Cryogenic transport tube incorporating liquefaction apparatus

Claim 1

A CRYOGENIC TRANSPORT TUBE ADAPTED TO EFFECT A FINAL OUT-OF-CONTGACT HEAT EXCHANGE BETWEEN HIGH-PRESSURE AND LOW-PRESSURE FLUIDS AND TO EXPAND AND LIQUELY SAID HIGHPRESSURE FLUID ATG A POINT OF DELIVERY REMOTE FROM PRECEDING OUT-OF-CONTACT HEAT EXCHANGERS LOCATED WITHIN AN ENCLOSED VESSEL, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION (A) AN ENCLOSED VESSEL; (B) OUT-OF-CONTACT HEAT EXCHANGE MEANS LOCATED WITHIN SAID ENCLOSED VESSEL; (C) A CONDUIT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE HIGH-PRESSURE SIDE OF THE TERMINAL OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGE MEANS WITHIN SAID VESSEL AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO BE MOVED UP AND DOWN WITHIN SAID ENCLOSED VESSEL; (D) A FIRST SECTION OF TUBING COMPRISING AN INNER HIGHPRESSURE CHANNEL, ANANNULAR LOW-PRESSURE CHANNEL SURROUNDING SAID HIGH-PRESSURE CHANNEL AND AN EVACUATED ANNULAR CHANNEL SURROUNDING SAID LOWPRESSURE CHANNEL; (E) FIRST COUPLING MEANS JOINING SAID CONDUIT TO SAID HIGH-PRESSURE CHANNEL OF SAID FIRST SECTION OF TUBING, AND CONTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR LOW-PRESSURE CHANNEL OF SAID FIRST SECTION OF TUBING AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENCLOSED VESSEL AND TO PROVIDE SEALING MEANS FOR ONE END OF SAID EVACUATED ANNULAR CHANNEL; (F) A SECOND SECTION OF TUBING COMPRISING A FIRST CONTINUATION OF SAID INNER HIGH-PRESSURE CHANNEL, SAID ANNULAR LOW-PRESSURE CHANNEL AND SAID EVACUATED CHANNEL OF SAID FIRST SECTION OF TUBING AND RAIDATION SHIELDING MEANS AROUND THE OUTER WALL DEFINING SAID LOW-PRESSURE CHANNEL; (G) SECOND COUPLING MEANS JOINING SAID FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS OF TUBING IN FLUID-TIGHT RELATIONSHIP; (H) A THIRD SCTION OF TUBING COMPRISING A SECOND CONTINUATION OF SAID INNER HIGH-PRESSURE CHANNEL, SAID ANNULAR LOW-PRESSURE CHANNEL AND SAID EVACUATED CHANNEL OF SAID FIRST SECTION OF TUBING AND HAVING AN OUTER PROTECTIVE SHEATH FURNISHING AN OUTERMOST CHANNEL FOR LOW-PRESSURE COLD FLUID; SAID THIRD SECTION HAVING A FLUID DELIVERY END SUITABLE FOR INSERTION IN A STORAGE VESSEL; (I) SAID FLUID DELIVERY END COMPRISING (1) VALVE MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO EXPAND AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY LIQUEFLY HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID DELIVERED THERETO BY SAID HIGH-PRESSURE CHANNEL, (2) PASSAGE MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO RETURN COLD HIGH-PRESSURE GAS THROUGH SAID ANNULAR LOW-PRESSURE CHANNEL, AND (3) SEALING MEANS TERMINATING SAID EVACUATED ANNULAR CHANNEL; AND (J) THIRD COUPLING MEANS JOINING SAID SECOND AND THIRD SECTIONS OF TUBING IN FLUID-TIGHT RELATIONSHIP AND CONTAINING THEREIN MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID VALVE MEANS LOCATED IN SAID DELIVERY END OF SAID THIRD SECTION OF TUBING.