Reducing pressure of compressed gas from a storage tank

Abstract

A system that can offload compressed gas from a storage tank to a customer site. The system can have a fluid circuit that is configured to fit within a container structure, like a trailer, for mobility to remote locations. This fluid circuit can include a transfer unit to automatically switch between tanks. The transfer unit can couple with a heat exchanger. Downstream of the heat exchanger, the fluid circuit can reduce pressure of fluid from the tanks through multiple pressure reduction stages. Each of the pressure reduction stages can include a throttling device, for example, a pilot-type fluid regulator and a control valve assembly. The throttling device may be selected to maintain flow of fluid at least at, e.g., 35,000 scfh, in accordance with pressure drops in the incoming fluid from the tanks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 providing a mobile trailer with compartments separated by a fire-resistant wall, the compartments comprising a first compartment and a second compartment;   receiving gas at a first pressure in the first compartment of the mobile trailer;   directing the gas through the first compartment using a piping network that first raises the temperature of the gas and then reduces the pressure of the gas; and   offloading the gas from the first compartment at a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 bleeding-off gas from the first compartment to the second compartment to fire a boiler of a heater to heat the gas in the first compartment.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 directing the gas outside of the mobile trailer to by-pass the fire-resistant wall separating the first compartment and the second compartment.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 providing an exhaust for the boiler from the second compartment.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 directing the gas through a valve operable to change a source of the gas from a first tank to a second tank.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 measuring flow rate of the gas at the second pressure.   
     
     
         21 . A system, comprising:
 a container forming an interior cavity, the container comprising a flame resistant wall that separates the interior cavity into a first compartment and a second compartment;   a fluid circuit disposed in the first compartment, the fluid circuit comprising a heat exchanger and a pressure reduction unit forming multiple pressure reducing stages to reduce pressure of incoming gas, the heat exchanger disposed upstream of the multiple pressure reducing stages; and   a heater disposed in the second compartment and coupled with the fluid circuit to receive gas as a fuel source.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising structure to configure the container for mobile transit. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a transfer unit coupled with the fluid circuit, the transfer unit having connections to receive incoming gas individually from a pair of tanks. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising a valve disposed upstream of the heat exchanger and downstream of the transfer unit, the valve having at least two states, one each to allow incoming gas from one of the pair of containers to enter the fluid circuit. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a bleed-off line that couples the fluid circuit to heater, the bleed-off line extending from the first compartment to the second compartment outside of the container. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a pilot-type pressure regulator and a control valve assembly, one each disposed in the fluid circuit as the multiple pressure reducing stages. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the interior cavity has a volume that is at least 3,500 ft 3 . 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a bleed-off line that couples the fluid circuit to the heater, the bleed-off line extending externally from the first compartment to the second compartment around the fire resistant wall. 
     
     
         29 . The mobile trailer of  claim 28 , wherein the bleed-off line extends externally from the first compartment to the second compartment around the fire resistant wall.