Compression apparatus and filling station comprising such an apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for compressing cryogenic fluid, comprising a sealed enclosure intended to contain a bath of cryogenic fluid, a compression chamber communicating with the bath, an intake system communicating with the compression chamber and configured to allow the inlet of fluid to be compressed into the compression chamber, and a mobile piston for compressing the fluid in the compression chamber, the apparatus also comprising an evacuation system communicating with the compression chamber and configured to allow the outlet of compressed fluid, the piston being mounted at a first end of a rod, the apparatus comprising a mechanism for driving the rod in a back and forth movement along a longitudinal direction, the drive mechanism comprising a motor provided with a rotating shaft and a mechanical system converting the rotary movement of the rotating shaft into a movement in translation of a head sliding along the longitudinal direction and to which a second end of the rod is connected, characterized in that the head is mounted so as to slide and to be guided by two fixed guide rails situated on either side of the head, and in that the head and/or one rail comprises a resilient portion, the resilient portion being configured to generate, on the rail or rails, a force transverse to the longitudinal direction.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for compressing cryogenic fluid comprising:
 a sealed enclosure configured to contain a bath of cryogenic fluid;   a compression chamber in fluid communication with the bath of cryogenic fluid;   an intake system in fluid communication with the compression chamber configured to allow the entry of fluid to be compressed into the compression chamber;   a movable piston configured to ensure the compression of the fluid in the compression chamber;   an evacuation system in fluid communication with the compression chamber and configured to allow the exit of compressed fluid, the movable piston being mounted at a first end of a rod; and   a mechanism for driving the rod in a back and forth movement in a longitudinal direction, the drive mechanism comprising a motor provided with a rotating shaft and a mechanical system converting the rotational movement of the rotating shaft into a translational movement of a head sliding in the longitudinal direction and to which a second end of the rod is connected,   wherein the head is slidably mounted and guided by two fixed guide rails located on either side of the head, and in that the head and/or a rail comprises an elastic portion, said elastic portion being configured to generate on the rail or rails a force transverse to the longitudinal direction, and in that the elastic portion comprises a spring or a deformable zone and is prestressed.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the compression of the fluid in the compression chamber is obtained by traction or compression of the rod, said traction or compression generating a transverse thrust of the head on one of the rails in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and in that the force generated by the elastic portion is in the opposite direction to this thrust. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the elastic portion is configured to generate on the rail or rails a transverse force having, in absolute value, an intensity less than or equal to the maximum intensity of the thrust force. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the elastic portion is located between a central zone of the head and one of the two rails. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the elastic portion is located between one of the two rails and a fixed support of said rail. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein, in the operating configuration, the rod is movable with a back and forth movement in a vertical longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the mechanical system converting the rotational movement of the rotating shaft into a translational movement of the carriage is of the connecting rod and crank type. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the mechanical system converting the rotational movement of the rotating shaft into a translational movement of the head is connected to a central zone of the head via a ball joint or pivot connection, said connection being located on a longitudinal straight line passing through the axis of translation of the rod, said straight line being further secant to the straight line passing through the rotating shaft of the motor. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the head is slidably mounted in the guide rails via a guide system with rolling element(s), for example a roller system, and/or balls and/or sliding rollers or a precision rail(s) type system. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein it is of the type with one compression stage, that is to say that the fluid is compressed only once between the intake system and the evacuation system. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein it is of the type with two compression stages, that is to say that the fluid is compressed twice between the intake system and the evacuation system, the apparatus comprising two compression chambers, the intake system communicating with a first compression chamber, a transfer system communicating with the first and the second compression chamber and configured to allow the transfer of fluid compressed in the first compression chamber to the second compression chamber, the movable piston alternately compressing the fluid in the first and second compression chambers in its direction of movement, the evacuation system communicating with the second compression chamber. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the second compression chamber is delimited by a portion of the body of the movable piston and a fixed wall of the apparatus. 
     
     
         26 . A station for filling tanks or pipes with pressurized gas, comprising a source of liquefied gas, in particular liquefied hydrogen, a withdrawal circuit having a first end connected to the source and at least one second end intended to be connected to a tank to be filled, the withdrawal circuit comprising a compression apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 .