Patent ID: 9644791
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: F17C,Y02E

Claim:
1. A system for loading and storing CNG on board a ship and for unloading it therefrom, the system being situated on the ship and comprising: CNG loading facilities for loading CNG on board the ship; CNG storage facilities for storing the loaded CNG on board the ship at storage pressures and temperatures; and CNG unloading facilities for unloading the stored CNG to a delivery point, the delivery point requiring the stored CNG to be unloaded at delivery pressures and temperatures generally different from the storage pressures and temperatures, the CNG unloading facilities comprising: a CNG heater for heating to-be-unloaded CNG prior to unloading; a lamination valve for allowing the to-be-unloaded CNG to expand from the storage pressure to the delivery pressure prior to unloading; a compressor unit for compressing the to-be-unloaded CNG downstream of the CNG storage facilities prior to unloading; a compressor pressure control unit located downstream of the compressor unit; a separator unit located downstream of the CNG heater and upstream of the compressor unit; a separator flow control unit located downstream of the separator unit for separating liquid from CNG and upstream of the compressor unit; a feedback flow valve located downstream of the compressor pressure control unit; and a compressor controller programmed for operating the feedback flow valve so that unloaded CNG can be re-injected into the compressor unit before it is unloaded by the CNG unloading facilities, wherein the separator flow control unit and the compressor pressure control unit are each configured to provide information to the compressor controller.