Buried Cryogenic Fluid Storage With Vapor Recovery Pressure Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of supplying cryogenic pumps above ground with liquid hydrogen from a buried storage facility is complicated by the difficulty in returning vaporization gases back to the storage facility when the high point of the storage facility is lower than the pump inlet, leading to inefficient operation and increased losses.
Innovation Solution
A pipe system with a device to control the pressure and flow rate of vaporization gases is used to return these gases to the reservoir at a pressure higher than the pump inlet, incorporating heaters, heat exchangers, and compressors to maintain reservoir pressure and ensure consistent pump supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the storage facility is buried below ground with the high point lower than the pump inlet, then the space requirement is reduced and storage efficiency is improved, but the vaporization gas cannot be returned to the storage facility naturally and the pump supply becomes difficult to guarantee
Solution Approach 1:
A pressure control device is introduced as an intermediary between the storage facility and the pump to mediate the pressure difference. This device actively controls the pressure inside the storage facility to be higher than the pump inlet pressure, enabling reliable liquid supply to the pump while maintaining the buried storage configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure parameter inside the storage facility is actively changed and controlled to be higher than the pump inlet pressure. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by enabling liquid flow to the pump despite the unfavorable elevation difference, while the buried storage configuration is maintained for space efficiency.
2Device complexity
If the vaporization gas is not returned to the storage facility, then the system complexity is reduced, but the overall losses of the station increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vaporization gas, which would otherwise be considered a loss, is converted into a beneficial resource by returning it to the storage facility. The pressure control device enables this return flow by maintaining appropriate pressure conditions, thus converting what was previously waste into a means of reducing overall hydrogen losses.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the vaporization gas, the system recovers it by returning to the storage facility. The pressure control device facilitates this recovery process by ensuring the pressure conditions necessary for the gas to flow back into the storage facility, thereby reducing substance losses.
3Reliability
If the pressure inside the reservoir is controlled to be higher than the pump inlet pressure, then the pump supply is guaranteed and operation is ensured, but additional devices for pressure control are required
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure control device utilizes the vaporization gas itself to maintain the pressure inside the storage facility. By controlling the flow and pressure of the vaporization gas being returned, the system achieves self-service pressure maintenance without requiring entirely separate pressurization equipment, thus balancing reliability with controlled complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system ensures efficient operation of the pump by recycling vaporization gases, reducing overall losses and maintaining reservoir pressure, thereby guaranteeing a reliable supply of liquid hydrogen.
Implementation Method 1
a heating heat exchanger and a compressor arranged in series
Implementation Method 2
a heating heat exchanger and a compressor arranged in series
Implementation Method 3
a heating heat exchanger and a compressor arranged in series
Implementation Method 4
a pipe for the recovery of vaporization gas generated inside the pump, having an upstream end connected to the pump and a downstream end connected to the reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an installation for storing and distributing cryogenic fluid, for example liquid hydrogen, comprising a cryogenic reservoir which is buried below the ground, a liquid withdrawal circuit connected to the reservoir with a downstream end located above the ground and designed to be connected to a consumer, the withdrawal circuit comprising a cryogenic pump arranged above the ground, the installation comprising a pipe for the recovery of vaporization gas generated inside the cryogenic pump, having a downstream end connected to the reservoir, the pipe for the recovery of the vaporization gases comprising at least one device for controlling the pressure and/or flow rate of the vaporization gas returned to the reservoir and the device for controlling the pressure and/or flow rate being configured to control the pressure inside the reservoir at a pressure level which is greater than the pressure at the inlet of the cryogenic pump.