Fluid handling – Plural tanks or compartments with parallel flow – With manifold or grouped outlets
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2004-02-03
Lee, Kevin (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Plural tanks or compartments with parallel flow
With manifold or grouped outlets
C137S264000, C137S259000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06684899
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of chemical gas and liquid containment and delivery systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and process for safely secondarily containing at least two supply cylinders containing a hazardous fluid substance and delivering the hazardous fluid substance such as chlorine gas from the supply cylinders either simultaneously or sequentially, to a receiving structure or system, such as to one or more distribution cylinders or to a pool chlorine gas treatment system in accordance with government regulations. These regulations specifically include Toxic Gas Ordinance No. 23450, Chapter 17.78 of the San Jose Municipal Code, and the Uniform Fire Code, Article 20, Hazardous Materials.
The apparatus includes a high pressure containment vessel for receiving and safely enclosing a plurality of, and preferably two, supply cylinders each having a release valve and containing a hazardous fluid substance at a pressure above ambient. The containment vessel contains a cylinder support structure for supporting the at least two supply cylinders on support rollers so that the supply cylinders can be rolled into and out of the containment vessel. A high pressure flex line or rigid pipe fitting extends from each supply cylinder release valve to one of two automatic gas sensing valve assemblies mounted in a vessel port in the vessel wall for the specific supply cylinder. A gas sensing valve assembly is provided on each release valve and automatically shuts off the flow of gas through the given vessel port when a gas leak is detected outside the containment vessel. Chlorine gas passes through each valve assembly and into a receiving structure or system, such as a gas manifold having coupling ports to which one or more distribution cylinders, also known as service cylinders, are removably connected. A back-up, manually operated valve is also provided in series with each automatic gas sensing valve assembly. Each gas sensing valve assembly has a fail-safe-to-close design and the back-up valve is fitted with quick-turn lever handled Hastaloy™ “C” ball valves. The sensing and back-up valves both have reduced-orifice controllers. A containment vessel support structure is provided having a vessel pivot assembly so that the vessel can be tilted back, causing liquid chlorine within the contained cylinders to flow to the bottom of the cylinders and away from cylinder release valves. The cylinders are loaded into the vessel while the vessel is horizontal, but have to be oriented at an angle, preferably at 45 degrees, to drain gas rather than liquid. The containment vessel has a spring-loaded vessel lid biased by lid springs to an open position to aid in opening the vessel lid when the vessel is tilted back, and door sealing means are provided.
To meet secondary containment requirements, the gas manifold is enclosed within an exhausted enclosure connected to a gas scrubbing unit. The scrubbing unit is substantially smaller than scrubbers typically used in the industry, because most of the gas is automatically sealed within the supply cylinders by the sensing valve assembly and within any distribution cylinders by a reduced orifice flow controller on the manifold coupling ports. Should one or both of the supply cylinders leak, the gas then contain may be released into the scrubbing unit at a very low rate, and alternatively may be released instead into at least one gas cylinder rather than scrubbed and wasted.
The delivery process is inventively passive, so that dependence upon electric power for safe containment and flow is eliminated. The process includes the steps of placing two supply cylinders into a containment vessel; and connecting the supply cylinder release valves to respective tubing means extending through fluid substance sensing valve assemblies in the vessel wall. Optional additional steps include delivery of the fluid substance from the gas sensing valve assemblies into a gas manifold; and delivering the gas from the manifold into a distribution cylinder. Fluid substance contained within the supply vessel and gas manifold is maintained at ambient temperature so that gas pressure is minimized for safe retention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been gas delivery and transfer systems for delivering hazardous fluid substances from a supply cylinder, which is typically a one ton cylinder, into a receiving structure or system, such as a distribution cylinder, which is typically a fifteen or twenty pound cylinder. Government environmental and safety regulations have required that delivery or transfer take place within secondary containment. This has been accomplished in the chlorine industry in several ways.
One way has been to make the transfer in a room filled with massive and very costly scrubber equipment, so that if a leak develops, all gas in the supply cylinder can be very rapidly scrubbed from the air. This process makes it necessary to shut down operation in the room for one or more days and also results in the loss of all chlorine in the supply cylinder, both of these consequences being very expensive in addition to the cost of the scrubbing equipment. Should leakage take place during a power outage, particularly during a natural disaster, the scrubbing equipment would not function, so that the dangerous chlorine gas would escape into the neighborhood and into nearby ecosystems.
Another way of transferring chlorine gas has been with the use of what is known as a “coffin”, which is essentially an ordinary sheet metal cabinet. The supply cylinder and distribution cylinder are both placed inside the coffin. The coffin has a release port opening into a powerful suction and scrubber assembly. In the event of supply cylinder leakage, the scrubber assembly must be activated immediately to rapidly draw away all of the escaping gas which includes the entire contents of the supply cylinder. The coffin would not contain the gas in the event that a power failure shut down the scrubber. Thus the problems of the scrubbing room are substantially presented by the coffin and scrubber containment system. Containment buildings and hoods are not capable of withstanding the pressure and corrosive nature of suddenly released quantities of chlorine gas.
Yet another and highly improved way, invented by the present applicant, has involved secondarily containing a supply cylinder within a high pressure vessel and gradually draining off the chlorine gas it contains. In the event of supply cylinder catastrophic failure, the secondary containment vessel retains the gas indefinitely and safely until it can be drained into secure vessels or scrubbed. See Caparros, U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,384, issued on Mar. 4, 1997 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,787, issued on Oct. 13, 1998, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. A problem with this approach has been that only one supply cylinder can be contained and drained at a time for each containment vessel.
Other prior references include Van Valkenburgh, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,908, issued on Apr. 30, 1996 and Payne, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,639, issued on Apr. 7, 1998 which disclose mobile structures providing a form of secondary containment of hazardous gases stored within cylinders inside the mobile structures. These mobile structures are very bulky, and do not provide storage pressure driven evacuation of leaked gas into another primary container.
Cartwright, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,588, issued on Dec. 28 1999 and McGouran, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,326, issued on Mar. 27, 1990, teach secondary containment boxes with removable side walls for receiving toxic gas primary containers. Gas escaping from the primary containers is confined within interstitial spaces between the primary vessel and the surrounding secondary containment box for subsequent release into a detoxifying system (Cartwright) or the secondary containment box is simply “cleaned” (McGouran, Jr., column 4, line 13).
Karwacki, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,1
Kubler Krank L.
Lee Kevin
LandOfFree
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