MXPA97001896A - Containment and assortment apparatus for fluid danger - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for safely releasing a hazardous fluid substance to a receiving structure, comprising: an assortment cylinder containing said fluid substance and having an assortment cylinder release door; high pressure that has a container wall, to receive and securely enclose said assortment cylinder, first high pressure piping means extending from, and in fluid communication with, said assortment declaring door to a door of the container in said container wall, and a container valve in fluid communication with the first said pipe means for controlling release of said fluid substance from the assortment cylinder and from said container

Description

ñ PflROTQ CONTAINMENT AND ASSORTMENT PñRfl DANGEROUS FLUIDS FIELD OF L INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of chemical gas and liquid containment and assortment systems. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for safely supplying a dangerous fluid substance such as chlorine gas from a supply cylinder to a receiver structure or system, such as a distribution cylinder. or to a chlorine gas treatment system, with secondary containment and otherwise in accordance with government regulations. These regulations specifically include Toxic Gas Ordi nance 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 container for securely receiving and enclosing a supply cylinder having a release valve and containing a hazardous fluid substance at a pressure on the environment. A high pressure curve line extends from the supply cylinder release valve to an automatic gas detection valve assembly positioned in a container door in the container wall. The gas detection valve assembly automatically shuts off the gas flow through the container door when a gas leak is detected outside the containment vessel. Chlorine gas passes through the valve assembly and into a receiver structure or system, such as a gas manifold having 5 coupling doors to which one or more distribution cylinders, also known as service cylinders, are removably connected. A manually operated check valve is also provided in series with the automatic gas detector valve assembly. The assembly «le valve i :? Detector has an automatic fail-safe shut-off design and the check valve is adjusted with "C" Hastaloy ™ "C" ball valves operated with spring return, normal close or fast return. The check and check valves have reduced orifice controllers. 15 To meet the requirements of secondary containment, the gas manifold is enclosed within an exhausted closure connected to a sweeper. The sweeping unit is substantially smaller than the sweepers typically used in the industry, since most of the The gas is automatically sealed within the supply cylinder by the sensing valve assembly and within any distribution cylinder by means of the reduced orifice flow controller in the manifolds of the coupling. If the supply cylinder leaks, the The gas contained therein can be released in the sweeping unit at a speed rnuy ba a, and alternatively it can be released instead of a gas cylinder instead of being swept and discarded. The assortment procedure is inventively passive, so that the dependence of electrical energy for safe containment and flow is eliminated. The method includes the steps of placing a supply cylinder in a containment container, - connecting the supply cylinder release valve to a tube means extending through a fluid substance sensing valve assembly in the container wall. Optional additional steps include the assortment of the fluid substance from the gas detector valve assembly in a gas manifold; and supplying the manifold gas in a cooled distribution cylinder. The fluid substance found in the supply container and gas manifold is maintained at room temperature so that the gas pressure is reduced to a minimum for safe retention. The distribution cylinder or other structure or receiving system is cooled under ambient to receive low pressure gas. In this way, the gas flow gives as a result the difference in pressure between the supply cylinder and the receiving structure instead of the mechanical action of conducting means, so that the operation of the apparatus and containment of the Fluid is passive, and high pressures are safely avoided.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE There have been gas supply and transfer systems for supplying 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 cylinder of 6.80 or 9.07 kilograms. Recent government safety and environment regulations have required the assortment or transfer to occur within the secondary containment. This has been achieved in the chlorine industry in two ways. One way has been to make the transfer in a room filled with massive and very expensive sweeping equipment, so that if a leak develops, all the gas in the cylinder supply can be swept quickly from the air. This procedure makes it necessary to shut down the operation in the room for one or more days and also results in the loss of all the chlorine in the supply cylinder, both of these consequences being very costly in addition to the 2 (The cost of the sweeping equipment. * If a leak occurs when the power is turned off, particularly during a natural disaster, the sweeping equipment will not work, so that dangerous chlorine gas will escape in the neighborhood and in nearby ecosystems. The other known way of transferring chlorine gas is through the use of what is known as a "coffin" which is essentially an ordinary metal booth.The supply cylinder and the distribution cylinder are placed inside the coffin. The coffin has a release door opening in a sweeping and powerful suction assembly.If there is leakage from the supply cylinder, the sweeping assembly must be activated immediately to quickly remove all escaping gas that includes the total contents of the cylinder. The coffin would not have the gas in case a power failure turned off the sweeper, so the problems of the sweeping room are substantially presented by the coffin and sweeping containment system. Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an assortment system of hazardous fluid substance that provides the safe secondary containment required by law. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system co or such that is compact and requires the minimum shutdown time in the event of a leakage of fluid substance. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system such as to securely retain any of the fluid substance leaking from the cylinder that has not reached the receiving structure or system, by gradual release in the gas cylinders. or in a bred unit. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system such that it can release gaseous substances at a controlled, slow rate and in this manner requiring only a low, small capacity and inexpensive sweeping assembly. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system as such that will surely and secondarily have the most fluid leakage substance in case of a power failure such as during a natural disaster. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system as such that automatically stops the flow of the fluid substance from the containment vessel with a valve operated by a fluid substance detecting mechanism. Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide a system as such that delivers or transfers a fluid substance by means of low passive pressure and that is compact and economical for construction and operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention accomplishes the aforementioned objectives, as well as others, as can be determined by a reading and fair interpretation of the complete specification. An apparatus is provided for safe assortment of a hazardous fluid substance to a receiving structure, including a supply cylinder. It contains the fluid substance and it has a supply cylinder release door; a high-pressure containment vessel having a container wall, to receive and securely enclose the supply cylinder; a first high pressure tube extending from, and in fluid communication with, the supply cylinder release door to a container door in the vessel wall; and a container valve in fluid communication with the first tube to control the assortment of the fluid substance from the supply cylinder and from the container. The container valve preferably includes a fluid sensing valve assembly positioned in the container door, to automatically shut off the flow of the fluid substance at the time of detection of the fluid substances out of the containment container to automatically seal substantially all of them. the fluid substance contained within the supply cylinder within the containment vessel in the event of an uncontrolled release of the fluid substance out of the containment vessel. The apparatus, additionally, may include at least one distribution cylinder; wherein the receiver structure includes a manifold distribution in fluid communication with the tube through which the fluid substance passes, which has at least one door to which at least one distribution cylinder is re-connected, the manifold having a certain volume of multiple tube to contain a quantity of the fluid substance; an exhausted closure enclosing the manifold tube and having sufficient internal volume to retain the substance and temperature substantially within the environment, the amount of fluid substance within the manifold; and a fluid substance sweeping unit of sufficient capacity to sweep all of the initial fluid substance within the supply cylinder at a controlled flow rate through the container valve. The container valve preferably includes a valve adapter having a reduced orifice controller. A method for dispensing a hazardous fluid substance from a supply cylinder having a supply cylinder release valve using the apparatus described above, including the steps of placing the supply cylinder in the containment container; connecting the release valve of the supply cylinder to the tube that extends inside the containment container; open The cylinder release valve and the container valve to supply the fluid substance from the supply cylinder and from the containment container. The method may include the additional steps of detecting any fluid substance released through a leak in the apparatus, such as in a tube extending from the manifold, using the supply cylinder of the receiving cylinder for testing purposes, testing the lines with gas only, and at the time of detection, close the supply cylinder of the receiver cylinder. The procedure may include additional steps to ensure a distribution cylinder for the manifold, and to deliver the fluid substance from the supply fluid through the manifold and at least one distribution cylinder. The method may include the additional step of keeping the fluid substance contained within the supply container and the fluid substance manifold at substantially ambient temperatures so that the fluid substance pressure is minimized for safe retention. The process may also include the step of cooling down a distribution cylinder under ambient temperature to receive the fluid under pressure under the ambient, to create a pressure difference between the manifold and the cylinder. of distribution to remove the fluid substance through the manifold and from the supply cylinder in the distribution cylinder, at low pressures and without mechanical driving mechanisms depending on the electric current.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the containment apparatus and assortment of inventive fluid substance showing the containment container with the supply cylinder that receives open door, revealing the curved line and excess of the valve turned off. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the apparatus of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1 connected to a multiple tube of chlorine assortment shown in divided lines, contained within of an exhausted closure, and a chlorine distribution cylinder _, 'connected to one or two coupling doors in the manifold. Figure 3a is a front view of the apparatus of Figure 3, showing the fluid tube connections in detail. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the containment container for a distribution cylinder containment of 9.07 V g leakage. Figure 5 is a side view of the preferred sensing valve assembly in the containment vessel. 0 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED IIODflLIDflDES As required, the detailed embodiments of the present invention are described herein; however, it should be understood that the embodiments described simply 5 are examples of the invention that can be understood in various ways. Therefore, the specific, structural and functional details described herein are not to be construed as limiting, but only as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching a person skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in any detailed structure appropriately. Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein the features and aspects of the present invention which are shown in the different figures are designated by the reference numerals. Referring to Figures 1-5, an LO apparatus is described for safely releasing a toxic or otherwise dangerous hazardous substance such as ammonia, sulfur dioxide, or chlorine, in the form of gas or liquid, from an assortment cylinder 12 having a release valve 16 towards a distribution cylinder or treatment system 14. It is understood that the word "fluid" in this application refers to both gas and liquid states. The transfer of chlorine gas is an example followed in all this description which is illustrative of the use of the apparatus 10, but which should in no way be considered as co-limiting. The housing 10 includes a containment container of high-pressure capacity 20 for securely receiving and enclosing an assortment cylinder 12. A series of wheels 18 mounted on mounting posts 28 within the container 20 supports and allows the cylinder assortment 1 2 roll into the container 20. See figures 1 and 2, for two preferred wheel and post designs. A high pressure curve line 22 extends from the release valve 16 in the assortment cylinder 12 to a container door 24 in the container wall 26 in which a gas detection valve assembly 30 is mounted. The gas detector valve 30 automatically cuts off the gas flow through the gate 24 when a gas leak is detected outside the containment vessel 20. The chlorine gas passes through the valve assembly 30 into a manifold tube. gas 40 having coupling doors 42 to which a treatment system, or one or more distribution cylinders 14, is detachably connected. It is understood that manifold 40 in this application includes tubing extending from the manifold. See figures 3 and 3a. A manually operated check valve 38 is also provided for use in the event of a malfunction of the sensing valve assembly 30. The sensing valve assembly 30 has a fail-safe design. The detector and retention valves, 30 and 38, respectively, and all adapters 44 have reduced orifice controllers to measure gas release. These reduced orifice controllers 36 allow a remarkably reduced release rate of gaseous or liquid chlorine so that in the event of an accident a smaller sweeping unit 50 is suitable. This reduced flow greatly reduces the worst-case release magnitudes. case. A vacuum-pressure indicator 46 is provided in the containment vessel 20 to indicate an operator when the assortment cylinder 12 has been completely evacuated. The gas manifold 40 is enclosed within an exhausted manifold 46 having an internal volume 5 sufficient to retain the determined amount of gas contained within the manifold 40 at substantially ambient temperature. The enclosure 46 is connected to a gas sweeping unit 50 of sufficient capacity for safe and efficient sweeping of this certain amount of gas rapidly and j._J the rest of the ton of gas at a gradual speed. The vast majority of the gas automatically seals into the assortment cylinder 12 by means of the sensor valve assembly 30. A leak in the assortment cylinder 12 drains the gas in the exhausted room 46. This gas can be swept at a rate ba because this contents of safe form, and can be discharged in the sweep unit 50 connected to the exhausted enclosure 46. If a power failure deactivates the sweep unit 50 during a gas leak, most of the gas that could to be released in the medium is that contained within the multiple tube 40. This release is negligible in comparison with the release of all the gas in the assortment cylinder 12 of the prior art. Preferably, means for cooling a receiver structure or system, such as a distribution cylinder 14, are projected in the form of an electric top-freezer. The cooling cylinders 14 reduce the vapor pressure inside the cylinders 14 and cause the hotter chlorine at higher pressure from the assortment cylinder 12 to flow towards the apparatus 10 and towards the cylinders 14. This pressure filling process differential is safe 5 because it eliminated the increased pressures associated with compensation or heating. Means are also provided for evacuating all the residual chlorine from the lines of the apparatus 10, including the manifold 40. The preferred evacuation means is a system »I) Vacuum elimination (not shown) that removes all the chlorine gas from the lines and passes the chlorine to a caustic evacuation tank. The cover 10 also leads to a purge system. The containment container 20 is evacuated through the evacuation valve 52 in the wall of the container 26. At least two containment containers 20 are preferably provided for alternative use, one is intended to receive 12 ton assortment cylinders. and the other is sized to receive cylinders 14 or 15 to 20 pounds (6.8 Kg to 9.1 Kg). These are mainly intended to receive, contain and safely evacuate leakage cylinders 14. See Figure 4. Containers 20 have reduced orifice gas phase ventilation, as indicated above, and caps 32 secured to cap flanges 5 32a with bolts 34. The gas detector valve assembly 30 preferably includes an automatic shut-off valve against nitrogen driven failure. See figure 5. This pneumatic spring unit of the current level of the technique is designed to make a third phase with multiple control points. The unit is connected to chlorine detectors and / or seismic detectors, and other alarms to provide immediate chlorine cutting. The unit is hermetically sealed, and all the components are NEMft-7. Each of the following events preferably triggers the automatic shut-off: (1) gas detection, (2) remote location alarm in an installation of a housing apparatus 10, (3) emergency power failure, (4) seismic activity, (5) failure of primary containment, (6) activation of manual fire alarm. A mechanical flow overrun valve 48 is connected directly to the 12 ton assortment cylinder. The exhausted enclosure 46 is combined with structural seismic support of conventional design directly connected to containment vessel 20 .. Stationary tanks and piping systems used for regulated materials are seismically shored in accordance with the provisions of the San José Buildmg Code, Chapter 17.04 of íitle L ?. 8. 10, Secupty (San José Building Code, Chapter 10.04 of Title 17.78.310, Security). Again, it is understood that chlorine gas is only a preferred fluid substance, of many gaseous and liquid substances, to be released or transferred with the apparatus 10.

In the practice of the invention, the following procedure can be performed. The method includes the steps of placing an assortment cylinder 12 in a containment container 20; connecting The gas release valve 16 of the assortment cylinder 12 to a curved line 22 extending through the wall 26 of the containment vessel 20 and through the gas sensing valve assembly 30. Additional steps include releasing gas to the gas manifold 40; evacuating the multiple tube 40 from liquid or waste gas; maintaining gas within the assortment cylinder 12 and within the manifold 40 at room temperature so that the gas pressure is reduced to a minimum for safe retention; cooling the distribution cylinder 14 below the room temperature to receive the low pressure gas from which a gas flow originates from a differential pressure between the assortment and distribution cylinders, 12 and 14 respectively; and releasing the gas from the manifold 40 in at least one distribution manifold 14 and sweeping the small amount of remaining gas. Although the invention has been described, illustrated and shown in different terms or certain modalities or modifications that have been assumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not proposed and should not be considered limited thereby, and such other modifications or modalities, as may be be suggested by the teachings of the present, are reserved particularly in a special way since they fall within the scope and breadth of the appended claims,

Claims (9)

IB NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. An apparatus for safely releasing a hazardous fluid substance to a receiving structure, comprising: an assortment cylinder containing said fluid substance and having an assortment cylinder release door; a high-pressure containment container having a container pair, for receiving and safely enclosing said assortment cylinder; first high pressure pipe means extending from, and in fluid communication with, said assortment cylinder release door to a container door in said container wall; and a container valve in fluid communication with the first said pipe means for controlling-releasing said fluid substance from the assortment cylinder and from said container.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that said container valve comprises a fluid sensing valve assembly mounted on said container door, for automatically cutting the flow of fluid substance in said container door by detection of said fluid substances out of said containment container, to automatically seal substantially all fluid substance contained within said containment cylinder within said containment container in the case of an uncontrolled release of said fluid substance out of the containment container.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises, at least one distribution cylinder; wherein said receiver structure comprises a manifold manifold in fluid communication with said tubing means through which said fluid substance passes, it has at least one coupling door to which at least one cylinder is removably connected. said distribution, said multiple tube has a certain internal volume of multiple tube to contain a certain amount of said fluid substance; an exhausted enclosure that encloses said multiple tube and is of sufficient internal volume to retain substantially at ambient pressure and temperature that certain amount of fluid substance contained within said multiple tube; and a fluid-sweeping unit of sufficient capacity to sweep all the fluid substance micialiently into the assortment cylinder at a flow rate controlled by said container valve.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that said container valve comprises reduced orifice controlling means.

5. A method for releasing a hazardous fluid substance from an assortment cylinder having an assortment cylinder release valve using an appliance comprising an assortment cylinder containing said fluid substance and having a cylinder release door. assortment; a high-pressure containment vessel i having a container wall, for securely receiving and enclosing said assortment cylinder; first high pressure pipe means extending from, and in fluid communication with, said release door of the assortment cylinder to a container door in said receiver wall; and ü a container valve in fluid communication with said first pipe means for controlling the release of said fluid substance from said assortment cylinder and from said container, comprising the steps of: placing said assortment cylinder in said containment container; connecting said assortment cylinder release valve to said tubing methyls extending within said containment container; opening said cylinder release valve and said container valve to release said fluid substance from the assortment cylinder and from said containment container.

6. The method according to claim 5, further characterized in that said apparatus further comprises means for detecting fluid substance, comprising the additional steps of: detecting any fluid substance released through a leak in said apparatus, and, with said detection, closing said container valve.

7. The method according to claim 5, further characterized in that said apparatus additionally comprises a multiple tube in fluid communication with said container valve and at least one distribution cylinder, which comprises the additional steps of: securing said distribution cylinder to said multiple tube, Releasing said fluid substance from the assortment cylinder by means of said multiple tube and said said cylinder of distraction.

8. The method according to claim 7, further characterized in that it comprises the steps of: maintaining said fluid substance contained within the assortment container and said multiple tube of fluid substance at substantially ambient temperature so that the pressure of the fluid substance is reduce minimum ai for safe retention.

9. The method according to claim 7, further characterized in that it comprises the step of: cooling said distribution cylinder below room temperature to receive the fluid substance under pressure below the ambient pressure, to create a differential pressure between said manifold and said distribution cylinder for extracting the fluid substance through the manifold and said assortment cylinder towards the distribution cylinder, at low pressures and without actuating means 1 mechanically dependent on electric current. "> 3 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An apparatus for safely releasing a hazardous fluid substance into a receiving structure includes an assortment cylinder containing the fluid substance and having a dispensing cylinder release door; a high-pressure containment vessel having a container wall, for securely receiving and enclosing the assortment cylinder; a first high pressure tube extending from, and in fluid communication with, the assortment cylinder release door to a container door in the container wall; and a container valve in fluid communication with the first tube for rolling-releasing the fluid substance from the assortment cylinder and from the container; the valve of the container preferably includes a liquid-fluid detector valve assembly mounted on the container door, for automatically shutting off the flow of the fluid substance at the container door by detection of the fluid substances outside the containment container; the container valve preferably includes a reduced orifice controller; a method of releasing a hazardous fluid substance from an assortment cylinder having a dispensing cylinder release valve using the apparatus described above, including the steps of placing the assortment cylinder in the containment container; connect the Assortment Cylinder Release valve to the tube that extends into the containment container; open the cylinder release valve and the container valve to release the fluid substance from the south cylinder i and from the containment container. BS / EA / ycL * Lss * P97 / 254F