Gas separation: apparatus – With inspection means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-03
2001-06-12
Smith, Duane (Department: 1724)
Gas separation: apparatus
With inspection means
C096S290000, C096S333000, C095S211000, C095S268000, C095S274000, C095S288000, C055S342100, C055S434200, C165S155000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06245133
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to emissions reducing equipment and more particularly to a gas condensing and cooling system including a multi-chamber condenser unit connectable to a heated vapor emissions source and a cooling unit connected to the multi-chamber condenser unit; the multi-chamber condenser unit including a chamber housing having a number of condensing elements connected sequentially together therein, a condensate level viewing glass and a condensate drain valve; each condensing element including a volume of porous rock within a compartment partially defined by a vertical divider wall and suspended over a liquid barrier created by condensate; each condensing element being connected to an adjacent condensing element in a manner such that heated vapor emissions traveling through the multi-chamber condenser between the input opening and the discharge opening of the multi-chamber condenser unit must pass sequentially through each of the number of condensing elements of the multi-chamber condenser unit; the cooling unit including a length of vapor discharge pipe having a vent passageway formed along the length thereof terminating in a condenser unit discharge input opening at one end in connection with the condenser unit discharge opening and open to the atmosphere at the other end, an insulated natural gas expansion chamber surrounding a portion of the vapor discharge pipe, a pressure reducing element having a lower pressure end connected to a gas input opening of the insulated natural gas expansion chamber a higher pressure input end connectable to a source of pressurized natural gas, and an expanded gas vent tube extending out of the insulated natural gas expansion chamber and running along the vent passageway through the portion of the vapor discharge pipe surrounded by the insulated natural gas expansion chamber to provide a vapor contact cooling structure.
BACKGROUND ART
Environmental regulations typically restrict the temperature content of emissions from oil field production equipment such as the hot vaporous emissions from a glycol dehydration unit. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have an emission cooling system for cooling the emissions sufficiently to satisfy regulations. Because cooling equipment utilizing compressors and the like break down and require maintenance, it would be a further benefit to have a gas condensing and cooling system for cooling and collecting condensate that operated without a compressor unit and that utilized readily available pressurized natural gas as the refrigerant element within the cooling unit.
GENERAL SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a gas condensing and cooling system that includes a multi-chamber condenser unit connectable to a heated vapor emissions source and a cooling unit connected to the multi-chamber condenser unit; the multi-chamber condenser unit including a chamber housing having a number of condensing elements connected sequentially together therein, a condensate level viewing glass and a condensate drain valve; each condensing element including a volume of porous rock within a compartment partially defined by a vertical divider wall and suspended over a liquid barrier created by condensate; each condensing element being connected to an adjacent condensing element in a manner such that heated vapor emissions traveling through the multi-chamber condenser between the input opening and the discharge opening of the multi-chamber condenser unit must pass sequentially through each of the number of condensing elements of the multi-chamber condenser unit; the cooling unit including a length of vapor discharge pipe having a vent passageway formed along the length thereof terminating in a condenser unit discharge input opening at one end in connection with the condenser unit discharge opening and open to the atmosphere at the other end, an insulated natural gas expansion chamber surrounding a portion of the vapor discharge pipe, a pressure reducing element having a lower pressure end connected to a gas input opening of the insulated natural gas expansion chamber a higher pressure input end connectable to a source of pressurized natural gas, and an expanded gas vent tube extending out of the insulated natural gas expansion chamber and running along the vent passageway through the portion of the vapor discharge pipe surrounded by the insulated natural gas expansion chamber to provide a vapor contact cooling structure.
Accordingly, a gas condensing and cooling system is provided. The gas condensing and cooling system includes a multi-chamber condenser unit connectable to a heated vapor emissions source and a cooling unit connected to the multi-chamber condenser unit; the multi-chamber condenser unit including a chamber housing having a number of condensing elements connected sequentially together therein, a condensate level viewing glass and a condensate drain valve; each condensing element including a volume of porous rock within a compartment partially defined by a vertical divider wall and suspended over a liquid barrier created by condensate; each condensing element being connected to an adjacent condensing element in a manner such that heated vapor emissions traveling through the multi-chamber condenser between the input opening and the discharge opening of the multi-chamber condenser unit must pass sequentially through each of the number of condensing elements of the multi-chamber condenser unit; the cooling unit including a length of vapor discharge pipe having a vent passageway formed along the length thereof terminating in a condenser unit discharge input opening at one end in connection with the condenser unit discharge opening and open to the atmosphere at the other end, an insulated natural gas expansion chamber surrounding a portion of the vapor discharge pipe, a pressure reducing element having a lower pressure end connected to a gas input opening of the insulated natural gas expansion chamber a higher pressure input end connectable to a source of pressurized natural gas, and an expanded gas vent tube extending out of the insulated natural gas expansion chamber and running along the vent passageway through the portion of the vapor discharge pipe surrounded by the insulated natural gas expansion chamber to provide a vapor contact cooling structure.
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Breaux Joseph N.
Greene Jason M.
Smith Duane
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