False walled pressure vessel

Claim 2

A high pressure vessel for treating an article therewithin, which comprises in combination: a metal shell including a generally cylindrical side wall having an access opening closeable by a metal door and at least one end wall of double curvature configuration thereby to permit said shell to withstand at least a high predetermined article treating internal pressure; a metal plate affixed to an inner surface of said shell whereby to define a fluid sealed boundary between an article treating chamber accessible through said access opening and a balancing compartment arranged intermediate said plate and said inner surface; means for admitting an article treating fluid into said treating chamber and maintaining said treating fluid under said predetermined treating pressure; and means for supplying a balancing fluid differing from said treating fluid to said balancing compartment at a pressure substantially equal to said predetermined pressure, said plate being characterized as being substantially flat and of a construction able to withstand without failure a pressure in excess of that corresponding to the hydrostatic head of either saId treating fluid or said balancing fluid but substantially less than said predetermined pressure.

Claim 3

A pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein said shell vertically upstands, said plate is weld affixed to said inner surface of said shell whereby to define a vertically extending boundary between said treating chamber and said balancing compartment, said treating fluid is a liquid, said means for supplying said treating fluid includes means for maintaining the level of said treating liquid below an upper end of said plate, said means for supplying a balancing fluid supplies a gas under said predetermined pressure to said balancing compartment, and said means for maintaining said treating fluid under said predetermined pressure places said treating chamber and said balancing compartment in free flow communication adjacent said upper end of said plate above said level of said treating fluid.

Claim 4

A pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein said treating fluid is a gas supplied to said treating chamber under said predetermined pressure.

Claim 5

A pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein said treating fluid is a liquid and said means for admitting and maintaining said treating fluid under said predetermined pressure includes means to supply a pressurizing fluid to said treating chamber.

Claim 6

A pressure vessel according to claim 4, wherein said pressurizing fluid and said balancing fluid are gas and supplied from a common source.

Claim 7

A pressure vessel according to claim 4, wherein said pressurizing fluid is a gas characterized as being non-reactive with said treating liquid, and said balancing fluid is air.

Claim 8

A pressure vessel according to claim 4, wherein said pressurizing fluid is a gas characterized as being non-reactive with said treating liquid, and said balancing fluid is liquid.

Claim 9

A pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein said plate is peripherally weld affixed to said inner surface of said shell immediately adjacent the junction of said side and said end wall, thereby said balancing compartment is arranged intermediate said plate and said end wall.

Claim 10

A pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein said means for supplying said balancing fluid includes means for comparing pressures in said chamber and said compartment and for controlling said means for maintaining said treating fluid under said predetermined treating pressure and said means for supplying balancing fluid whereby to prevent differences in pressure between said chamber and compartment from exceeding an amount producing failure of said plate.

Claim 11

A pressure vessel according to claim 9, wherein said treating fluid is a liquid, said means for admitting and maintaining said treating fluid under said predetermined pressure includes means to supply a pressurizing fluid to said treating chamber, said pressurizing fluid is a gas characterized as being non-reactive with said treating liquid, and said balancing fluid is air.

Claim 12

A pressure vessel according to claim 9, wherein said treating fluid is a liquid, said means for admitting and maintaining said treating fluid under said predetermined pressure includes means to supply a pressurizing fluid to said treating chamber, and said pressurizing fluid and said balancing fluid are gas and supplied from a common source.

Claim 13

A pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein said access opening is in a wall of said shell remote from said one end wall, said plate is weld affixed to said inner surface of said shell to define said balancing compartment extending lengthwise of said shell intermediate said plate and said cylindrical side wall.

Claim 14

In a high pressure vessel for treating an article of a given configuration therewithin, said vessel having walls curved to withstand at least a high predetermined article treating pressure condition and a closeable access opening for removably positioning said article within said vessel, said walls defining a chamber characterized as having a configuration differing from said given configuration wHereby when said article is placed within said chamber at least one portion of said chamber adjacent said curved walls is unoccupied by said article and thus creates unusable space, and means for admitting an article treating fluid into said chamber and maintaining said treating fluid under said predetermined treating pressure, the improvement for reducing the quantity of treating fluid required to be admitted by an amount corresponding essentially to said one portion of said chamber which comprises in combination: means fixed to said curved walls for forming a fluid sealed boundary between said one portion and that portion of said chamber occupied by said article whereby to divide said chamber into an article treating chamber to be occupied by said article and a balancing compartment comprising said one portion, said treating chamber being in communication with said access opening and said means for admitting treating fluid; and means for supplying a balancing fluid differing from said treating fluid to said balancing compartment at a pressure substantially equal to said predetermined pressure, and said means fixed to said curved walls including a flat metal plate forming a common boundary of said treating chamber and said boundary compartment, said plate being characterized as being of a construction able to withstand without failure a pressure in excess of that corresponding to the hydrostatic head of either said treating fluid or said balancing fluid but substantially less than said predetermined pressure.

Claim 15

In a high pressure vessel for treating an article of a given configuration therewithin, said vessel having walls curved to withstand at least a high predetermined article treating pressure condition and a closeable access opening for removably positioning said article within said vessel, said walls defining a chamber characterized as having a configuration differing from said given configuration wHereby when said article is placed within said chamber at least one portion of said chamber adjacent said curved walls is unoccupied by said article and thus creates unusable space, and means for admitting an article treating fluid into said chamber and maintaining said treating fluid under said predetermined treating pressure, the improvement for reducing the quantity of treating fluid required to be admitted by an amount corresponding essentially to said one portion of said chamber which comprises in combination: means fixed to said curved walls for forming a fluid sealed boundary between said one portion and that portion of said chamber occupied by said article whereby to divide said chamber into an article treating chamber to be occupied by said article and a balancing compartment comprising said one portion, said treating chamber being in communication with said access opening and said means for admitting treating fluid; and means for supplying a balancing fluid differing from said treating fluid to said balancing compartment at a pressure substantially equal to said predetermined pressure, and said means fixed to said curved walls including a flat metal plate forming a common boundary of said treating chamber and said boundary compartment, said plate being characterized as being of a construction able to withstand without failure a pressure in excess of that corresponding to the hydrostatic head of either said treating fluid or said balancing fluid but substantially less than said predetermined pressure.

Claim 16

The improvement according to claim 13, wherein means are provided for sensing pressures in said treating chamber and said boundary compartment, for comparing pressures sensed in said treating chamber and said boundary compartment, and for controlling operation of said treating fluid admitting and pressure maintaining means and said balancing fluid supply means whereby to prevent differences in pressure in said treating chamber and compartment from exceeding an amount producing failure of said plate.