Improved fluid sampling pump system

Abstract

The invention relates to an improved fluid sampling pump, which integrates: a pressure reducing valve in a pipeline; a synthetic lubricant oiler in the conduit connected to the air drive port; the stainless steel actuator shell is provided with a central air driving input port, and an anti-friction and anti-corrosion coating is arranged in the shell; the actuator piston is provided with a polyurethane O-shaped ring; the shot-peening galvanized piano steel wire compresses a piston reset spring of the spiral actuator.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. application No. 17 / 903,163, filed on September 6, 2022. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a pneumatically driven fluid sample piston pump system assembly, particularly suitable for natural gas liquids (NGL) and cryogenic NGL, and vapor gases containing them. The system assembly uses a combination of components including an in-line filtered pressure relief valve lubricator (FRL) synthetic lubricant oiler associated with a pressurized drive gas / air input for lubricating the pump piston actuator, at least one in-line pressure relief valve and central air drive port for overpressure protection, an actuator piston with a polyurethane O-ring, a shot peened zinc plated music wire compression screw actuator piston return spring, a stainless steel actuator housing and anti-friction and anti-corrosion coating, and a pressurized fluid flow meter valve to enhance performance. Background Art

[0003] In natural gas sample processing, especially for NGL or cryogenic NGL, a small liquid aliquot is extracted from the source, pressurized by a pump, and then delivered to a sample collector. In such processing, it is critical to maintain the fluid in a stable state, whether in the gas phase or liquid phase, to prevent sampling irregularities due to phase changes. For this reason, especially in the case of low temperature processing (e.g., -65°F (-54°C)), it is desirable to minimize the presence of phase change induced heat during pumping. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is an object of the improved fluid sampling pump of the present invention to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the heat generated by the pump while improving operational reliability.

[0005] It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination of features that reduces the need for pumping interruptions due to parts replacement.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to maximize duty cycle and operating life in the field while minimizing maintenance and replacement of moving parts and / or entire pump assemblies.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatically driven sampling pump operable to allow continuous, uninterrupted extraction of fixed volume samples from large sources (tankers, railroad tank cars, pipelines, etc.).

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for a pneumatic input calibrator by achieving a standard fixed sample volume (e.g., 3 cubic centimeters per stroke) by relying on process control timing via an associated programmable logic controller (PLC).

[0009] The exemplary non-limiting embodiments of the present invention can overcome the above and other disadvantages associated with the related art liquid vaporization and measurement systems. In addition, the present invention does not necessarily need to overcome the above disadvantages, and the exemplary non-limiting embodiments of the present invention may not overcome any of the above problems.

[0010] To achieve the above and other purposes, according to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an improved pneumatically driven piston fluid sampling pump, which can operate in gas phase or liquid phase within a temperature range suitable for natural gas liquid (NGL) and low temperature NGL sampling operating environment, and has a pressurized driving gas, a pressurized driving gas inlet, a sample collection input end and a pressurized fluid sample output end; an in-line oiler for controlled dropwise introduction of synthetic lubricating oil into the pressurized driving gas; an in-line pressure reducing valve connected to and disposed downstream of the oiler disposed in the pipeline; a stainless steel piston actuator housing, which includes an upper wall with a centered inlet for the pressurized driving gas, an internal piston head chamber with a first selected diameter, and a lower wall; the inner surface of the chamber has a non-reactive, corrosion-resistant, friction-reducing coating; A movable piston includes a piston head, a connecting piston rod and a piston plunger cylinder with a second selected diameter connected to the piston rod; the diameter of the piston head corresponds to the first selected diameter for reciprocating motion in the piston head chamber; a galvanized, shot-peened piano wire spiral piston return compression spring, which is located in the piston head chamber between the piston head and the lower wall; an elongated stainless steel piston plunger cylinder housing, which is fixed to the lower wall of the stainless steel piston actuator housing and extends therefrom, the stainless steel piston plunger cylinder housing having an inner surface, the inner surface having a non-reactive, corrosion-resistant, friction-reducing coating corresponding to the second selected diameter; a plurality of spaced-apart polyurethane O-rings arranged on the piston plunger and corresponding to the second selected diameter; a fluid sample input end leading to the stainless steel piston plunger cylinder housing; a pressurized fluid sample output end; and a flow metering valve, which has an integrated bypass arranged in series with the pressurized fluid sample output end.

[0011] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on the above-mentioned embodiment, wherein a filter regulator lubricator (FRL) is used when the compressed driving air needs to be not only clean but also lubricated. The filter regulator can remove condensed water and coarse dirt generated by the compressor. The lubricator regularly supplies the driving air with a precisely metered amount of lubricating oil, which has a low viscosity that is basically stable within a certain temperature range, before it is introduced into the inner surface of the pump housing to minimize the friction heat generated by the reciprocating motion of the piston.

[0012] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on the above embodiments, wherein the pneumatic input is centrally located to promote uniform pressurization of the actuating piston head and reduce uneven torque forces acting on the piston due to eccentric air input. In addition, the present invention eliminates the need for a pressure relief bursting disc integrated with the actuator housing. Eliminating the bursting disc eliminates the need to disassemble the pump to replace a bursting disc that ruptures due to overpressure, thereby reducing the operating downtime and labor required for such repairs.

[0013] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on the above-mentioned embodiment, wherein the oiler in the pipeline is controlled by PLC.

[0014] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on any of the above embodiments, wherein the oiler in the pipeline includes a filter and a pressure regulator.

[0015] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on any of the above embodiments, wherein the embodiment further includes a sample collection cylinder connected to the pressurized fluid sample output end, and a pressure reducing valve for preventing the sample collection cylinder from being over-pressurized.

[0016] Other objects of the present invention are achieved by a system that facilitates improved, continuous, uninterrupted operation of a pneumatically driven fluid sampling pump assembly by combining the following components: an air input line pressure reducing valve; an air input line synthetic oil oiler; a centered air input end leading to the pump piston head chamber, the chamber having a friction-reducing, corrosion-resistant coating; a reciprocating piston plunger cylinder equipped with a polyurethane sealing O-ring to reduce thermal stress caused by heat during operation; a stainless steel actuator housing and piston plunger cylinder housing for heat dissipation; a shot-peened, galvanized piano wire piston return spring; and a flow metering valve in the pipeline connected to the pressurized fluid output end.

[0017] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on the above-mentioned embodiment, wherein the piston plunger cylinder includes two polyurethane sealing O-rings arranged at intervals.

[0018] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on either of the two aforementioned embodiments, wherein the line oiler is controlled by a PLC to periodically inject synthetic lubricant into the instrument air introduced into the pump piston head chamber housing through the pneumatic input port.

[0019] Other objects of the present invention are achieved by a method for providing a pressurized fixed volume fluid sample, the method comprising the following steps: providing a flow of pressurized driving air from a source; periodically injecting a liquid lubricant into the flow; passing the flow through a pressure reducing valve to prevent overpressure; periodically delivering a fixed volume of the flow to a central input / output feedthrough leading to a pneumatically driven pump housing, the pump housing comprising a friction reducing coating, a piston including a piston head, a shot peened galvanized music wire compression piston head return spring, a piston plunger, a piston plunger chamber, a sample inlet and a pressurized sample outlet; causing the piston head to compress the piston head return spring and pressurize a fixed volume of sample fluid introduced through the sample inlet through the piston plunger; delivering the pressurized sample fluid to the pressurized sample outlet; delivering the pressurized sample fluid to a sample collection cylinder; and discharging the flow through the input / output feedthrough to decompress the piston head and the piston head return spring and draw a fixed volume of sample fluid into the piston plunger chamber through the sample inlet.

[0020] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on the aforementioned method embodiment, wherein the method further includes the step of providing a PLC controller to control the periodic injection of liquid lubricant and periodically delivering a fixed volume flow to the pneumatic drive pump.

[0021] The present invention further provides an embodiment based on any one of the two aforementioned method embodiments, wherein a pressurized sample bypass is provided between the pressurized sample outlet and the sample collection cylinder, and the method also includes a step of preventing over-pressurization of the sample collection cylinder by redirecting the pressurized sample to the pressurized sample bypass. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Various aspects of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary non-limiting embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gas-driven fluid sampling pump system according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the fluid sampling pump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Exemplary non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be discussed in detail below. Although specific configurations and dimensions will be discussed to aid in clear understanding, it should be understood that the disclosed dimensions and configurations are for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that, unless otherwise specified, other dimensions and configurations may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0026] As used herein, "substantially", "relatively", "generally", "about" and "approximately" are relative modifiers intended to indicate the allowable deviation of the modified feature. They are not limited to the absolute value or feature modified by it, but are close to or similar to such physical or functional features.

[0027] In the detailed description, reference to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", or "in some embodiments" means that the referenced features are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. In addition, separate references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", or "in some embodiments" do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. However, unless otherwise stated, these embodiments are not mutually exclusive, unless this is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention may include various combinations and / or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

[0028] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be further understood that when the root terms "including" and / or "having" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but does not exclude the presence or addition of at least one other feature, integer, step, operation, element, part and / or its combination.

[0029] It should be understood that, as used herein, the terms "characterized by," "including," "comprising," "having," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus characterized by a list of features is not necessarily limited to only those features but may include other features not expressly listed or inherent to the process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0030] It should also be understood that, as used herein, any reference to a numerical range is intended to include every value within that range, including the end points of the range, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0031] As used herein, "connected" includes physical connections, whether direct or indirect, permanently fixed or adjustable. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, "connected" is intended to encompass any operational functional connection.

[0032] In the following description, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, which are representative of specific exemplary embodiments that may be implemented by the present invention and are for illustrative purposes only. The embodiments shown below will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement the present invention. It should be understood that other embodiments may be used and structural changes may be made based on currently known structural and / or functional equivalents without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0033] According to the following detailed description, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a novel liquid vaporization device and method thereof for improving efficiency while alleviating the problems of the prior art.

[0034] The present invention comprises an improvement to the existing Mustang liquid sampling pump. The improved sampling pump is suitable for sample collection during fluid (gas or liquid phase) transfer operations, even in the case of cryogenic liquid sample collection, and is particularly suitable for continuous operation and use in a range of harsh environments. The following description first introduces the driving elements of the pneumatic pump and then introduces the sample pressurizing elements.

[0035] The assembly 10 includes a cabinet housing 12 which is provided with a suitable power feed 14 for an associated programmable logic controller (PLC) 16. A feedthrough in the cabinet housing 12 provides a pressurized driven instrument air / gas inlet line 22 which delivers pressurized instrument air to and through an in-line filter regulator lubricator (FRL) unit 24. The FRL unit filters the pressurized instrument air, regulates its flow and pressure, and injects synthetic lubricant into the instrument air stream. The oiler is automatically controlled to periodically drip a drop of synthetic oil into the instrument air stream prior to introducing the pressurized air into the downstream piston chamber to ensure lubricant is present in the piston chamber during pump operation.

[0036] Filtered pressure relief valve lubricator (FRL) units are well-known devices, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,945,465 and 7,637,977. Examples of FRLs suitable for use in conjunction with the illustrated embodiments are available from Grainger, Inc., such as Wilkerson Model C18-03-FLG0B. In this embodiment, the FRL unit 24 is injected with a thermally stable, non-reactive, low-viscosity lubricant to prevent wear damage, limit heat generation to avoid distribution / phase change of the sample fluid during input and output from the pump during operation and the resulting component anomalies, and protect and lubricate the O-rings of the piston pump plunger described below by filling any surface irregularities that may occur during operation. The injected lubricant minimizes friction, smoothes the surface, avoids wear, extrusion or cutting damage, and promotes the correct seating of the O-rings on the piston. One such lubricant is a non-curing silicone from Synco Chemical Company of Bohemia, New York, under the trade name Super O-Ring Silicone Lubricant. The use of lubricants also improves the consistent operating performance of pumps associated with natural gas liquids (NGL) or cryogenic NGL fluids and their processing, whether in liquid or vapor phase, over a temperature range from ambient to as low as -65°F (-54°C).

[0037] After the air flows through the FRL unit, it passes through a pressure reducing valve 26 and a three-way solenoid valve 28 in the pipeline controlled by the PLC 16 to provide an outlet for the over-pressure air before entering the input / output port 20. The solenoid valve 28 is connected to the instrument air pressure relief bypass line 30, which also provides an exhaust path for the air output from the pump 18.

[0038] The fluid sample pressurizing assembly includes a fluid sample input pipeline 32, which includes a shutoff valve 31 for delivering the fluid sample to the pump 18. Figure 2 As shown in more detail in FIG. 1 , the pump 18 includes a stainless steel actuator housing 34 with a protective coating on the inside, a cylindrical piston plunger chamber 36 with a protective coating on the inside, and is fixed to the pump sample outlet and bypass manifold 38. The actuator housing 34 includes a drive air input / output port 20 arranged centrally on its upper wall, a reciprocating piston head 40, a piston return spring 42, and a cylindrical piston reciprocating channel below, which is sized to fit the drive piston body 46. The piston head 40 is firmly fixed to the piston plunger body 46 by a connecting rod 49, and the piston plunger body 46 includes a plurality of axially spaced O-rings 48, which enhance wear resistance and extend the thermal operating range, for example, as low as -65°F (-54°C). The O-ring is arranged on the outer circumferential surface to seal and prevent fluid leakage.

[0039] The inner surfaces of the actuator housing and the cylindrical piston reciprocating passage include oxidation, corrosion and friction resistant coatings to increase the duty cycle life of the piston actuator and actuator spring. One such coating is It’s a proprietary low-surface-energy coating from SilcoTek Corporation, Bellefonte, Pa., that bonds to the inner wear surfaces of movable piston pump parts via vapor deposition to reduce heat generation during repeated reciprocating motion of pistons and O-rings in housings and cyclic compression / decompression of actuator springs.

[0040] The piston return spring 42 is made of high carbon music wire, which has a higher tensile strength than stainless steel and can operate effectively over a wider temperature range, even at higher temperatures (e.g., 250°F (121°C)). In addition, the music wire is shot peened to increase cycle life and reduce the need for replacement. The shot peening process is to impact the surface of the music wire with small beads / shots to deform it, thereby increasing the strength of the spring through hardening and relieving residual stress on the surface. After shot peening, the music wire spring is galvanized to enhance corrosion resistance and reduce heat generation by giving the spring a bright reflective surface. The shot peened, galvanized music wire has approximately the same size and compression length as a conventional spring and improves operating continuity by being able to withstand more compressions before replacement is required due to spring fatigue / failure. In one test, the compression spring was cycled for 420 hours at laboratory ambient temperature (80°F / 26°C), for a total of four working weeks. Testing without spring failure was nonstop (Monday morning through Friday afternoon) and equated to 189,000 sampling operations of 3 cubic centimeters per milliliter (cc / ml) of sample.

[0041] Turning now to the flow of the fluid sample through the pump assembly, fluid enters the pump from the input line 32 through the pump inlet 50 and enters the pump chamber 36. This occurs when the drive air pressure within the actuator housing 34 is released by the timing control of the PLC 16 to open the solenoid valve 28 to flow back through the single input / output port 20, thereby exhausting through the air relief line 30 and allowing the spring 42 to decompress. During the next pressurization cycle, pressurized instrument air is introduced through the central input / output port 20 to apply uniform pressure on the piston head 40, causing the piston body 46 to move within the cylindrical piston reciprocating channel, thereby pressurizing the sample fluid. The pressurized sample fluid then leaves the chamber through the pressurized fluid sample loop 52 and enters the pump outlet / bypass manifold 38, which includes a manually operated three-way valve 54 that redirects fluid from the pressurized fluid outlet 56 to the bypass outlet 58 during system startup or maintenance.

[0042] Likewise, a manually operated two-way shutoff valve 58 is provided in-line downstream of the pressurized fluid outlet 56 for terminating the flow of pressurized fluid from the outlet to another manually operated three-way valve 60. During normal sample collection, valve 60 directs the flow of pressurized fluid to a sample collection cylinder 62. When it is necessary to disconnect the collection cylinder 62 (e.g., when the collection cylinder is full, during a start-up operation, or when an overpressure condition is detected), valve 60 is rotated to redirect the pressurized fluid sample through bypass 62 and into a line 64 connected to the bypass outlet 58. Another manually operated two-way valve is provided in the line between the bypass outlet 58 of the pump and the intersection of bypass 62 to selectively isolate the corresponding line. A valved bypass port 68 is provided downstream of bypass 62 for exhausting any pressurized gas in the bypass device from the cabinet housing 12.

[0043] Although only a single embodiment of the present invention is shown in the above description, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and embodiments related to the present invention will be contemplated by those having benefited from the teachings provided by the above description and the associated drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and many modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. In addition, although specific terms are used herein, they are used for general and descriptive purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0044] Industrial Applicability

[0045] The present invention is useful for providing an improved fluid sampling pump, particularly useful for natural gas liquid sampling, which maximizes field duty cycle and operating life by reducing the need for pumping interruptions due to parts replacement, while minimizing maintenance and replacement of moving parts or the entire pump assembly. By virtue of the combination of an in-line pressure reducing valve, an in-line synthetic lubricant oiler connected to the air drive port, a stainless steel actuator housing with a centrally located air drive input port and internally coated with a friction reducing and corrosion resistant coating, an actuator piston equipped with a polyurethane O-ring, and a shot peened, zinc plated piano wire compression helical actuator piston return spring, the present invention provides a gas driven sampling pump capable of continuous, uninterrupted extraction of fixed volume samples from large sources.

Claims

1. An improved pneumatically driven piston fluid sampling pump, which can operate in gas phase or liquid phase within a temperature range suitable for natural gas liquid NGL and low temperature NGL sampling operating environment, having a pressurized driving gas, a pressurized driving gas inlet, a sample collection input end and a pressurized fluid sample output end, characterized in that: an in-line oiler for the controlled drop-wise introduction of synthetic lubricating oil into the pressurized drive gas; a pressure reducing valve in the pipeline connected to a pressurized driving gas inlet disposed in the pipeline downstream of the oiler; a stainless steel piston actuator housing comprising an upper wall having a centrally located inlet port for pressurized drive gas, an internal piston head chamber having a first selected diameter, and a lower wall; the inner surface of the chamber having a non-reactive, corrosion-resistant, friction-reducing coating; an actuating piston including a piston head, a connecting piston rod, and a piston plunger cylinder having a second selected diameter connected to the piston rod; the diameter of the piston head corresponds to the first selected diameter for reciprocating motion in the piston head chamber; A galvanized, shot-peened piano-wire helical piston return compression spring located in the piston head chamber between the piston head and the lower wall; an elongated stainless steel piston plunger cylinder housing secured to and extending from a lower wall of the stainless steel piston actuator housing, the stainless steel piston plunger cylinder housing having an inner surface having a non-reactive, corrosion resistant, friction reducing coating corresponding to the second selected diameter; a plurality of spaced-apart polyurethane O-rings disposed on the piston plunger corresponding to a second selected diameter; a fluid sample input port leading to the stainless steel piston plunger cylinder housing; a pressurized fluid sample output; and A flow metering valve having an integrated bypass arranged in series with a pressurized fluid sample output.

2. The improved pneumatically driven piston fluid sampling pump according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oiler in the pipeline is controlled by a programmable logic controller PLC.

3. The improved pneumatically driven piston fluid sampling pump according to claim 1, characterized in that: The in-line oiler includes a filter and a pressure regulator.

4. The improved pneumatically driven piston fluid sampling pump according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a sample collection cylinder connected to the pressurized fluid sample output end, and a pressure relief valve for preventing the sample collection cylinder from being over-pressurized.

5. A system for facilitating improved, continuous, uninterrupted operation of a pneumatically driven fixed volume fluid sampling pump assembly, characterized in that: Combination of the following components: Air input line pressure reducing valve; Air input line oiler; Stainless steel actuator housing; a central air input to a pump piston head chamber having a friction-reducing, corrosion-resistant coating; Shot-peened, galvanized piano wire piston head return spring; A piston plunger cylinder housing, which is located below the actuator housing and has a size adapted to the piston plunger cylinder so that the piston plunger cylinder can perform a cyclic reciprocating motion therein, and a plurality of polyurethane sealing O-rings are mounted on the piston plunger cylinder; and A flow metering valve in a pipeline connected to the pressurized fluid output.

6. The improved sampling pump according to claim 5, characterized in that: The piston plunger cylinder comprises two polyurethane sealing O-rings arranged at intervals.

7. The improved sampling pump according to claim 5, characterized in that: The line oiler is controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC) to periodically inject synthetic lubricant into the instrument air introduced into the pump piston head chamber or housing through the pneumatic input port.

8. A method for collecting a pressurized fixed volume fluid sample, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: providing a flow of pressurized drive air from a source; periodically injecting a liquid lubricant into the stream; passing the flow through a pressure reducing valve to prevent overpressure; periodically delivering a fixed volume of said flow to a central input / output feedthrough leading to a pneumatically driven pump housing including an anti-friction coating, a piston including a piston head, a shot peened zinc treated music wire compression piston head return spring, a piston plunger, a piston plunger chamber, a sample inlet, and a pressurized sample outlet; causing the piston head to compress the piston head return spring and pressurize a fixed volume of sample fluid introduced through the sample inlet through the piston plunger; delivering the pressurized sample fluid to the pressurized sample outlet; delivering the pressurized sample fluid to the sample collection cylinder; as well as The flow is exhausted through the input / output feedthrough to decompress the piston head and piston head return spring and draw a fixed volume of sample fluid into the piston plunger chamber through the sample inlet.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Also included is the step of providing a programmable logic controller (PLC) to control the periodic injection of liquid lubricant and the periodic delivery of a fixed volume flow to the pneumatically driven pump.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that A pressurized sample bypass is provided between the pressurized sample outlet and the sample collection cylinder, and the method further includes the step of preventing over-pressurization of the sample collection cylinder by redirecting the pressurized sample to the pressurized sample bypass.

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