Pressure vessel taps and associated methods

Abstract

A mouthpiece for a pressure vessel may include a lip design that helps effectively reduce stress at a location where the mouthpiece may be engaged to the vessel. Embodiments may include a contoured annular lip element for attachment to an end of a container to position a mouthpiece within an opening at the end of the container for fluidly connecting the container to another factory element. The adapter may include one or more geometries to position a weld seam for joining the adapter to the end of the container such that the weld seam is located at a preselected location to experience a preselected level of stress during operation of the container to facilitate use of a container with a reduced overall wall thickness, therefore, the container with low total weight and low capital cost is provided, and the easiness of maintenance can be improved.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 18 / 739,953, filed June 11, 2024, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 586,081, filed September 28, 2023. The entire contents of both of these applications are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to nozzles for vessels (e.g., nozzles for vessels used in pressure swing adsorption systems, etc.), apparatuses that can utilize one or more vessels having one or more of the nozzles, and methods of making and using such nozzles, vessels, and apparatuses. BACKGROUND

[0004] Pressure vessels are typically designed in accordance with published codes, such as ASME, EN 13445, PD5500, GB, etc. These codes generally specify the thickness required for various components under certain design conditions. For pressure equipment operating under cyclic stresses, the thickness can be dictated by fatigue or static pressure. The thickness of vessel components required by static pressure can be calculated using code methods and the vessel maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP), and the thickness required by fatigue can be calculated using the fatigue allowable stress, the range of operating stresses, and the number of cycles. In processes such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes, the cyclic pressure can be the primary source of cyclic stress acting on the PSA vessels. Examples of PSA systems and / or PSA processes can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,390,350; 7,404,846; 7,491,260; 7,651,549; 7,717,981; 8,016,918; 8,529,674; 8,778,051; 9,101,872; 9,381,460; 10,730,006; 10,744,450; and 10,835,856. SUMMARY

[0005] It has been determined that, under large pressure swings relative to the MAWP, and a large number of cycles, the thickness of components of a vessel (e.g., the thickness of the vessel wall, the wall of the head of the vessel, the thickness of the nozzles of the vessel, etc.) can be dictated by cyclic stresses. In other words, the applicable standards can generally result in vessels being designed thicker to account for the cyclic pressures and related stresses experienced by the equipment.

[0006] For pressure vessels in fatigue service, peak stresses can be calculated to help ensure that the peak stresses are sufficient to meet the vessel's operating conditions. Nozzle design for vessels in fatigue service can need to have a different construction than that used in pressure vessels in static service to account for different stress and peak stress conditions that can occur due to the cyclic operating conditions for vessels used in cyclic pressurization service, accounting for the cyclic stresses and fatigue that the vessel can experience in such operating situations. In many cases, it has been determined that the stress increase at the nozzle location can surprisingly dictate the thickness of other vessel components, such as the shell and heads.

[0007] Pressure vessel codes, such as the ASME code, generally have requirements that specify allowable stresses for both the weld and non-weld (or base) metal. Generally, a good quality butt weld has a lower fatigue allowable stress than the non-weld material. The ratio of the allowable stress of the non-weld metal to the good quality butt weld is generally in the range of 1.2 to 1.4. The term "fatigue strength reduction factor" or FSRF is often used to describe the ratio of the allowable stress of the base metal to the weld joint. A higher allowable stress means that the non-weld material can have a higher stress than the weld joint. When designing pressure vessel components and trying to minimize cost, it has been found that it can be advantageous to locate the welds in areas of lower stress to help minimize the thickness required for the vessel components.

[0008] Fluids flowing inside the vessel can also have a negative impact on the design life of the vessel. For example, hydrogen is known to increase the fatigue crack growth rate of carbon steel pressure vessels. An environmental strength reduction factor can be used to account for the effect of working fluids that will have a negative impact on fatigue life, which can be calculated using the ratio of the allowable stress in air service divided by the allowable stress in the environment. If an environmental strength reduction factor is used in the design of a vessel in cyclic service, the allowable stress on the inside surface of the vessel can be lower than the allowable stress on the inside and outside surfaces of the metal. Conventionally, accounting for the reduction in fatigue performance in hydrogen service generally results in thicker components. However, embodiments have been developed that can avoid the use of thicker, heavier structures, enabling different components to be provided at lower weight and cost.

[0009] For example, a typical PSA adsorber vessel design has a cylindrical shell and a 2: 1 elliptical head on each end, with adsorbent material of the vessel located inside the vessel (e.g., the adsorbent material can be in one or more layers within an adsorbent material bed positioned within a cavity of the vessel). Nozzles can generally be located in the center of each elliptical head, with an inlet on one end to receive a feed gas and an outlet on the other end for providing a product gas. Conventionally, the nozzles are designed to match the size of the vessel to which the nozzles will be attached, and to minimize the cost of the nozzles.

[0010] However, it has been surprisingly discovered that these nozzles are often high stress areas. This is particularly true for vessels used in applications where the vessel will experience cyclic pressure (e.g., vessels of PSA systems). It has been discovered that the stress concentration around the nozzles can be high enough that the head thickness needs to be increased to reduce the stress concentration to an acceptable level. It has been surprisingly discovered that the geometry of the nozzles can be modified to minimize the stress concentration factor, which can also allow the size of the vessel to be modified so that the vessel can be a lighter weight vessel with thinner walls defining the vessel’s internal chamber, while the size and structure of the nozzles can be designed to be thicker and more robust (e.g., more expensive) to account for the higher stress conditions for providing the inlet and outlet openings to the chamber of the vessel. It has been surprisingly discovered that such an approach can provide a robust design that provides great flexibility in use, is better able to withstand stress (e.g., reduces maintenance requirements), facilitates improved maintenance operations for checking the integrity of the vessel in use, while also reducing the overall capital cost of the vessel and vessel system due to the reduced thickness requirements of the vessel walls defining the vessel chamber, which can be provided by using the more robust, higher cost nozzle configuration.

[0011] A typical hydrogen PSA adsorber vessel can have the following dimensions for many applications:

[0012] The vessel shell diameter is between 4 ft and 12 ft, or 1.21 meters (m) to 3.66 m;

[0013] The vessel shell and head thickness is between 1 inch and 5 inches, or 2.54 centimeters (cm) to 12.7 cm;

[0014] The nozzle diameter is between 4 inches and 24 inches, or 10.1 cm to 61 cm.

[0015] The surge tank can have the following properties:

[0016] The vessel shell diameter is in the range between 4 ft (1.21 meters) and greater than 20 ft (6.1 m);

[0017] The vessel thickness is in the range between 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) and 3 inches (7.62 cm);

[0018] The configuration for containing hydrogen gas, hydrogen-containing gas, and hydrogen-free fluids.

[0019] For hydrogen PSA vessels, the stress concentration factor in a 2:1 elliptical head vessel configuration is typically about 1.6, and the maximum stress can be located on the inside surface of the knuckle of the head. To minimize the thickness of the pressure vessel head, it has been found beneficial to design the nozzle such that it has a stress concentration factor equal to or less than the head. Additionally, since welds have a lower allowable stress than the base metal, it is preferable for the welds used to join the nozzle to the vessel structure to be located at a low stress area because if the stress at the weld is multiplied by the FSRF is less than the maximum stress in the head and nozzle, the weld will not dictate the thickness of the head.

[0020] It has been found that contoured lip forgings for nozzle design can be utilized in conjunction with pressure vessels to provide advantages over other pressure vessel nozzle details. For example, for vessels in cyclic pressure service, some of the advantages that have been found can include that the welds are easier to inspect, and the smooth transition radii minimize stress concentrations.

[0021] To evaluate our belief that a higher cost, more robust nozzle design can be utilized to help provide a lighter weight vessel that is overall less costly to use in cyclic pressure applications (e.g., PSA applications), extensive finite element analysis was performed to cover a variety of typical vessel sizes (as described above). During these analyses, different geometric ratios were identified that can be used to provide improved nozzle designs that also significantly reduce the stresses experienced by the nozzle, while also allowing the overall vessel design with the nozzle to be substantially lighter in weight and less costly overall to manufacture and use, while also helping to improve maintenance and safety by improving maintenance operations. These geometric ratios for the nozzle that have been determined based on the thickness t of the wall of the vessel body or the thickness of the wall of the head of the vessel to which the nozzle will be attached via welding include:

[0022] Size 1 - a lip design for a nozzle attached to a body of a vessel adjacent to an end of the vessel, where the weld used to attach the nozzle to the body is located at a distance between 0.75t and 4t (e.g., 1t to 4t, 1.5t to 4t, 1t to 2.5t, 1.5t to 2.5t, etc.) from a proximal end of the lip of the nozzle.

[0023] Size 2 - an inner curved transition between a proximal end of the lip of the nozzle and an inner wall segment of the barrel of the nozzle that defines a fluid pathway through the opening of the nozzle, where the inner curved transition segment is a curved segment (e.g., a radial segment) that extends for a distance along a radius between 0.5t and 2t (e.g., 0.8t to 1.2t, 0.6t to 1.4t, etc.).

[0024] An outer curved transition between the proximal end of the size 3-lip and the outer surface of the barrel of the spool, which can extend along a curved length between 0.5t and 3t (e.g., 1.5t to 1t, 0.75t to 2t, etc.). For example, the outer curved transition can be a radial segment extending along such a length or distance.

[0025] Size 4 - the container interface side of the spool has an inner surface for facing the chamber of a container, which inner surface is sized to match or substantially match (e.g., a match of 0.8 to 1.1, or 0.9 to 1.0) the curvature of the head of a container removed from the container to define a bore in which the spool can be positioned to attach to the head of the container.

[0026] Size 5 - for the portion of the barrel extending from a location adjacent the container interface opening to an intermediate location of the fluid pathway of the spool, the barrel thickness of the spool is between 0.5t and 3t (e.g., 1.5t to 1t, 1.2t to 2.5t, 1t to 2t, etc.), the intermediate location being between the interface opening and a second end interface opening opposite the container interface opening. In some cases, the barrel can also taper from the intermediate location to the second end interface opening.

[0027] Size 6 - the barrel length defining the length of the fluid pathway between the container interface opening of the spool adjacent the inner chamber of a container to an intermediate portion of the barrel, such that the length of the barrel is between 0.5t and 6t (e.g., 0.5t to 5t, 1t-5t, 1.5t to 4t, etc.). The length can be the length of the barrel from the outer curved transition to an intermediate portion of the barrel, the intermediate portion being between the container interface opening of the spool and a second end interface opening of the spool opposite the container interface opening of the spool.

[0028] Size 7 - the lip and barrel configuration, where the distance between the inner diameter of the spool passage and the weld that will be integral with the distal edge of the lip of the spool to attach the spool to the container wall is greater than 2t (e.g., between 2t and 8t, 2.5t to 7t, 2.5t to 6.5t, 2t to 5t, 3t to 6t, 4t to 6t, etc.).

[0029] The above spool sizes can be particularly suitable for larger containers (e.g., containers having an inner diameter greater than 6 feet or 1.83 m).

[0030] It has been found that utilizing one or more of these geometries of sizes 1 to 7 (e.g., size 1 only, a combination of two or more of sizes 1 to 7, a combination of three or more of sizes 1 to 7, a combination of four or more of sizes 1 to 7, a combination of five or more of sizes 1 to 7, a combination of six or more of sizes 1 to 7, a combination of all sizes 1 to 7, a combination of only one of sizes 1 to 7, etc.) can provide nozzle designs that are substantially different from conventional designs and can also offer surprising advantages in reducing the thickness of the vessel (e.g., the thickness of the vessel sidewalls). This nozzle design can produce more cost-effective pressure vessels that are also lighter in weight and can be adapted to easier and more accurate testing to facilitate improved maintenance operations and can provide safety improvements through such improved maintenance operations.

[0031] For example, it has been found that positioning the nozzle at an end that facilitates the use of welds to join the nozzle to the vessel's body, at a distance between 4 and 0.75 times the thickness of the sidewall of the vessel's head (a portion of which can be cut from the vessel to define an opening in which the nozzle can be positioned), allows the weld used to join the nozzle to the vessel body to be exposed to significantly lower stresses during use. The conventional view on this type of design is that a larger vessel head must be removed to accommodate such a nozzle assembly, which would increase waste and cost associated with the vessel design. However, it has been found that this larger opening and the associated waste costs ultimately result in a lower overall vessel design weight and cost due to the reduced stress at the weld. This is considered a surprising and counterintuitive finding based on conventional nozzle and vessel design practices and the usual design considerations when designing vessels and vessel nozzles used in cyclic pressure applications (e.g., PSA applications).

[0032] It is also anticipated that other embodiments of the nozzle could facilitate the use of welds to join the nozzle to the end of the vessel, located at a distance from the nozzle inlet greater than four times the thickness of the sidewall of the vessel head. While such embodiments can be utilized, it has been surprisingly found that such a large distance is generally not required to achieve improvements in reducing overall vessel weight and cost while also obtaining the desired stress reduction.

[0033] For larger containers, it has been found that nozzle designs that facilitate the use of welds to join the nozzle to the end of the container can be beneficial for larger containers located at a distance from the nozzle inlet greater than four times the thickness of the sidewall of the container head. Since the cost of containers increases with their size, it has been surprisingly found that removing a portion of the container for nozzle attachment can reduce costs by a certain percentage. This can also save on overall costs related to manufacturing, weight, and maintenance by utilizing embodiments of the nozzle, which may be a more expensive component (e.g., the costs associated with the design and manufacture of custom forgings for the nozzle can increase as the container grows). This has been found to be beneficial for larger containers with a diameter of at least 4 feet (1.2 m), and this benefit is even more pronounced for containers with a diameter greater than 6 feet (1.83 m).

[0034] As another example, using larger radial elements in nozzle design can provide significantly larger nozzle components, which has been found to help improve nozzle robustness while also accommodating thinner container wall structures. While thinner container wall structures may increase the cost of nozzle design, they can surprisingly facilitate the use of lighter containers. Therefore, despite the larger and more expensive nozzle components, the overall cost may actually be lower.

[0035] As another example, the width and length of the limiting conduit used for the nozzle body can be pre-selected to further enhance the stress reduction and robustness of the nozzle design, thereby accommodating thinner-walled containers. Some embodiments may utilize only one of such features, while other embodiments may utilize a combination of such features (e.g., all of such features, two or more of such features, etc.), as described above and elsewhere herein.

[0036] It has been found that stress at the nozzle is typically higher near the junction of the nozzle and the vessel head, and decreases with increasing distance from the discontinuity at this junction. Embodiments of the nozzle can be provided such that the distance between the weld seam connecting the nozzle to the vessel and the radius of the nozzle is designed such that the stress at the weld seam is reduced to less than the reciprocal of the FSRF compared to the maximum stress. It has been found that, in the range of typical PSA-sized vessels, approximately twice the thickness of the head may be optimal in some embodiments (e.g., between 0.75 and 4 times the thickness). Weld seams further away from the nozzle increase cost by making the nozzle body larger (e.g., the size of a forged nozzle body can be significantly larger). However, it has been surprisingly found that this higher cost of the nozzle is offset by a reduction in the wall thickness of the vessel head and the overall weight of the vessel (which can be provided by using the nozzle), which reduces the overall cost of the vessel and also significantly reduces the overall weight of the vessel with the nozzle.

[0037] Alternatively, the nozzle embodiment can be incorporated into the shell of a pressure vessel. Similar to the stress concentration at the weld of a nozzle in a head, the stress concentration at the weld of a nozzle in the shell can be reduced by increasing the distance between the weld joint connecting the nozzle to the vessel wall of the shell and the center of the nozzle (or the inner wall defining a passage for fluid in the cylinder used for the nozzle).

[0038] It has also been found that embodiments in which the weld seam is located at a distance of approximately two times or more the thickness of the wall of the vessel head near the inner fluid pathway and / or the lip of the nozzle can also provide advantages for vessel inspection and maintenance. For example, such sizing has been found to facilitate improved use of ultrasonic inspection of the weld seam, making it easier to understand the inspection of the nozzle from the outer surface of the vessel. For example, this improvement may include improved ability to adjust the probe through the nozzle and inside the vessel body to assess the weld seam. In some configurations, this type of improvement can be achieved by designing the dimensions of the fluid pathway and the distance through which fluid can pass between the weld seam and the inner pathway of the nozzle to be greater than two inches or greater than five centimeters. This type of improvement can allow for faster maintenance and provides more reliable results, which can facilitate reduced maintenance downtime, while also providing operational and safety improvements by more proactively and accurately detecting structural problems that may require repair or replacement.

[0039] It has been surprisingly found that most specification-based methods have a common shortcoming in calculating stress at nozzles: they typically (if not always) do not attempt to calculate weld stresses separately from the vessel's base metal. Since weld stresses can be much lower than the maximum stress, this has surprisingly been found to be a significant factor enabling vessel designs that can substantially reduce the overall thickness of pressure vessel components, even if nozzles may ultimately be larger and more expensive for such vessels.

[0040] Embodiments of nozzles, containers, and equipment can offer a surprising and many unexpected benefits. For example, many methods used to calculate stress do not take into account the location of welds, and therefore there are no guidelines regarding weld location. However, it has been surprisingly found that such design criteria can have a significant impact on the design of containers and nozzles, their manufacturing costs, their flexibility in use and transport, and their ease of maintenance. For example, the dimensions and configuration of nozzle embodiments can take this design criterion into account, while also providing other unexpected benefits (e.g., facilitating improved maintenance for monitoring the structural integrity of the container and / or nozzle by accommodating improved placement flexibility of probes within the container, facilitating container designs using thinner container walls to provide containers with lower overall weight, etc.).

[0041] Embodiments of PSA systems may be provided that utilize multiple containers of embodiments to which connecting pipes are attached. For example, some embodiments may utilize more than two containers, between two and twelve containers, or other numbers of containers to cyclically pressurize the container used for adsorption operations. Such embodiments of PSA systems can significantly reduce capital costs and also significantly reduce the weight of the overall system, while enabling a set of maintenance operations to be performed more reliably and easily (which can improve the safety of container operation and use).

[0042] In a first aspect, a nozzle for a pressure vessel can be provided, the nozzle being sized to be welded to the vessel wall. The nozzle may include a cylindrical body attached to an annular lip. The cylindrical body may define an inner channel in fluid communication with a vessel interface opening defined by the lip at a first end of the nozzle. A second end of the nozzle may be opposite the first end of the nozzle. The second end of the nozzle may have an interface opening communicating with the inner channel. The lip may have a distal side opposite a proximal side. The proximal side of the lip may be locating around an inner end of the cylindrical body to define the vessel interface opening. The proximal side of the lip may be spaced apart from the distal side of the lip by a first distance between 4 times the wall thickness (t) and 0.75t, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the proximal side of the lip is between 4t and 0.75t.

[0043] The nozzle can be configured to facilitate a fluid connection between the container and a fluid source or conduit through which fluid can be delivered for feeding into or discharging from the container to downstream components. Embodiments of the nozzle may also include other features.

[0044] In a second aspect, the nozzle may have an inner curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the inner channel of the cylinder. The inner curved transition portion may extend a distance between 0.5t and 2t. The inner curved transition portion may be located on the inner side of the nozzle opposite to the outer side of the nozzle.

[0045] In a third aspect, the nozzle may have an outwardly curved transition portion positioned to extend proximally between the lip and the cylinder. The outwardly curved transition portion may extend a distance between 0.5t and 3t. The outwardly curved transition portion may be located on the outer side of the nozzle opposite the inner side of the nozzle.

[0046] In a fourth aspect, the annular wall of the cylinder can define an inner channel. A thickness may exist in the middle portion of the cylinder located between the container inlet opening and the inlet opening at the second end of the nozzle. The thickness in the middle portion of the cylinder can be between 0.5t and 3t. In some embodiments, the outer surface of the cylinder can extend from the outer curved transition portion to the middle portion of the cylinder by a distance between 0.5t and 6t. In some embodiments, the cylinder can taper from the middle portion to the inlet opening at the second end of the nozzle. Other embodiments may not taper in this way.

[0047] In a fifth aspect, the lip may be profiled to substantially match the profile of a portion of an end cap of the container's end, a portion of which is removed to form an opening in which a nozzle can be positioned. In other embodiments, the profile of the lip may substantially match or precisely match the profile of a portion of the container wall that has been removed to form the opening in which the nozzle can be positioned. In some embodiments, the opening may be formed in the intermediate tubular body of the container, or the opening may be formed in the wall that is part of the shaped end cap of the container.

[0048] In the sixth aspect, the proximal side of the lip can be spaced between a distance of 2t and 6t from the inner surface of the cylinder that defines the inner channel at the first end of the nozzle, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the inner surface of the cylinder that defines the inner channel at the first end of the nozzle is between 2t and 6t.

[0049] In the seventh aspect, the first distance may be at least 2.5 cm (e.g., between 2.5 cm and 10 cm, between 2.5 cm and 20 cm, between 2.5 cm and 30 cm, etc.). In some embodiments, the wall of the container may be the wall of a container cap having a thickness of at least 2.5 cm (e.g., t is 2.5 cm or at least 2.5 cm).

[0050] In the eighth aspect, the nozzle of the first aspect may include other features. For example, the nozzle of the first aspect may include one or more features from the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and / or seventh aspects. The nozzle may also include other features (e.g., forged from metal or alloy). Embodiments may also utilize other features or elements. Examples of such features or elements can be understood from exemplary embodiments of the nozzle discussed herein.

[0051] In a ninth aspect, a container for an apparatus can be provided. The container for the apparatus can be configured to utilize cyclic pressurization. Embodiments of the container may include a body having a first end and a second end. The first end of the container body may have an opening defined therein, and the first end may also have a wall. The container body may also define a chamber within the container. The container may also include a first nozzle positioned within the opening defined in the first end of the body. The first nozzle may include a cylinder attached to an annular lip. The cylinder may define an inner channel in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip at the first end of the first nozzle. A second end of the first nozzle opposite the first end of the first nozzle may have an interface opening communicating with the inner channel. The lip may have a distal side opposite a proximal side. The proximal side may be locating around an inner end of the cylinder to define the container interface opening. The proximal side of the lip may be spaced apart from the distal side of the lip by a first distance between 4 times the wall thickness (t) and 0.75t, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the proximal side of the lip is between 4t and 0.75t.

[0052] In a tenth aspect, the second end of the body of the container may have an opening defined therein. The second end of the body of the container may also have a wall. The container may further include a second nozzle positioned within the opening defined in the second end of the body of the container. The second nozzle may include a cylinder attached to an annular lip. The cylinder of the second nozzle may define an inner channel in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip of the second nozzle at a first end of the second nozzle. The second end of the second nozzle, opposite the first end of the second nozzle, may have an interface opening communicating with the inner channel of the cylinder of the second nozzle. The lip of the second nozzle may have a distal side opposite to a proximal side. The proximal side of the lip of the second nozzle may be positioned around the inner end of the cylinder of the second nozzle to define the container interface opening of the second nozzle. The proximal side of the lip of the second nozzle may be spaced from the distal side of the lip of the second nozzle by a distance between 4 times and 0.75t' of the thickness (t') of the wall at the second end, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall at the second end and the distal side of the lip of the second nozzle and the proximal side of the lip of the second nozzle is between 4t' and 0.75t'.

[0053] In the eleventh aspect, the container can be configured such that the first nozzle has an inner curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the inner channel of the cylinder, the inner curved transition portion extending a distance between 0.5t and 2t. In embodiments utilizing a second nozzle, the second nozzle may also have an inner curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip of the second nozzle and the inner channel of the cylinder of the second nozzle, wherein the inner curved transition portion of the second nozzle extends a distance between 0.5t' and 2t'.

[0054] In a twelfth aspect, a container may be provided such that the first nozzle has an outwardly curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the cylinder, wherein the outwardly curved transition portion extends a distance between 0.5t and 3t. In embodiments also utilizing a second nozzle, the second nozzle may also have an outwardly curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the cylinder of the second nozzle, wherein the outwardly curved transition portion of the second nozzle extends a distance between 0.5t' and 3t'.

[0055] In a thirteenth aspect, the annular wall of the cylindrical body of the first connecting pipe defining the inner channel may have a thickness in the middle portion of the cylindrical body located between the container interface opening and the interface opening at the second end of the first connecting pipe. The thickness in the middle portion of the cylindrical body of the first connecting pipe may be between 0.5t and 3t. For embodiments utilizing a container with a second connecting pipe, the annular wall of the cylindrical body of the second connecting pipe defining the inner channel of the second connecting pipe may have a thickness in the middle portion of the cylindrical body located between the container interface opening and the interface opening at the second end of the second connecting pipe. The thickness in the middle portion of the cylindrical body of the second connecting pipe may be between 0.5t' and 3t'.

[0056] In a fourteenth aspect, the outer surface of the first connector's cylindrical body extends from the outer curved transition portion of the first connector to the middle portion of the first connector's cylindrical body by a distance between 0.5t and 6t. In embodiments utilizing a second connector, the outer surface of the second connector's cylindrical body extends from the outer curved transition portion of the second connector to the middle portion of the second connector's cylindrical body by a distance between 0.5t' and 6t'. In some embodiments, the middle portion of the first connector's cylindrical body tapers from the middle portion to the interface opening at the second end of the first connector. In some embodiments, the middle portion of the second connector's cylindrical body may also taper from the middle portion to the interface opening at the second end of the second connector.

[0057] In a fifteenth aspect, the proximal side of the lip of the first connector may be spaced between 2t and 6t from the inner surface of the cylinder of the first connector defining an inner channel at the first end of the first connector, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip of the first connector and the inner surface of the cylinder defining the inner channel at the first end of the first connector is between 2t and 6t. In an embodiment utilizing a second connector, the proximal side of the lip of the second connector may be spaced between 2t' and 6t' from the inner surface of the cylinder of the second connector defining an inner channel at the first end of the second connector, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall of the second end of the container body and the distal side of the lip of the second connector and the inner surface of the cylinder defining the inner channel at the first end of the second connector is between 2t' and 6t'.

[0058] In the sixteenth aspect, the device configured to utilize cyclic pressurization can be a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system, a PSA system for carbon dioxide capture, or a buffer tank.

[0059] In the seventeenth aspect, the container may have a preselected diameter. For example, the container may have a diameter of at least 1.2 meters (m), or a diameter between 1.2m and 3m, or between 1.2m and 10m.

[0060] In the eighteenth aspect, the ninth aspect for a container configured to utilize a device for cyclic pressurization may include other elements or features. For example, the ninth aspect may include one or more features of the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and / or seventeenth aspects. Embodiments may also utilize other features or elements. Examples of such features or elements can be understood from exemplary embodiments of the container discussed herein.

[0061] In a nineteenth aspect, a method for providing at least one container is provided. Embodiments of the method may include: forming a body of a container having a first end cap, wherein the body of the container defines a chamber; removing a portion of the apex of a first end of the body of the container; and attaching a first fitting to the first end of the body within a hole in the first end of the body, the hole being formed by welding via the removal of a portion of the apex of the first end of the body, the welding forming a weld joint between a distal side of an annular lip of the first fitting and a wall of the first end of the body of the container. The wall of the first end of the body of the container may have a thickness (t). The first fitting may be attached to the first end of the body such that a cylinder defining an inner channel of the lip attached to the first fitting is in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip at the first end of the first fitting. A second end of the first fitting opposite to the first end of the first fitting may have an interface opening communicating with the inner channel. The distal side of the lip may be opposite to the proximal side of the lip, and the proximal side of the lip may be positioned around an inner end of the cylinder to define the container interface opening. The proximal side of the lip edge can be spaced apart from the distal side of the lip edge by a first distance, which is between 4 times the wall thickness (t) and 0.75t, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip edge and the proximal side of the lip edge is between 4t and 0.75t. Embodiments of the method may also include other steps or features.

[0062] In a twentieth aspect, the method can be configured and implemented such that the first nozzle is forged, such that the lip and the cylinder are integral with each other, and the first nozzle does not include an inner protrusion.

[0063] In the twentieth aspect, the first connector used in the method may have one or more features of the first connector as discussed above.

[0064] In a twenty-second aspect, embodiments of the method may further include: removing a portion of the vertex of a second end of the body of the container; and attaching a second connector to the second end of the body within a hole formed by welding through the removal of a portion of the vertex of the second end of the body, the welding forming a weld joint between the distal side of the annular lip of the second connector and the wall of the second end of the body of the container. The wall of the second end of the body of the container may have a thickness (t'). The second connector may be attached to the second end of the body such that a cylinder defining an inner channel of the lip attached to the second connector is in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip at the first end of the second connector. The second end of the second connector, opposite the first end of the second connector, may have an interface opening communicating with the inner channel of the second connector. The distal side of the lip of the second connector may be opposite to the proximal side of the lip of the second connector, and the proximal side of the lip of the second connector may be positioned around the inner end of the cylinder of the second connector to define the container interface opening of the second connector. The proximal side of the lip of the second nozzle can be spaced apart from the distal side of the lip of the second nozzle by a second distance between 4 times the thickness (t') of the wall at the second end of the body of the container and 0.75t', such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip of the second nozzle and the proximal side of the lip of the second nozzle is between 4t' and 0.75t'.

[0065] Embodiments of the method may also include other steps or features. For example, in the twenty-third aspect, the method of the nineteenth aspect may include one or more features of the twenty-first aspect and / or the twenty-second aspect. Embodiments may also utilize other features or elements. Instances of such features or elements can be understood from exemplary embodiments of the methods discussed herein.

[0066] In a twenty-fourth aspect, a system for purifying fluids is provided. Embodiments of the system may include at least one container. Each container may include a body having a first end and a second end. The first end may have an opening defined therein. The first end may have a wall, and the body of the container may define a chamber within the container. At least one layer of adsorbent material may be positioned within the chamber. A first connecting pipe may be positioned within the opening defined in the first end of the body. The first connecting pipe includes a cylinder attached to an annular lip. The cylinder may define an inner channel in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip at the first end of the first connecting pipe. A second end of the first connecting pipe, opposite the first end, may have an interface opening communicating with the inner channel. The lip may have a distal side opposite a proximal side. The proximal side may be positioned around an inner end of the cylinder to define the container interface opening. The proximal side of the lip may be spaced apart from the distal side of the lip by a first distance between 4 times the wall thickness (t) and 0.75t, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the proximal side of the lip is between 4t and 0.75t.

[0067] An embodiment of the system can be configured such that at least one container comprises a plurality of containers, and the system can be configured as a pressure swing adsorption system.

[0068] Embodiments may also utilize other features. For example, embodiments of the PSA system may utilize one or more sensors and / or controllers to help monitor and / or control the operation of the system. Embodiments of the system may also utilize a second connector attached to a second end of the container. For example, exemplary configurations of such a second connector may include elements of the second connector mentioned above. Other embodiments may also include other features or elements.

[0069] Further details, purposes, and advantages of the take-off, containers, equipment, processes, and methods of manufacture and use thereof will become apparent as some exemplary embodiments thereof are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0070] Exemplary embodiments of nozzles, containers, equipment, and methods of manufacture and use thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the same element symbols used in the drawings may identify the same parts.

[0071] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a device 1 configured to utilize the cyclic pressurization of one or more containers V.

[0072] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a container V having one or more pipes N, which may be utilized in an exemplary embodiment of device 1.

[0073] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of a container V having one or more pipes N, which may be utilized in an exemplary embodiment of device 1.

[0074] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of the takeover N, which can be... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The container V shown is utilized in the first and second embodiments.

[0075] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of the receiver N shown.

[0076] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 and Figure 5 An enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the first exemplary embodiment of the receiver N shown.

[0077] Figure 7This is a flowchart illustrating a first exemplary embodiment of the process of installing and / or using at least one nozzle N in a container V for cyclic pressurization operations (e.g., PSA operations, etc.). Detailed Implementation

[0078] refer to Figures 1 to 7 The device 1, configured for the cyclic pressurization of fluids (e.g., gases, fluid flows consisting of gases having hydrogen and other components), may include a system having at least one container V. For example, an upstream processing unit 3 may output fluid to feed the fluid as an input stream IF into one or more containers V of the device for pressurizing the fluid. In some embodiments, each container V may have at least one layer of adsorbent material therein for adsorbing impurities to form a desired purified gas for outputting an output stream OF to a downstream processing unit 5 and / or as a product stream.

[0079] Embodiments of the system PSA can be configured to purify fluid passing through one or more containers V of the system PSA. For example, in some configurations, an array of one or more containers V can be configured as a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system. The PSA system can have an array of containers V or only a single container V, positioned to receive an input flow IF from an upstream processing unit 3 to purify that flow to form a purified hydrogen output flow OF, for example in some embodiments where the system PSA is configured to provide a purified hydrogen flow (e.g., ammonia cracker applications, steam reformer applications, reformer applications, etc.). In such embodiments, the pressure of the containers can be cyclically adjusted between lower and higher pressure conditions to facilitate the adsorption of impurities from the fluid in the input flow, thereby purifying the fluid via adsorbent material within the containers to output the output flow OF. In other configurations, the system PSA can be configured to undergo cyclic pressure between low and high pressure conditions for other applications (e.g., in other types of PSA systems for purifying another type of fluid, for other types of cyclic pressurization operations, etc.).

[0080] While embodiments of the nozzle can be used in all types of PSA containers, there exists an emerging class of PSA systems for which embodiments of the nozzle of this invention can offer significant improvements in manufacturing, maintenance, and cost. These emerging PSA systems typically utilize adsorbents designed for short cycle times to increase productivity through adsorbent and container volume. Additional pressure swing cycles per unit time conventionally require thicker container walls to maintain a design life similar to more conventional PSA cycles. These cycle times can be 50%, 10%, or even less of conventional cycle times. Adsorbents capable of achieving such short cycles can have any of the following structures: smaller particle size, monolithic, laminated, perforated particles, corrugated sheets, and other designs to provide short macroporous diffusion paths and / or lower pressure drops. Embodiments of the nozzle of this invention can be employed in such containers to provide significant benefits in terms of weight reduction, ease of manufacture and transport, and reduced costs for containers designed for such applications.

[0081] While many applications can benefit from the high productivity of such fast-cycle PSA methods, the capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, flue gas, pre-combustion, or other sources is particularly well-suited for such fast-cycle methods because such processes require extremely high gas flow rates.

[0082] Another application where container V can be configured for cyclic pressurization is in buffer tank applications. Typically, in these applications, the flow rate into container V can be variable, while the flow rate out of container V can be relatively uniform. This can cause fluctuations in cyclic pressure, where embodiments of the nozzle can enable improved designs that provide the manufacturing, installation, and maintenance improvements discussed herein.

[0083] Each container of the system PSA containing container V may include a wall WL defining an inner chamber VC therein. Container V may have a first end E1, a second end E2, a length VL between these first and second ends, and a width or diameter VD, which is the distance between opposite sides of the container extending between the first and second ends to define the length VL of the container (e.g., the width or diameter VD of container V may extend in a direction perpendicular to the length VL of container V). In some embodiments, each end of the container may have a tapered diameter and / or may have a head VH, which may be a shaped head VH (e.g., an elliptical head, a quasi-spherical head, a hemispherical head, a conical head, a flat head, etc.).

[0084] In embodiments where the container head VH is a flat head configuration, the flat head can be directly attached to the container shell (which may be an intermediate tubular body VB) via welding or a similar direct attachment process, or the flat head can be mechanically fastened (e.g., bolted) and configured as a blind flange or similar arrangement.

[0085] In some embodiments, the internal chamber VC can be sized to receive and retain one or more beds of adsorbent material therein. Adsorbent materials may include Cax, molecular sieve materials, alumina, silica, silica gel, activated carbon, zeolite materials, other types of adsorbent materials, or combinations thereof.

[0086] In some configurations, the container V may be an elliptical or can-shaped container V having ends configured as heads VH between tubular intermediate bodies VB to define a container shape that defines a container chamber VC. In some embodiments, the tubular intermediate body VB may be considered as a shell attached to a head (e.g., an elliptical head, a hemispherical head, a quasi-spherical head, etc.) to define a first end E1 and a second end E2 of the container at opposite ends of the intermediate tubular body VB, such that the intermediate tubular body VB is between the heads VH at opposite ends of the container V.

[0087] The first end E1 and / or the second end E2 may have a head VH, which can be considered a shaped head, a hemispherical head, an elliptical head, a quasi-spherical head, or other similar geometric head configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the end caps of the container V may be elliptical heads, such as, for example, 2:1 elliptical heads. This type of elliptical head can be an example of the container's head VH. As another example, in some embodiments, the end caps of the container at each end may be 90-17 quasi-spherical heads, or another type of hemispherical head with a similar geometry for each end of the container V.

[0088] In some configurations, the container body can be formed, for example, as a completely enclosed tank body. After the initial container body is formed such that its length, diameter, ends, and internal chamber VC are enclosed within the body of the formed container V, a first interface opening can be cut at a first end E1 of the container, and a second interface opening can be cut from a second end E2 of the container to provide an opening in which a nozzle N can be positioned to facilitate fluid connection of the container V to the upstream processing unit 3 and the downstream processing unit 5. In other embodiments, only the first end E1 of the container may have an opening cut therefrom to define a first interface for receiving the first nozzle N. In yet another configuration, at least one interface opening may be cut from the container wall WL on one side of the container, not at least one end of the container V.

[0089] One or more walls WL of the container may define the outer periphery of the container V, which defines the internal chamber VC of the container. In some configurations, the wall WL may be a single wall formed to define a container body. In other configurations, the container may include walls defining a tubular intermediate body section and walls WL defining a shaped head VH at a first end E1 and a second end E2 of the container V. One or more walls WL may have a thickness WT. The thickness of the wall WL may vary among the container head, the shell section, and other components of the container V.

[0090] Each end cap VH may be attached to the opposite end of the tubular intermediate body to define the container V and the internal chamber VC of the container. In some embodiments, interface holes may be cut from the end of each end cap VH or only a single end cap VH to define an opening for receiving and attaching a nozzle N as described above. Additionally (or alternatively), one side of the container may have at least one hole cut therefrom to provide at least one interface opening for attaching at least one nozzle N, as discussed above (e.g., the corresponding nozzle N may be positioned in the corresponding interface opening for attachment to the body of the container V).

[0091] The container V can have any of a variety of suitable shapes. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Exemplary embodiments of containers with different lengths VL and widths or diameters VD are illustrated. Other embodiments of the container V may be longer or shorter and / or wider or thinner. Other embodiments may also have containers V with other shapes.

[0092] As from Figures 4 to 6 The best way to understand it is in Figure 1 The attachment used in the embodiment of device 1 shown Figure 2 and Figure 3 Each nozzle N of the body of the exemplary embodiment of the container V shown may have a specific shape or geometry to meet a set of pre-selected design criteria, such that the wall thickness WT of one or more container walls WL is relatively thin, while still meeting stress design constraints and / or other pre-selected performance criteria. The first nozzle attached to the first end E1 of the container and the second nozzle attached to the second end E2 of the container V may have the same shape or geometry as the first nozzle attached to the first end E1 of the container V and the second nozzle attached to the second end E2 of the container V. Figures 4 to 6 The illustrated embodiment has the same design. In other embodiments, only one end of the container may have such a nozzle, while the other end may not have a nozzle or may have a different nozzle. In yet another embodiment, the nozzle may be attached to the side wall of the container, rather than to the end of the container as described above.

[0093] Each connector N used can have a similar structure or design, being identical in shape and structure, or can have different structures or geometries. For example, the thickness of the end cap at the first end E1 of the container can be different from the thickness of the end cap at the second end E2 of the container, which can be different from the thickness of the container shell, or the thickness of the intermediate portion of the container located between the first and second ends. Each connector N can be configured to connect to the shape and thickness of the end cap to which it will be attached.

[0094] For example, a nozzle N attached to a first end E1 and / or a second end E2 may have a cylindrical body BR extending between an inner end NE1 and an outer end NE2. The inner end NE1 of the nozzle N (which may also be referred to as the first end) may be configured for attachment to a head VH of container V at either the first end E1 or the second end E2 of container V. The outer end NE2 of the nozzle N (which may also be referred to as the second end of the nozzle N) may be positioned at the end of the cylindrical body BR opposite the inner end NE1 or the first end of the nozzle. The outer end NE2 may be positioned and configured to facilitate fluid connection with conduits or other process elements upstream or downstream of container V of device 1. The cylindrical body BR of the nozzle N may have an inner channel FP defined therein. The inner channel FP may be defined as having a width or diameter FPW extending between opposite sides of the cylindrical body BR between the inner end NE1 and the outer end NE2 of the nozzle N. The inner channel FP may extend from a container interface opening defined in the inner end NE1 of the nozzle to an interface opening defined in the second end NE2 of the nozzle to define the length of the inner channel. The length of the inner channel can be the same as or similar to the height of the connecting pipe NH, which can extend in a direction perpendicular to the width or diameter FPW of the inner channel FP between opposite sides of the cylinder BR. These opposite sides of the cylinder BR can extend between opposite ends of the cylinder or between the inner end NE1 and the outer end NE2 of the connecting pipe N.

[0095] The dimensions and configuration of the inner channel FP allow for fluid communication between the vessel interface opening at the inner end NE1 and the interface opening defined in the second end NE2 of the nozzle. The body of the nozzle can have a preselected shape or configuration to facilitate positioning of the inner channel FP in a desired location, while also allowing the nozzle to be attached to the interface of the vessel V in a preselected location that can experience a preselected stress level during exposure to cyclic pressure operation (e.g., pressure regulation between high and low pressure conditions that can occur repeatedly in many cycles during pressure swing adsorption processing or other cyclic pressure processing).

[0096] For example, the inner end NE1 of the connector may have an annular lip LP. The annular lip may extend outward from the container interface opening of the inner end NE1 of the connector, such that the inner end NE1 is wider than the second end NE2 of the connector N. In other embodiments, it is contemplated that the second end NE2 of the connector N may also have an annular lip configuration similar to that of the first end.

[0097] The nozzle can also be shaped and configured such that the nozzle lip LP has a distal LDE and a proximal LPE opposite to the distal LDE. The distal LDE may be wider and further away from the cylinder BR of the nozzle N than the proximal LPE of the lip LP. The proximal LPE can be considered as the proximal end or inner edge of the annular lip, defining a container interface opening at the inner end NE1 of the nozzle, which can be in fluid communication with the inner channel FP of the cylinder. The distal LDE can be considered as the outer end or outer edge of the annular lip LP. The lip LP may extend along a curved profile from its proximal LPE to its distal LDE to define a profiled annular lip LP that is curved to match the curvature of a portion of the end of the container E1, which can be cut from the container to form an opening in which the nozzle N will be positioned.

[0098] The proximal LPE of the lip LP can be integral with the tube body BR of the nozzle, such that the inner surface of the nozzle between the lip LP and the tube body BR defines an inner curved transition NIR extending from the proximal LPE of the lip LP to the inner surface of the tube body BR. This inner curved transition NIR defines a large portion of the inner channel FP between the container interface opening at the inner end NE1 of the nozzle N and the interface opening defined in the second end NE2. For example, the interface opening defined in the second end NE2 of the nozzle can be the outer end opening of the inner channel FP of the tube body BR opposite to the container interface opening at the inner end NE1.

[0099] The shell BR can be configured to have a constant thickness or a variable thickness. The shell BR may also include one or more elements that can protrude from the nozzle N into the interior of the container V (e.g., the chamber VC of the container, etc.).

[0100] The outer surface OSN of the nozzle N can be a surface of the nozzle that is positioned away from the container and / or opposite to the inner surface ISN of the nozzle, which abuts against the chamber VC of the container V and defines the inner channel FP of the nozzle N. For example, the inner surface ISN of the nozzle N can be the container-facing surface of the annular lip and the inner surface of the cylinder BR defining the inner channel FP. The outer surface OSN of the nozzle can be an opposing surface of the nozzle that is positioned outwards away from the container chamber VC.

[0101] The inner bend transition section NIR can be defined on the inner surface ISN, and the outer bend transition section NOR between the proximal LPE of the lip LP and the cylinder BR can be defined on the outer surface OSN of the nozzle N. The outer bend transition section NOR can extend from the proximal LPE of the lip LP along the outer surface OSN of the nozzle N to the outer surface of the cylinder BR.

[0102] The dimensions and configuration of the annular lip LP of the nozzle N can facilitate the attachment of the inner end NE1 of the nozzle to the end of the container V (e.g., the head VH of the container, the apex region of the formed head VH of the container, etc.). The dimensions and configuration of other elements of the nozzle N (e.g., the shell BR, the outer surface OSN and the inner surface ISN, the inner bend transition NIR, the outer bend transition NOR, etc.) can also facilitate the attachment of the nozzle N to the container V, such that the location where the nozzle can be welded to the end of the container can be a relatively low-stress area, allowing the thickness of the formed heat VH or the wall WL of the container to remain relatively thin.

[0103] The thickness of the lip (LP) can be configured to be the same as the thickness of the end cap (VH), or it can be thicker than the end cap (VH). The lip (LP) can have a constant thickness or a variable thickness.

[0104] In some embodiments, the nozzle N may include a lip LP having a first dimension to facilitate attachment of the nozzle's end adjacent to the container wall WL, wherein the weld joint (WELD) for attaching the nozzle to the container body (e.g., the container head VH) is located at a distance D1 from the proximal LPE of the lip LP of the nozzle N, a distance between 4 times and 0.75 times the wall thickness WT of the wall WL (e.g., 1 to 2.5 times the wall thickness WT, 1.5 to 2.5 times the wall thickness WT, etc.). In some embodiments, the distance D1 may be between 2.5 cm and 51 cm, between 2.5 cm and 10 cm, between 3.7 cm and 6.25 cm, between 12.5 cm and 51 cm, or between 18 cm and 38 cm, wherein the wall thickness WT may be between 2.5 cm and 12.7 cm. The distance D1 may be a first dimension that facilitates weld attachment of the nozzle to the head end of the container V within a hole cut from the formed end. Welding can be performed to form a weld joint WELD between the wall WL and the distal LDE of the lip (e.g., from which...) Figure 6(As best understood in the text). The welded joint (WELD) can be formed via a butt weld shaped to weld the distal side of the lip LDE to the wall of the head VH for attaching the nozzle N to the end of the vessel V. This weld can provide an integral attachment of the nozzle to the fluid-tight end of the vessel V (e.g., preventing fluid leakage between the nozzle N and the wall WL to which the nozzle is welded). The welded joint can be defined in an annular shape around the entire periphery of the distal LDE of the lip LP (e.g., an annular welded joint or an annular welded joint WELD, which may correspond to the shape of the distal LDE of the lip LP).

[0105] The wall thickness WT can also be referred to as thickness "t" in this document. For example, the aforementioned distance D1 can be between 0.75t and 4t (e.g., 1t to 4t, 1.5t to 4t, 1t to 2.5t, 1.5t to 2.5t, etc.). Distance D1 can be the distance between the distal LDE of the lip margin and the proximal LPE of the lip margin LP. For example, distance D1 can define the surface area of ​​the lip margin LP, which can be the difference between the outer diameter of the lip margin that can be defined by the distal LDE and the inner diameter of the lip margin that can be defined by the annular proximal LPE.

[0106] The inner curved transition section NIR can be defined as providing a transition between the proximal LPE of the lip LP of the nozzle N and the inner wall segment of the cylinder BR, defining an inner path FP through the opening of the nozzle, wherein the inner curved transition section NIR has a curved transition segment of the inner surface NIS of the nozzle N as a radial segment extending a distance D2 along a radius between 0.5t and 2t (e.g., 0.8t to 1.2t, 0.6t to 1.4t, etc.). In some embodiments, when the wall thickness WT can be between 2.5 cm and 12.7 cm, the distance D2 can be between 1.25 cm and 25 cm, between 2 cm and 3 cm, between 6.35 cm and 25 cm, between 10 cm and 16 cm, or between 12.5 cm and 18 cm. In some configurations, the inner curved transition section NIR can be an inner radius.

[0107] The outer bend transition section (NOR) can be positioned to provide a transition between the proximal side (LPE) of the lip (LP) and the outer surface of the body (BR) of the nozzle (N), defining the inner path (FP) of the nozzle, which can extend along a radial distance (D3) between 0.5t and 3t (e.g., 1.5t to 1t, 0.75t to 2t, etc.). In some embodiments, where the wall thickness (WT) can be between 2.5 cm and 12.7 cm, the distance D3 can be between 1.25 cm and 39 cm, 2.5 cm and 3.8 cm, 6.25 cm and 39 cm, 12.5 cm and 19 cm, or 8 cm and 25 cm. In some configurations, the outer bend transition section can be the outer radius.

[0108] The lip LP of the nozzle can be profiled to provide a profiled lip LP with a profiled dimension D4, which is designed to match or substantially match (e.g., a match degree of 0.8 to 1.1, or 0.9 to 1.0) the curvature of a portion of the cut-out portion of the container head to form the opening in which the nozzle will be positioned. For example, the annular lip LP and / or inner end NE1 of the nozzle N can be shaped and profiled with preselected structured dimensions to facilitate the formation of a matching position in an opening cut in the end of the container to which the nozzle will be attached, to facilitate a weldable, sealed attachment between the first end or inner end NE1 of the nozzle and the end of the container V. This matching or substantially matching condition allows the profiled lip LP to simulate a large portion of the container head that is removed for positioning and attachment of the nozzle N therein.

[0109] The nozzle N can be positioned such that it replaces the removed portion of the head of the container V. For example, in some embodiments, the nozzle N can be positioned within a hole formed by removing that portion of the head VH of the container V. A weld joint WELD can be disposed between the distal edge or outer side of the lip LP and a portion of the head VH to integrally attach the nozzle N to the head VH.

[0110] The thickness D5 of the annular wall of the nozzle of the cylindrical body BR can be between 0.5t and 3t (e.g., 1.5t to 1t, 1.2t to 2.5t, 1t to 2t, etc.). In some embodiments, this distance D5 can be between 1.25 cm and 39 cm, between 2.5 cm and 3.8 cm, 6.25 cm to 39 cm, 12.5 cm to 19 cm, or 12.5 cm to 25 cm, wherein the wall thickness WT can be between 2.5 cm and 12.7 cm. This thickness can be the thickness of a middle portion of the cylindrical body BR, which extends from the inner opening of the container interface opening at the first end NE1 of the nozzle to a portion of the inner channel FP, corresponding to a position on the outer surface OSN of the nozzle on the cylindrical body adjacent to the second end NE2 of the nozzle N, which tapers to a thinner dimension.

[0111] The length of the outer surface of the cylinder extending from the outer curved transition section NOR to the location of the cylinder adjacent to the outer end NE2 of the nozzle N (where the thickness D5 of the annular wall of the cylinder BR begins to taper) is a distance D6 between 0.5t and 6t (e.g., 0.5t to 5t, 1t to 5t, 1.5t to 4t, etc.). For example, this length can be from the middle portion of the cylinder where it begins to taper to the outer curved transition section NOR. In some embodiments, where the wall thickness WT can be between 2.5 cm and 12.7 cm, this distance D6 can be between 1.25 cm and 78 cm, 1.25 cm and 64 cm, 6.25 cm and 39 cm, 12.5 cm and 19 cm, or 12.5 cm and 50 cm.

[0112] The nozzle N can also be configured such that the lip LP and the shell BR are configured such that there is a distance D7 greater than 2t (e.g., between 2t and 8t, 2.5t to 7t, 2.5t to 6.5t, 2t to 5t, 3t to 6t, 4t to 6t, etc.) between the inner diameter of the nozzle channel FP and the weld joint WELD that will be integral with the distal edge of the nozzle lip to attach the nozzle N to the vessel head VH or the shell wall. For example, the distance D7 extending from the distal LDE of the lip LP to the inner surface of the shell BR that defines the inner channel FP at the inner end NE1 of the nozzle N can be between 2t and 8t (e.g., 2.5t to 7t, 2.5t to 6.5t, 2t to 5t, 3t to 6t, 4t to 6t, greater than 2t and less than or equal to 8t). In some embodiments, this distance D7 can be considered a seventh dimension. In embodiments where distance D7 is used in conjunction with other size features, it can be considered as one of different size features (e.g., second size, third size, fourth size, fifth size, etc.).

[0113] The nozzle N can also be configured such that it has no internal protrusions. Furthermore, the nozzle N can be shaped and configured such that the geometry of the nozzle is configured such that the stress concentration factor is approximately equal to or less than the maximum stress concentration factor in the formed head VH of the vessel, which is typically located in the flange region (where the flange of the head VH can be a more spherical or elliptical distal end with maximum curvature). The maximum stress concentration factor can also be located in the conical section of the vessel.

[0114] The stress at nozzle N is typically higher in the region near the nozzle / vessel head joint and decreases with increasing distance from the discontinuity. The distance between the weld joint WELD and the inner bend transition NIR and outer bend transition NOR of the nozzle can be preselected such that the stress at the weld joint WELD is reduced to an amount equal to or below the preselected stress level. In some embodiments, the preselected stress level can be the reciprocal of the FSRF compared to a preselected maximum stress value. The preselected maximum stress value can be defined by the vessel stress design specification or a specification that defines the maximum stress of the vessel.

[0115] For example, it was surprisingly found that, within the typical PSA vessel size range, the distance D1 between the distal end of the lip and the proximal LPE of the lip LP can be pre-selected, with the outer bend transition NOR and / or inner bend transition NIR integrated therewith, to help reduce the stress experienced in the weld joint WELD region. For example, it was surprisingly found that a distance D1 between 4 times and 0.75 times the wall thickness WT of the wall WL (e.g., approximately 2 times the wall thickness WT of the vessel head, etc.) can allow the weld joint to be positioned where the stress experienced by the weld can be significantly reduced during cyclic pressurization operations. It was also found that when the weld joint WELD is located further away from the inner channel FP of the nozzle, manufacturing costs of the nozzle design will increase by making the forging of the nozzle N larger than necessary. Conversely, if the weld joint WELD is located closer to the nozzle, it was surprisingly found that this will increase costs due to the need for a thicker wall in the head VH, and this increased cost is substantially greater than the cost that might result from using a larger and more expensive nozzle design.

[0116] It has been found that by increasing the distance D1, the stress at the weld no longer needs to be the limiting component used to determine the thickness of the head to which the nozzle will be attached. Furthermore, additional dimensions of the nozzle can be configured to provide further improvements. For example, high stresses can be found at the inner bend transition NIR and the outer bend transition NOR of the nozzle, and increasing the radius of the second distance D2 can help reduce the stress at the inner bend transition NIR, and increasing the third distance D3 can help reduce the stress at the outer bend transition NOR. Additionally, the thickness D5 of the shell BR and the length D6 of the outer surface of the shell extend from the outer bend transition NOR to a location near the outer end NE2 of the shell adjacent to the nozzle N, where the thickness D5 of the annular wall of the shell BR can also reduce the stress at the inner bend transition NIR and the outer bend transition NOR. These variables can be defined to satisfy a specific set of design criteria to facilitate the design of vessels with lower overall costs, which provide improved maintainability, enhanced safety, and also allow for lower overall capital costs and weight.

[0117] For example, it was also surprisingly found that many advantages were achieved by configuring the nozzle N such that the weld joint WELD used to attach the nozzle to the end of the container is located at a distance at least twice the thickness of the end of the nozzle. For example, the reduction in stress associated with this weld location allows for a much thinner container wall WL WT, resulting in a much lower overall mass of the container with the nozzle and a significant reduction in the overall cost of the container.

[0118] Furthermore, the larger lip dimension (e.g., a larger distance D1) to the nozzle N can offer other advantages. For example, from a maintenance perspective, the larger nozzle N dimension can be designed to facilitate ultrasonic inspection of the weld by allowing easier inspection of the nozzle from the outer surface of the vessel. For instance, the probe can pass through the inner channel FP of the larger nozzle and move more easily inside the vessel to better inspect the weld joint WELD via the internal probe position, while the operator can be outside the vessel (e.g., on the outer surface of the vessel or adjacent to the outer surface OSN of the nozzle). This improved use allows for faster and easier ultrasonic inspection, while also providing a more thorough and reliable inspection. This reduces maintenance time and provides improved maintenance performance, thereby enhancing the operational safety of the vessel V.

[0119] Surprisingly, most specification-based methods have a common shortcoming in calculating stress at vessel nozzles because they typically do not attempt to calculate stress at the weld separately from the vessel's base metal. Empirically, many methods used for stress calculation do not consider the location of the weld, and therefore there are no guidelines regarding weld location. However, it has been found that when the stress in the weld joint WELD can be much lower than the maximum stress, this can allow for a significant reduction in the overall thickness of pressure vessel components. While the nozzle itself may be larger and more expensive to provide such stress reduction, it has been surprisingly found that the overall mass and cost of the vessel can be reduced through this feature due to the stress reduction experienced at the weld joint WELD.

[0120] Furthermore, it has been surprisingly found that using other dimensional elements of the nozzle can help further enhance the stress reduction achievable through the location of the weld joint WELD, which can be provided by a pre-selected dimensional design of the nozzle's profiled lip LP. For example, the dimensional design of an inner curved transition NIR with a distance D2 between 0.5t and 2t and / or an outer curved transition NOR with a distance D3 between 0.5t and 3t, as described above, can be used in combination with a lip with a distance D1 between its distal LDE and proximal LPE between 4t and 0.75t. It has also been surprisingly found that the curvature and length that can be provided by using the inner curved transition NIR and / or the outer curved transition NOR can help further enhance the stress reduction achieved by the lip LP dimensional design. This type of set of additional features can also increase the design flexibility of the nozzle N to reduce stress in the weld joint WELD region, which can allow the thickness of the vessel wall WL to be reduced to a thinner wall thickness WT.

[0121] Furthermore, it has been found that the thickness D5 of the annular wall of the nozzle BR is between 0.5t and 3t, and the length of the outer surface of the cylinder from the outer bend transition section NOR to the location of the cylinder adjacent to the outer end NE2 of the nozzle N (where the thickness D5 of the annular wall of the cylinder BR begins to taper) is a distance D6 between 6t and 0.5t. This provides additional design flexibility to help reduce the stress that may be experienced at the welded joint WELD, thus providing additional flexibility in nozzle design to reduce the vessel wall thickness WT while keeping the total stress at or below a preselected maximum level. The combination of these five dimensional characteristics can be tailored to meet a preselected set of design criteria to provide this functionality, while also achieving enhanced maintainability as described herein.

[0122] Finally, it has been found that the lip LP is profiled to provide a dimension D4, which can be designed to match or substantially match the curvature of the portion of the container head that is cut off to form the opening in which the nozzle N will be located, thereby helping to further reduce stress at the weld joint WELD (e.g., a curvature matching degree of 0.8 to 1.1, or 0.9 to 1.0). This additional feature can be included together with the other features described above to provide further design flexibility for embodiments of the nozzle N.

[0123] Figure 7 An exemplary process for providing a nozzle N for attachment to a container for use in cyclic pressure operation (e.g., PSA operation, etc.) is illustrated. In a first step S1, a container V having a container body may be formed to define a chamber VC within the container. The size and configuration of the chamber VC may hold at least one bed of adsorbent material, and the container V may be shaped (e.g., via a metal molding operation, etc.) to completely enclose the chamber VC.

[0124] In some embodiments, each end of the container may be shaped to have a shaped end cap VH. In other embodiments, a central tubular body VB may be formed within the container, and the shaped end cap VH may be formed separately and subsequently attached to the tubular body VB to define a container body and a container chamber VC within that body.

[0125] In the second step S2, at least one end of the container V (e.g., the first end E1 and / or the second end E2) may have a cut-out portion defining an opening therein that is in fluid communication with the internal container chamber VC. The shaped cut-out opening may, for example, be at the apex of a shaped head VH at an end of the container V. Each end may allow such a cut-out portion to be removed to form an opening, such that a first nozzle receiving opening exists in the first end E1 of the container V and a second nozzle receiving opening exists in the second end E2 of the container V. In other contemplated embodiments, only a single opening may exist. In yet another embodiment, it is contemplated that one or more cut-out openings may be located on one or opposite sides of the container or at other locations for a particular application or to satisfy a particular set of design objectives.

[0126] In the third step S3, the nozzle N can be positioned in each defined opening formed in the second step S2 for attachment to the container. For example, the first nozzle N can be positioned in the first opening in the first end E1 of the container for welding to the container wall WL via an annular weld joint WELD. Furthermore, the second nozzle N can be positioned in the second opening in the second end E2 of the container V for welding to the container wall WL via an annular weld joint WELD.

[0127] In the fourth step S4 (shown in dashed lines), a container V having a connecting pipe N attached thereto from the third step S3 can be installed at the facility. For example, one or more such containers V can be incorporated into a PSA system or into other types of equipment 1 that can be configured for the cyclic pressurization of fluids. For example, in some embodiments, a container V with a connecting pipe N can be incorporated into a PSA for forming hydrogen product gases in an ammonia cracking and / or reformer processing plant.

[0128] In step S5 (shown in dashed lines), a device 1 with one or more containers V can be used, and the containers V are subsequently maintained. The maintenance may include using a probe to emit ultrasonic waves for ultrasonic inspection. An operator can be positioned outside the container and the probe can be passed through the inner channel FP of the nozzle to obtain data from the ultrasonic waves emitted by the probe from the container's chamber VC or the inner channel FP toward the weld joint WELD. This allows for easier and faster maintenance while providing more reliable ultrasonic test data for assessing the structural integrity of the weld joint WELD and the container. Such maintenance improvements can reduce container downtime and improve the accuracy of the monitored structural integrity, thus helping to improve the operational safety of the container V.

[0129] Figure 7 The embodiments of the process illustrated can utilize one or more embodiments of the receiver N and / or container V and / or device 1. Furthermore, in addition to improved maintenance and safety features, embodiments of the method can also provide one or more of the aforementioned advantages associated with the weight-reduced container. The overall weight reduction of each container V can also provide further improvements in design flexibility and delivery and installation due to the weight reduction, which can make installation and transportation easier and less costly.

[0130] It has been found that embodiments of containers with nozzles N at each end of the container can reduce the overall mass in container V, thereby reducing the cost of many common-sized containers used in different types of pressure swing adsorption (PSA) applications by between $5,000 and $40,000. For PSA systems that may have 4 to 12 containers, such capital cost savings can range from $20,000 to $480,000 in terms of capital cost. It has been surprisingly found that this type of capital cost savings can be achieved even with nozzle components, which may have a significantly higher total cost compared to conventional nozzle designs.

[0131] Furthermore, it has been found that the overall mass reduction may be significant. This mass reduction can make installation operations easier to perform and make the transportation of container V to a specific location easier and less costly.

[0132] Furthermore, as described above, the embodiments can provide improved maintainability, making maintenance operations easier and faster to perform. It is also possible to perform maintenance to improve data collection, thus enabling a more reliable assessment of the container's structural integrity (e.g., via ultrasonic evaluation), as discussed above. This type of improvement can also enhance safety during container operation.

[0133] It should also be understood that other modifications may be made to meet a specific set of criteria for different embodiments of the device 1 or process. For example, the positioning of the fittings for the inlet and outlet openings of the container may be located at different locations and / or other features (e.g., flange elements, mechanical fasteners, etc.) may be used for connection with conduits to interconnect the container with different units of the device for fluid communication between different components.

[0134] As yet another example, the material composition of the container and nozzle can be any type of suitable metal or other materials suitable for a particular application or a particular set of design criteria. As yet another example, embodiments of the container, nozzle, and / or other elements of the device or method can each be configured to include process control elements positioned and configured to monitor and control operations (e.g., temperature and pressure sensors, flow sensors, automated process control systems having at least one workstation including a processor, non-transitory memory, and at least one transceiver for communicating with the sensor element, valves, and controllers for providing a user interface for an automated process control system that can operate at a workstation and / or another computer device in the plant, etc.). It should be understood that embodiments can also be configured to utilize a distributed control system (DCS) to implement one or more processes and / or control operations on the device or process.

[0135] As another example, it is contemplated that specific features described separately or as part of an embodiment may be combined with other separately described features or portions of other embodiments. Thus, elements and actions of the various embodiments described herein may be combined to provide further embodiments. Therefore, although certain exemplary embodiments of the receiver N, container V, method, apparatus 1, system PSA, and methods of manufacturing and using them have been shown and described above, it will be clearly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be embodied and practiced differently in other ways within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A nozzle for a pressure vessel, the nozzle being sized to be welded to the wall of the vessel, the nozzle comprising: A cylindrical body attached to an annular lip, the cylindrical body defining an inner channel in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip at a first end of a connecting tube, the second end of the connecting tube opposite the first end of the connecting tube having an interface opening communicating with the inner channel. The lip has a distal side opposite to the proximal side, the proximal side being able to be positioned around the inner end of the cylinder to define the container interface opening; and The proximal side of the lip and the distal side of the lip are spaced apart by a first distance between 4 times the thickness (t) of the wall and 0.75t, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the proximal side of the lip is between 4t and 0.75t.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector has an inner curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the inner channel of the cylinder, the inner curved transition portion extending a distance between 0.5t and 2t.

3. The nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle has an outwardly curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the cylinder, the outwardly curved transition portion extending a distance between 0.5t and 3t.

4. The nozzle according to claim 3, wherein the annular wall of the cylinder defining the inner channel has a thickness at the intermediate portion of the cylinder located between the container interface opening and the interface opening at the second end of the nozzle, the thickness at the intermediate portion of the cylinder being between 0.5t and 3t.

5. The nozzle according to claim 4, wherein the distance from the outer surface of the cylinder to the middle portion of the cylinder is between 0.5t and 6t.

6. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the cylinder tapers from the intermediate portion to the interface opening at the second end of the connector.

7. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has an outwardly curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the cylinder, the outwardly curved transition portion extending a distance between 0.5t and 3t.

8. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the outer surface of the cylinder extends from the outer curved transition portion to the middle portion of the cylinder at a distance between 0.5t and 6t, the middle portion of the cylinder being located between the container interface opening and the interface opening at the second end of the connector.

9. The connector according to claim 8, wherein the cylinder tapers from the intermediate portion to the interface opening at the second end of the connector.

10. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the lip is profiled to substantially match the profile of a portion of the end cap of the end of the container, the portion of the end cap of the end of the container being removed to form a hole in which the nozzle can be positioned.

11. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the proximal side of the lip is spaced between a distance of 2t and 6t from the inner surface of the cylinder defining the inner channel at the first end of the nozzle, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the inner surface of the cylinder defining the inner channel at the first end of the nozzle is between 2t and 6t.

12. The pipe according to claim 1, wherein the first distance is at least 2.5 cm.

13. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the wall of the container is the wall of a container cap having a thickness of at least 2.5 cm.

14. A container configured to utilize a device for cyclic pressurization, the container comprising: A body having a first end and a second end, the first end having an opening defined therein, the first end having a wall, the body of the container defining a chamber within the container; A first connector, positioned within the opening defined in the first end of the body, the first connector comprising: A cylindrical body attached to an annular lip, the cylindrical body defining an inner channel in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip at a first end of the first connecting pipe, the second end of the first connecting pipe opposite to the first end of the first connecting pipe having an interface opening in communication with the inner channel. The lip has a distal side opposite to the proximal side, the proximal side being able to be positioned around the inner end of the cylinder to define the container interface opening; and The proximal side of the lip and the distal side of the lip are spaced apart by a first distance between 4 times the thickness (t) of the wall and 0.75t, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the proximal side of the lip is between 4t and 0.75t.

15. The container of claim 14, wherein the second end of the body has an opening defined therein, the second end has a wall, and the container further comprises: A second connector, positioned within the opening defined in the second end of the body, the second connector comprising: A cylindrical body attached to an annular lip, the cylindrical body of the second connector defining an inner channel, the inner channel being in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip of the second connector at a first end of the second connector, the second end of the second connector opposite to the first end of the second connector having an interface opening communicating with the inner channel of the cylindrical body of the second connector; The lip of the second connector has a distal side opposite to the proximal side, and the proximal side of the lip of the second connector can be positioned around the inner end of the cylinder of the second connector to define the container interface opening of the second connector; and The proximal side of the lip of the second connector and the distal side of the lip of the second connector are spaced apart by a distance between 4 times the thickness (t') of the wall at the second end and 0.75t', such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall at the second end and the distal side of the lip of the second connector and the proximal side of the lip of the second connector is between 4t' and 0.75t'.

16. The container of claim 14, wherein the first nozzle has an inner curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the inner channel of the cylinder, the inner curved transition portion extending a distance between 0.5t and 2t.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the first nozzle has an outwardly curved transition portion positioned to extend between the proximal side of the lip and the cylinder, the outwardly curved transition portion extending a distance between 0.5t and 3t.

18. The container of claim 17, wherein the annular wall of the cylindrical body defining the inner channel has a thickness at a middle portion of the cylindrical body located between the container interface opening and the interface opening at the second end of the first connecting pipe, the thickness at the middle portion of the cylindrical body being between 0.5t and 3t.

19. The container of claim 18, wherein the distance from the outer surface of the cylinder to the middle portion of the cylinder is between 0.5t and 6t.

20. The container of claim 19, wherein the cylindrical body tapers from the intermediate portion to the interface opening at the second end of the first connecting pipe.

21. The container of claim 14, wherein the proximal side of the lip is spaced between a distance of 2t and 6t from the inner surface of the cylinder defining the inner channel at the first end of the first nozzle, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the inner surface of the cylinder defining the inner channel at the first end of the first nozzle is between 2t and 6t.

22. The container of claim 14, wherein the device configured to utilize cyclic pressurization is a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system, a PSA system for carbon dioxide capture, or a buffer tank.

23. The container of claim 14, wherein the container has a diameter of at least 1.2 meters.

24. A method for providing at least one container, the method comprising: A body of a container having a first end cap is formed, the body of the container defining a chamber; Cut off a portion of the vertex of the first end of the body of the container; The first connector is attached to the first end of the body in a hole formed by welding through the removal of a portion of the apex of the first end of the body. The welding forms a weld joint between the distal side of the annular lip of the first connector and the wall of the first end of the body of the container, the wall of the first end of the body of the container having a thickness (t). The first connector is attached to the first end of the body such that the cylinder defining an inner channel of the lip attached to the first connector is in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip at the first end of the first connector, and the second end of the first connector opposite to the first end of the first connector has an interface opening communicating with the inner channel. The distal side of the lip is opposite to the proximal side of the lip, and the proximal side is positioned around the inner end of the cylinder to define the container interface opening; and The proximal side of the lip and the distal side of the lip are spaced apart by a first distance between 4 times the thickness (t) of the wall and 0.75t, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the proximal side of the lip is between 4t and 0.75t.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first fitting is forged such that the lip and the cylinder are integral with each other, and the first fitting does not include an inner protrusion.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the proximal side of the lip is spaced between a distance of 2t and 6t from the inner surface of the cylinder defining the inner channel at the first end of the first connector, such that the distance between the weld joint and the inner surface of the cylinder defining the inner channel at the first end of the first connector is between 2t and 6t.

27. A system for purifying fluids, the system comprising: At least one container, each of the at least one containers having: The body has a first end and a second end, the first end having an opening defined therein and a wall, the body of the container defining a chamber within the container, and at least one layer of adsorbent material being positioned within the chamber; A first connector, positioned within the opening defined in the first end of the body, the first connector comprising: A cylindrical body attached to an annular lip, the cylindrical body defining an inner channel in fluid communication with a container interface opening defined by the lip at a first end of the first connecting pipe, the second end of the first connecting pipe opposite to the first end of the first connecting pipe having an interface opening in communication with the inner channel. The lip has a distal side opposite to the proximal side, the proximal side being able to be positioned around the inner end of the cylinder to define the container interface opening; The proximal side of the lip and the distal side of the lip are spaced apart by a first distance between 4 times the thickness (t) of the wall and 0.75t, such that the distance between the weld joint between the wall and the distal side of the lip and the proximal side of the lip is between 4t and 0.75t.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one container comprises a plurality of containers, and the system is configured as a pressure swing adsorption system.

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