Patent US3907515A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3907515A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for odorizing liquid natural gas
Assignee: San Diego Gas and Electric Co
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Filing: 1972-10-02
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Granted: 1975-09-23
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Expires: 1992-10-02
Abstract
Abstract Liquid natural gas is odorized with an odorant in discrete volumes as the liquid natural gas is being transferred from a bulk storage vessel to a tanker or the like. An odorant vessel containing odorant and a diluent is communicated to an injection vessel to fill the latter, whereupon high pressure gas from a third vessel forces the odorant and diluent through a heat exchanger and into the liquid natural gas. In the heat exchanger, the odorant-diluent mixture is cooled to a predetermined level by liquid natural gas boil-off from the bulk storage vessel. This procedure is repeated as many times as is necessary to odorize the quantity of natural gas being taken from a bulk storage vessel.
Inventors
- 👤 David K Mulliner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 08:15
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10L; C10L3/00; C10L3/003; C10L3/006; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S261/00; Y10S261/17
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
355 words
AN APPARATUS FOR ODORIZING LIQUID NATURAL GAS COMPRISING A. MEANS FOR A SOURCE OF AN ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION B. AN INJECTION VESSEL HAVING A PREDETERMINED VOLUME IN SELECTIVE SERIAL COMMUNICATION WITH THE SOURCE MEANS OF ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION, C. A GAS VESSEL FOR A SOURCE OF HIGH PRESSURE GAS THE GAS VESSEL BEING IN SELECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE INJECTION VESSEL INDEPENDENTLY OF THE SOURCE MEANS FOR THE ODORANT-DILUENT THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS BEING USED TO MAINTAIN A PRESSURE IN THE INJECTION VESSEL WHILE ODORANT-DILUENT IS IN SUCH VESSEL ABOVE THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF THE DILUENT AND FOR EJECTING THE ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION FROM THE INJECTION VESSEL INTO THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED THE GAS VESSEL MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS, D. A HEAT EXCHANGER BETWEEN THE INJECTION VESSEL AND THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED TO COOL THE ODORANT -DILUENT SOLUTION TO WITHIN A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE RANGE THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF THE RANGE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY HIGH THAN THE BOILING POINT OF LIQUID NATURAL GAS, E. NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS IN THE SELECTIVE SERIAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SOURCE MEANS OF ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION AND THE INJECTION VESSEL, F. NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS IN THE SELECTIVE SERIAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS VESSEL AND THE INJECTION VESSEL, G. NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS BETWEEN THE INJECTION VESSEL AND THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED, H. CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING: I. MEANS COUPLED TO THE VALVE MEANS BETWEEN THE INJECTION VESSEL AND THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED TO PREVENT THE OPENING OF SUCH VALVE MEANS AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INJECTION VESSEL AND THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED UNLESS THE ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION IN THE HEAT EXCHANGER IS WITHIN THE PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE RANGE, II. MEANS TO OPEN THE NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE BETWEEN THE SOURCE MEANS OF ODORANT-DILUENT AND THE INJECTION VESSEL AND III. MEANS TO OPEN THE VALVE BETWEEN THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS VESSEL AND THE INJECTION VESSEL AFTER THE INJECTION VESSEL HAS BEEN FILLED WITH A VOLUME OF ODORANT-DILUENT FROM THE SOURCE MEANS THEREOF AND AFTER THE NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE BETWEEN THE ODORANT-DILUENT SOURCE MEANS AND THE INJECTION VESSEL HAS BEEN CLOSED.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
355 words
AN APPARATUS FOR ODORIZING LIQUID NATURAL GAS COMPRISING A. MEANS FOR A SOURCE OF AN ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION B. AN INJECTION VESSEL HAVING A PREDETERMINED VOLUME IN SELECTIVE SERIAL COMMUNICATION WITH THE SOURCE MEANS OF ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION, C. A GAS VESSEL FOR A SOURCE OF HIGH PRESSURE GAS THE GAS VESSEL BEING IN SELECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE INJECTION VESSEL INDEPENDENTLY OF THE SOURCE MEANS FOR THE ODORANT-DILUENT THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS BEING USED TO MAINTAIN A PRESSURE IN THE INJECTION VESSEL WHILE ODORANT-DILUENT IS IN SUCH VESSEL ABOVE THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF THE DILUENT AND FOR EJECTING THE ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION FROM THE INJECTION VESSEL INTO THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED THE GAS VESSEL MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS, D. A HEAT EXCHANGER BETWEEN THE INJECTION VESSEL AND THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED TO COOL THE ODORANT -DILUENT SOLUTION TO WITHIN A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE RANGE THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF THE RANGE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY HIGH THAN THE BOILING POINT OF LIQUID NATURAL GAS, E. NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS IN THE SELECTIVE SERIAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SOURCE MEANS OF ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION AND THE INJECTION VESSEL, F. NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS IN THE SELECTIVE SERIAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS VESSEL AND THE INJECTION VESSEL, G. NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS BETWEEN THE INJECTION VESSEL AND THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED, H. CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING: I. MEANS COUPLED TO THE VALVE MEANS BETWEEN THE INJECTION VESSEL AND THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED TO PREVENT THE OPENING OF SUCH VALVE MEANS AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INJECTION VESSEL AND THE LIQUID NATURAL GAS TO BE ODORIZED UNLESS THE ODORANT-DILUENT SOLUTION IN THE HEAT EXCHANGER IS WITHIN THE PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE RANGE, II. MEANS TO OPEN THE NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE BETWEEN THE SOURCE MEANS OF ODORANT-DILUENT AND THE INJECTION VESSEL AND III. MEANS TO OPEN THE VALVE BETWEEN THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS VESSEL AND THE INJECTION VESSEL AFTER THE INJECTION VESSEL HAS BEEN FILLED WITH A VOLUME OF ODORANT-DILUENT FROM THE SOURCE MEANS THEREOF AND AFTER THE NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE BETWEEN THE ODORANT-DILUENT SOURCE MEANS AND THE INJECTION VESSEL HAS BEEN CLOSED.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 1 including means to vent the injection vessel of high pressure gas after a volume of odorant-diluent has been forced therefrom into the liquid natural gas by the pressure means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein the circuit means includes: means to open the valve between the injection vessel and the liquid natural gas to be odorized after the injection vessel has been filled with a volume of odorant-diluent from the source means thereof and after the normally closed valve between the odorant-diluent source means and the injection vessel has been closed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 3 including means to vent the injection vessel of high pressure gas after a volume of odorant-diluent has been ejected therefrom by the high pressure gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 3 including selector means for repeatedly filling and emptying of the injection vessel from the source means of odorant-diluent and into the liquid natural gas to be odorized, respectively, a preselected number of times.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
363 words
An apparatus for odorizing liquid natural gas comprising: a. means for a source of an odorant-diluent solution; b. an injection vessel having a predetermined volume in selective serial communication with the source means of odorant-diluent solution; c. a gas vessel for a source of high pressure gas, the gas vessel being in selective serial communication with the injection vessel independently of the source means for the odorant-diluent, the high pressure gas being used to maintain a pressure in the injection vessel while odorant-diluent is in such vessel above the vapor pressure of the diluent and for ejecting the odorant-diluent solution from the injection vessel into the liquid natural gas to be odorized, the gas vessel maintaining the pressure independently of the liquid natural gas; d. a heat exchanger between the injection vessel and the liquid natural gas to be odorized to cool the odorant-diluent solution to within a predetermined temperature range, the minimum temperature of the range being substantially higher than the boiling point of liquid natural gas; e. normally closed first solenoid valve means in the selective serial communication between the source means of odorant-diluent solution and the injection vessel; f. normally closed second solenoid valve means in the selective serial communication between the high pressure gas vessel and the injection vessel; g. normally closed third solenoid valve means between the injection vessel and the liquid natural gas to be odorized; h. circuit means including: i. means coupled to the third solenoid valve means to prevent the opening of the third solenoid valve means and communication between the injection vessel and the liquid natural gas to be odorized unless the odorant-diluent solution in the heat exchanger is within the predetermined temperature range; ii. means to open the normally closed first solenoid valve means while maintaining the second and third solenoid valve means closed to admit a predetermined volume of odorant-diluent solution into the injection vessel; and iii. means to open the normally closed second and third solenoid valve means at the same time while maintaining the normally closed first solenoid valve means closed to eject a volume of odorant-diluent solution from the injection vessel into the liquid natural gas to be odorized.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
363 words
An apparatus for odorizing liquid natural gas comprising: a. means for a source of an odorant-diluent solution; b. an injection vessel having a predetermined volume in selective serial communication with the source means of odorant-diluent solution; c. a gas vessel for a source of high pressure gas, the gas vessel being in selective serial communication with the injection vessel independently of the source means for the odorant-diluent, the high pressure gas being used to maintain a pressure in the injection vessel while odorant-diluent is in such vessel above the vapor pressure of the diluent and for ejecting the odorant-diluent solution from the injection vessel into the liquid natural gas to be odorized, the gas vessel maintaining the pressure independently of the liquid natural gas; d. a heat exchanger between the injection vessel and the liquid natural gas to be odorized to cool the odorant-diluent solution to within a predetermined temperature range, the minimum temperature of the range being substantially higher than the boiling point of liquid natural gas; e. normally closed first solenoid valve means in the selective serial communication between the source means of odorant-diluent solution and the injection vessel; f. normally closed second solenoid valve means in the selective serial communication between the high pressure gas vessel and the injection vessel; g. normally closed third solenoid valve means between the injection vessel and the liquid natural gas to be odorized; h. circuit means including: i. means coupled to the third solenoid valve means to prevent the opening of the third solenoid valve means and communication between the injection vessel and the liquid natural gas to be odorized unless the odorant-diluent solution in the heat exchanger is within the predetermined temperature range; ii. means to open the normally closed first solenoid valve means while maintaining the second and third solenoid valve means closed to admit a predetermined volume of odorant-diluent solution into the injection vessel; and iii. means to open the normally closed second and third solenoid valve means at the same time while maintaining the normally closed first solenoid valve means closed to eject a volume of odorant-diluent solution from the injection vessel into the liquid natural gas to be odorized.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 6 including selector means for repeatedly filling and emptying the injection vessel from the source means of odorant-diluent and into the liquid natural gas to be odorized, respectively, a preselected number of times.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
120 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 7 wherein the opening means for the solenoid valve means includes: a. a timing motor having first and second timing cams; b. a first set of normally open contact means disposEd for engagement by the first timing motor cam to close a circuit to the coil of the first solenoid valve means; c. a second set of normally open contact means disposed for engagement by the second timing motor cam to close a circuit to the coils of the second and third solenoid valve means; and d. the first and second cams being set so that only one engages its associated contacts at any one time and the first set of contacts is engaged first.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
148 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 7 wherein the means for repeatedly filling and emptying the injection vessel includes: a. a stepper relay having a plurality of contacts, a switching element and a stepper relay coil, the stepper relay coil being operable when energized to advance the switching element progressively from one contact to another; b. a selector switch having a plurality of contacts each being in electrical circuit with an associated different one of the contacts of the stepper relay and operable when a switching element of the selector switch is at a selector switch contact corresponding to a desired number of injection cycles to establish a circuit through the contact of the stepper relay associated with such selector switch contact; and c. means responsive to a circuit through any one of the contacts of the stepper relay to open the entire circuit and stop the injection cycles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
110 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 9 wherein the means for repeatedly filling and emptying the injection vessel includes: a. a timing motor having a first and a second cam; b. a first set of normally open contacts engageable by the first timing motor cam to close a circuit to the coil of the first solenoid valve means; c. a second set of normally open contacts engageable by the second cam of the timing motor after the first set of timing motor contacts open, the second set of contacts when engaged by the second cam closing a circuit to the second and third solenoid valve means to open these valve means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 10 including a third timing motor cam and a third set of timing motor contacts engageable by the third timing motor cam, the stepper relay coil being in circuit with the third set of timing motor contacts to be energized when such contacts close.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 11 including means to vent the injection vessel of high pressure gas after a volume of odorant-diluent has been ejected therefrom by the high pressure gas.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 6 including metering means for establishing a predetermined flow rate from the injection vessel into the liquid natural gas, the predetermined flow rate being low relative to a flow rate of the liquid natural gas to prevent over-concentration of odorant in the liquid natural gas and precipitation of odorant therein.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-22 | 1979-03-24 | 1979-09-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-22 | 1983-03-24 | 1983-09-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-22 | 1987-03-24 | 1987-09-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |