Cryogenic Filling Termination via Buoyancy-Actuated Flow Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cryogenic vessel filling processes result in medium wastage due to vaporization and pressure differences, requiring manual intervention and potentially leading to safety hazards and resource inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
An automatic filling termination device for cryogenic vessels, featuring a body with an inlet and outlet, a flow termination member, and a floater that blocks the outlet when a predetermined liquid level is reached, eliminating the need for exhaust and overflow pipes and enabling precise control of filling volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gas-let-out filling is adopted to maintain pressure difference, then filling can continue, but medium is wasted in vapor form
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the exhaust pipe component from the filling system. By eliminating the need to vent vapor during filling, the system achieves continuous filling without medium waste. The flow termination member directly controls liquid flow into the vessel without requiring parallel vapor discharge pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the flow control parameter from indirect vapor pressure regulation to direct liquid flow termination. The flow termination member responds to liquid level changes by blocking the inlet opening, transitioning the control mechanism from pressure-based to level-based control, thereby eliminating vapor waste.
2Ease of operation
If manual valve operation is used to control filling rate, then filling can be stopped, but operator attention is required and safety risks exist
Solution Approach 1:
The flow termination member performs self-service by automatically detecting the liquid level through buoyancy forces acting on it. When the liquid reaches the predetermined level, the flow termination member autonomously blocks the inlet opening, eliminating the need for operator intervention and ensuring consistent safety without human error.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control where the flow termination member continuously responds to liquid level changes. The buoyancy force on the flow termination member provides real-time feedback about the liquid level, automatically adjusting the flow state to maintain safety without requiring external monitoring or manual operation.
3Measurement precision
If overflow pipe is used to indicate filling rate, then liquid level can be monitored, but medium is wasted in liquid form
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the overflow pipe component from the system. Instead of allowing excess liquid to overflow and waste, the flow termination member prevents further filling by blocking the inlet opening when the predetermined level is reached, converting the overflow mechanism into a precise flow termination mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potential harm of overfilling into a beneficial automatic termination function. The flow termination member, driven by buoyancy forces when liquid reaches the critical level, transforms the overfilling risk into an automatic flow stoppage mechanism that prevents waste while maintaining precise level control.
4Productivity
If high pressure filling is used to increase filling rate, then productivity improves, but safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flow termination member is pre-positioned to block the inlet opening at the predetermined safe liquid level. This preliminary positioning ensures that even during high-pressure filling, the system automatically terminates flow before dangerous pressure or overfilling conditions can develop, allowing high productivity without compromising safety.
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
The solution prevents medium wastage, reduces environmental impact, enhances safety by avoiding overfilling and pressure hazards, and allows for rapid, high-pressure filling without manual intervention, optimizing the filling process.
Implementation Method 1
a floater, located outside the body and being capable of moving up and down when the liquid level of the cryogenic medium as filled into the cryogenic vessel is changed
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic filling termination device and a cryogenic vessel are provided including a body with a chamber, defined in the cryogenic vessel and provided with an inlet, communicated with the inlet for filling cryogenic medium into the chamber, and an outlet, arranged on the top wall of the body for discharging the cryogenic medium in the chamber into the cryogenic vessel; a flow termination member blocking the outlet, defined in the chamber of the body and has a predetermined weight to not be floated in the cryogenic medium; a floater, located outside the body and moving up and down when the liquid level of the cryogenic medium as filled into the cryogenic vessel is changed; and a connection, penetrated through the outlet to connect the flow termination member with the floater, wherein the outlet internal diameter is greater than the connection outer diameter by a predetermined dimension.