Optimized gas delivery system

Abstract

A gas delivery system (100), a valve system and a method for optimizing residual gas use in a gas delivery system are provided. The gas delivery system (100) comprises: a first gas container (5) and a second gas container (6) for supplying gas; at least a three-way valve (11) in fluid communication with the first gas container (5) and the second gas container (6), the valve (11) being operable to change position between a first valve position in which gas is supplied from the first container (5) and a second valve position in which gas is supplied from the second container (6); a sensor device (31) adapted to measure a first sensing characteristic of the first gas container; a control unit (32) configured to receive the first sensing characteristic from the sensor device (31) and adapted to change the position of the valve (11) from a first valve position to a second valve position based on the first sensing characteristic; wherein the control unit (32) is adapted to maintain the valve (11) in the second valve position for a revaporization time period, said revaporization time period being predefined and / or based on a second sensed characteristic from the sensor means (31), and wherein the control unit (32) is further adapted to change the position of the valve (11) back to the first valve position after the revaporization time period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of gas delivery systems for optimizing residual gas consumption. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for optimizing residual gas consumption in a gas delivery system comprising at least two gas containers.

[0002] The invention also relates to a gas delivery system for optimizing residual gas consumption. Background Art

[0003] Natural gas, especially in its liquid / liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) form, has a wide range of uses including heating, cooling and cooking and is often used in places where a stable electricity supply cannot be guaranteed. These uses include outdoor barbecues, marine vessels, domestic use or camping caravans where natural gas is often used in a variety of appliances such as heaters, absorption refrigerators or gas grills.

[0004] LPG containers (also called LPG cylinders) store LPG under high pressure, with 80% of the LPG stored in liquid phase and 20% in gas phase when initially filled. Due to gravity, LPG vapor remains at the top of the LPG cylinder and liquid LPG remains at the bottom. LPG remains in liquid form because it is under pressure in the gas container.

[0005] As LPG has a boiling point below room temperature, it vaporizes rapidly at normal temperature and pressure, so it needs to be supplied in pressurized gas containers. They are usually filled to a maximum of 80% capacity to allow for thermal expansion of the liquid contained, with a maximum pressure of 16 bar. The pressure at which LPG becomes liquid is called its vapour pressure. In order to boil and begin to vaporize, the liquid LPG absorbs heat from the wetted walls of the LPG cylinder, which in turn works by taking heat from the surrounding air. Walls that the gas phase is in contact with cannot transfer heat.

[0006] In order to reduce the high pressure in the gas container to a usable level, the gas is usually reduced in pressure by passing through a gas regulator connected to the gas container. In this way, the regulator can deliver the gas at the ideal supply pressure required by the receiving device (e.g., a gas appliance).

[0007] When gas is consumed from a gas container, the maximum flow rate it can provide is usually between 0.7 and 2.0 kg / h, depending on gas type, ambient temperature and time. If the consumption time exceeds 30 minutes, a maximum of 0.7 kg / h can be drawn from a gas container. The limit is defined by the maximum energy transfer through the wetted surface of the gas container. The time depends on the actual duration and fill rate of the gas container.

[0008] Take a gas grill as an example. The gas is initially in liquid form at a maximum pressure of 16 bar in the gas container. The gas container is in fluid communication with the gas grill via a regulator and a pipe that delivers the gas. When the regulator is opened and consumption begins, the pressure is released and the liquid quickly vaporizes and changes to the gas phase. More specifically, the balance between the gas and liquid phases in the container is disrupted, so new liquid is vaporized to reestablish the balance. The regulator ensures that a fixed gas pressure is delivered when the gas is discharged from the gas container through the regulator and the gas pipe to the burner of the grill.

[0009] However, it is difficult to detect when there is no more excess gas left in the container, and it can be very annoying to suddenly be without a steady supply of gas and heat in a gas grill while a meal is being prepared.

[0010] Therefore, at the first sign of unstable flow, the gas container is usually replaced.

[0011] Another alternative is to use two or more gas containers and a manual or automatic changeover valve. Manual changeover valves are usually less expensive and allow the user to switch the valve themselves, switching from an empty bottle to a full backup gas container. This means the valve will not automatically start using a full bottle, so the user may get an erratic gas flow.

[0012] Conventional automatic switching valves will automatically switch positions when the valve mechanism detects that the pressure falls below a certain threshold, switching from delivering gas from an "empty" gas container to delivering gas from a spare full gas container. Thus, interruption of the gas flow is limited. This typically occurs at a preset threshold of 0.7 bar. Such manual and automatic valves are well known in the art.

[0013] But at this time, when the gas container is considered "empty", because the pressure in the gas container is below the threshold, i.e. 0.7 bar, there is actually still up to 1kg of liquefied gas left in the cylinder. When the switching valve considers the container to be empty, the amount of residual gas remaining in the container also depends on the surrounding environment. But usually up to 10% of liquefied gas will still remain in the container. This is due to the low pressure of the remaining gas in the gas container, the wetted surface is greatly reduced, allowing heat to enter the liquefied gas, and the newly required vaporization amount can no longer meet the gas consumption (of course, this depends on the temperature, gas cylinder type and usage), so the switching valve will confirm the gas cylinder as "empty", and then the valve will switch to a new gas container.

[0014] Therefore, a large amount of gas is not consumed and wasted each time a single gas container is replaced. The cost of each replacement of the gas container is borne by the consumer, who needs to pay for the gas container when it is full.

[0015] Based on this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a gas delivery system, a valve and a method for optimizing the use of residual gas in a gas delivery system. Summary of the invention

[0016] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the purpose set forth in the background technology section can be achieved by a method for optimizing the use of residual gas in a gas delivery system, the gas delivery system comprising: a first and a second gas container for supplying gas; and at least a three-way valve, which is fluidically connected to the first and second gas containers, the valve being operable to change position between a first valve position and a second valve position, wherein in the first valve position, gas is supplied from the first container, and in the second valve position, gas is supplied from the second container, wherein the method comprises the following steps: measuring a first sensing characteristic of the first gas container using a sensor device; receiving the first sensing characteristic from the sensor device using a control unit; changing the position of the valve from the first valve position to the second valve position based on the first sensing characteristic; keeping the valve in the second valve position during a regasification time period, wherein the regasification time period is predefined and / or based on the second sensing characteristic from the sensor device, and changing the position of the valve back to the first valve position after the regasification time period.

[0017] By providing the above method, it is possible to detect when the gas pressure and / or gas flow rate from the first gas container drops below the minimum level currently consumed by the receiving consumer device, and then allow the almost empty gas container to pause (referred to as the regasification period in this specification) - time to rebuild the pressure and gas flow capacity, while gas is delivered from the second gas container, which allows the first gas container to deliver a stable pressure and flow rate for a period of time again even at low liquefied gas levels, thereby optimizing the utilization of the residual liquefied gas in the first gas container.

[0018] The present invention utilizes advanced controls to manage the switching back and forth between the two gas containers. Thus, by switching back and forth between valve positions, thereby switching containers multiple times until nearly all of the liquefied gas is vaporized and consumed, nearly all of the gas at the optimal pressure and flow rate in the first gas container can be used up.

[0019] The consumption time period and the regasification time period are repeated until the liquefied gas in the first gas container is almost completely vaporized and consumed. Due to the use of this control method, all gas outputs are consumed at the optimal gas pressure and optimal flow rate, thereby providing services to the receiving gas equipment as much as possible.

[0020] In an embodiment, the control unit is a stand-alone remote control device adapted to transmit the sensing characteristics to the cloud or other external processor device, such as a PC, using an App, Bluetooth, GSM, Wi-Fi or LoRa.

[0021] In the context of this application, the expression gas container or bottle or gas cylinder is used to describe any device or apparatus capable of containing liquefied gas. Throughout this specification, the definition "gas container" or simply "container" is used. It should be understood that this refers to both gas containers and liquefied gas containers, such as LPG or DME (dimethyl ether) or mixtures thereof. In each case, the container physically distributes the gas, whether the contents of the container itself are gas or liquid, or a combination thereof.

[0022] LPG is the abbreviation of liquefied petroleum gas or liquid petroleum gas. In some documents, it is also called LPG gas, LP gas, propane, butane, barbecue gas, camping gas or car gas, and all other specific gas names.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, the change of the valve between the first valve position and / or the second valve position is remotely controlled, preferably wirelessly controlled. This can be done via artificial intelligence, Bluetooth, the Internet, etc.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present disclosure also relates to a gas delivery system for optimizing the use of residual gas, the system comprising: a first and a second gas container for supplying gas; at least a three-way valve fluidly connected to the first and second gas containers, the valve being operable to change position between a first valve position and a second valve position, wherein in the first valve position, gas is supplied from the first container and in the second valve position, gas is supplied from the second container; a sensor device adapted to measure a first sensing characteristic of the first gas container; a control unit configured to receive the first sensing characteristic from the sensor device and adapted to change the position of the valve from the first valve position to the second valve position based on the first sensing characteristic; wherein the control unit is adapted to maintain the valve in the second valve position during a regasification time period, the regasification time period being predefined and / or based on the second sensing characteristic from the sensor device, wherein the control unit is also adapted to change the position of the valve back to the first valve position after the regasification time period.

[0025] By means of the described system, the emptying of the first gas container can be improved so that as much gas as possible is used before the container is replaced.

[0026] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the present disclosure further relates to a valve system for optimizing gas usage in a gas delivery system, the valve system comprising: at least a three-way valve, comprising a first inlet for receiving gas from a first container, a second inlet for receiving gas from a second container, and an outlet for directing gas from the first inlet and / or the second inlet to a receiving device, wherein the valve is adapted to change position between a first valve position and a second valve position, wherein in the first valve position, gas can flow from the first container through the valve to the receiving device, and in the second valve position, gas can flow from the second container to the receiving device, wherein the valve is in the first position, and the valve system further comprises: : A sensor device, adapted to determine a first sensing characteristic, such as a gas flow rate, wherein the first sensing characteristic indicates whether the gas flow rate flowing to the receiving device is below a predetermined level; a control unit, adapted to change the position of the valve, so that when the gas flow rate is below the predetermined level, the control unit changes the position of the valve from the first valve position to the second valve position, so that the gas is guided from the second container to the receiving device, wherein the control unit is adapted to maintain the valve in the second valve position to allow new gas in the first container to vaporize, so that when a predetermined re-vaporization time period has passed, the control unit is adapted to change the position of the valve back to the first valve position, so that the newly generated gas in the first container can flow to the receiving device.

[0027] In an embodiment of the invention, the control unit may be part of the switching valve and / or built into the valve. Thus, the valve and the control unit may be easily retrofitted into an existing gas delivery system, thereby making it possible to utilize the residual gas.

[0028] It should be understood that the embodiments described according to the present invention may be used in combination with any of the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention.

[0029] In an embodiment of the invention, the receiving device may be a gas burner, a stove, a refrigerator, a heating unit, etc. There are many known applications and are well known in the art.

[0030] In an embodiment of the invention, the control unit may be built into the switching valve and / or the weighing scale.

[0031] In an embodiment of the invention, the sensor device is a weighing scale, preferably located below the first gas container, so as to determine a first sensed characteristic, preferably the weight of the gas / liquid in the container, and thereby determine whether the gas flow to the receiving device is below a predetermined level.

[0032] By considering the first container as the main container, i.e. the container that supplies the receiving unit with gas, only one weight is required, thus reducing the cost of the additional device, but still being able to optimize the utilization of the residual gas in the first container. The second container will thus function as a buffer. Assuming that both containers are full from the beginning, the valve position can be changed so that each time the first container cannot provide a sufficient gas flow, gas is supplied from the second container. The first container is thus suspended while the residual liquefied gas vaporizes into the gas phase, so that when the valve is changed back to the first valve position, the pressure in the first container is high enough again and a sufficient amount of gas is available to provide a sufficient gas flow to the receiving unit - at least for a while. When the flow and pressure drop again, the valve can be switched to the second valve position again. When the first container is almost empty, the user can move the second container to the scale, thus making it the new first container, and then bring in a new full container as a second buffer container, and so on. Thus maximizing the utilization of the residual gas in each container.

[0033] In an embodiment, the switching valve is changed from the first valve position to the second valve position at least two or more times, preferably multiple times. In an embodiment, the switching valve is changed from the second valve position to the first valve position at least two or more times, preferably multiple times. In an embodiment, the switching valve is changed from the first valve position to the second valve position at least twice, and the valve is changed from the second valve position to the first valve position at least twice.

[0034] In an embodiment, the valve is preferably a three-way exchange valve, and more preferably a three-way automatic exchange valve.

[0035] In another embodiment of the invention, the sensor device comprises a second scale, preferably located below the second gas container, to determine a second sensed characteristic, preferably the weight of the gas / liquid in the container, to determine whether the gas flow to the receiving device is below a predetermined level.

[0036] In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor device is a pressure sensor and / or a flow sensor. In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor device comprises two pressure sensors and / or two flow sensors, and / or one pressure sensor and one flow sensor.

[0037] In an embodiment, the sensor is arranged at the outlet of the conversion valve. In another embodiment, the sensor is arranged at the receiving device. In yet another embodiment, the sensor is arranged at the flow path between the conversion valve and the receiving device. In an embodiment, the sensor is arranged at the flow path between the first container and the conversion valve. In an embodiment, the sensor is arranged at the flow path between the second container and the conversion valve. In an embodiment, one sensor is arranged in the flow path between the first container and the conversion valve, and another sensor is arranged in the flow path between the second container and the conversion valve.

[0038] By providing a pressure sensor associated with the system, the need to take temperature into account is reduced as the sensor will provide real-time information; when the gas flow from the first container is insufficient, the switching valve should be changed from the first valve position to the second valve position, and thereafter whether sufficient liquefied gas has been vaporized in the first container so that the valve can be switched back from the second valve position to the first valve position again.

[0039] In an embodiment, the system further comprises a temperature sensor.

[0040] By providing an indication of the temperature surrounding the cylinder, a better calculation can be made of how much time is required to boil off the residual liquefied gas.

[0041] In an embodiment, the temperature sensor is adapted to measure the temperature of the first gas container and / or the second gas container.

[0042] In an embodiment, the temperature sensor is a strip sensor placed substantially along the length of the gas container.

[0043] In an embodiment, the system comprises a weighing scale and a pressure sensor, preferably, the pressure sensor is arranged at the outlet of the switching valve.

[0044] In an exemplary embodiment, the pressure sensor is arranged downstream of the regulator.

[0045] The flow rate can be used to calculate a cumulative measured flow rate, which represents the cumulative amount of gas supplied from the gas container through the pipeline.

[0046] The system of the present invention may be configured for use with a receiving device having two gas containers; or may be configured for use with a receiving device having more than two gas containers.

[0047] In an embodiment, the valve is adapted to be arranged in the third valve position such that no gas can flow from the first gas container and / or the second gas container through the valve to the receiving unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to schematic diagrams, in which:

[0049] Figure 1a to Figure 1c A schematic diagram of the gas delivery system at different stages is shown from a cross-sectional side view;

[0050] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of a gas delivery system is shown from a cross-sectional side view;

[0051] Figure 3a to Figure 3d A different third embodiment of a gas delivery system with a sensor is shown from a cross-sectional side view;

[0052] Figure 4a to Figure 4b A fourth different embodiment of a gas delivery system with a control unit is shown from a cross-sectional side view;

[0053] Figure 5 A fifth embodiment of a gas delivery system with a separate control unit is shown from a cross-sectional side view.

[0054] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gas delivery system is shown with a valve in a third position.

[0055] Figure 7 Another embodiment of a gas delivery system with a cloud-based control unit is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, each specific variation of a feature may be applied to other embodiments of the present invention. Note that for illustrative purposes, the dimensions of the different elements shown, especially thickness and / or size, may be exaggerated.

[0057] First refer to Figure 1a to Figure 1c , shows a first embodiment of a gas delivery system 100 of the present invention at different stages from a cross-sectional side view.

[0058] Figure 1a to Figure 1c A gas delivery system 100 according to the invention is shown and / or a method is shown.

[0059] The gas delivery system 100 includes a first gas container 5 and a second gas container 6 .

[0060] The first gas container 5 is suitable for storing therein a product, here shown as liquefied gas 3a and gaseous gas 3b. Similarly, the second gas container 6 is suitable for storing therein a product, here shown as liquefied gas 4a and gaseous gas 4b. A valve, in particular a three-way automatic crossover valve, is provided to guide the gas from the containers 5, 6 to a receiving device 13 (here shown as a gas burner). The valve 11 can be at least in a first valve position (such as Figure 1a ) and the second valve position (as shown Figure 1b As shown), the first valve position can supply gas from the first gas container 5, and the second valve position can supply gas from the second container 6.

[0061] The gas container may be a gas cylinder.

[0062] The change from the first valve position to the second valve position may occur when the flow and / or pressure from the first container 5 decreases. The change from the first valve position to the second valve position may occur automatically, for example when a predetermined threshold (e.g., flow and / or pressure) is reached.

[0063] The gas delivery system comprises a sensor device 31 (not shown as it may be integrated in part of the system). The sensor device is adapted to detect a first sensed characteristic, such as gas flow, indicating whether the gas flow to the receiving device 13 is below a predetermined level.

[0064] The sensor device may include a sensor for sensing the valve configuration (e.g. a magnetic field sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor), a weighing scale for measuring the weight of the gas container, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the gas container (wherein the detected sensing characteristic produced by the sensor device represents the temperature of the gas container) and / or a flow sensor for measuring the flow in the supply pipes 9, 10 supplying gas to the first and / or second containers 5, 6.

[0065] The gas delivery system 100 further comprises a control unit 32 configured to receive a first sensed characteristic related to the gas container 5 , 6 .

[0066] The control unit 32 may include one or more processors for receiving sensed characteristics from the sensor device 31 and performing an action in response to the received sensed characteristics, such as changing the position of a valve.

[0067] The control unit 32 may also be adapted to determine the status of the gas container, preferably based on information received from the sensor device 31 .

[0068] The control unit 32 may also include a communication module for communicating with a remote server, preferably wirelessly. The control unit also includes a power management system for providing power to the one or more processors and the communication module.

[0069] The system 100 further comprises a first regulator 7 for regulating the flow of gas supplied from the first container 5 to the valve 11 through the first pipeline 9. The first pipeline 9 is connected to a first valve inlet 11a of the valve 11.

[0070] The system 100 further comprises a second regulator 8 for regulating the flow of gas supplied from the second container 6 to the valve 11 through the second pipeline 10. The second pipeline 10 is connected to a second valve inlet 11b of the valve 11.

[0071] One end of the third pipeline 12 is connected to the outlet 11 c on the valve, and the other end is connected to the receiving unit 13 to supply the gas from the valve to the receiving unit.

[0072] The system 100 also includes a sensor device. Figure 1a1d , the sensor arrangement comprises a first weighing scale 1 and a second weighing scale 2. The first scale 1 is located below the first container 5 so as to be able to detect a first sensing property, in particular the weight of the container 5 and / or the weight of its contents 3a, 3b.

[0073] The second scale 2 is located below the second container 6 in order to be able to detect a second sensory property, in particular the weight of the container 6 and / or the weight of the contents 4a , 4b of the container 6 .

[0074] The system 100 further comprises a control unit adapted to control the change in position of the valve 11 .

[0075] In an embodiment, Figure 4a As shown, the control unit 20 is a part of the valve 11. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 4b As shown, the control unit 21 is a part of the weighing scale 1. In another embodiment, as Figure 5 As shown, the control unit 22 is a separate unit, such as a computing device. In another embodiment, the control unit can be a separate control unit, such as a smart phone, a Zigbee gateway or a similar device.

[0076] It will be appreciated that in embodiments the sensor device and the control unit may be part of the same device.

[0077] Reference Figure 1a to Figure 1c The embodiment shown.

[0078] exist Figure 1a In the embodiment, the valve 11 is in the first valve position. In this position, the gas 3b can flow out of the first container 5, through the first regulator 7, through the first pipeline 9, then through the first valve inlet 11a, through the valve 11, out through the valve outlet 11c, further through the third pipeline 12, and finally reach the receiving unit 13, where it can be used for a specific purpose, such as barbecue.

[0079] like Figure 1b As shown, when the amount of liquefied gas 3a in the first container 5 is lower than a predetermined amount (ie, 1 kg), the vaporized amount of liquefied gas can no longer meet the gas consumption of the receiving device 13, so the pressure and flow rate of the gas will decrease.

[0080] Evaporation can depend on ambient temperature, gas container type and usage. However, most gas containers have the same geometry, so the wetted surface area of ​​the liquid is essentially the same whether it is a 5kg container or a 10kg container.

[0081] In this embodiment, the sensor means, namely weight 1, determines a first sensed characteristic; the weight of the remaining liquefied gas 3a. This first sensed characteristic indicates whether the gas flow to the receiving device is insufficient to meet the needs or use of said device.

[0082] If this is the case, the control unit (not shown) changes the position of the valve 11 from the first position to the second position, wherein the gas 4b can flow out of the second container 6, through the second regulator 8, through the second pipeline 10, then through the second valve inlet 11b, through the valve 11, out through the valve outlet 11c, further through the third pipeline 12, and finally reach the receiving unit 13. Therefore, the receiving unit can continuously use the gas without interruption.

[0083] The valve 11 is held in the second valve position for a specific period of time, which is referred to in this specification as the "revaporization period".

[0084] In an embodiment, the revaporization time is less than 20 minutes, preferably less than 10 minutes, more preferably less than 5 minutes, and most preferably no more than 1 minute. In an embodiment, the first revaporization time period of the first container is less than the second revaporization time period of the first container. In a further embodiment, the first revaporization time period of the first container and / or the second revaporization time period of the first container is less than the third revaporization time period of the first container.

[0085] In an embodiment, the revaporization time period is determined by the control unit.The control unit may use information from the measuring device and / or the second measuring device to determine the length of the revaporization time period and / or when the revaporization time period ends.

[0086] During the regasification time period, (a portion of) the remaining liquefied gas 3a in the first container 5 can be vaporized into new gas 3b, so that when the regasification time period ends, the pressure inside the first container is higher than the pressure inside the first container at the beginning of the regasification time period.

[0087] When the regasification phase is over, the control unit changes the valve 11 from the second valve position back to the first valve position so that the newly vaporized gas in the first container can flow to the receiving unit 13. Thus, the residual gas that could not be used before the regasification period can now be used.

[0088] In an embodiment, the measuring unit (shown as weight 1) now measures the second sensed characteristic again. The second sensed characteristic is the weight of the liquefied gas 3a which is now remaining.

[0089] When the second sensed characteristic indicates that the gas flowing to the receiving device is insufficient to meet the needs or use of the device, the controller changes the position of the valve 11 from the first position to the second position so that the gas 4b flows from the second container 6 to the receiving device 13 again.

[0090] The valve 11 is held in the second valve position for a specific period of time, which is referred to as the "second regasification period" in this specification.

[0091] In an embodiment, the method comprises at least 3 regasification time periods, preferably more than 5 regasification time periods, and most preferably more than 7 regasification time periods.

[0092] The valve change and the resulting regasification period may continue until the amount of liquefied gas remaining in the first container 5 is less than 0.75 kg, preferably less than 0.5 kg, or more preferably less than 0.1 kg.

[0093] The changing of the valve and thus the generation of the revaporization period may continue until the pressure within the first vessel 5 is less than 1.0 bar, preferably less than 0.75 bar, preferably less than 0.5 bar, more preferably less than 0.35 bar or most preferably about 0.3 bar.

[0094] When the last drop of liquefied gas evaporates, the pressure in the gas container is about 0.3 bar.

[0095] exist Figure 1a to Figure 1c In the illustrated embodiment, a method for optimizing the use of residual gas in a gas delivery system comprising at least two containers 5, 6 comprises the following steps;

[0096] - providing a first container 5 suitable for storing liquefied gas 3a,

[0097] - providing a second container 6 suitable for storing the liquefied gas 4a,

[0098] - providing at least one three-way valve 11, which is suitable for switching between a first valve position and a second valve position,

[0099] - positioning the valve 11 in the first valve position so that gas from the first liquefied gas 3a flows from the first container 5 to the receiving device 13,

[0100] - determining, by means of the sensor device 31, a first sensing characteristic, for example a gas flow, which indicates whether the gas flow to the receiving device 13 is below a predetermined level,

[0101] - in case the gas flow rate is below a predetermined level, changing the position of the valve 11 to a second valve position so that the gas from the second liquefied gas 4a flows from the second container 6 to the receiving device 13,

[0102] - keeping the valve 11 in the second valve position to allow the remaining first liquefied gas 3a in the first container 5 to vaporize into new gas,

[0103] - Changing the position of the valve 11 back to the first valve position, so that the newly produced gas in the first container 5 can flow to the receiving device 13 .

[0104] In an embodiment, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0105] - determining, by means of the sensor device 31, a second sensing characteristic indicating whether the gas flow to the receiving device 13 is below a predetermined level,

[0106] - in case the gas flow rate falls below a predetermined level, changing the position of the valve 11 again to the second valve position so that the gas from the second liquefied gas 4a flows from the second container 6 to the receiving device 13,

[0107] - keeping the valve 11 in the second valve position to allow the remaining first liquefied gas 3a in the first container 5 to vaporize into new gas,

[0108] - Changing the position of the valve 11 back to the first valve position, so that the newly produced gas in the first container 5 can flow to the receiving device 13 .

[0109] The control unit may be adapted to automatically (preferably wirelessly) change the position of the valve 11 between the first valve position and the second valve position when the gas flow rate is below a predetermined level and / or when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

[0110] Now go to Figure 2 , wherein a second embodiment of a gas delivery system 100 of the present invention is shown from a cross-sectional side view.

[0111] This embodiment is particularly advantageous where high pressure systems / large volumes of gas are required, such as in industrial kitchens.

[0112] In this embodiment, the first gas container 5 is connected to the first pipe 9 without a regulator in between. Similarly, the second gas container 6 is connected to the second pipe 10 without a regulator in between (such as Figure 1a to that shown in Figure 1d).

[0113] Instead, the regulator 16 is located at the outlet 11c of the valve 11. This creates a high pressure system up to the regulator, since the pressure of the gas is not regulated up to this point. Therefore only one regulator 16 is required.

[0114] Now go to Figure 3a to Figure 3d , which shows different embodiments of the gas delivery system 100 of the present invention from a cross-sectional side view, wherein sensors 17 , 18 , 19 are shown at different locations on the system 100 .

[0115] exist Figure 3a In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the third sensor 17 is located at the outlet 11 a of the valve 11 . The sensor may be a flow sensor for determining a sensing characteristic, in particular a flow rate in the outlet 11 c of the valve 11 .

[0116] exist Figure 3b In the embodiment, the third sensor 17 is located near the receiving unit 13. The sensor may be a flow sensor for determining a sensing characteristic, in particular the flow rate of the gas before reaching the receiving unit.

[0117] exist Figure 3c In the embodiment, the third sensor 17 is connected to the third pipeline 12. The sensor may be a flow sensor for determining a sensing characteristic, in particular a flow rate in the third pipeline 12.

[0118] In the embodiment shown, only one or more sensors are needed, thereby avoiding positioning one or more containers on a weighing scale. In addition, sensors can also be arranged at various different locations on / inside the system 100.

[0119] Go to Figure 4a Fig. b shows different embodiments of the gas delivery system 100 of the invention from a cross-sectional side view with a control unit 20, 21.

[0120] exist Figure 4a In FIG. 1 , the control unit 20 is shown adjacent to the valve 11. The control unit 20 may be a part of the valve 11.

[0121] The control unit 20 is adapted to receive the first sensed characteristic, in particular the weight of the first gas container 5 , from the first weighing scale 1 , preferably in a wireless manner.

[0122] The control unit 20 is further adapted to receive the second sensed characteristic from the second weighing scale 2 , preferably wirelessly, in particular the weight of the second gas container 6 .

[0123] It will be appreciated that the control unit 20 may receive a plurality of sensed characteristics from each weighing scale 1 , 2 .

[0124] When the control unit 20 receives a first sensing characteristic from the first weighing scale 1, the sensing characteristic indicates that the amount of liquefied gas 3a in the first gas container 5 is below a predetermined threshold, wherein when the sensing characteristic is below the predefined threshold, the gas supply to the receiving device 13 is insufficient, and the position of the valve 11 is changed from the first valve position to the second valve position.

[0125] When the control unit 20 receives a first sensing characteristic from the first weighing scale 1, the sensing characteristic indicates that the pressure in the first gas container 5 is lower than a predefined threshold, wherein when the sensing characteristic is lower than the predefined threshold, the gas supply to the receiving device 13 is insufficient, and the position of the valve 11 is changed from the first valve position to the second valve position.

[0126] Therefore, during the predefined regasification period, the valve 11 remains in the second valve position so that the residual gas 3b in the first container 5 can be vaporized and new gas is generated. Therefore, the pressure in the first container at the end of the regasification period is higher than the pressure at the beginning of the regasification period.

[0127] The sensing property is provided by a sensor device. In this embodiment, each weighing scale 1, 2 can be regarded as a sensor device adapted to detect its own sensing property.

[0128] Figure 5 An embodiment of a gas delivery system 100 according to the present invention is shown from a cross-sectional side view.

[0129] In this embodiment, the system further comprises a separate control device 22 .

[0130] Here, the control device 22 is adapted to receive sensory characteristics from the first weighing scale 1 and / or the second weighing scale 2 .

[0131] The control device 22 is further configured to generate a status signal based on the sensed characteristic. The status signal may be a signal indicating that the pressure in the gas container is below a predefined threshold and / or the weight of the gas container is below a predefined threshold, resulting in insufficient gas supply to the receiving device 13.

[0132] The control device 22 may transmit the status signal to the valve 11 , preferably in a wireless manner, and the valve 11 changes position from the first valve position and / or to the first valve position in response to the status signal.

[0133] Go to Figure 6 , where an embodiment of a gas delivery system 100 is shown from a cross-sectional side view.

[0134] In this embodiment, the valve 11 is adapted to be arranged in the third valve position, so that no gas can flow from the first gas container and / or the second gas container through the valve to the receiving unit 13 .

[0135] at last, Figure 7 Another embodiment of a gas delivery system 100 is shown. Here, the first sensor 18 is a flow sensor for determining a first sensed characteristic, in particular the flow rate in the first pipe 9 of the first gas container 5 supplying gas.

[0136] The second sensor 19 is a flow sensor for determining a second sensing characteristic, in particular a flow rate in the second pipeline 10 of the supply gas of the second gas container 6 .

[0137] Furthermore, the third sensor 17 is a flow sensor for determining a third sensing characteristic, in particular a flow rate of gas supplied from the valve 11 to the third pipeline 12 of the receiving device 13 .

[0138] All sensors 17, 18, 19 and weighing scales 1, 2 are connected to and / or controlled by a cloud-based control system / program 23 via the Internet of Things and / or wirelessly. The system also includes an Internet of Things and / or wirelessly controlled valve 11.

[0139] Any one or more of the sensors 17, 18, 19 and / or weighing scales 1, 2 are adapted to send measurement information (eg, the first sensed characteristic) to the cloud 23. The system 100 further comprises a control unit, which may be part of the valve 11 or part of the cloud 23.

[0140] The control unit is configured to receive a sensing characteristic associated with the gas container. The sensing characteristic is provided by a sensor device. In this embodiment, each of the sensors 17, 18, 19 and the weighing scales 1, 2 can be regarded as a sensor device adapted to detect its own sensing characteristic. Each sensor or weighing scale is adapted to determine a sensing characteristic, such as gas flow or weight.

[0141] The control unit is further configured to generate a status signal based on the sensed characteristic. The status signal may be a signal indicating that the pressure in the gas container is below a predefined threshold, wherein the gas supply to the receiving device 13 is insufficient.

[0142] If the control unit is part of the valve, the control unit can transmit this status signal to the cloud.

[0143] The control unit may include one or more processors for receiving the sensed characteristic signals from the sensor device and determining therefrom the state of the gas container, and a communication module for communicating with the cloud 23 and / or a remote device 22 such as a smartphone.

[0144] The system also includes a power management system for providing power to the one or more processors and / or communication modules.

[0145] The control unit can be managed by IoT, cloud or through an app or Google TM The IfTTT rules that Home runs are managed.

[0146] The control unit and / or the cloud may receive data 24 from other external sources, such as ambient temperature, weather forecasts, and daily natural gas prices. In this way, the system can determine / calculate the length of time required for each specific regasification period.

[0147] Furthermore, a new gas container may also be automatically ordered when the first container is empty, either via the cloud 23 or the remote device 22 .

[0148] In an embodiment, the valve, sensor and control unit may be part of one device.

[0149] Furthermore, knowing the wetted surface of the gas container and the ambient temperature, the algorithm can calculate the time required to build up pressure or how the pressure changes depending on the consumption of the gas phase. When a gas cylinder has to be paused, the cloud / processor unit will calculate and send a message to the valve so that it can obtain the equilibrium between the gas and liquid phases again. The cloud / processor will cause the valve to switch to another gas cylinder or set the valve to neutral, not delivering the gas in the cylinder to the regulator and the gas consuming product.

[0150] In one embodiment, the system is adapted to provide a "pay-per-use / volume system" such that when a (pre)paid amount of natural gas is used, the system turns the valve to a third closed valve position (eg Figure 6 shown).

[0151] If for some reason the connection to the cloud or any wireless device is severed or cannot be established, the valve can go into automatic mode where the revaporization period is predefined to a certain time interval.

[0152] It will be readily appreciated that in this embodiment, the sensor device 31 may include one or each sensor and / or a weighing scale.

[0153] For example, it can be easily understood that the system and / or valve and / or method can include a combination of two or more sensors, such as a weight sensor, a temperature sensor, and a flow sensor, or any combination thereof.

[0154] By way of further example, the systems and / or valves and / or methods may include an optical sensor for detecting when the valve is in the first valve position or the second valve position.

[0155] In an embodiment, a gas delivery system 100 for optimizing residual gas usage includes;

[0156] the sensor device 31 is adapted to determine a second sensing characteristic, such as a gas flow, which indicates whether the gas flow to the receiving device 13 is below a predetermined level, and wherein,

[0157] -The control unit 32 is suitable for changing the position of the valve 11 from the first valve position to the second valve position when the gas flow rate is lower than a predetermined level, thereby guiding the gas from the second container 6 to the receiving device 13, wherein the control unit 32 is suitable for maintaining the valve 11 in the second valve position to allow new gas in the first container 5 to vaporize, so that when a predetermined re-vaporization time period is reached, the control unit 32 is suitable for changing the position of the valve 11 back to the first valve position, so that the newly generated gas in the first container 5 can flow to the receiving device 13, so as to optimize the utilization of the remaining liquid 3 in the first container 5.

[0158] In an embodiment of the gas delivery system 100, the sensor device 31 is suitable for determining a second sensing characteristic, such as a gas flow rate, which indicates whether the gas flow rate flowing to the receiving device 13 is lower than a predetermined level, and wherein the control unit 32 is suitable for changing the position of the valve 11 from the first valve position to the second valve position when the gas flow rate is lower than the predetermined level, thereby directing the gas from the second container 6 to the receiving device 13, wherein the control unit 32 is suitable for maintaining the valve 11 in the second valve position to allow new gas in the first container 5 to vaporize, so that when a predetermined re-vaporization time period is reached, the control unit 32 is suitable for changing the position of the valve 11 back to the first valve position so that the newly generated gas in the first container 5 can flow to the receiving device 13, so as to optimize the utilization of the remaining liquid 3 in the first container 5.

[0159] Although specific language has been used to describe this subject matter, it is not intended to create any limitation therefrom. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various work modifications may be made to the method to implement the inventive concepts taught herein. The accompanying drawings and the foregoing description provide examples of embodiments. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that one or more of the elements may be well combined into a single functional element. Optionally, some elements may be split into multiple functional elements, and the elements in the embodiment may be added to another embodiment.

[0160] Reference numerals list

[0161]

[0162]

Claims

1. A method for optimizing residual gas usage in a gas delivery system, the gas delivery system comprising: a first gas container (5) and a second gas container (6) for supplying gas (3b, 4b), each gas container containing liquefied gas (3, 4); and at least one three-way valve (11) in fluid communication with the first gas container (5) and the second gas container (6), the valve (11) being operable to change position between a first valve position, in which gas is supplied from the first container (5), and a second valve position, in which gas is supplied from the second container (6), Wherein, the method comprises the following steps: - measuring a first sensing characteristic of said first gas container using a sensor device (31), - receiving, by means of a control unit (32), said first sensed characteristic from said sensor device (31), - changing the position of the valve (11) from the first valve position to the second valve position based on the first sensed characteristic; - maintaining the valve (11) in the second valve position for a revaporization time period, the revaporization time period being predefined and / or based on a second sensed characteristic from the sensor device (31), and - changing the position of the valve (11) back to the first valve position after the revaporization period.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first sensed characteristic and / or the second sensed characteristic is a gas flow measurement, a pressure, a temperature and / or a weight of the gas container.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - measuring a third sensed characteristic of said first gas container using said sensor device (31) adapted to measure, - receiving, by means of the control unit (32), the third sensing characteristic from the sensor device (31), - changing the position of the valve (11) from the first valve position to the second valve position based on the third sensed characteristic; - maintaining the valve (11) in the second valve position for a second revaporization time period, the second revaporization time period being predefined and / or based on a fourth sensed characteristic from the sensor device (31), and - changing the position of the valve (11) back to the first valve position after the second revaporization period.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The position of the valve (11) is changed at least twice, preferably at least 4 times, more preferably at least 6 times, most preferably multiple times, until the residual liquefied gas in the first gas container is almost completely vaporized.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first revaporization time period is shorter than the second revaporization time period, and preferably, the nth revaporization time period is shorter than the (n+1)th revaporization time period.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The amount of residual gas, preferably liquefied gas, in the first gas container (5) at the beginning of any regasification period is greater than the amount of residual gas, preferably liquefied gas, in the first gas container (5) at the end of the regasification period.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The control unit (32) changes the position of the valve (11) and / or the control unit is an independent control device (22) adapted to communicate wirelessly with the valve (11).

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The method is controlled by a cloud / IoT-based program (23).

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The valve is according to any one of claims 16-20.

10. A gas delivery system (100) for optimizing residual gas usage, the system comprising: A first gas container (5) and a second gas container (6) for supplying gas; at least one three-way valve (11) in fluid communication with the first gas container (5) and the second gas container (6), the valve (11) being operable to change position between a first valve position, in which gas is supplied from the first gas container (5), and a second valve position, in which gas is supplied from the second container (6), a sensor device (31) adapted to measure a first sensing characteristic of said first gas container, a control unit (32) configured to receive the first sensed characteristic from the sensor device (31) and adapted to change the position of the valve (11) from the first valve position to the second valve position based on the first sensed characteristic; in, The control unit (32) is adapted to maintain the valve (11) in the second valve position for a regasification time period, the regasification time period being predefined and / or based on a second sensed characteristic from the sensor device (31), wherein the control unit (32) is further adapted to change the position of the valve (11) back to the first valve position after the regasification time period.

11. The gas delivery system (100) according to claim 10, wherein: The first sensed characteristic and / or the second sensed characteristic is a gas flow measurement, a pressure, a temperature and / or a weight of the gas container.

12. The gas delivery system (100) according to any one of claims 10 to 11, wherein: The sensor device (31) is adapted to measure a third sensing characteristic of the first gas container, - the control unit (32) is configured to receive the third sensed characteristic from the sensor device (31) and is adapted to change the position of the valve (11) from the first valve position to the second valve position based on the third sensed characteristic; wherein the control unit (32) is adapted to maintain the valve (11) in the second valve position for a second revaporization time period, the second revaporization time period being predefined and / or based on a fourth sensed characteristic from the sensor device (31), Wherein the control unit (32) is further adapted to change the position of the valve (11) back to the first valve position after the second regasification time period.

13. The gas delivery system (100) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The control unit (32) is configured to change the position of the valve (11) at least twice, preferably at least 4 times, more preferably at least 6 times, most preferably multiple times, until the residual liquefied gas in the first gas container is almost completely vaporized.

14. The gas delivery system (100) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein: The first revaporization time period is shorter than the second revaporization time period, and preferably, the nth revaporization time period is shorter than the (n+1)th revaporization time period.

15. The gas delivery system (100) according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein: The amount of residual liquefied gas in the first gas container (5) at the beginning of any regasification period is greater than the amount of residual liquefied gas in the first gas container (5) at the end of the regasification period.

16. A valve system for optimizing gas usage in a gas delivery system (100), the valve system comprising: At least a three-way valve (11) comprising: - a first inlet (11a) for receiving gas from a first container (5), - a second inlet (11b) for receiving gas from a second container (6), - an outlet (11c) for directing the gas from the first inlet (11a) and / or the second inlet (11b) to a receiving device (13), Wherein, the valve (11) is suitable for changing position between the following positions: a first valve position in which gas can flow from the first container through the valve (11) to the receiving device (13), and a second valve position in which gas can flow from the second container (6) to the receiving device (13), The valve (11) is in a first position, a sensor device (31) adapted to determine a first sensing characteristic, such as a gas flow rate, which indicates whether a gas flow rate to the receiving device (13) is below a predetermined level, a control unit (32) adapted to change the position of the valve (11) so that, in the event that the gas flow rate is below the predetermined level, the control unit (32) changes the position of the valve (11) from the first valve position to the second valve position, thereby directing the gas from the second container (6) to the receiving device (13), The control unit (32) is adapted to maintain the valve (11) in the second valve position to allow new gas in the first container (5) to vaporize, so that when a predetermined re-vaporization time period has passed, the control unit (32) is adapted to change the position of the valve (11) back to the first valve position, so that the newly generated gas in the first container (5) can flow to the receiving device (13).

17. The valve system of claim 16, wherein: The sensed characteristic is a gas flow measurement, pressure, temperature and / or weight of the first gas container, and / or the sensed characteristic is wirelessly transmitted to the control unit (32).

18. The valve system according to any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein: - the sensor device (31) is adapted to measure a third sensing characteristic of the first gas container, the control unit (32) being configured to receive the third sensed characteristic from the sensor device (31) and being adapted to change the position of the valve (11) from the first valve position to the second valve position based on the third sensed characteristic, - the control unit (32) is further adapted to maintain the valve (11) in the second valve position for a second revaporization time period, the second revaporization time period being predefined and / or based on a fourth sensed characteristic from the sensor device (31), and Wherein the control unit (32) is further adapted to change the position of the valve (11) back to the first valve position after the second regasification time period.

19. The valve system according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein: The control unit (32) is configured to change the position of the valve (11) at least twice, preferably at least 4 times, more preferably at least 6 times, most preferably multiple times, until the residual liquefied gas in the first gas container is almost completely vaporized.

20. The valve system according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein: The first regasification time period is smaller than the second regasification time period, preferably, the nth regasification time period is smaller than the n+1th regasification time period, and / or the amount of residual liquefied gas in the first gas container (5) at the beginning of any regasification time period is larger than the amount of residual liquefied gas in the first gas container (5) at the end of the regasification time period.

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