Rapid Fill Container System with Incompressible Fluid Pre-fill
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Solution Overview
Problem
Filling and evacuating tanks with high pressure gas often result in undesirable heat variations and pressure losses due to the compression of pre-existing gases, which can be time-consuming and energy-intensive.
Innovation Solution
Prefilling the tank with an incompressible fluid before introducing compressible gas, using a regulator valve and check valve configuration to control the flow and pressure, and employing a membrane to separate the gases, thereby minimizing heat generation and pressure losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high pressure gas is transferred directly to a tank with lower pressure, then filling speed is improved, but pressure losses and heat generation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tank is pre-filled with an incompressible fluid (liquid) before introducing the compressible gas. This preliminary action displaces the air that would otherwise be compressed during rapid filling, thereby eliminating the energy losses associated with compressing pre-existing gas while maintaining high filling speeds
2Productivity
If high pressure gas is transferred directly to a tank with lower pressure, then filling speed is improved, but heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-filling the tank with an incompressible liquid, the system eliminates the adiabatic compression of pre-existing gas that causes heat generation. The liquid acts as a placeholder that can be easily displaced by the incoming gas without compression, thereby maintaining rapid filling speeds while preventing unwanted heat generation
3Loss of energy
If the tank is evacuated with a vacuum pump before filling, then pressure losses are reduced, but the process becomes time-consuming and energy-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of evacuating the tank with a vacuum pump (which is time-consuming and energy-intensive), the patent uses a simpler pre-filling action with an incompressible liquid. This liquid pre-fill displaces the air in the tank, achieving the same effect of eliminating compressible gas without the drawbacks of vacuum evacuation, thereby maintaining energy efficiency while improving the overall process time
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 approach reduces pressure losses and heat generation by limiting the work required to push out the incompressible fluid, allowing for more efficient and rapid filling of tanks with compressible gas while maintaining a stable pressure.
Implementation Method 1
supplying the container with an incompressible fluid... prefilling the container with the incompressible fluid may reduce pressure losses that would otherwise result from transferring the compressible gas
Implementation Method 2
The regulator valve may regulate a flow of the compressible gas entering the container based on a first pressure setting for the regulator valve
Implementation Method 3
The check valve may release the incompressible fluid from the container when a pressure of the container exceeds a second pressure setting for the check valve
Implementation Method 4
a membrane inside of the container may separate the compressible gas from the incompressible fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A container may be supplied with an incompressible fluid. For example, the container may be partially or completely prefilled with the incompressible fluid. The container may be supplied with a flow of compressible gas via a first valve. The first valve may regulate the flow of the compressible gas supplied to the container based on a pressure setting of the first valve. A second valve may release the incompressible fluid from the container as the container is filled with the compressible gas and in response to a pressure of the container being greater than a pressure setting of the second valve. The pressure setting of the first valve may be greater than the pressure setting of the second valve.