surface to support the fluidtight membrane, and
a pressure balancing device ( 5 ) able to limit a pressure difference between a first sealed volume ( 2 ) located inside the fluidtight membrane and a second sealed volume ( 3 ) located outside the fluidtight membrane, wherein the balancing device includes a fluid circuit ( 30 , 40 ) having two chambers separated sealingly by a movable separator ( 32 , 42 ), a first of the chambers being linked to the first sealed volume ( 2 ) and a second of the chambers being linked to the second sealed volume ( 3 ) and in which the movable separator is able to exert a loading force in a direction of the second chamber in response to a positive pressure difference between the second sealed volume and the first sealed volume and a loading force in a direction of the first chamber in response to a positive pressure difference between the first sealed volume and the second sealed volume,
wherein the fluid circuit includes a linking pipe ( 71 ) including the two separated chambers, the fluid circuit including a discharge pipe ( 77 ) having an opening ( 78 ) into the linking pipe, the movable separator ( 74 ) being moveable between neutral positions, in which the moveable separator blocks the opening of the discharge pipe such as to sealingly separate the discharge pipe from the first and second chambers, and discharge positions, in which the movable separator uncovers the opening of the discharge pipe such as to fluidly connect the discharge pipe with one of the first and second chambers.

5. The reservoir as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the balancing device also has a return member ( 79 ) coupled to the movable separator to force the movable separator towards a neutral position.

6. The reservoir as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising: a secondary fluidtight membrane ( 7 ) and a secondary insulation barrier ( 9 ) arranged between the insulation barrier ( 3 ) and the internal surface of the rigid enclosure ( 4 ), and a second pressure balancing device ( 50 ) able to limit a pressure difference between a third sealed volume ( 9 ) located between the rigid enclosure and the secondary sealed membrane and the second sealed volume ( 3 ), the second sealed volume being located between the first fluidtight membrane ( 1 ) and the second fluidtight membrane ( 7 ).

7. The reservoir as claimed in claim 4 , in which the first fluidtight membrane ( 1 ) is metallic and/or each insulation barrier is made up of a plurality of juxtaposed insulating blocks ( 60 , 63 , 64 ).

8. A fuel supply system for an energy generation facility, the fuel supply system including the reservoir as claimed in claim 4 filled with a quantity of liquefied gas ( 2 ) in two-phase equilibrium at a relative pressure above 3 bar, and a supply circuit ( 6 ) linking the reservoir to the energy generation facility ( 8 ) to supply the pressurized liquefied gas to the energy generation facility.

9. The reservoir as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the movable separator includes a sliding piston ( 32 ) in a cylinder ( 31 ), the loading force being exerted by a spring ( 35 ) coupled to the piston.

10. A sealed and insulating reservoir to contain a pressurized cold fluid, the reservoir comprising:
a rigid, sealed enclosure ( 4 ),
a fluidtight membrane ( 1 ) intended to come into contact with the pressurized cold fluid contained in the reservoir,
an insulating barrier ( 3 ) placed between the fluidtight membrane and an internal surface of the rigid enclosure, the insulating barrier forming a support surface to support the fluidtight membrane, and
a pressure balancing device ( 5 ) able to limit a pressure difference between a first sealed volume ( 2 ) located inside the fluidtight membrane and a second sealed volume ( 3 ) located outside the fluidtight membrane, wherein the balancing device includes a fluid circuit ( 30 , 40 ) having two chambers separated sealingly by a movable separator ( 32 , 42 ), a first of the chambers being linked to the first sealed volume ( 2 ) and a second of the chambers being linked to the second sealed volume ( 3 ) and in which the movable separator is able to exert a loading force in a direction of the second chamber in response to a positive pressure difference between the second sealed volume and the first sealed volume and a loading force in a direction of the first chamber in response to a positive pressure difference between the first sealed volume and the second sealed volume,
in which the balancing device includes an automatic pressure regulation device ( 20 ) linked to the second sealed volume that is able to increase or reduce the pressure in the second sealed volume as a function of a pressure setpoint,
wherein the automatic pressure regula

Assignees

• Gaztransport Et Technigaz

Inventors

• Spittael Laurent
• Deletre Bruno
• Lafare David
• Jolivet Pierre
• Hassler David
• Mange Amaury
• Capitaine Benoît
• Abdallah Ali

Classifications

• F17C2203/0631

  Three or more walls · CPC title

• F17C2205/0394

  in direct contact with the pressure vessel · CPC title

• F17C2221/033

  Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG · CPC title

• F17C2203/0304

  by solid means · CPC title

• F17C2227/0302

  by heating · CPC title