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Patent 3012512 Summary

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(12) Patent: (11) CA 3012512
(54) English Title: TRAPPED GAS TRANSFER AND METERING SYSTEM
(54) French Title: SYSTEME DE TRANSFERT ET DE DOSAGE DE GAZ PIEGE
Status: Granted
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • F17C 13/02 (2006.01)
  • F17C 7/00 (2006.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • KING, JOHN B. (United States of America)
(73) Owners :
  • KING, JOHN B. (United States of America)
(71) Applicants :
  • KING, JOHN B. (United States of America)
(74) Agent: BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON LLP
(74) Associate agent: CPST INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INC.
(45) Issued: 2023-12-19
(22) Filed Date: 2018-07-26
(41) Open to Public Inspection: 2019-01-26
Examination requested: 2023-06-19
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): No

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
62/537,174 United States of America 2017-07-26
16/044,963 United States of America 2018-07-25

Abstracts

English Abstract

A fluid transfer system, including a first stage, including an inlet, a surge tank, and a first cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the inlet to the surge tank, and a second stage, including an outlet, a knock out tank, and a second cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the surge tank into the knockout tank.


French Abstract

Il est décrit un système de transfert de fluide, y compris un premier étage, comprenant une entrée, un réservoir d'équilibrage, et un premier cylindre disposé de façon à pouvoir pomper le fluide pour lacheminer de lentrée au réservoir d'équilibrage, et un second étage, comprenant une entrée, un réservoir à éjecteur, et un second cylindre disposé de façon à pouvoir pomper le fluide pour lacheminer du réservoir d'équilibrage au réservoir à éjecteur.

Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CLAIMS
What Is Claimed Is:
1. A fluid transfer and metering system, comprising:
a first stage, including:
an inlet;
a surge tank; and,
a first cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the inlet to the
surge
tank; and,
a second stage, including:
an outlet;
a knock out tank; and,
a second cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the surge tank
into
the knockout tank.
2. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 1, wherein
the second stage
further comprises a third cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid from
the surge tank into
the knockout tank.
3. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 2, wherein:
the first cylinder is actuated by a first hydraulic driver;
the second cylinder is actuated by a second hydraulic driver; and,
the third cylinder is actuated by a third hydraulic driver.
4. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 3, wherein:
the first hydraulic driver is controlled by a first directional control valve;
the second hydraulic driver is controlled by a second directional control
valve; and,
the third hydraulic driver is controlled by a third directional control valve;
14

5. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 4, wherein
the first, second,
and third directional control valves are connected to a hydraulic control
system.
6. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 2, further
comprising a
plurality of sensors arranged proximate the first, second, and third
cylinders.
7. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 6, further
comprising a central
processing unit arranged to receive data from said plurality of sensors.
8. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 7, wherein
said plurality of
sensors comprises at least one of pressure transmitters, radar position
sensors, and analyzer
elements.
9. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 2, wherein
the second and
third cylinders are operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the meter
knock out tank to the
outlet.
10. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 1, wherein:
the surge tank is fluidly connected to a drain and comprises a first safety
relief valve; and,
the knock out tank is fluidly connected to the drain and comprises a second
safety relief
valve.
11. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 1, further
comprising a
Nitrogen purge system fluidly connected with at least one of the first and
second cylinders.
12. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 11, wherein
the Nitrogen
purge system is fluidly connected with at least one of the first and second
cylinders via one or
more purge control valves.
13. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 1, further
comprising an inlet
control valve arranged after the inlet.

14. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 11, further
comprising a bleed
in control valve arranged after the inlet and in parallel with the inlet
control valve.
15. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 1, further
comprising an outlet
control valve arranged before the outlet.
16. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 1, further
comprising an
emergency shut down control valve arranged before the knock out tank.
17. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 2, further
comprising one or
more lubricators arranged proximate the first, second, and third cylinders.
18. The fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 2, wherein:
the first cylinder includes a first pilot seal control valve;
the second cylinder includes a second pilot seal control valve; and,
the third cylinder includes a third pilot seal control valve.
19. A fluid transfer and metering system, comprising:
a first stage arranged to receive fluid, including:
an inlet;
a surge tank; and,
a first cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the inlet to the
surge
tank, the first cylinder being actuated by a first hydraulic driver; and,
a second stage arranged to transfer and measure the fluid, including:
an outlet;
a knock out tank; and,
a second cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the surge tank
into
the knockout tank, the second cylinder being actuated by a second hydraulic
driver.
16

20. The
fluid transfer and metering system as recited in Claim 19, wherein the second
cylinder further comprises at least one pressure sensor arranged to measure
the fluid that is being
transferred.
17

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
TRAPPED GAS TRANSFER AND METERING SYSTEM
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priorit to US Application No.
62/537,174, filed July 26,
2017, and US Application No. 16/044,963, filed July 25, 2018.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a gas transfer system, and more
particularly, to a
trapped gas transfer and metering system that transfers a pressurized gas or
fluid volume from a
trapped area in a piping system to a point past the trap, either pressurized
or unpressurized, to
reduce the trap pressure to atmospheric without any release of gas to the
atmosphere.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The production of natural gas or oil from a wellhead to the customer
is a lengthy
process that involves many separate production operations that transform the
raw material from
the ground to the refined product that the customer consumes. The entire
operation requires
many individual companies, each of which takes ownership of the stream in
order to perform
their particular operation. During this lengthy process, the material changes
custody many times
and is put through various preparation and refinement operations. From the
wellhead to the
customer user point, the conditions and composition of the material require
differing processes.
Material prepared for the collection lines that transfer it from the wellhead
to a midstream
refinery are heavily processed. The preparation at the well head most often
involves both a
dewatering operation and compression operation. Once a suitable specification
is realized, the
material is charged into the collection lines that transmit it to the
midstream refinery. The
midstream refinery is connected to a web network of underground piping that
serves to supply
the refinery from the many wellheads in the network. The midstream refinery
receives the
product and sends it to the slug catcher. The product then proceeds to a
further dewatering
system and then to the cryo unit, where it is processed to separate out
natural gas liquids (NGLs),
and is broken into individual components for further refinement. These
components are further
dried and processed with some of the stream prepared to specification for
sale. Specification
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
quality material will then be transferred by another underground network to a
contracted buyer,
with the remainder delivered via an underground network to a fractionating
plant for further
processing of specialty type gases and products. The liquids themselves are
collected and
transferred via a pipe line, train, or truck to contracted buyers.
Specification quality methane
from the midstream refinery is transferred via an underground pipe line to
natural gas energy
suppliers. These suppliers serve as the distribution network to the public
consumer.
100041 These operations involve diverse process equipment and piping
systems and are
subject to process upsets, maintenance, and raw material variables that are a
part of any industry.
In dealing with these realities, the gas industry has procedures and
operations in place to mitigate
to loss of production and loss of raw material product. Some of these
operations require the venting
of product to the atmosphere. This has historically been accepted as an
operational industry
practice. The real loss of profit due to atmospheric venting is revenue not
realized through sales
of vented volumes and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions
limitations and
regulation costs.
[0005] Thus, there is a long felt need for a system that recovers trapped
gas that would
otherwise be vented to the atmosphere. There is also a long felt need for a
metering system to
measure the amount of trapped gas that is recovered.
SUMMARY
100061 According to aspects illustrated herein, there is provided a
fluid transfer system,
comprising a first stage, including an inlet, a surge tank, and a first
cylinder operatively arranged
to pump the fluid from the inlet to the surge tank, and a second stage,
including an outlet, a
knock out tank, and a second cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid
from the surge tank
into the knockout tank.
[0007] According to aspects illustrated herein, there is provided a
fluid transfer and
metering system, comprising a first stage arranged to receive fluid, including
an inlet, a surge
tank, and a first cylinder operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the
inlet to the surge tank,
the first cylinder being actuated by a first hydraulic driver, and a second
stage arranged to
transfer and measure the fluid, including an outlet, a knock out tank, and a
second cylinder
operatively arranged to pump the fluid from the surge tank into the knockout
tank, the second
cylinder being actuated by a second hydraulic driver.
2
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
[0008] One objective of the trapped gas transfer and metering system or
emissions
recovery transfer meter is to provide a method to transfer a pressurized gas
volume from a
trapped section of a piping system to a point in the piping system past the
trap instead of venting
the trapped gas to atmosphere.
[0009] Another objective of the trapped gas transfer and metering system is
to accurately
measure the trapped gas volume transfer and generate volume transfer data for
EPA reporting.
[0010] The trapped gas transfer and metering system may further
comprise a liquid drain
and containment reservoir, for blow down of the trapped gas transfer and
metering system.
[0011] The trapped gas transfer and metering system may further
comprise a plurality of
to sensors arrange proximate the pressure devices and a computer. The
computer determines how
much gas volume is transferred through the system and can store that
information or
relay/communicate that volume to a remote location.
[0012] The trapped gas transfer and metering system may further
comprise an emergency
shutdown. The emergency shutdown would initiate a predetermined routing
commensurate with
the customer's emergency shut down (ESD) procedures.
[0013] The trapped gas transfer and metering system of the present
disclosure is an
economical and effective solution to specific atmospheric venting operations
currently in place in
the gas industry. The trapped gas transfer and metering system effectively
turns the cost of
atmospheric venting operation variables into a gain through recovery,
transfer, and metering. The
trapped gas transfer and metering system, when applied, can reduce atmospheric
venting
volumes by up to 99.9%. The vented volume of product is recovered and
transferred to a
profitable stream rather than exhausted to the atmosphere. The volume of
product is also
precisely metered with total volume recovery data generation for use in
emissions reporting. The
trapped gas transfer and metering system is compact and simple in operation,
and can be
embodied as either a mobile unit for field operations or fully integrated
within existing facilities,
the installation of which would require only minimal rework to those
facilities. The trapped gas
transfer and metering system will handle any kind of compressible or non-
compressible fluids,
including cryo transfers. Implementation of the trapped gas transfer and
metering system into
present facilities or field operations will not impact current schedules of
operations or manpower
requirements. The trapped gas transfer and metering system does not require
special instruction
3
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
for safe operation and is fully customizable to interact with all facility
control systems and
networks deemed necessary by the customer.
[0014] These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present
disclosure will
become readily apparent upon a review of the following detailed description of
the disclosure, in
view of the drawings and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Various embodiments are disclosed, by way of example only, with
reference to
the accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols
indicate
corresponding parts, in which:
Figure I is a schematic diagram of a trapped gas transfer and metering system;
and,
Figure 2 is a diagram of the trapped gas transfer and metering system
connected to a
piping system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing
numbers on different
drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural
elements. It is to be
understood that the claims are not limited to the disclosed aspects.
[0017] Furthermore, it is understood that this disclosure is not
limited to the particular
methodology, materials and modifications described and as such may, of course,
vary. It is also
understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular aspects
only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
[0018] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms
used herein have the
same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to
which this disclosure
pertains. It should be understood that any methods, devices or materials
similar or equivalent to
those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the example
embodiments. The
assembly of the present disclosure could be driven by hydraulics, electronics,
and/or pneumatics.
[0019] It should be appreciated that the term "substantially" is
synonymous with terms
such as "nearly," "very nearly," "about," "approximately," "around,"
"bordering on," "close to,"
"essentially," "in the neighborhood of," "in the vicinity of," etc., and such
terms may be used
interchangeably as appearing in the specification and claims. It should be
appreciated that the
term "proximate" is synonymous with terms such as "nearby," "close,"
"adjacent,"
"neighboring," "immediate," "adjoining," etc., and such terms may be used
interchangeably as
4
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
appearing in the specification and claims. The term "approximately" is
intended to mean values
within ten percent of the specified value.
[0020] Adverting now to the figures, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of
trapped gas
transfer and metering system 20. Trapped gas transfer and metering system 20
is a two-stage
recovery transfer system having first stage 22, and second stage 24.
[0021] First stage 22 is a meter feed stage and generally comprises
meter feed cylinder 1
and meter feed surge tank 2. First stage 22 is connected to the recovery
source and feeds
recovered volume (i.e., gas) to the metering transfer rams of second stage 24,
as will be
discussed in greater detail below. Meter feed cylinder 1 is a hydraulically
operated proprietary
pneumatic feed transfer ram. First stage 22 may further comprise additional
controls and
instruments. The connection of first stage 22 to the recovery source can be a
hard-piped or
coupled hose-type connection and only requires an existing block connection
(i.e., a block valve)
of suitable size. One suitable connection can occur at existing vents. If no
connection is available
a proper hot tap and block can be installed on piping. Preferably, the source
block valve is in the
range of 11/4" to 2" in diameter. First stage 22 operates to capture the
source volume to be
recovered and directs it to the second stage 24. First stage 22 also provides
meter central
processing unit (CPU) and system control 9 with required data for monitoring
the source
pressure and operation.
[0022] Second stage 24 is a metering transfer stage and is fed from
feed surge tank 2 of
first stage 22 and directs the captured source volume to a designated target
(e.g., to a point
downstream past the trap). Second stage 24 generally comprises meter cylinder
3, meter cylinder
4, and meter knock out tank 5. Meter cylinders 3 and 4 are hydraulically
operated proprietary
pneumatic metering transfer rams. Second stage 24 may further comprise
controls and
instruments. Second stage 24 is connected to the designated target, for
example, via an existing
block connection in the same fashion as first stage 22 is connected to the
recovery source. This is
the point where the recovered volume is introduced back into the customer
piping system
completing the recovery. Second stage 24 also provides data to CPU and system
control 9 for
monitoring the system pressure and operation.
[0023] Meter feed cylinder 1 is a hydraulically operated proprietary
double acting
pneumatic transfer ram. Meter feed cylinder comprises shaft 1.1 and ram 1.2.
Meter feed
cylinder 1 is a pneumatic cylinder and is coupled with feed cylinder hydraulic
driver 6. As
5
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
shown, meter feed cylinder 1 uses a double check valve arrangement to achieve
a directed
suction/discharge pumping action. This pumping action has no required head for
operation and is
capable of drawing a vacuum at the recovery source. Meter feed cylinder 1 is a
positive
displacement type transfer device and features at least six connections. Meter
feed cylinder 1
comprises at least two process connections, which are bi-directional with
direction managed by
the check valve operation. Meter feed cylinder 1 comprises at least two
connections or nodes for
pressure monitoring. Pressure transmitters PT transmit data from these nodes
to CPU and system
control 9 to be used for driver and other operations. A single connection is
located on shaft 1.1 of
meter feed cylinder 1. This connection is a conduit to the internal ram and
supplies backpressure
to the labyrinth type ram seal. The supply pressure to this seal is a pilot
pressure drawn from the
discharge pressure from the active transfer line. The supply pressure is
controlled by a signal
from CPU and system control 9 that operates meter feed pilot seal control
valve CV5, which
may be, for example, a 3-way diverting valve. This signal is interlocked with
the pressure data
sent to CPU and system control 9 by cylinder pressure transmitters PT during
operation. The
function of meter feed pilot seal control valve CV5 is to reduce the pressure
change exerted on
the ram seals during operation. The backpressure system of meter feed cylinder
1 also
incorporates an adjustable micro misting type lubrication system for cylinder
lubrication if
required. As shown micro lubricator LU is arranged to lubricate meter feed
cylinder 1, including
shaft 1.1. The final connection is a nitrogen purge point. During nitrogen
purging, the meter feed
cylinder 1 is bottomed out and meter feed purge control valve CV11 opens and
provides a path
for purging the cylinder volume. Meter feed purge control valve CV11 is
operated by CPU and
system control 9 during the purging operation. Feed cylinder hydraulic driver
6, which is coupled
to meter feed cylinder 1, is controlled by meter feed hydraulic directional
control valve CV8.
Feed cylinder hydraulic driver 6 may comprise solenoid S. Feed cylinder
hydraulic driver 6 may
also be connected to tank T or the return line to the hydraulic reservoir.
Meter feed hydraulic
directional control valve CV8 is also connected with the CPU and system
control 9 and
hydraulic power pack C. Meter feed cylinder 1 may be a double acting double
rod guide-type
cylinder. Meter feed cylinder 1 may include a double end plate bridle rod
configuration to
provide the stability required for high pressure pneumatic operations.
100241 Meter feed cylinder 1 is fluidly connected to meter feed inlet A.
System inlet
control valve CV2 is arranged between meter feed inlet A and meter feed
cylinder 1 and controls
6
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
the flow of volume into the system. System bleed in control valve CV1 is
arranged between
meter feed inlet A and meter feed cylinder 1 and controls the flow of volume
into the system.
Nitrogen purge control valve CV14 may be arranged between meter feed inlet A
and meter feed
cylinder 1 and is operated by CPU and system control 9 during the purging
process.
[0025] Meter feed surge tank 2 is connected to meter feed cylinder 1 and
comprises
system surge inlet control valve CV4 and safety relief valve SV1. System surge
inlet control
valve CV4 controls the flow of volume into meter feed surge tank 2. Pressure
transmitter PT
may be arranged prior to system surge inlet control valve CV4 to monitor the
pressure. Pressure
transmitter PT transmits data to CPU and system control 9. Volume is then
"pulled" from meter
Jo feed surge tank 2 by meter cylinder 3. Meter feed surge tank 2 may also
be connected to drain E.
[0026] Meter cylinders 3 and 4 are substantially identical to meter
feed cylinder 1 except
for the integral metering feature. The operation of this metering system is as
follows. Because
the transfer ram of the cylinder operates as a positive displacement transfer,
the known volume
of the cylinder (VI) is used in conjunction with the known pressure (P1) of
the cylinder volume
prior to stroke execution. The movement of the stroke is monitored by a radar
device that
provides stroke length data from stroke start (X1) to stroke stop (X2) and
together with the
volume (V1) and pressure data (P1) a calculation of transferred volume is
realized at pressure
(P1). This volume is then converted to standard cubic feet (set). An
operational data base stores
this data in conjunction with the individual stroke event and at the
conclusion of the emission
recovery operation the data from the individual stroke log for the operation
is processed and
given as a total volume transfer value in sell Tight tolerance and accuracy of
volume calculation
is achieved through menu driven meter set up and variable selection.
100271 Meter cylinder 3 generally comprises shaft 3.1, ram 3.2,
pressure transmitters PT,
meter pilot seal control valve CV6, micro lubricator LU, meter purge control
valve CV12, and
radar position sensor LT. Meter cylinder 3 is coupled to meter cylinder
hydraulic driver 7 which
is controlled by meter hydraulic directional control valve CV9. Meter cylinder
hydraulic driver 7
may comprise solenoid S. Meter cylinder hydraulic driver 7 may also be
connected to tank T or
the return line to the hydraulic reservoir. Meter hydraulic directional
control valve CV9 is also
connected with the CPU and system control 9 and hydraulic power pack C. Meter
cylinder 3
may be a double acting double rod guide-type cylinder. Meter cylinder 3 may
include a double
7
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
end plate bridle rod configuration to provide the stability required for high
pressure pneumatic
operations.
[0028] Meter cylinder 4 generally comprises shaft 4.1, ram 4.2,
pressure transmitters PT,
meter pilot seal control valve CV7, micro lubricator LU, meter purge control
valve CV13, and
radar position sensor LT. Meter cylinder 4 is coupled to meter cylinder
hydraulic driver 8 which
is controlled by meter hydraulic directional control valve CV10. Meter
cylinder hydraulic driver
8 may comprise solenoid S. Meter cylinder hydraulic driver 8 may also be
connected to tank T or
the return line to the hydraulic reservoir. Meter hydraulic directional
control valve CV10 is also
connected with the CPU and system control 9 and hydraulic power pack C. Meter
cylinder 4
to may be a double acting double rod guide-type cylinder. Meter cylinder 4
may include a double
end plate bridle rod configuration to provide the stability required for high
pressure pneumatic
operations.
[0029] Meter knock out tank 5 is fluidly connected to meter cylinders 3
and 4. Meter
knock out tank 5 is also connected to meter outlet B. Meter knock out tank 5
comprises system
outlet control valve CV3 and safety relief valve SV2. System outlet control
valve CV3 controls
the flow of volume out of meter knock out tank 5 to meter outlet B. Pressure
transmitter PT may
be arranged prior to system outlet control valve CV3 to monitor the pressure
leaving meter
knock out tank 5. Pressure transmitter PT transmits data to CPU and system
control 9. Analyzer
element AE may be arranged prior to system outlet control valve CV3. Analyzer
element AE
and pressure transmitter PT may be connected interlock I. Meter knock out tank
5 may also be
connected to drain E. In an example embodiment, meter knock out tank 5 is
connected only to
one meter cylinder (i.e., for a system with only one meter cylinder). In an
example embodiment,
meter knock out tank 5 is connected to three or more meter cylinders.
Emergency shut down
control valve ESD is arranged prior to meter knock out tank 5. Emergency shut
down control
valve ESD may comprise a vent to atmosphere. Emergency shut down control valve
ESD may
be connected to air supply AS. Additionally air supply AS may also be
connected to system
bleed in control valve CV!, system inlet control valve CV2, system outlet
control valve CV3,
and system surge inlet control valve CV4.
[0030] Trapped gas transfer and metering system 20 utilizes proprietary
internal control
logic but is capable of communicating with existing facility protocol as
required for integration.
Integration into facility operations can include tying into compressor blow
down operations,
8
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CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
unplanned venting operations to the flare system, and emergency shut down
operations. CPU and
system control 9 allows the trapped gas transfer and metering system 20 to run
a
transfer/metering operation "hands free" or without the need for manual
measurement. CPU and
system control 9 is a menu driven point of access to operation data and
reporting, and generally
comprises display 9.1. CPU and system control 9 may further comprise nitrogen
(N2) purge
control 9.2, which is used to control purge control valves CV11, CV12, CV13,
CV14. Nitrogen
purge control 9.2 is connected to nitrogen supply D. CPU and system control 9
may further
comprise hydraulic control 9.3, which is used to control hydraulic directional
control valves
CV8, CV9, and CV10.
[0031] Trapped gas transfer and metering system 20 can be configured in a
variety of
capacities and formats, which allows for various configurations. For example,
trapped gas
transfer and metering system 20 may be a hard piped permanent system
integrated with a
specific plant operation to a fully self-contained, or a mobile unit that fits
in the back of a
standard pickup truck for use in various field operations. Trapped gas
transfer and metering
system 20 can be used to recover, meter, and transfer any compressible or non-
compressible
fluid that needs to be moved. In some embodiments, trapped gas transfer and
metering system 20
is used as an alternative to venting fluids into the atmosphere in compressor
blow down
operations and pigging operations, and any required movement of fluids that
may not be
accomplished with the existing available piping systems. While the
configurations for this
system do vary, the basic unit itself remains while ancillary systems may be
added or removed.
[0032] Figure 2 is a diagram of the trapped gas transfer and metering
system connected
to a piping system. The following is a functional description of trapped gas
transfer and metering
system 20 for pigging operations, as shown in Figure 2. However, it should be
appreciated that
the use of trapped gas transfer and metering system 20 is not limited to
pigging operations or the
pig launcher transfer scenario diagram of Figure 2. Meter feed inlet A is
connected at the
"source" point and meter outlet B is connected at the "target" point. The
connect block valves at
the source and target points are in the closed position. A nitrogen Purge is
initiated to purge all
oxidizer from the system as follows: control valves CV1, CV2, CV4, and CV14
are open. When
system analyzer AE indicates the system is ready, control valves CV!, CV2, and
CV14 are
closed and system surge inlet control valve CV4 remains open and a "READY"
status is
displayed. Subsequently a "RUN" status can be initiated (i.e., transferring
the gas or fluid). The
9
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customer block valves are manually opened and a pressure signal from pressure
transmitter PT at
system bleed in control valve CV1 triggers a "RUN" mode that is manually
started by the
operator. In "RUN" mode, system bleed in control valve CV1 is throttled to
bleed "source"
pressure into transfer system 20, specifically meter feed stage 22. When delta
"0" (i.e., a pressure
difference equal to 0 psi) is reached between inlet pressure transmitter PT on
meter feed cylinder
1 and outlet pressure transmitter PT on meter feed cylinder 1, system bleed in
control valve CV1
is closed and control valves CV2 and CV4 are opened. System outlet control
valve CV3 remains
open. This condition is interlocked and allows the operation of the hydraulic
rams to begin the
"recover transfer" of source fluid to the target. The reduction or "draw down"
of pressure at the
source is monitored for drop. The pressure in meter feed surge tank 2 is
monitored with safety
relief valve SV1 and a "HIGH" condition that is interlocked with the hydraulic
feed circuit for
over pressure shut down of the feed ram. The check valve circuit separates the
two stages of
operation. When a predetermined source pressure is reached, for example, 14.7
pounds per
square inch (psi), the hydraulic feed circuit (i.e., meter feed stage 22) is
shut down and control
valves CV2 and CV4 are closed. Though first stage 22 and second stage 24 are
independent,
they are connected in operation by the control logic with second stage 24
operating during first
stage 22 "source" pressure reduction. After first stage 22 is shutdown, second
stage 24 continues
to operate drawing down the remaining pressure bottled in meter feed surge
tank 2 and
transferring the volume to the target. When pressure transmitter PT at meter
feed surge tank 2
reaches a predetermined amount, for example 14.7 psi, the metering transfer
hydraulic circuit is
shut down and system outlet control valve CV3 is closed. Subsequently, a
"TRANSFER
COMPLETE" condition is signaled and a volume of transfer is displayed at CPU
and system
control 9. The block valves at the source and target are now manually closed
isolating trapped
gas transfer and metering system 20 from the customer piping. The pig launcher
manual vent is
now opened to verify an atmospheric pressure condition in the launcher trap.
The trap is now
safe to open as the trapped pressure has been transferred to the target.
Trapped gas transfer and
metering system 20 is now disconnected from the pigging operation equipment
and shut down. It
should be appreciated that trapped gas transfer and metering system 20 is a
custom unit that will
operate with a wide variety of transfer scenarios and fluids. The basic design
of the present
disclosure will transfer both compressible and non-compressible fluids as well
as cryogenic
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
transfers with pressure, temperature, and material specification changes
incorporated to achieve
compatibility with the desired application.
100331 It will be appreciated that various aspects of the disclosure
above and other
features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined
into many other
different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or
unanticipated alternatives,
modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by
those skilled in
the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
11
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
A Meter feed inlet
Meter outlet
Hydraulic power pack
Nitrogen supply
Drain
1 Meter feed cylinder
1.1 Shaft
1.2 Ram
2 Meter feed surge tank
3 Meter cylinder
3.1 Shaft
3.2 Ram
4 Meter cylinder
4.1 Shaft
4.2 Ram
Meter knock out tank
6 Feed cylinder hydraulic driver
7 Meter cylinder hydraulic driver
8 Meter cylinder hydraulic driver
9 Central processing unit (CPU) and system control
9.1 Display
9.2 Nitrogen purge control
9.3 Hydraulic control
20 Trapped gas transfer and metering system
22 First stage
24 Second stage
CV1 System bleed in control valve
CV2 System inlet control valve
CV3 System outlet control valve
12
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

CA 3,012,512
CPST Ref: 15669/00001
CV4 System surge inlet control valve
CV5 Meter feed pilot seal control valve
CV6 Meter pilot seal control valve
CV7 Meter pilot seal control valve
ESD Emergency shut down control valve
CV8 Meter feed hydraulic directional control valve
CV9 Meter hydraulic directional control valve
CV10 Meter hydraulic directional control valve
CV11 Meter feed purge control valve
CV12 Meter purge control valve
CV13 Meter purge control valve
CV14 Nitrogen purge control valve
LU Micro lubricators
LT Radar position sensors
PT Pressure transmitters
AE Analyzer element
SV1 Safety relief valve
SV2 Safety relief valve
AS Air supply
Solenoid
Tank (return line to hydraulic reservoir)
Interlock
13
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-19

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

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Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date 2023-12-19
(22) Filed 2018-07-26
(41) Open to Public Inspection 2019-01-26
Examination Requested 2023-06-19
(45) Issued 2023-12-19

Abandonment History

There is no abandonment history.

Maintenance Fee

Last Payment of $100.00 was received on 2023-07-21


 Upcoming maintenance fee amounts

Description Date Amount
Next Payment if small entity fee 2024-07-26 $100.00
Next Payment if standard fee 2024-07-26 $277.00

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Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Application Fee $400.00 2018-07-26
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 2020-07-27 $100.00 2020-05-20
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 2021-07-26 $100.00 2021-02-22
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 4 2022-07-26 $100.00 2022-07-11
Request for Examination 2023-07-26 $408.00 2023-06-19
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 5 2023-07-26 $100.00 2023-07-21
Final Fee $153.00 2023-10-27
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
KING, JOHN B.
Past Owners on Record
None
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
Documents

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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Maintenance Fee Payment 2022-07-11 1 33
Electronic Grant Certificate 2023-12-19 1 2,527
Abstract 2018-07-26 1 8
Description 2018-07-26 13 593
Claims 2018-07-26 4 94
Drawings 2018-07-26 2 42
Representative Drawing 2018-12-13 1 19
Cover Page 2018-12-13 1 44
Small Entity Declaration 2023-06-19 5 164
Description 2023-06-19 13 899
Request for Examination / PPH Request / Amendment 2023-06-19 22 1,219
Final Fee 2023-10-27 4 144
Representative Drawing 2023-11-21 1 22
Cover Page 2023-11-21 1 49