Method and equipment for handling volatile liquid hydrocarbons

Abstract

Abstract 796,276. Storing gases under pressure. ESSO RESEARCH & ENGINEERING CO. Jan. 21, 1957 [Feb. 8, 1956], No. 2110/57. Class 8(2). An underground chamber 61, Fig. 3, for storing normally gaseous hydrocarbons, e.g., butane in the liquid phase above water and having a charging and delivery pipe 79 connected to a pump 77 is connected below the water level 69 by a lateral duct 65 to a shaft 63 which provides an automatically maintained constant head of water sufficient to maintain the butane in the liquid phase. As shown, the head is maintained by a pump 71 controlled by water level responsive means 81 and the water flows beneath an inverted weir 67. The chamber 61 may be lined with material impervious to the gas. In a modification a liquefied gas duct 101, Fig. 4, terminates at its lower end at a point in the chamber 91 beyond an inverted weir 97 which in turn is beyond the weir 95 of the lateral duct connecting the chamber 91 with the bottom of the water shaft 93 the water level in which is maintained constant by a supply pipe and an overflow 119. Gas escaping below the weir 97 to a compartment 107 is vented to atmosphere through a pipe 109 having a pressure indicator 115 which controls an automatic valve 105 in the gas line 101. In a further modification the water head is provided by a reservoir near the top of the shaft supplied by a pump and connected by a pipe to the chamber bottom through a concrete sealing plug.

Inventors

• 👤 Kenneth O Johnson
• 👤 Kenneth J Nuber
• 👤 Herbert H Waddell
• 👤 Robert E Millar

Bibliographic Details