US2237052A - Dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas - Google Patents

Description

E. H. GlLL. 2,237,052

DISPENSING AND MIXING APPARATUS FOR LIQUEFIED GAS April l, '1941.

z sheets-snaai 2 Fnd Aug. 25, 1959 INVENTOR A @fl/@7% 677/ TTOEYS rr. v 4 K a vw Patented Apr. l, 1941 DISPENSING AND MIXING APPARATUS FOR LIQUEFIED GAS Edward H. Gill, Memphis, Tenn., assigner to J. T. Gregory, Little Rock, Ark.

Application August 23, 1939, Serial No. 291,494

9 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas employed as a means for supplying combustible vapors for burners of the domestic or commercial type, and the primary object is the provision of such apparatus wherein is embodied means for establishing a thermosyphon action in the storage tank of the apparatus, to the end that uniform gas is supplied.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a storage tank for gas generating systems having as a part thereof, means for establishing circulation or mixing to overcome stratification and to assist surface and sub-surface vaporization of the liquid by establishing directed agitation caused by temperature differentials in the upper and lower portions of the storage tank.

'Ihis invention has for a further aii, the provision of a specially formed storage tank for liquefied gas, which comprises a generating bulb adapted to be buried in the earth and within which is contained a part of the novel structure which circulates the liquid through syphonic action and which includes mean for collecting and directing gases produced by sub-surface vaporization.

A yet further object of this invention is the provision of means within a liquefied gas storage tank for establishing circulation of Vthe entire mass of liquid in definite directions through the employment of the variation of temperature of the liquid in the upper and lower parts of the tank, which variation is sufficient to establish a thermo-syphonic circulation adequate to maintain vaporization and agitation whereby a uniform supply of gas is available to the dispensing means forming a part of the system.

A still further object of the instant invention is to provide a specially formed storage tank for liquefied gas whereon is mounted a hood, which hood houses certain elements of the dispensing apparatus so that they are quickly accessible and disposed in a. manner to receive the gas from the main tank in an efficient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tank for liquefied gas having a convexo-concave upper wall, the highest portion of which is directly below a hood wherein parts of the system are housed, one of which parts is a regulator having an intake pipe extending through the said convexo-concave wall near the vertical, longitudinal axis of the tank so that gas will readily escape and not be pocketed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a storage tank for liquefied gas wherein is constructed a riser pipe, the upper end of which terminates close to the outlet port for the gas which passes to the conventional regulator mounted in a hood carried by a specially formed end of the storage tank wherein said riser pipe is disposed.

Specific details of construction'and the manner of combining the parts embodying this invention with the conventional type of liquefied gas apparatus, form additional objects, all of which will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view through the storage tank of a dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas, which tank is made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the tank taken on line II-,II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line III- III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a Vertical central sectional view through dispensing and mixing apparatus made in accordance with a modified form of the invention; and

Fig.- 5 is a cross sectional View taken on line V--V of Fig. 4.

It is Well known in the art that propane, butane, or iso-butane are used in creating commercial butane, and that the physical characteristics of these liquids are such as to establish in a storage tank, a condition of quiescence and stratification. These liquids are further chemically different, have different molecular weights, specific gravities, viscosities, and latent heat of vaporization. In using commercial butane therefore, it is necessary to maintain a thoroughly mixed condition if the favorable and desirable characteristics of the mixture are retained.

It has heretofore been the practice to store the aforesaid commercial butane in tanks which are wholly or partially buried in the earth so that heat exchange might occur, and therefore, a vaporization of the liquefied gas to be realized to such an extent that dispensing means leading to the point of consumption might be continuously supplied. Those skilled in the art are familiar with the pressure requirements of such tanks as designated by the numeral 8 in Fig. 1. It is with this type of tank 6 that the parts embodying my invention are associated.

Tank 8 is mounted upon a suitable concrete base l0 and has depending therefrom, a generating bulb I2, which must be completely surrounded by the earth so that heat transfer may occur. It is preferable to provide a sand filling directly around generating bulb I2 and the upper part of this bulb .is in communication .with the interior of storage tank l. f

y A riser pipe Il is dlsposedvonthe ,vertical exi-a3" of storage tank. and extends upwardly from thev bottom of bulb I2 to a point above the liquid level I6. A group of holes 26 are provided through the wall `of riser pipe I6 at the lower end thereof, and a plurality of perforations 22 areformed through the wall of pipe I6 at a point spaced upwardly from its lowermost end ,and slightly below the zone of connection between tank and bulb 6 and I2 respectively. y

A deilector plate 24 forms a partition within bulb I2 and in the instance shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is attached directly to pipe I6 and extends downwardly and outwardly to a line on the inner face of bulb I2. Perforations 22 are thereby clrcumscribed by the deflector plate or partition 24 and gas collected below this plate will be directed through perforations 22 as more fully hereinafter set down.

trated embodiment in Figs. 4 and 5 is amodifled form of the invention and tank 66 is buriedin j the earth, while lthe hood 62 thereof extends vabove the earth surface to be capped by cover 54. AThe regulator 66, filler valve 68 and vapor valve part of the tank is divided off from the upper A `number of notches 26 formed inwardly from lishes a circulation within the mass of liquefied gas and vapors as indicated by the arrows in Fig. l.

Riser pipe I6 collects part of the evolved vapors and liquid and confines it within a relatively small passageway as it passes upwardly to a point above the level I8 of the liquefied gas in tank 8. The liquid from the upper central portion of tank 8 will pass down the side thereof to the bottom of generating bulb I2 and be sub- -jected to the heat within the earth and sand within which the bulb is buried. The temperature of the liquid willbe raised to its boiling point by this heat, the bubbles of evolved gas will move upwardly along the inside of pipe I6 as well as along the outer surface of said pipe, and in so travelling will transfer a part of their heat to the pipe. Some of this rising vapor will pass into pipe I6 through perforations 22 and when the liquids and gas passing into pipe I6 through holes is joined by that entering pipe I6 through perforations 22, the collected mass will rapidly rise to the surface through pipe I6. Such action prevents the cool liquid in the top part of the tank from recondensing the gas or mixing with the warm liquid which has risen beforeit has a chance to escape from the surface. The vapor must break through the surface of the liquid and therefore, velocity must be sufficient to overcome the cohesive action between the rising vapor and the liquid. By confining substantially all of the vapor within pipe I6, the high velocity upward is established. The liquid is so agitated that its surface tension is appreciably reduced and therefore, the boiling of the liquid and evolving of the vapor is aided to a point of increasing the elciency of the system.

I It is possible to build a generating tank to embody the concepts of this invention so that it appears not as illustrated in Figs. 1 to .3 inelusive, but as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The illuspart thereof by a partition 66, `which forms a defiector plate that cooperates with riser pipe 68 and perforations 10 formed therein above its lower end. Holes 12 are in the lower-most part of pipe 68 so that circulation of the liquid and vapor may be established in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. The free or outermost edge of partition 66 is spaced away 1 from the inner surface of tank 50 by spacing lugs or similar means 14.

. In the form just described', the depending generating bulb is not used and the tank per se is equipped with structure by means of which the thermosyphonic action may be set up t0 accomplish the objects of the invention. Stratification or a condition of quiescence will not be possible where the tank is built as just set down.

The gas which escapes from within the tanks 8 and 60 rises to the upper-most portion of the tanks and there escapes to regulators 30 or 56. The pipes leading to said regulators terminate just inside the upper end walls of the tanks and substantially above the ends of riser pipes I6 and 68. The direction of travel of evolved gases in these tanks as indicated by the -arrows in Figs. 1 and 4 is directly to the outlet port leading to the regulators and forming the upper ends of l `tanks wherein the liquefied gas is stored with a wall as just specified is important. This arrangement of parts is an advantage over the types of tanks and hoods heretofore employed.

It is understood that many arrangements different than those illustrated and described might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus' described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A dispensing and mixing apparatus for -liqueed gas comprising a. storage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at the bottom thereof; a perforated riser pipe extending upwardly from within rthe generating bulb to a point within the storage tank above the highest liquid level; means mounted on. the pipe for directing gas generated within lthe said bulb through certain of the perforations in the riser pipe; and a gas delivery pipe in connection with the storage tank above the said liquid level.

2. A .dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas comprising a storage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at the bottom thereof; a perforated riser pipe extending upwardly from within the generating bulb to a point within the storage tank above the highest liquid level; means for directing gas generated within the said bulb through certain of the perforations in the riser pipe; and a gas delivery pipe in connection with the storage tank above the said liquid'level, other of said perforations being below the certain perforations within said generating bulb to admit liquid into the riser pipe.

3. A dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas comprising a storage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at the bottom thereof; a perforated riser pipe extending upwardly from within the generating bulb to a point within the storage tank above the highest liquid level; means for directing gas generated within the said bulb through certain of the perforations in the riser pipe; and a gas delivery pipe in connection with the storage tank above the said liquid level, said certain perforations being above the bottom of said generating bulb, said means for directing gas generated within the bulb being supported above the certain perforations and extending downwardly and outwardly from a line on the riser pipe to the inner face of said generating bulb to form a partition in the latter.

4. A dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas comprising a storage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at the bottom thereof; a perforated riser pipe extending upwardly from within the generating bulb to a point within the storage tank above the highest liquid level; means for directing gas generated within the said bulb through certain of the perforations in the riser pipe; and a gas delivery pipe in connection with the storage tank above the said liquid level, said certain perforations being above the bottom of said generating bulb, said means for directing gas generated within the bulb being supported above the certain perforations and extending downwardly and outwardly from a line on the riser pipe to the inner face of said generating bulb to form a partition in the latter, said partition being provided with notches in the outer edge thereof.

5. In a dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas a storage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at the bottom thereof and adapted to be buried in the earth; a riser pipe extending upwardly from the bottom of the generating bulb to a point Within the storage tank above the liquid level thereof, said riser pipe having a series of holes formed therein near the lower end thereof and a plurality of perforations provided therein adjacent to the zone of connection between the generating bulb and the said storage tank; and an inclined partition within the generating bulb in such relation to the plurality of perforations as to direct generated, rising gas the bulb toward the perforations, said partition being formed to provide a passage for the liquid between the outer edge of said partition and the inner face of said generating bulb.

6. A dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas comprising a storagetank adapted to have the lower portion thereof buried in the earth; dispensing means in communication with the tank at the top thereof; a vertical pipe in the tank extending from the bottom of the latter toa point above the liquid level therein, said pipe having liquid intake holes at the lower end thereof and a plurality of gas intake perforations intermediate the ends thereof and a deflector plate in the bank inclined downwardly and outwardly from a line above the perforations to direct gas generated in the lower portion of the tank toward said perforations.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a storage tank adapted to hold liquefied gas under pressure and to have the lower portion thereof 4being formed to agitate the lower portion or the liquefied gas in the tank as the gas rises through the relatively small passageway.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a storage tank adapted to be buried in the earth and having a convexo-concave upper end wall; filling and dispensing means including a pressure regulator, a filler valve and a vapor outlet valve carried by the said upper end wall and extending upwardly therefrom at its highest part; and a hood provided with a removable cover mounted on the said upper end' wall to house said filling and dispensing means, said pressure regulator being in communication with the tank at the highest point on said end wall.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a storage tank adapted to be buried in the earth and having a conveXo-concave upper end wall; filling and dispensing means including a pressure regulator, a filler valve and a vapor outlet valve carriedby the said upper end wall and extending upwardly therefrom at its highest part; a hood provided with a removable cover mounted on the said upper end wall to house said filling and dispensing means, said pressure regulator being in communication with the tank at the highest point on said end Wall; andy a riser pipe Within said tank adapted to collect gas generated in the tank and direct the same toward the upper parli of the tank through a relatively small passageway.

f EDWARD H. GILL.

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