Storage and pressure control of refrigerated liquefied gases

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAINTAINING A LIQUEFIED GAS COMPRISING A MAJOR PROPORTION OF READILY CONDENSABLE NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIAL AND A MINOR PROPORTION OF A MORE DIFFICULTY CONDENSABLE NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIAL UNDER REGULATED STORAGE PRESSURE IN A CLOSED STORAGE VESSEL WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (1) WITHDRAWING VAPOR OF SAID MATERIALS FROM THE VAPOR SPACE OF SAID VESSEL; (2) COMPRESSING WITHDRAWN VAPOR OF STEP (1); (3) COOLING THE COMPRESSED VAPOR OF STEP (2) SO AS TO CONDENSE AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE READILY CONDENSABLE MATERIAL; (4) PASSING THE MATERIAL FROM STEP (3) TO AN ENCLOSED SEPARATION CHAMBER TO SEPARATE SAME INTO CONDENSATE COMPRISING PRINCIPALLY SAID CONDENSABLE MATERIAL AND VAPOR COMPRISING PRINCIPALLY SAID MORE DIFFICULTLY CONDENSABLE MATERIAL; (5) PASSING THE CONDENSATE OF STEP (4) THRU AN EXPANSION ZONE TO VAPORIZE A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF SAME AND PROVIDE A COOL STREAM THEREOF; (6) PASSING THE VAPOR OF STEP (4) THRU A SEPARATE EXPANSION ZONE TO PROVIDE A COOL STREAM THEREOF; (7) PASSING THE COOL STREAM OF STEP (6) DIRECTLY FROM ITS EXPANSION ZONE INTO THE COOL STREAM OF STEP (5) TO FORM A MIXED COOL STREAM OF CONDENSATE AND VAPOR AND CAUSE A PORTION OF SAID MORE DIFFICULTY CONDENSABLE MATERIAL TO GO INTO SOLUTION; AND (8) PASSING THE MIXED COOL STREAM OF STEP (7) DIRECTLY INTO THE LOWER SECTION OF THE STRANGE VESSEL SO AS TO BUBBLE THE VAPOR FRACTION THEREOF UPWARDLY THRU STORED LIQUID TO EFFECT FURTHER SOLUTION THEREOF IN SAID STORED LIQUID.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAINTAINING A LIQUEFIED GAS COMPRISING A MAJOR PROPORTION OF READILY CONDENSABLE NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIAL AND A MINOR PROPORTION OF A MORE DIFFICULTY CONDENSABLE NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIAL UNDER REGULATED STORAGE PRESSURE IN A CLOSED STORAGE VESSEL WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (1) WITHDRAWING VAPOR OF SAID MATERIALS FROM THE VAPOR SPACE OF SAID VESSEL; (2) COMPRESSING WITHDRAWN VAPOR OF STEP (1); (3) COOLING THE COMPRESSED VAPOR OF STEP (2) SO AS TO CONDENSE AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE READILY CONDENSABLE MATERIAL; (4) PASSING THE MATERIAL FROM STEP (3) TO AN ENCLOSED SEPARATION CHAMBER TO SEPARATE SAME INTO CONDENSATE COMPRISING PRINCIPALLY SAID CONDENSABLE MATERIAL AND VAPOR COMPRISING PRINCIPALLY SAID MORE DIFFICULTLY CONDENSABLE MATERIAL; (5) PASSING THE CONDENSATE OF STEP (4) THRU AN EXPANSION ZONE TO VAPORIZE A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF SAME AND PROVIDE A COOL STREAM THEREOF; (6) PASSING THE VAPOR OF STEP (4) THRU A SEPARATE EXPANSION ZONE TO PROVIDE A COOL STREAM THEREOF; (7) PASSING THE COOL STREAM OF STEP (6) DIRECTLY FROM ITS EXPANSION ZONE INTO THE COOL STREAM OF STEP (5) TO FORM A MIXED COOL STREAM OF CONDENSATE AND VAPOR AND CAUSE A PORTION OF SAID MORE DIFFICULTY CONDENSABLE MATERIAL TO GO INTO SOLUTION; AND (8) PASSING THE MIXED COOL STREAM OF STEP (7) DIRECTLY INTO THE LOWER SECTION OF THE STRANGE VESSEL SO AS TO BUBBLE THE VAPOR FRACTION THEREOF UPWARDLY THRU STORED LIQUID TO EFFECT FURTHER SOLUTION THEREOF IN SAID STORED LIQUID.