Apparatus and method for handling of liquefied normally gaseous materials

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMBUSTIBLE GAS BY A PPROCESS INVOLVING ALTERNATE HEATING OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN A GAS-GENERATING SET AND PASSINNG HYDROCARBON AND STEAM THERETHROUGH IN A CYCLIC OPERATION, COMPRISING FLOWING SAID LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL FROM A CONTAINER IN WHICH PRESSURE CONDITIONS ARE SURE AS TO MAINTAIN SAID NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LIQUID PHASE THEREIN UNDER THE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS OBTAINING, ALONG A CONFINED PATH IN WHICH PRESSURE CONDITIONS ARE REDUCED WITH RESPECT TO SAID CONTAINER TO CAUSE FLOW FROM SAID CONTAINER AND TO CAUSE PARTIAL CONVERSION OF SAID LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL TO THE VAPOR PHASE WITH THE CHILLING OF THE REMAINING LIQUID PHASE MATERAL, TO A CONFINED PHASE SEPARATING ZONE; WITHDRAWING VAPOR PHASE MATERIAL FLOWING SAID CHILLED LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL FRON SAID PHASE SEPARATING ZONE ALONG A SECOND CONFINED PATH TO AND THROUGH A LIQUID METER AT AN INCREASED PRESSURE WITH RESPECT TO SAID PHASE SEPARATING ZONE SUCH THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CHILLED LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL IN SAID SECOND CONFINED PATH IS BELOW ITS BOILNG POINT THEREIN; THEREAFTER PASSING SAID METERED HYDROCARBON MATERIAL WITH STEAM THROUGH SAID HOT CONTACT MATERIAL OF SAID GAS-GENERATING SET TO PRODUCE COMBUSTIBLE GAS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMBUSTIBLE GAS BY A PPROCESS INVOLVING ALTERNATE HEATING OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN A GAS-GENERATING SET AND PASSINNG HYDROCARBON AND STEAM THERETHROUGH IN A CYCLIC OPERATION, COMPRISING FLOWING SAID LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL FROM A CONTAINER IN WHICH PRESSURE CONDITIONS ARE SURE AS TO MAINTAIN SAID NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LIQUID PHASE THEREIN UNDER THE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS OBTAINING, ALONG A CONFINED PATH IN WHICH PRESSURE CONDITIONS ARE REDUCED WITH RESPECT TO SAID CONTAINER TO CAUSE FLOW FROM SAID CONTAINER AND TO CAUSE PARTIAL CONVERSION OF SAID LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL TO THE VAPOR PHASE WITH THE CHILLING OF THE REMAINING LIQUID PHASE MATERAL, TO A CONFINED PHASE SEPARATING ZONE; WITHDRAWING VAPOR PHASE MATERIAL FLOWING SAID CHILLED LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL FRON SAID PHASE SEPARATING ZONE ALONG A SECOND CONFINED PATH TO AND THROUGH A LIQUID METER AT AN INCREASED PRESSURE WITH RESPECT TO SAID PHASE SEPARATING ZONE SUCH THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CHILLED LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON MATERIAL IN SAID SECOND CONFINED PATH IS BELOW ITS BOILNG POINT THEREIN; THEREAFTER PASSING SAID METERED HYDROCARBON MATERIAL WITH STEAM THROUGH SAID HOT CONTACT MATERIAL OF SAID GAS-GENERATING SET TO PRODUCE COMBUSTIBLE GAS.