CZ79497A3 - Storage tank for gases - Google Patents

Abstract

The container has a very long, small diameter metallic, cylindrical sealing skin (12,16) with its axis vertical. It is located indirectly or directly on a support medium (14) e.g. concrete. It especially has a common input and output conduit for the gases exclusively arranged in the upper end area. The container is buried in the earth or in concrete with only its top end showing above the ground. The ratio between the diameter and the maximum length of the cylindrical metallic sealing skin is particularly at least 1:500. The lower area of the metal sealing skin is permanently closed, preferably with concrete.

Description

Pressure accumulator for stored gas

Technical Field - - L · ____ _ _

The invention relates to a pressurized container for stored gases, in particular hydrocarbons, which are gaseous at room temperature and at atmospheric pressure, for example for methane, ethane, propane, butane and isobutane, the container having a metallic sealing jacket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gases, especially pressurized gases, are widely used in industry, crafts and households. Gases of various chemical compositions, for example carbon dioxide, oxygen and also hydrocarbons, used for various purposes are suitable. As a rule, these gases are kept under pressure so that, on the one hand, a substantially larger amount of gas can be stored in the pressure vessel and, on the other hand, a self-supply to the consumer is ensured by the pressure difference between the container and the point of consumption.

Energy sources show a steady shift from the use of solid energy carriers such as wood or coal to liquid energy carriers, for example oil products, or gaseous energy carriers. From the gaseous energy carriers used are preferably those of them which are formed during incineration flue gases having a low content of carbon dioxide C0 _second Although the technology of obtaining hydrogen from water due to high temperatures has already advanced considerably, it is not possible to assume greater results of this technology in the foreseeable future. However, the so-called natural gas containing a high proportion, for example over 95% of methane, has already gained greater practical use. Overhead or underground gas pipelines have been laid on the mainland for natural gas distribution, while gas transport by sea is provided by tankers carrying liquefied gas. In the pipelines, an operating pressure of from 7.0 MPa to 10.0 MPa is generally maintained in the section from the borehole to the collection stations in order to ensure the introduction of gas into the collection stations. From there the gas is then transported by long-distance gas pipelines under pressure of about 7.0 MPa to the substations, from where it is fed to further customers, which are industrial enterprises, households and workshops, after further pressure reduction to 2.0 MPa. Higher pressure in long-distance pipelines not only serves to ensure gas movement, but also allows increasing the transport capacity of pipelines with the same geometric dimensions.

Gas storage facilities have different tasks depending on their size. On the one hand, so-called underground reservoirs are known, of which porous reservoirs are generally formed at the site of an excavated oil or gas deposit and cavernous reservoirs are obtained by artificially created cavities in the ground. Such underground gas storage facilities have the advantage that, despite the relatively small deployment of machinery, large volumes are obtained, so that a sufficient quantity of gas can be introduced therein to cover the gas consumption of the industrial or residential area for two to three months. In addition to such long-term storage in storage tanks, other measures are known which take into account consumption at a particular location and which eliminate the need for laying large-diameter pipes. If the consumer agrees, air may be added to the gas before the point of consumption in the municipality or in the housing estate to maintain the natural gas pressure at the necessary level. It is also known to transport liquefied natural gas to individual municipalities, to evaporate and distribute it on site. This liquefied natural gas is generally stored in the municipality in spherical tanks in which the pressure is between 3.0 MPa and 4.0 MPa. Another possibility is to create so-called above-ground pipe containers, whereby to provide a storage volume of about 5,000 m ³ , fourteen rows of pipes with a length of 150 m and a pipe diameter of 1.50 m are required. 7.2 MPa. However, such types of containers have extremely high demands on the area on which this large container would be placed.

It is also known in the energy industry to build multi-shell gas-tight containers, whereby an inner metal layer, often also called a gasket, comes into contact with gas to seal the container against the ambient atmosphere, while protecting the layer against both excessive mechanical stress, also against an excessively high internal pressure, the outer layer of the container is formed by a support medium, which may be, for example, concrete. Such concrete containers with a sealing jacket are formed either in a spherical shape or in a cylindrical shape with partially spherical closures. The height of the cylindrical portion of this container is approximately equal to its diameter.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,530 discloses a fuel dispensing station for the propulsion of motor vehicles, the gas pressure reservoir of which is formed by pipes connected by means of threaded sleeves and closed at the lower end by a threaded head. Pipes of this type are known for use in the oil industry. Such a reservoir can only store a small amount of gas and, on the other hand, only a relatively small amount of gas can be taken from the pressure reservoir per unit of time, since the reservoir cools down during the gas take-off. . The solution according to the invention is based on this closest prior art, represented by US-PS 5,207,530.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas storage tank, in particular of gaseous hydrocarbons, which is particularly suitable for covering peak gas offtake and has a capacity of about 50,000 m ³ with minimum land area requirements. It is a further object of the invention to use a method of manufacturing a pressure accumulator which is based on previously known and proven procedures and which has a particularly high safety, so that no significant precautions are taken against bursting of the pressure accumulator even at high pressures, e.g. Or 50.0 MPa. Furthermore, the possibility of continuously withdrawing large quantities of gas from the storage tank should also be ensured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These objects are solved by a pressure storage container for stored gases which are gaseous at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, for example methane, ethane, propane, butane and isobutane, having a metallic and substantially cylindrical sealing jacket adjacent directly and / or immediately to the support environment, for example concrete, and provided exclusively in its upper end region with inlets and outlets, in particular a common gas inlet and outlet, the pressure reservoir formed by the cylindrical sealing jacket being positioned in the field perpendicular to the horizontal plane, in particular substantially vertical. The principle of the invention is that, in a pressure vessel, the ratio of the diameter to the maximum length of the cylindrical metal sealing sheath is at least 1: 100, in particular at least 1: 500, and the lower region of the sealing sheath is closed permanently by concrete. By providing the pressure reservoir both with a sealing jacket, which in itself can absorb high pressures as well as with a support, it is possible to handle even very high pressures with considerable safety. Due to the large ratio of the maximum length of the gasket to its diameter, a considerable amount of gas can also be stored in a gasket with a relatively small diameter, and the space requirement is extremely small when the gasket is arranged in the ground and perpendicular to the horizontal. By providing the supply and withdrawal pipes in its upper end region, the requirements for additional pipes are very low. A reservoir of this kind can be formed using the conventional technique known for the preparation of wells for the extraction of natural gas and oil, so that it is possible to rely on known and safe technologies. A particularly simple design is obtained when the gas is introduced into the cavity and discharged therefrom through a common pipe connected to the cavity sealed joints. Such a design takes into account that, in the event of an excess of gas, the gas does not necessarily have to be withdrawn from the container, but that in this state the gas can only be supplied to the container; to withdraw gas from the reservoir. If the lower part of the sealing sheath is permanently and releasably sealed, for example by concrete, conventional drilling techniques can be used and the closing of the lower region of the container, i.e. the lower end of its sealing sheath, can be performed particularly simply. . This design provides a pressure reservoir that can extend to great depths so that it can extend to the Earth's crust layers where elevated temperatures are already present, so that the temperature drop accompanying each abrasion of larger amounts of gas can be compensated by rapid heat input and For this reason, considerable amounts of gas can be taken from the reservoir in a short time, since this reservoir uses geothermal energy.

If the sealing sheath is formed from a series of pipes which are releasable and gas-tightly connected one after the other and which are directly screwed together by means of conical threads in particular, the pressure reservoir according to the invention can be formed from known natural gas or oil conveying pipes. All assembly technologies used in oil extraction are applied to the container according to the invention.

If, according to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the sealing jacket is formed in a cylindrical space, in particular in the cylindrical space of another sealing jacket, and if the space between the sealing jackets is filled with a support, a particularly safe multilayer container is obtained.

If the second sealing jacket is formed from pipe sections which are connected in a gas-tight manner, in particular directly screwed together, it is also possible to form an outer pipe by means of a particularly safe and long-used technique.

If, in a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the support medium is at least partially soil, then the sealing sheath can be inserted directly into the borehole, so that no additional work operations are required, and a large possibility of absorbing compressive forces can be expected.

If the supporting environment is at least partially concrete, preconditions are created for a particularly simple manufacturing process in which the liquid concrete mixture is forced from the inner space of the pipe to its outer side into the gap between the outer surface of the pipe and the inner surface of the borehole. achieves high compressive strength of concrete and thus also the ability to absorb high compressive forces.

If the support medium is at least partially liquid, a high back pressure on the sealing jacket can be exerted, for example, by the pressure load of the liquid.

When the support medium in the form of a liquid is kept below the pressure of the stored gas, leakage is prevented from leaking into the hollow space within the sealing jacket, and leakage points are easily detected by gas leakage and the formation of gas bubbles in the liquid.

If, in the space defined by the sealing jacket, a reversing acting is present, it is additionally possible even with a predetermined amount of gas.

adsorption agent for stored gases, to increase the storage capacity by pressure volume to achieve even further increase

If the sealing sheath is closed at its lower end by a concrete plug terminating the length of the sealing sheath located inside another sealing sheath, the two sealing sheaths being partially sealed in a gap between them by a sealing element, preferably in the form of a ring of resilient material, a secure sealing of the gas reservoir is achieved. In the event of malfunctions, for example leaks in the pressure reservoir itself, this sealing element can be tightened without the need for further drilling work.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further elucidated by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a diagram of the arrangement of the pressure reservoir; Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views of a pressure reservoir with a cylindrical sealing jacket; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom closure of the sealing jacket, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section of a gas-tight pipe joint.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the schematic representation of FIG. 1, natural gas from the gas line 1 at an operating pressure of 6.5 to 7.0 MPa is supplied via a first valve 2 and a first pressure regulator 2 in which the gas pressure is reduced depending on whether the gas is further supplied to the regional control stations or to the consumer at 2.5 to 4.0 MPa or 2.0 MPa. From the pressure control station, the gas is fed to a consumer 4, for example a gas turbine of a local electricity generating plant. The second branch of the gas line branching from the main gas pipeline 1 is provided with a second valve 5, a compressor 6, for example a screw compressor, from which gas is supplied via a third valve 2 and a fourth valve 8 to a pressure reservoir 9. gas is again supplied via the fourth valve 8 and the fifth valve 10 to the second pressure regulator 11 and to the consumer 4.

During the average gas offtake, natural gas flows from the gas pipeline 1 through the first valve 2 and the first pressure regulator 3 to the consumer 4. At the same time, the natural gas is passed through a second valve 5, a compressor 6, in which the natural gas pressure increases from 6.5 to 7 30 MPa to 25.0 MPa, then through the third valve 7 and the fourth valve 2 to the pressure reservoir 9.

At peak offtake, natural gas from the gas pipeline 1 is supplied to the consumer 4 via the first valve 2 and the first pressure regulator 2. At the same time, with the third valve 7 closed, the pressure reservoir 9 is fed via the fourth valve 2 and the fifth valve 10 to the second pressure regulator 11, in which the pressure of about 26.0 MPa is reduced to working pressure at the consumer. extending to a considerable depth, for example 500 m or also 2000 m, the surrounding material has an elevated temperature so that the heat deficit can be quickly compensated by gas withdrawal and thus more gas can be withdrawn per unit of time. In this situation, in addition to natural gas from the gas pipeline 1, a further amount of natural gas is taken from the pressure reservoir 9, which is fed to the consumer 4. With this arrangement, the gas pressure drop at the consumer 4 can be prevented. capacity.

The pressure reservoir shown in FIG. 2 is provided with a gasket 12 having an inside diameter of about 50.8 cm, made up of individual tubes each having a throat end and a retractable tapered end and length according to Class 2 of the API (American Petroleum Institute), i.e. means between 8.5 m and 10.5 m.

As can be seen from FIG. 6, it is possible to achieve a gas-tight connection of the pipes so formed by interconnecting them. The total length of the vertically disposed sealing jacket 12 is 1500 m. The sealing jacket 12 is housed in a cylindrical borehole 13, the outer diameter of which is about 76.2 cm. The cavity between the sealing sheath 12 and the borehole 13 is filled with concrete 14. Up to a depth of about 500 m, another concrete outer sheath 15 is formed. The borehole 13 can be formed by any of the known methods of deep drilling using a hammer drilling device. the sealing sheath 12, by which the liquid concrete mixture is simultaneously introduced, into the gap between the sealing sheath 12 and the borehole 13. Using a sealing jacket 12 with an inner diameter of 50.8 cm and a length of 1500 m, a geometric volume of about 300 m ^{3 is available} . If two such pressure reservoirs are formed side by side, the sealing shell of which is always surrounded by the actual concrete layer 14 forming the supporting environment, a double pressure reservoir is created with a capacity of about 150,000 ^mJ at a pressure of 25.0 MPa. If natural gas is kept in a pressure tank under a pressure of 25.0 MPa, is possible in all cases, the - * 7 dem Such containers with geometric volume of 300 m ^J store 75,000 m ³ of gas.

In the example shown in Fig. 3, the gasket 12 has an inner diameter of 40.6 cm and is surrounded by another metal tube of the second gasket 16 with an inner diameter of 50.8 cm. The cavity between the first sealing jacket 12 and the second metal tube of the second sealing jacket 16 is filled with a liquid substance

17, especially water with a corrosion inhibitor. The gap is also made gas-tight and the gas can be vented through the valve

18, so that it is possible to detect this, for example, when gas leaks through the sealing jacket. A further possibility is that at the upper annular end 19 of the gap, apertures 20 can be fitted, through which the interior of the gap can be illuminated and the rise of the gas bubbles can be monitored. The total length of the sealing shells is 2,250 m, while the supporting fluid 17 extends only to a depth of about 1,400 m and then from 1,400 m to a depth of 2,250 m. The second concrete jacket 16 is additionally surrounded by concrete 14, which also serves as a supporting environment. The concrete 33 located inside and outside the second sealing sleeve 16 closes the second sealing sleeve 16 from below and terminates in front of the inner first sealing sleeve 12 so that a space filled with gas is formed between them. The sealing of the inner sealing sleeve 12 relative to the outer sealing sleeve 16 is effected by a resilient ring 32 with sealing lips, so that the lower closure of the pressure reservoir is formed by concrete 33. The gas reservoir thus formed has a geometric volume of about 330 m ³ , and 82 400 m ^{3 of} gas can be stored at a pressure of 25.0 MPa.

FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment of the container in horizontal section. The second metal tube 16 serves as a container for the liquid 17 in which the three first sealing shells 12 are separated, separated from each other by the supporting liquid 17. Such an exemplary arrangement is particularly suitable for storing gas at high pressure or at temperatures significantly different from normal temperature. On the one hand, the backing fluid 17 can be subjected to a high counter-pressure exerting opposite pressure on the first sealing jacket 12 and having a slightly lower value than the pressure in the first sealing jacket 12, so that leakage can be detected by leaking gas into the liquid . In addition, there is also the possibility of cooling the container, so that liquid gases can also be stored by this simple measure.

FIG. 5 shows the lower region of the first sealing jacket 12 where concrete 14 is introduced via the check valve 22. This concrete 14 is also located immediately above the check valve 22, the closure being further formed by a plug 23 with sealing lips 24 acting as a labyrinth seal.

In the example of Fig. 6, a pair of pipe ends 27, 28, comprising a neck end 25 and a tapered end 26, is shown. Each tube 27, 28 is provided with one neck end 25 and a tapered end 26 _f so that they can be joined by direct screwing The conical sealing surfaces 30, 31 are used to seal the pipe connections. In the screwed state of the pipes 27, 28, the sealing surface 31 of the tapered end 26 is pressed against the sealing surface 31 of the neck end 25 by the sealing surface 30.

Pipes are usually made of steel, but can be made of other metals according to the corrosion resistance requirements.

The pressure tank according to the invention is suitable not only for natural gas but also for other gases and not only for covering consumption peaks. For example, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and the like can be stored in such containers, especially if very little space is available in industrial plants to accommodate such pressure containers.

Suitable adsorbents are materials such as activated carbon, diatomaceous earth, metals, solutions and the like.

Claims (9)

A pressure accumulator for stored gases, in particular hydrocarbons, which are in a gaseous state at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, for example methane, ethane, propane, butane and isobutane, having a metallic and substantially cylindrical sealing jacket (12, 16) adjacent and / or immediately on a support medium (14), for example concrete, and provided exclusively in its upper end region with inlets and outlets, in particular a common gas inlet and outlet, the pressure reservoir formed by the cylindrical sealing jacket (12, 16) being located in the field perpendicular to the horizontal, in particular substantially vertical, characterized in that the ratio of the diameter to the maximum length of the cylindrical metal gasket (12, 16) is at least 1: 100, in particular at least 1: 500, and the lower region of the gasket (12) , 16) is closed non-releasably, in particular by concrete. Storage gas storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing jacket (12, 16) is formed by a plurality of tubes (27, 28) arranged one after the other and immediately connected to each other by releasable and gas-tight joints, screwed conical threads. Storage gas accumulator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one sealing jacket (12) is located in the cylindrical space, in particular inside the second cylindrical sealing jacket (16), and in the space between the sealing jackets (12), 16) a support environment (17) is provided. Storage gas pressure accumulator according to claim 3, characterized in that the further metal sealing jacket (16) is formed of partial pipe sections connected in particular gas-tight to one another, in particular directly screwed together. Storage gas storage container according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support medium (17) is formed at least partially by soil. A storage gas pressure container according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support medium is formed at least partially by a liquid (17). The storage gas pressure reservoir according to claim 6, characterized in that the fluid (17) forming the support medium is under a pressure less than the pressure of the stored gas. A storage gas pressure container according to claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a reverse-acting adsorption agent is disposed in the space formed by the sealing jacket (12). Storage gas pressure accumulator according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the further sealing sleeve (16) is closed at its lower end by concrete which terminates before the end of the sealing sleeve (12) located inside the other sealing sleeve (16). ), wherein the sealing shells (12, 16) are gastightly sealed to each other by means of a sealing element (32), in particular a ring of resilient material.