Patent Publication Number: US-9890905-B2

Title: Method and system for filling a gas cylinder

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/097,343 filed Dec. 5, 2013, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/558,293 filed Sep. 11, 2009, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/097,091, filed Sep. 15, 2008, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to filling gas cylinders with gas, and more particularly, to a method and system for filling a gas cylinder. 
     Various conditions may be met to properly and safely fill gas cylinders with gas. For example, various cylinder fill pressures exist for gas cylinders. If a gas cylinder is filled with the wrong pressure, the cylinder will not be completely filled or an overpressure will result, which may rupture an overpressure disc of the cylinder. Gas cylinders may also need to be periodically hydrostatically tested to ensure safe filling. Moreover, each gas cylinder has a specific service life based on the type of cylinder. Expired gas cylinders must be removed from service when the service life has expired. Moreover, if the hydrostatic test date or service life of a gas cylinder has expired, the cylinder should not be refilled. 
     At least some known gas cylinder filling systems use a manual process whereby a trained operator inspects each gas cylinder prior to filling to obtain the necessary information for properly and safely filling the cylinder. For example, at least some known processes for filling gas cylinders with gas require a visual inspection of the cylinder by a trained operator before the cylinder is filled. Operators may therefore need to be trained to properly inspect gas cylinders. For example, operators may need to be trained to determine the operating pressure of each cylinder and to manually set the filling system to the determined fill pressure. If the operator fails to set the fill pressure to the proper value, the cylinder may be insufficiently filled or the overpressure disc in the cylinder may rupture. Operators may also need to be trained to examine a manufactured date, an expiration date, and/or a hydrostatic test date on each gas cylinder to determine whether the cylinder should be in service before filling. For example, if the cylinder hydrostatic test date or service life has expired and is not observed by the operator, there is an increased risk of the cylinder failing during filling or operation. Moreover, maintenance and record keeping of cylinders may be required to ensure that cylinders are hydrostatically tested when required and/or have been taken out of service once service life has expired. 
     There is a need for a gas cylinder filling system that may be operated by an operator having less training as compared to at least some known gas cylinder filling systems. There is a need for a gas cylinder filling system that may reduce a number of operator errors as compared to at least some known gas cylinder filling systems. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment, a charge station is provided for filling a gas cylinder with gas. The charge station includes a gas output port configured to be fluidly connected to a supply of gas. The gas output port is configured to be fluidly connected to the gas cylinder for filling the gas cylinder with gas from the supply of gas. The charge station also includes a control system operatively connected to the gas output such that the control system is configured to control filling of the gas cylinder, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader operatively connected to the control system, the RFID reader configured to read data from an RFID tag on the gas cylinder. 
     In another embodiment, a gas cylinder filling system is provided for filling a gas cylinder with gas. The gas cylinder filling system includes a supply of gas and a charge station. The charge station includes a gas output port fluidly connected to the supply of gas. The gas output port is configured to be fluidly connected to the gas cylinder for filling the gas cylinder with gas from the supply of gas. The charge station also includes a control system operatively connected to the gas output such that the control system is configured to control filling of the gas cylinder, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader operatively connected to the control system, the RFID reader configured to read data from an RFID tag on the gas cylinder. 
     In another embodiment, a method is provided for filling a gas cylinder with gas using a charge station. The method includes reading data from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on the gas cylinder, and filling the gas cylinder with gas based at least in part on data read from the RFID tag on the gas cylinder. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a gas cylinder filling system. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the gas cylinder filling system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an exemplary alternative embodiment of a gas cylinder filling system. 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a method for filling a cylinder with gas using the gas cylinder filling system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a gas cylinder filling system  10 .  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the gas cylinder filling system  10 . The gas cylinder filling system  10  includes a charge station  12  and a supply of gas  14 . As will be described below, the charge station  12  is configured to fill a gas cylinder  16  with a gas. The gas may be any gas, such as, but not limited to, a breathing gas (such as, but not limited to, air, oxygen, nitrox, tirmix, heliox, heliair, hydreliox, hydrox, neox, and/or the like) and/or the like. The gas cylinder  16  may be any type of gas cylinder, such as, but not limited to, a gas cylinder for a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), a space suit, medical equipment, a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), and/or the like. Although shown as generally cylindrical in shape, in addition or alternatively to the cylindrical shape, the gas cylinder  16  may include any other shape(s). 
     The charge station  12  includes a housing  18 , a data collection system  20 , one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) readers  22 , one or more RFID readers  24 , one or more gas output ports  26 , and a control system  28 . The housing  18  includes one or more cylinder docks  19  that receive the gas cylinder  16 . Each gas output port  26  extends adjacent a corresponding one of the cylinder docks  19  and is fluidly connected to the supply of gas  14 , for example via one or more hoses  30 . Each gas output port  26  is configured to be fluidly connected to an input port  32  of the gas cylinder  16  for filling the gas cylinder  16  with gas from the supply  14 . Specifically, when a gas cylinder  16  is desired to be filled, the gas cylinder  16  is mounted on the cylinder dock  19  and the input port  32  of the gas cylinder  16  is fluidly connected to the gas output port  26 . Although two gas output ports  26  and two cylinder docks  19  are shown, the charge station  12  may include any number of gas output ports  26  and any number of cylinder docks  19 , for example for simultaneously filling any number of gas cylinders  16 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the supply of gas  14  is not a component of the charge station  12 . For example, in the exemplary embodiment the supply of gas  14  is not held by the housing  18  of the charge station  12 . Alternatively, the supply of gas  14  is a component of the charge station  12 . For example,  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an exemplary alternative embodiment of a gas cylinder filling system  110 . The gas cylinder filling system  110  includes a charge station  112  and a supply of gas  114 . The charge station  112  includes a housing  118 , a data collection system  120 , one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) readers  122 , one or more RFID readers  124 , one or more cylinder docks  119 , one or more gas output ports  126 , and a control system  128 . The supply of gas  114  is a component of the charge station  112 . For example, in the exemplary embodiment the supply of gas  114  is held within an internal compartment  115  of the charge station housing  118 . Each gas output port  126  is fluidly connected to the supply of gas  114 . Each gas output port  126  is configured to be fluidly connected to an input port  132  of a gas cylinder  116  for filling the gas cylinder  116  with gas from the supply  114 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the control system  28  controls filling of the gas cylinder  16  with gas from the supply  14 . In the exemplary embodiment, the control system  28  includes a control panel  34 , an optional processor  36 , and an optional memory  38 . The processor  36  may automatically control some or all portions of the filling process, such as, but not limited to, activating the filling process, deactivating the filling process, selecting parameters of the filling process (such as, but not limited to, selecting a pressure to fill the gas cylinder  16  with and/or the like), and/or the like. The control system  28  includes an activation input  43  that enables an operator to manually start filling the gas cylinder  16  with gas. In the exemplary embodiment, the activation input  43  is remote from the control panel  34 . Alternatively, the control panel  34  includes the activation input  43 . The control panel  34  optionally includes inputs  40  that enable an operator to manually control some or all of the filling process, such as, but not limited to, activating the filling process, deactivating the filling process, selecting parameters of the filling process (such as, but not limited to, selecting a pressure to fill the gas cylinder  16  with and/or the like), and/or the like. In the exemplary embodiment, the control panel  34  includes a fill pressure input  41  and an emergency stop input  42 . The fill pressure input  41  enables an operator to manually select the pressure to fill the gas cylinder  16  with from a range of fill pressures. The emergency stop input  42  enables an operator to stop filling the gas cylinder  16  with gas. The control panel  34  optionally includes a display  44  for displaying, such as, but not limited to, warnings, indications, parameters of the filling process, and/or the like. 
     The RFID readers  22  and  24  are each configured to read data from one or more RFID tags  46  on the gas cylinder  16 . The RFID reader  22  is a hand-held RFID reader. The RFID reader  24  is fixedly mounted on the housing  18  of the charge station  12 . In the exemplary embodiment, the RFID readers  22  and  24  are each operatively connected to the data collection system  20  using a respective electrical cable  48  and  50  (the electrical cable  50  is not visible in  FIG. 2 ). However, the RFID readers  22  and  24  may each be connected to the data collection system  20  using any suitable means, such as, but not limited to, using a wireless transmitter (not shown). 
     The data collection system  20  is operatively connected to the control system  28  for automatically controlling some or all portions of the filling process, such as, but not limited to, activating the filling process, deactivating the filling process, selecting parameters of the filling process (such as, but not limited to, selecting a pressure to fill the gas cylinder  16  with and/or the like), and/or the like. The data collection system  20  optionally includes one or more memories  52  configured to store data, such as, but not limited to, data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID reader  22  and/or  24 , data related to the gas cylinder  16 , data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data related to the charge station  12 ), and/or the like. The data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID reader  22  and/or  24 , the data related to the gas cylinder  16 , and the data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data related to the charge station  12 ) may include, but is not limited to, a serial number of the gas cylinder  16 , an operating pressure of the gas cylinder  16 , a hydrostatic test date of the gas cylinder  16 , a manufactured date of the gas cylinder  16 , a type of the gas cylinder  16 , an end of life date of the gas cylinder  16 , an early warning of upcoming cylinder obsolescence of the gas cylinder  16 , an upcoming hydrostatic test requirement of the gas cylinder  16 , frequency of usage of the gas cylinder  16 , a utilization of the gas cylinder  16 , justification for additional equipment related to the gas cylinder  16 , the charge station  12 , and/or the system  10 , a location of the gas cylinder  16 , a filling date of the gas cylinder  16 , an identification of the system  10 , a location of the system  10 , a current date, a current time, ambient air sample data, and an identification of an operator. 
     The data collection system  20  optionally includes one or more processors  54  operatively connected to the memory  52 , the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 , and/or any component of the control system  28 . The processor  54  may receive data from the memory  52 , the memory  38 , another component of the control system  28 , and/or from the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 . The data received from the memory  52 , the memory  38 , another component of the control system  28 , and/or the RFID readers  22  and/or  24  may include, but is not limited to, data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 , data related to the gas cylinder  16 , data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data relating to the charge station  12 ), and/or the like. The processor  54  may make various decisions and/or may take various actions based on the data received from the memory  52  the memory  38 , another component of the control system  28 , and/or the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 . For example, the processor  54  may automatically control some or all portions of the filling process, such as, but not limited to, activating the filling process, deactivating the filling process, selecting parameters of the filling process (such as, but not limited to, selecting a pressure to fill the gas cylinder  16  with and/or the like), and/or the like. Exemplary decisions and/or actions of the processor  54  are described below with respect to  FIG. 4 . The processor  54  is not limited to the decisions and/or actions illustrated in  FIG. 4  and described with respect thereto. 
     The processor  54  may transmit data to an optional storage system  56  that is not a component of the charge station  12 . For example, the processor  54  may transmit data to a memory  58  of the storage system  56 . The processor  54  may transmit data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 , data related to the gas cylinder  16 , data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data related to the charge station  12 ), and/or the like. The processor  54  may transmit the data using any suitable means, such as, but not limited to, using an optional wireless data transmitter  60  of the data collection system  20  and/or using an optional cable  62  of the data collection system  20 . The processor  54  may write data to the memory  52 , the memory  38 , the memory  58 , and/or the RFID tag  46 . The processor  54  may write data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 , data related to the gas cylinder  16 , data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data related to the charge station  12 ), and/or the like. Moreover, the RFID readers  22  and/or  24  may each write data to the memory  52 , the memory  38 , the memory  58 , and/or the RFID tag  46 . The RFID readers  22  and/or  24  may each write data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 , data related to the gas cylinder  16 , data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data related to the charge station  12 ), and/or the like. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a method  200  for filling the gas cylinder  16  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) with gas using the gas cylinder filling system  10  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The method  200  may include, but is not limited to including, the following steps. Steps of the method  200  described and/or illustrated herein may also be omitted from the method  200 . An empty or partially filled gas cylinder  16  is loaded  202  into a cylinder dock  19  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the charge station  12  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Loading  202  the gas cylinder  16  into the cylinder dock  19  may include orienting the RFID tag  46  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Data is read  204  from the RFID tag  46  using the RFID reader  22  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) and/or the RFID reader  24  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The data read  204  from the RFID readers  22  and/or  24  is received  206  by the data collection system  20 . The processor  54  determines  208  if an end of life date of the gas cylinder  16  has expired. If the end of life date of the gas cylinder  16  has expired, at step  210  the processor  54  displays (on the display  44  or a display, not shown, of the system  20 ) a warning that the end of life date has expired, displays a warning that the gas cylinder  16  should not be filled by the charge station  12 , displays a warning that the gas cylinder  16  should be removed from service, prevents the gas cylinder  16  from being filled with gas by the charge station  12 , and/or the like. 
     If the end of life date of the gas cylinder  16  has not expired, at step  212  the processor  54  determines whether a hydrostatic test date of the gas cylinder  16  has expired. If the hydrostatic test date of the gas cylinder  16  has expired, at step  214  the processor  54  displays a warning that the cylinder hydrostatic test date has expired, displays a warning that the gas cylinder  16  should not be filled by the charge station  12 , displays a warning that the gas cylinder  16  should be removed from service, prevents the gas cylinder  16  from being filled with gas by the charge station  12 , and/or the like. 
     If the hydrostatic test date of the gas cylinder  16  has not expired, at step  216  the processor  54  determines if an operating pressure of the gas cylinder  16  equals a fill pressure setting of the charge station  12 . If the operating pressure of the gas cylinder  16  does not equal the fill pressure setting of the charge station  12 , at step  218  the processor  54  may display a warning that the operating pressure of the gas cylinder  16  does not equal the fill pressure setting of the charge station  12 , may display a warning that the gas cylinder  16  should not be filled by the charge station  12 , may prevent the gas cylinder  16  from being filled with gas by the charge station  12 , may display an indication that the fill pressure setting of the charge station  12  should be changed, and/or the like. An operator may then manually change  220  the fill pressure setting of the charge station  12  to equal the operating pressure of the gas cylinder  16 . In addition or alternative to the any portion(s) of the steps  218  and  220 , if the operating pressure of the cylinder  14  does not equal the fill pressure setting of the charge station  12 , the processor  54  may automatically change  222  the fill pressure setting of the charge station  12  to equal the operating pressure of the gas cylinder  16 . 
     When the operating pressure of the gas cylinder  16  equals the fill pressure setting of the charge station  12 , the processor  54  may display  224  an indication that an operator can manually activate the charge station  12  to fill the gas cylinder  16  with gas. In alternative to manual activation of the charge station  12 , the processor  54  may automatically activate  226  the charge station  12  to fill the gas cylinder  16  with gas. 
     At step  228 , the processor  54  and/or the RFID readers  22  and/or  24  may write to the memory  52  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), the memory  38  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), the memory  58  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), and/or to the RFID tag  46 : data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 , data related to the gas cylinder  16 ; data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data related to the charge station  12 ), and/or the like. At step  230 , the processor  54  may transmit to the storage system  56  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ): data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID readers  22  and/or  14 , data related to the gas cylinder  16 , data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data related to the charge station  12 ), and/or the like. 
     After filling the gas cylinder  16 , the data read from the RFID tag  46  by the RFID readers  22  and/or  24 , the data related to the gas cylinder  16 , the data related to the gas cylinder filling system  10  (including data related to the charge station  12 ), and/or the like can be used to track and/or manage a plurality of gas cylinders. Uses of data may include, but are not limited to: early warning of upcoming cylinder obsolescence, upcoming hydrostatic test requirements, frequency of usage, equipment utilization, justification for additional equipment, tracking of cylinder locations, manage other fire department assets (such as, but not limited to, thermal imaging cameras, SCBA components, regulators, masks, pressure reducers, and/or the like), and/or the like. 
     The embodiments described and/or illustrated herein may provide a gas cylinder filling system that may be operated by an operator having less training as compared to at least some known gas cylinder filling systems. The embodiments described and/or illustrated herein provide a gas cylinder filling system that may reduce a number of operator errors as compared to at least some known gas cylinder filling systems. 
     In some embodiments, the data collection system  20  may be a component of the control system  28 . Moreover, any functions, method steps, decisions, actions, and/or the like of the processor  54  and the data collection system  20  may be additionally or alternatively performed by the control system  20 . 
     The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein includes a gas cylinder filling system that utilizes an RFID tag and reader to supply data from a gas cylinder to a data collection system and/or a control system for use filling gas cylinders with gas. 
     Exemplary embodiments are described and/or illustrated herein in detail. The embodiments are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather, components and/or steps of each embodiment may be utilized independently and separately from other components and/or steps described herein. Each component, and/or each step of one embodiment, can also be used in combination with other components and/or steps of other embodiments. When introducing elements/components/etc. described and/or illustrated herein, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, “said”, and “at least one” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the element(s)/component(s)/etc. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional element(s)/component(s)/etc. other than the listed element(s)/component(s)/etc. Moreover, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. in the claims are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described and/or illustrated herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments, and are by no means limiting and are merely exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the description and illustrations. The scope of the subject matter described and/or illustrated herein should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means-plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure. 
     While the subject matter described and/or illustrated herein has been described and/or illustrated in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the subject matter described and/or illustrated herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.