Ultra-low temperature container configuration

Abstract

A cryogenic container arrangement 100 for storing cryogenic liquid includes a liner member 30 spaced inwardly from an inner wall 24 of the container arrangement, the inner wall 24 defining a storage volume 28 of the container arrangement inside the inner wall 24, the liner member 30 being located within said storage volume 28 and configured to receive and contain the cryogenic liquid 30A, the thermal capacity of the liner member 30 being substantially less than the thermal capacity of the inner wall 24.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cryocontainer arrangement for storing cryogenic liquids and to a cryocontainer liner for use with the cryocontainer.

[0002] This application claims priority to New Zealand Patent Application No. 783316, filed December 9, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0003] Cryogenic liquids or cryogens are liquefied gases used in the art at very low temperatures and in a liquid state. They are often stored in cryogenic liquid storage systems, which are widely used for general storage of refrigerants, cryogenic fuel tanks, superconducting applications, and other applications, often for cooling.

[0004] These cryogenic liquid storage systems generally comprise an internal storage volume for the cryogenic liquid surrounded by insulation, which in some cases may be a vacuum space containing multiple layers of insulation, often itself surrounded by an outer vacuum shell.

[0005] Whenever these cryogenic liquid storage systems or cryocontainers are filled from a warm (room temperature) state, the internal storage volume must first be cooled from said room temperature to the temperature of the cryogen, and therefore the containers must be made of materials or otherwise designed to handle sudden large temperature changes (thermal shock) or must be filled very slowly.

[0006] In the former case, thermal shock can cause a variety of problems for traditional material and vessel designs, as the sudden contraction or expansion of materials due to rapid temperature changes often creates stresses that exceed the strength of the material. This can result in distortion and buckling, and in composite materials, delamination with associated cracks and crack propagation within the vessel arrangement. It can also result in higher initial boil-off rates of the cryogenic liquid. In the latter case, slower filling of the cryogenic liquid will of course result in downtime, slower transport and filling operations associated with the cryogenic vessel. In both cases, costs are incurred either in the design / manufacture of complex / high cost material vessels and / or downtime.

[0007] For this reason, there is a need in the art for cryogenic vessels for an arrangement that reduces the problems associated with thermal shock, reduces the initial boiling rate when the refrigerator is first filled, and reduces the rate at which the internal storage volume increases in temperature after the refrigerator is drained (to reduce thermal shock on subsequent fills).

[0008] References are made herein to patents, other external documents or other sources, generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, a reference to such external documents or such sources shall not be construed as an admission that such documents or such sources are prior art or form part of the common general knowledge in the art in any jurisdiction. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Accordingly, at least preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing a cryocontainer arrangement and / or a cryocontainer liner for use in a cryocontainer, which aims to ameliorate at least some of the above-mentioned problems associated with conventional cryocontainer designs and / or to at least provide a generally useful alternative. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cryogenic container arrangement for storing a cryogenic liquid comprising: an outer wall defining an outer periphery of the cryogenic container arrangement; an inner wall spaced inwardly from the outer wall and defining an insulating volume of the cryogenic container arrangement between the outer wall and an inner wall spaced inwardly from the inner wall and positioned within a containment volume, the liner member configured to receive and contain the cryogenic liquid, the thermal capacity of the liner member being substantially less than the thermal capacity of the inner wall.

[0011] In some embodiments, the thermal capacity of the liner member is configured to substantially reduce or inhibit the rate at which the cryogenic liquid releases cryogenic vapor upon contact with, or upon receipt or storage by, the liner member.

[0012] In some embodiments, the thermal capacity of the liner member is configured to substantially reduce or inhibit the rate at which the temperature of the liner member increases as the cryogenic liquid leaves the liner member.

[0013] In some embodiments, the liner member is configured to have a thickness in the range of about 1 / 3 to about 1 / 10 of the thickness of the inner wall.

[0014] In some embodiments, the thickness of the inner wall is from about 5 mm to about 10 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, the liner member has a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm.

[0016] In some embodiments, the liner member comprises at least one material selected from metal, alloy, steel, steel alloy, aluminum, composite, fiberglass composite, fiberglass laminate, glass polymer, fiber reinforced plastic, and / or G-10 fiberglass laminate.

[0017] In some embodiments, the liner member comprises a G-10 fiberglass laminate.

[0018] In some embodiments, the liner member has a thermal conductivity of about 0.25 W / m·K to about 240 W / m·K.

[0019] In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the liner member is about 0.288 W / m·K.

[0020] In some embodiments, the liner member is configured to receive and contain the cryogenic liquid so as to substantially reduce or prevent contact of the cryogenic liquid with the containment volume and / or the interior walls.

[0021] In some embodiments, the liner member is positioned within the containment volume and spaced from the inner wall by support member(s) that operably connect the liner member to the inner wall.

[0022] In some embodiments, the liner member is configured to be spaced from the inner wall by a distance between about 3 and 20 times the thickness of the liner member.

[0023] In some embodiments, the containment volume is configured to capture at least a portion of the cryogenic vapor released by the cryogenic liquid upon contact with, or receipt or storage by, the liner member.

[0024] In some embodiments, the liner member and / or the interior wall are configured such that the containment volume substantially maintains pressure equilibrium between the cryogenic liquid received or stored by the liner member and the cryogenic vapor released by the cryogenic liquid upon contact with or receipt or storage by the liner member.

[0025] In some embodiments, the pressure equilibrium is substantially maintained by releasing from the containment volume at least a portion of the cryogenic vapor released by the cryogenic liquid upon contact with, or receipt or storage by, the liner member.

[0026] In some embodiments, the pressure equilibrium is substantially maintained by releasing at least a portion of the cryogenic vapor from the liner member and / or the containment volume by a relief member(s) disposed on the inner wall and / or the liner member.

[0027] In some embodiments, said relief member(s) comprise(s) hole(s), valve(s) and / or port(s).

[0028] In some embodiments, the containment volume is configured to receive or store a gas maintained at substantially the same pressure as the cryogenic liquid received or stored by the liner member.

[0029] In some embodiments, the gas comprises hydrogen gas.

[0030] In some embodiments, the insulating volume contains or is configured to contain a vacuum and one or more insulating materials including multi-layer insulation, microspheres, polyester film(s), silk net(s), and / or nylon net(s).

[0031] In some embodiments, the insulating volume is at least about 0.5 W / m 2 ~about 20W / m 2 The heat leakage surface area is configured to be in the range of .

[0032] In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a cryocontainer comprising the cryocontainer arrangement of the first aspect and / or any of the above embodiments.

[0033] In a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a cryogenic container liner for use with a cryogenic container, the cryogenic container liner configured to be positioned within a containment volume of the cryogenic container defined an outer periphery by a container wall, the cryogenic container liner configured to receive and contain a cryogenic liquid and spaced inwardly from the container wall in a manner so as to substantially reduce or inhibit contact of the cryogenic liquid with the containment volume and / or the container wall during use, the cryogenic container liner having a thermal capacity which substantially reduces or inhibits a rate at which cryogenic vapour is released by the cryogenic liquid upon contact with the cryogenic container liner during use or upon receipt or storage in the cryogenic container liner.

[0034] In some embodiments, the cryocontainer liner is configured with a thermal mass that substantially reduces or prevents a rate at which the temperature of the liner increases as the cryogenic liquid leaves the cryocontainer liner.

[0035] In some embodiments, the cryocontainer liner has a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm.

[0036] Some embodiments further comprise a support member(s) for supporting the cryocontainer liner from the vessel wall.

[0037] In some embodiments, the support member(s) are spaced from the vessel wall by a distance between about 3 and about 20 times the thickness of the cryocontainer liner.

[0038] In some embodiments, the cryogenic vessel liner comprises at least one material selected from metal, alloy, steel, steel alloy, aluminum, composite material, fiberglass composite material, fiberglass laminate, glass polymer, fiber reinforced plastic, and / or G-10 fiberglass laminate.

[0039] In some embodiments, the cryogenic vessel liner comprises a G-10 fiberglass laminate.

[0040] In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the cryocontainer liner is from about 0.25 W / m·K to about 240 W / m·K.

[0041] In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the cryocontainer liner is about 0.288 W / m·K.

[0042] In a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a cryocontainer comprising a cryocontainer liner of the third aspect and / or any of the above embodiments.

[0043] In a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a cryogenic container for storing a cryogenic liquid comprising a containment volume circumferentially defined by a container wall, and a cryogenic container liner according to any of the third aspect and / or previous embodiments disposed within the containment volume and spaced inwardly from the container wall.

[0044] In some embodiments, the cryogenic vessel liner is configured such that its thermal capacity is substantially less than the thermal capacity of the vessel wall.

[0045] In some embodiments, the cryocontainer liner is configured to have a thickness in the range of about 1 / 3 to about 1 / 10 the thickness of the vessel wall.

[0046] Any other statement made above regarding the first aspect may also apply to the third, fourth and / or fifth aspects.

[0047] The term "comprising" as used in the present specification and claims means "consisting at least in part of." When interpreting statements in the present specification and claims that include the term "comprising," other features may be present in addition to the feature that precedes that term in the respective statement. Related terms such as "comprises" and "includes" are to be interpreted in a similar manner.

[0048] Reference to a numerical range disclosed herein (e.g., 1-10) includes all rational numbers within this range (e.g., 1, 1.1, 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9, and 10) and any rational range within this range (e.g., 2-8, 1.5-5.5, and 3.1-4.7), such that all subranges of every range explicitly disclosed herein are expressly disclosed herein. These are merely examples of specific intent, and all possible combinations of numerical values ​​between the lowest and highest values ​​recited should be considered as being expressly set forth herein in a similar manner.

[0049] The invention may also be broadly defined to include the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of this application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features.

[0050] For those skilled in the art, many variations in the structure of the present invention, as well as widely different embodiments and applications of the present invention, will suggest themselves to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. The disclosures and descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any sense. In the event that a specific integer referred to in this application has a known equivalent in the art to which the present invention pertains, such known equivalent is deemed to be incorporated herein as if separately set forth.

[0051] As used herein, the term "(s)" following a noun refers to the plural and / or the singular form of that noun.

[0052] As used herein, the term "and / or" means "and" or "or," or both, if the context permits.

[0053] The present invention comprises the above and also contemplates the following constructions, of which the following are examples only: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0054] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0055] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a prior art cryocontainer. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a cryocontainer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates an alternative cryogenic vessel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0056] An example of a prior art cryogenic vessel is shown in Figure 1. Here, the prior art vessel is generally designated by the numeral 10 and generally consists of an interior containment volume 12 for a cryogenic liquid 12A surrounded by a vessel wall 14 and its outer shell 16, with any suitable insulating arrangement 18 found therebetween known in the art.

[0057] The vessel walls 14 directly contain the cryogenic liquid 12A therein and therefore must bear the burden of considering the effects associated with the extreme temperatures of the cryogenic liquid 12A, such as thermal shock, excessive initial boiling of the cryogenic liquid 12A, and downtime during filling and dispensing of the liquid 12A. Thus, the vessel walls 14 (and often the outer shell 16 as well) must be made and / or designed from materials that can accommodate sudden large temperature changes while still fulfilling their pressure maintaining and temperature insulating roles. This adds complexity and cost to the vessel design.

[0058] An embodiment of a cryogenic vessel arrangement for containing a cryogenic liquid will now be described with reference to Figure 2. The cryogenic vessel arrangement is generally designated by the numeral 100. Here, the cryogenic vessel arrangement 100 of this embodiment takes the form of a cryogenic fuel tank suitable for storing and dispensing cryogenic hydrogen or methane for use in cryogenic fuel applications such as in vehicles.

[0059] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the cryogenic vessel arrangement 100 may generally be comprised of an outer wall 20 that defines a perimeter 22 of the vessel arrangement 100 .

[0060] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional layers, walls, features, or elements of a given container arrangement may be disposed outside of this exterior wall 20. However, the perimeter 22 defined herein generally refers to the outermost extent of the features of the cryogenic container arrangement 100 described herein, which together provide the primary function of reducing or mitigating temperature changes, thermal shock, and the like, as described in more detail below.

[0061] Thus, "arrangement" as used herein refers to example configurations of the cryocontainer to provide the above functionality, and does not exclude additional modifications, features, or elements required for a particular application of the cryocontainer. Similar reasoning may also apply in addition to features located inside the outer wall 20 / periphery 22 of the cryocontainer arrangement 100.

[0062] Generally, the cryocontainer arrangement 100 may also comprise an interior wall 24 spaced inwardly from the exterior wall 20 to define an insulating volume 26 of the cryocontainer arrangement 100. This insulating volume 26, as will be described in more detail below, generally serves to insulate the contents of the cryocontainer from the environment and associated temperatures external to the cryocontainer arrangement 100.

[0063] The inner wall 24 defines a containment volume 28 of the vessel arrangement 100 within the inner wall 24. This containment volume 28, as will be described in more detail below, generally serves to contain the cryogenic liquid and associated vapor and also serves to, in part, limit, control and / or define the associated temperature, pressure and / or other properties imparted to the cryocontainer once the cryogenic liquid is received.

[0064] Cryogenic container arrangement 100 further comprises a liner member 30 spaced inwardly from interior wall 24 and positioned within said containment volume 28. The liner member 30 is primarily configured to receive and contain the cryogenic liquid and may be intended as a dedicated feature of container arrangement 100 to do so. In this manner, liner member 30 substantially reduces or prevents contact of the cryogenic liquid with containment volume 28 and / or interior wall 24, whether during filling, storage / transport, or disposal of the liquid from container 100. FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary volume of cryogenic liquid 30A contained within liner member 30.

[0065] The thermal capacity of the liner member 30 is substantially less than the thermal capacity of the inner wall 24 .

[0066] Heat capacity may be generally defined as the heat or temperature input required to change the temperature of a medium. In other words, it reflects the amount of effect an external temperature input has on the internal temperature of a particular medium, or more generally how readily the medium will accept a temperature input.

[0067] In this case, the liner member 30 may be constructed such that its thermal capacity is significantly lower than the thermal capacity of the inner wall 24 of the cryocontainer arrangement 100 .

[0068] Because heat capacity is a broad property of the medium (ie, dependent on both the internal material properties and the external mass, size, volume, etc.), the liner member 30 may adopt a variety of low heat capacity configurations relative to the inner wall 24 .

[0069] In one configuration, the liner member 30 is configured with a thickness ranging from about 1 / 3 to about 1 / 10 of the thickness of the inner wall 24. For example, for a given cryogenic vessel arrangement 100 having a cryogenic liquid storage volume capacity of about 500 liters to about 1000 liters, the inner wall 24 may have a thickness of about 5 mm to about 10 mm and the liner member may have a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm. For larger vessel volumes of greater than 1000 liters, the liner member 30 may have a thickness of, for example, about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, but may be less than about 6 mm.

[0070] One skilled in the art may scale the thickness of the liner member 30 relative to the thickness of the inner wall 24 depending on the storage pressure, liquid density, design speed, as well as the material(s) selected to form the liner member 30, the inner wall 24, and the outer wall 20. One skilled in the art will further understand that a wide range of relative thicknesses may be possible, so long as the liner member 30 is substantially thinner than the inner wall 24.

[0071] Minimizing the thermal mass of the liner member 30 is advantageous because it provides the following benefits.

[0072] Reduced or mitigated thermal shock: By having a low heat capacity, the liner member 30 will more readily accommodate temperature input. By having a low thickness (substantially less than the thickness of the inner wall 24), the thermal gradient (the difference in temperature at one side / end of the liner member relative to the opposite side / end of the liner member, i.e., the temperature difference through the thickness) of the liner member 30 is significantly reduced. With minimal thermal gradients, the liner member 30 will thermally shrink uniformly throughout its thickness, and therefore will be less susceptible to tensile stress differences in one portion or the other that could cause rapid distortion, buckling, structural failure or weakness. This is particularly advantageous when a composite material is selected for the liner member 30, which may be particularly susceptible to interlaminar shear and associated cracking or crack propagation. Additionally, because the liner member 30 is relatively thin compared to the inner wall 24, it may be thermally shrunk without significant loading on the often heavier and stronger inner wall 24.

[0073] Reduced or mitigated initial boil-off: Because the liner member 30 has a substantially lower heat capacity compared to the interior wall 24, less cryogenic liquid will boil or evaporate from its liquefied state upon contact with the liner member 30. A further advantage results from limiting the initial boil-off of the cryogenic vapor, making it easier to capture and re-liquefy said boil-off cryogenic vapor, which may be useful in applications where the cryogenic vessel arrangement 100 is used as a large storage vessel or vehicle fuel tank.

[0074] Reduced or mitigated temperature rise after emptying: Once the cryocontainer arrangement 100 is out of cryogenic liquid, it will heat up to room temperature more slowly. Thus, the liner member 30 will generally remain cooler for a longer period of time. Thus, upon subsequent refilling of the cryocontainer arrangement 100, the temperature difference between the liner member 30 and the new supply of cryogenic liquid will be minimized, or at least lower, than upon initial filling of the vessel, further mitigating thermal shock and initial boil-off.

[0075] Thus, the thermal capacity of the liner member 30 may be configured to substantially reduce or inhibit the rate at which cryogenic vapor is released by the cryogenic liquid 30A as it contacts or is received or stored by the liner member 30. Additionally, the thermal capacity of the liner member 30 may be configured to substantially reduce or inhibit the rate at which the temperature of the liner member 30 increases as the cryogenic liquid 30A flows out of the liner member 30.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the cryogenic vessel arrangement 100 may achieve an 80% reduction in overall thermal mass, or heat capacity, compared to the conventional vessel 10 of Figure 1, which does not include the liner member 30 and has a vessel wall 14 thickness of about 5 mm to about 10 mm. This 80% reduction in overall thermal mass may be directly proportional to an 80% reduction in the initial boil-off of the cryogenic liquid 30A.

[0077] The reduced thermal shock and increased temperature after emptying described above allows for a more consistent filling procedure without the downtime associated with the conventional slow-filling conventional container arrangements such as Figure 1. The present cryogenic container arrangement 100 can provide near instantaneous filling and draining as compared to conventional containers such as Figure 1 where the liner member 30 is not present, whereas conventional containers take from about 30 minutes to about 60 minutes or more to fill depending on the size, application, and volume / capacity of the container.

[0078] Further, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the liner member 30 may be constructed of a different material than the material of said inner wall 24 / outer wall 20 (in addition to or instead of being thinner than the inner wall 24) that has inherently low heat capacity properties (i.e., low specific heat capacity and equivalent heat capacity).

[0079] In general, however, regardless of the material selected, depending on the configuration, reducing the thickness of the liner member 30 relative to the inner wall 24 may remain the primary method of reducing the thermal mass for the liner member 30.

[0080] Thus, the cryogenic vessel arrangement 100 (specifically its inner wall 24 / outer wall 20) can be designed and manufactured from common materials such as metals or metal alloys (steel, steel alloys, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), while the liner member 30 is similarly constructed for ease of manufacture and design, but is made significantly thinner than the inner wall 24 to achieve the relatively low thermal capacity.

[0081] In other embodiments, the liner member 30 may include composite materials, fiberglass composites, fiberglass laminates, glass polymers, fiber reinforced plastics, and the like.

[0082] For example, the liner member 30 may, in some configurations, comprise a G-10 fiberglass laminate having a thermal conductivity of approximately 0.288 W / m·K.

[0083] In some embodiments, the liner member 30 may have a thermal conductivity in the range of about 0.25 W / m·K to about 240 W / m·K.

[0084] Thermal conductivity may be understood as a measure of a material's ability to conduct heat. In general, the higher the thermal conductivity, the faster and easier the heat transfer. Unlike heat capacity, which may depend on the external properties of the medium (mass, volume, thickness, etc.), thermal conductivity is material dependent. Thus, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the liner member 30 may be configured to have a high thermal conductivity (by appropriately selecting the material) while having a low heat capacity (e.g., by making the liner member 30 substantially thin).

[0085] While conventional metals or alloys may have high thermal conductivity (i.e., steel has a thermal conductivity of approximately 45 W / m·K and aluminum has a thermal conductivity of approximately 240 W / m·K), the use of composite materials such as G-10 fiberglass laminates offers advantages particularly applicable to the liner member 30 in that the G-10 fiberglass laminates exhibit advantageous physical properties such as a high strength-to-weight ratio (advantageous given the small thickness and therefore mass / volume of the liner member 30) and high strength and consistent dimensional stability over a range of temperatures.

[0086] Thus, while in some embodiments (particularly where the same or similar materials are used for the inner wall 24 and the outer wall 20), the use of a conventional metal or metal alloy may be suitable for the liner member 30, the selection of a composite material (e.g., G-10 fiberglass laminate) as the material for the liner member 30 in particular provides at least the above-mentioned advantages over conventional metals or metal alloys. However, because composite materials are particularly susceptible to interlaminar shear and the associated cracking or crack propagation, constructing the liner member 30 with a low thickness (i.e., substantially lower than the inner wall 24) provides a synchronous or harmonic advantage in reducing thermal gradients in the liner member 30, as discussed above, and thereby reducing the likelihood of interlaminar shear and the associated fracture or crack propagation.

[0087] In any event, one skilled in the art may configure multiple liner members 30 to achieve a substantially lower thermal mass than inner wall 24 .

[0088] In this manner, the cryogenic container arrangement 100 can obtain the above-mentioned effects by providing the inner liner member 30.

[0089] In order to isolate the cryogenic liquid from other walls or elements of the vessel, it is configured to be spaced apart from the other walls of the vessel and further to have a low thermal capacity relative to the inner wall 24, thereby reducing thermal shock and other undesirable effects that would be imparted to the vessel walls in a conventional vessel arrangement (such as that of FIG. 1) where there is no liner member and the cryogenic liquid is stored against the interior / walls of the vessel walls 14, 16 themselves, which walls 14, 16 must therefore themselves withstand while also being configured to perform other functions such as insulation.

[0090] Therefore, by providing the liner member 30 as described above, only the liner member 30 comes into direct contact with the cryogenic liquid and bears the dedicated burden of dealing with the effects associated therewith, while the inner wall 24 and the outer wall 20 can be designed to only provide pressure maintenance and temperature insulation, thereby significantly reducing the complexity of the material requirements for the cryogenic container.

[0091] In some embodiments, the liner member 30 is configured to be spaced from the inner wall 24 by a distance ranging from about 3 times to about 20 times the thickness of the liner member 30. In other words, considering the above exemplary configuration (a container having a liquid storage capacity of about 500 liters to about 1000 liters, an inner wall 24 having a thickness of 5 mm to 10 mm, and a liner member 30 having a thickness of 0.5 mm to 2 mm), the liner member 30 can be spaced from the inner wall 24 by about 3 mm to about 20 mm.

[0092] The liner member 30 may be spaced from the interior wall 24 and positioned within the containment volume 28 by support member(s) 32 that operatively connect the liner member 30 to the interior wall 24. These are shown in FIG. 2 and may consist of any number of support or suspension members known in the art of cryogenic vessel design, such as metal or composite hangers / flanges, tensile suspension members (cables, etc.), etc. In some configurations, the support member(s) 32 may be operatively coupled to both the liner member 30 and the interior wall 24 by bonding or welding them thereto, if the material(s) selected for the liner member 30 and the interior wall 24 permit.

[0093] The support member(s) 32 are configured, either by material selection or physical configuration (thickness, size, etc.), to also minimize the amount of heat transfer from the liner member 30 to the interior wall 24. Any number of support member(s) 32 may be provided as needed, provided that together they provide sufficient support for the liner member 30 to accommodate gravity and inertial loads during transportation of the cryogenic vessel arrangement 100, to adequately space the liner member 30 from the interior wall 24. The selected thickness of the liner member 30 may be influenced by the number and configuration of the support member(s) 32.

[0094] In some embodiments, such as a fuel tank application of the cryogenic container arrangement 100 of Figure 2, the liner member 30 may be in a completely closed arrangement to keep the cryogenic liquid 30A isolated / contained from the inner wall 24 / containment volume 28 when the cryogenic liquid 30A is splashed away by external movements. The containment volume 28 is created when the liquid is splashed away by external movements.

[0095] In some embodiments, it may be advantageous for the inner wall 24 and the outer wall 20 to exhibit some flexibility and ideally be only semi-rigid in construction. Similarly, it may be advantageous for the liner member 30, which may be constructed with a small thickness, to also be flexible / non-rigid or have at least some flexible surfaces. However, in some embodiments, the liner member 30, the inner wall 24 and the outer wall 20 may all be rigid, depending on the desired application of the cryogenic vessel arrangement 100.

[0096] 2 also illustrates various ports of the cryocontainer arrangement 100, some of which may be typical in the art of cryocontainer arrangements. For example, a fill port 40 is provided extending from the exterior of the outer wall 20 into the liner member 30 to facilitate filling of the liner member 30 with cryogenic liquid. An outlet port 42 is also provided extending from a location near the bottom of the liner member 30 to the exterior of the outer wall 20 to facilitate dispensing of the cryogenic liquid 30A from the vessel arrangement 100. Any number of fill or outlet ports may be provided, and the illustrated substantially uniform vertically oriented port arrangement is merely exemplary.

[0097] Also shown is a vapor port 44 extending from an exterior region of the containment volume 28 to a location exterior to the exterior wall 20 to facilitate distribution of cryogenic vapor from the containment volume 28. In some applications (such as a cryogenic fuel tank application), it may be advantageous to distribute a cryogenic gaseous vapor, in which case said vapor port 44 facilitates this. In this case, however, the vapor port 44 may facilitate distribution of the vapor for that purpose rather than simply reducing the amount of cryogenic vapor (and thus the internal pressure) within the containment volume 28.

[0098] The containment volume 28 may be configured to trap at least a portion of the cryogenic vapor released by the cryogenic liquid 30A as it contacts or is received or stored by the liner member 30. The liner member 30 has a low thermal mass to reduce initial boil-off, but it is understood that some cryogenic vapor will typically be released by the liquid when it enters the vessel arrangement 100 or when stored within the liner member 30. In some cases, this may be advantageous or expected in certain cryogenic vessel applications.

[0099] Additionally, the liner member 30 and / or the inner wall 24 may be configured such that the storage volume 28 substantially maintains a pressure equilibrium between the cryogenic liquid 30A received or contained by the liner member 30 and the cryogenic vapor released by the cryogenic liquid when in contact with or contained by the liner member 30.

[0100] This pressure balance may be substantially maintained by releasing from containment volume 28 at least a portion of the cryogenic vapor released by cryogenic liquid 30A upon contact with, or receipt or storage by, liner member 30. This may be done via vapor port 44 as described above.

[0101] Alternatively or additionally, pressure equilibrium may be substantially maintained by venting at least a portion of said cryogenic vapor from liner member 30 and / or containment volume 28 via relief member(s) disposed on inner wall 24 and / or liner member 30. The vapor port 44 described above may constitute one of these relief members.

[0102] Additionally, the liner member port 46 is shown extending from within the liner member 30 above the volume of cryogenic liquid 30A to a location within the containment volume 28 and may constitute one of these relief members. In that case, the liner member port 46 acts to vent the internal pressure within the liner member 30 to the containment volume 28, helping to maintain pressure equilibrium between the interior of the liner member 30 and its surrounding area (which is the containment volume 28 outside of the liner member 30). The liner member port 46 may be configured to redirect the cryogenic vapor into the containment volume 28 to help increase the rate of vapor cooling of the interior wall 24.

[0103] In addition to the vapor port 44 or liner member port 46, other relief member(s) may be provided in the liner member 30 (extending from the interior into the containment volume 28) or in the interior wall 24 (extending from the interior to the exterior of the container arrangement 100) to maintain said pressure equilibrium. The relief member(s) may include passive hole(s) or actuable valve(s) and / or port(s), as would be readily envisioned by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0104] In embodiments in which the liner member 30 has at least some flexible surface, pressure may be increased on the exterior of the liner member 30 to aid in decanting the cryogenic liquid 30A.

[0105] In some embodiments, the containment volume 28 may be configured to receive or store a gas (e.g., hydrogen gas, where the cryogenic liquid 30A comprises cryogenic hydrogen, etc.) held at approximately the same pressure as the cryogenic liquid 30A that the liner member 30 receives or stores (which may be of the same molecular type as the cryogenic liquid 30A, as described above). This allows the liner member 30 to operate without having to accommodate pressure loads.

[0106] Additionally, after receiving the cryogenic liquid 30A, the liner member 30 experiences a gentle and long thermal transient or gradient (due to its low thermal capacity as described above) allowing for steady engagement of the cryogenic liquid in a fuel application (i.e., application of the container arrangement 100 as a vehicle fuel cell) during which the vapor ports 44 may be utilized to dispense cryogenic vapor at a constant sufficient rate to maintain a desired or required maximum internal pressure (i.e., pressure equilibrium) in the containment volume 28.

[0107] Referring now to insulating volume 26, insulating volume 26 may generally comprise or utilize any suitable insulating mechanism known in the art and generally determines the overall heat transfer from the environment external to cryogenic container arrangement 100 to the cryogenic liquid 30A therein. Insulating volume 26 may be configured to provide the necessary level of insulation under steady-state conditions (i.e., once the pressure and temperature within containment volume 28 reach equilibrium) where heat transfer from the external environment to the cryogenic liquid 30A is primarily dominated by conventional convection and / or conduction.

[0108] For example, insulating volume 26 may include or be configured to include a vacuum space between inner wall 24 and outer wall 20 for insulation purposes. Insulating volume 26 that defines a vacuum space may include or be configured to include one or more insulating materials.

[0109] Examples of insulation arrangements for the insulating volume 26 may be multiple microspheres as known in the cryocontainer art, thick foam arrangements as known in the cryocontainer art, and / or multi-layer vacuum jacket insulation arrangements as known in the cryocontainer art, where multiple layers of insulation material(s) (such as polyester film(s), silk net(s) and / or nylon net(s)) are densely embedded in the vacuum annular space or jacket space between said inner wall 24 and outer wall 20.

[0110] The insulating volume 26 has a thermal insulation capacity of at least about 0.5 W / m 2 ~about 20W / m 2However, one skilled in the art may envision other ranges of heat leakage per surface area depending on the configuration of the cryocontainer arrangement 100.

[0111] With proper insulation, it is possible to supply (e.g., via vapor port 44) to an application (fuel cell device) where it is desired to supply cryogenic vapor at a desired low temperature to act as a coolant for a fuel cell, taking advantage of the heat capacity of the cryogenic vapor.

[0112] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the cryocontainer configuration described above for use in a cryogenic flask application, such as a cryo-Dewar used to contain and cool a superconducting coil.

[0113] In this embodiment, a cryogenic container arrangement 200 is shown which primarily comprises many of the same features as the cryogenic container arrangement 100 described above, and similar parts such as the outer wall 220, the outer periphery 222, the inner wall 224, the liner member 230, the insulating volume 226, the storage volume 228, the support member(s) 232, and the filling port 240 are given the same reference numerals, with the exception of 200.

[0114] A notable difference is shown in the particular application of such cryogenic vessel arrangement 200, in that the liquid outlet port 242 can also serve the purpose of the vapor port 44 of the cryogenic vessel arrangement 100 described above (as in this application, specifically, cryogenic vapor is not used and can be vented to achieve pressure equilibrium within the containment volume 228 as described above).

[0115] In some configurations, the liquid outlet port 242 may extend into the cryogenic liquid 230A when the cryogenic liquid 230A is emptied from the cryogenic container arrangement 200, and may optionally extend substantially to the bottom of the liner member 230.

[0116] A necessary insulating lid 234 is also provided for the cryogenic dewar used to contain and cool the superconducting coil (to allow access to the coil or other components immersed / disposed within the volume of cryogenic liquid 230A).

[0117] Another notable difference is that the liner member 230 is open ended at the top, i.e., it is not a completely sealed containment vessel like the liner member 30 of the cryocontainer arrangement 100 of Figure 2. In this embodiment, the liner member 230 is arranged in this manner because the flask will not be moved or transported repeatedly like a fuel storage tank like the cryocontainer arrangement 100.

[0118] As a result, in this embodiment, the internal pressure is shared with the containment volume 228, making it easier to maintain pressure balance without the need for relief member(s), hole(s), port(s), valve(s), etc. in the liner member 230 (as would be the case if the liner member port 46 of FIG. 2 were not present).

[0119] 2 apply to this embodiment as well. The liner member 230 is configured to receive and contain the cryogenic liquid 230A, and the thermal capacity of the liner member 230 is substantially less than the inner wall 224 (by appropriate selection of the thickness of the liner member 230, selection of materials, etc., as discussed above).

[0120] Thus, the liner member 230 herein may also have a thermal capacity configured to substantially reduce or inhibit the rate at which cryogenic vapor is released by the cryogenic liquid 230A upon contact with, or receipt or storage by, the liner member 230, and / or configured to substantially reduce or inhibit the rate at which the temperature of the liner member 230 increases as the cryogenic liquid 230A flows out of the liner member 230.

[0121] The above considerations of the liner member 230, containment volume 228, and insulating volume 226 for the cryocontainer arrangement 100 of FIG. 2 may also be applied to this embodiment as well.

[0122] Thus, the present embodiment of the cryocontainer arrangement 200 of FIG. 3 illustrates additional examples of how the teachings of the cryocontainer arrangements described herein may be applied to different cryocontainer applications.

[0123] Moreover, one skilled in the art will appreciate how certain teachings of the liner member 30, 230 itself may also be applied (i.e., retrofitted) to existing vessel arrangements, such as the prior art vessel of Figure 1. In such vessels, a cryogenic vessel liner 30, 230 for use with a cryogenic vessel 10 may be provided, the liner 30, 230 configured to be disposed within a containment volume 12 of the cryogenic vessel 10, the periphery of which is defined by a vessel wall 14, the liner 30, 230 configured to receive and contain a cryogenic liquid and spaced inwardly from said vessel wall 14 so as to substantially reduce or inhibit contact of the cryogenic liquid with the containment volume 12 and / or the vessel wall 14 during use, and the liner 30, 230 has a thermal capacity that substantially reduces or inhibits the rate at which cryogenic vapor is released by the cryogenic liquid when in contact with or received or stored by the liner 30, 230 during use.

[0124] Additionally, the liner 30, 230 may be configured with a thermal capacity that substantially reduces or inhibits the rate at which the temperature of the liner 30, 230 increases during use as the cryogenic liquid disengages from the liner 30, 230, and may have a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm, or about 1 mm to about 5 mm, but may be less than 6 mm, and may be supported from said vessel wall 14 by a support member(s), which may be configured such that the liner 30, 230 is spaced from the vessel wall 14 a distance in the range of about 3 times to about 20 times the thickness of the liner 30, 230, and the liner 30, 230 may have a thermal capacity that substantially reduces or inhibits the rate at which the temperature of the liner 30, 230 increases during use as the cryogenic liquid disengages from the liner 30, 230, and may have a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm, or about 1 mm to about 5 mm, but may be less than 6 mm, and may be supported from said vessel wall 14 by a support member(s), which support members may be configured such that the liner 30, 230 is spaced from the vessel wall 14 a distance in the range of about 3 times to about 20 times the thickness of the liner 30, 230, and The liner 30, 230 may be configured such that the thermal mass of the liner 30, 230 is substantially less than the thermal capacity of the vessel wall 14, the liner 30, 230 may be configured with a thickness in the range of at least about ⅓ to about ⅓ of the thickness of the vessel wall 14, the liner 30, 230 may comprise at least one material selected from metal, alloy, steel, steel alloy, aluminum, composite material, fiberglass composite material, fiberglass laminate, glass polymer, fiber reinforced plastic, and / or G-10 fiberglass laminate, and / or the at least one material may have a thermal conductivity of about 0.25 W / m·K to about 240 W / m·K, or about 0.288 W / m·K.

[0125] Embodiments of the present invention have been described by way of example only and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 12 Capacity 12A cryogenic liquid 14 Container Wall 16 Outer shell 18 Insulation Arrangement 20 Exterior Wall 22 Outer circumference 24 Inner wall 26 Insulated volume 28 Capacity 30 Liner material 30A cryogenic liquid 32 Support member 40 Filling Port 42 Exit Port 44 Steam Port 46 Liner component port 100 Cryogenic container arrangement 200 Cryogenic container arrangement 220 Exterior Wall 222 Circumference 224 Interior wall 226 Insulated Volume 228 Capacity 230 Liner components 230A cryogenic liquid 232 Support member(s) 234 Insulated Cover 240 Filling Port 242 Liquid outlet port

Claims

1. 1. A cryogenic vessel arrangement for storing a cryogenic liquid, comprising: an outer wall defining an outer periphery of the cryogenic vessel arrangement; an inner wall spaced inwardly from the outer wall and defining an insulating volume of the cryogenic vessel arrangement therebetween; a liner member positioned within the containment volume and spaced inwardly from the inner wall, the liner member configured to receive and contain a cryogenic liquid, the liner member having a thermal capacity substantially less than a thermal capacity of the inner wall.

2. 10. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 1, wherein the thermal mass of the liner member is configured to substantially reduce or inhibit the rate at which the cryogenic liquid releases cryogenic vapor upon contact with, or upon receipt or storage by, the liner member.

3. 3. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the thermal mass of the liner member is configured to substantially reduce or inhibit the rate at which the temperature of the liner member increases as the cryogenic liquid leaves the liner member.

4. 3. The cryogenic vessel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the liner member is configured to have a thickness in the range of about 1 / 3 to about 1 / 10 of the thickness of the inner wall.

5. 3. The cryocontainer arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the inner wall is between about 5 mm and about 10 mm.

6. 3. The cryogenic vessel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the liner member has a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm.

7. 3. The cryogenic vessel arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the liner member comprises at least one material selected from metal, alloy, steel, steel alloy, aluminum, composite, fiberglass composite, fiberglass laminate, glass polymer, fiber reinforced plastic, and / or G-10 fiberglass laminate.

8. 3. The cryogenic vessel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the liner member comprises a G-10 fiberglass laminate.

9. 3. The cryogenic vessel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the liner member has a thermal conductivity of about 0.25 W / m·K to about 240 W / m·K.

10. 3. The cryogenic vessel arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the liner member has a thermal conductivity of about 0.288 W / m·K.

11. 3. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the liner member is configured to receive and contain the cryogenic liquid so as to substantially reduce or prevent contact of the cryogenic liquid with the containment volume and / or the interior wall.

12. 3. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the liner member is positioned within the containment volume and spaced from the inner wall by support member(s) operatively connecting the liner member to the inner wall.

13. 3. The cryogenic vessel arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the liner member is configured to be spaced from the inner wall by a distance of about 3 to 20 times the thickness of the liner member.

14. 3. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the containment volume is configured to capture at least a portion of the cryogenic vapor released by the cryogenic liquid upon contact with, or receipt or storage by, the liner member.

15. 3. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the liner member and / or the inner wall are configured such that the containment volume substantially maintains pressure equilibrium between a cryogenic liquid received or stored by the liner member and a cryogenic vapor released by the cryogenic liquid upon contact with or receipt or storage by the liner member.

16. 16. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 15, wherein the pressure balance is substantially maintained by venting from the containment volume at least a portion of the cryogenic vapor released by the cryogenic liquid upon contact with, or receipt or storage by, the liner member.

17. 17. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 16, wherein the pressure equilibrium is substantially maintained by venting at least a portion of the cryogenic vapor from the liner member and / or the storage volume by relief member(s) disposed on the inner wall and / or the liner member.

18. 18. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 17, wherein the relief member(s) comprise(s) holes(s), valve(s) and / or port(s).

19. 3. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the containment volume is configured to receive or store a gas maintained at substantially the same pressure as the cryogenic liquid received or stored by the liner member.

20. 20. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 19, wherein the gas comprises hydrogen gas.

21. 3. The cryogenic container arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the insulating volume contains or is configured to contain a vacuum and one or more insulating materials including multi-layer insulation, microspheres, polyester film(s), silk net(s) and / or nylon net(s).

22. The insulating volume is at least about 0.5 W / m ２ ~About 20W / m ２ 3. The cryogenic vessel arrangement of claim 1 or 2, configured to have a heat leakage surface area in the range of

23. A cryocontainer comprising a cryocontainer arrangement according to claim 1 or 2.

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