초록 ▼

A steel-body vessel, suitable for storing ultra-high purity gases, has a relatively inert metal lining which covers the interior surface of the steel vessel body, preventing the stored gas from making any contact and reacting with the steel vessel body. The relatively inert metal lining extends into

A steel-body vessel, suitable for storing ultra-high purity gases, has a relatively inert metal lining which covers the interior surface of the steel vessel body, preventing the stored gas from making any contact and reacting with the steel vessel body. The relatively inert metal lining extends into the vessel end pieces which are interiorly threaded, in the steel, proximate the relatively inert metal lining. The surface of the inert metal lining is conditioned to be smooth, preferably to 15 μRa or better. The vessel end pieces are sealed with end closure devices, which are secured by a securing portion carrying exterior threads to matingly engage the interior threads on the vessel end pieces. The end closure devices contain a sealing portion constructed of the relatively inert metal, which retains an annular sealing gland to seal the vessel in a removable, non-contaminating manner at service pressures when the end closure device is seated within the vessel end piece by means of the securing portion.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An end closure device for a steel-body gas storage vessel, wherein said steel-body gas storage vessel has an interior surface defining a volume and at least one vessel end piece having a rim and a threaded interior surface, wherein said vessel interior surface and said vessel

What is claimed is: 1. An end closure device for a steel-body gas storage vessel, wherein said steel-body gas storage vessel has an interior surface defining a volume and at least one vessel end piece having a rim and a threaded interior surface, wherein said vessel interior surface and said vessel end piece interior surface are covered by a corrosion resistant, metal coating which is inert relative to the gas to be stored in said vessel, comprising: a. a sealing portion being formed from a first metal that is corrosion resistant and inert relative to the gas to be stored in said vessel, and having an annularly disposed sealing gland retained on the surface thereof, and b. a securing portion being formed from a second metal of greater strength than the first metal, having exterior-engaging threads for engaging the interior threads of said vessel end piece such that seating said end closure device in said vessel end piece facilitates sealing engagement of the sealing gland with said vessel end piece by radially compressing the sealing gland between the interior surface of the coated vessel end piece and the surface of the sealing portion. 2. The end closure device of claim 1 further comprising at least one gas transfer means of a corrosion resistant metal which is inert relative to the gas to be stored in said vessel. 3. The end closure device of claim 1 wherein said annularly disposed sealing gland comprises an O ring. 4. The end closure device of claim 1 wherein said annularly disposed sealing gland comprises a C ring. 5. The end closure device of claim 1, wherein said vessel and end piece interior surface metal coating contains a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, tin, silver, gold, platinum, and alloys thereof. 6. The end closure device of claim 1, wherein said end closure device further comprises a seal gland for forming a gas-tight seal between the securing portion of said end closure device and the run of the vessel end piece. 7. A steel-body gas storage vessel having an interior surface defining an interior volume and at least one vessel end piece, wherein said at least one vessel end piece has a rim and a threaded interior surface, wherein a coating of corrosion resistant metal which is inert relative to the gas to be stored in said vessel covers entirely said vessel interior surface and said at least one vessel end piece proximate said threaded portion; and at least one end closure device having a gas transfer means a sealing portion being formed from a first metal that is corrosion resistant and inert relative to the gas to be stored in said vessel; and a securing portion being formed from a second metal of greater strength than the first metal and carrying exterior threads for engaging with said vessel end piece interior threads; said sealing portion carrying an annular sealing gland such that said securing portion restrains said sealing portion in sealing engagement with said at least one vessel end piece by radially compressing the sealing gland between the interior surface of the coated vessel end piece and the surface of the sealing portion, to provide a non-contaminated sealing surface to retain gas in said vessel at service pressures. 8. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said interior metal coating of the said vessel and at least one end piece has a surface roughness of between 3 and 30 μRa. 9. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said interior metal coating of the said vessel and at least one end piece has a surface roughness of no more than about 15 μRa. 10. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said interior metal coating of the said vessel and at least one end piece has at least one ply. 11. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said interior metal coating of the said vessel and at least one end piece contains a metal selected from the group of nickel, cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, tin, silver, gold, platinum, and alloys thereof. 12. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said wherein said interior metal coating of the said vessel and at least one end piece has a thickness of between about 0.0050 and about 0.045 inches. 13. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said at least one end closure device further comprises a radial seal gland forming a gas-tight seal between the securing portion of said end closure device and the rim of the vessel end piece. 14. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said vessel body is made from steel grade 4130X. 15. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said sealing portion is formed from Hastelloy C22. 16. The steel-body gas storage vessel of claim 7, wherein said steel-body gas storage vessel is a seamless cylinder. 17. A seamless steel-body gas storage cylinder having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an interior region, and first and second vessel end pieces, wherein at least one vessel end piece has interior threads, wherein a coating of corrosion resistant metal which is inert relative to the gas to be stored in said vessel entirely covers the interior surface of said cylinder and at least one vessel end piece proximate the interior threaded portion, and at least one end closure device having a sealing portion being formed from a first metal that is corrosion resistant and inert relative to the gas to be stored in said vessel, and a securing portion being formed from a second metal greater strength than the first metal, bearing exterior threads for engaging the interior threads of the threaded vessel end piece, wherein the sealing portion further carries an annular sealing gland in communication with the surface of the sealing portion such that the securing portion of said at least one end closure device in said vessel end piece retains said sealing portion to facilitate sealing engagement of the sealing gland with the metal coating on the interior surface of the vessel end piece by radially compressing the sealing gland between the interior surface of the coated vessel end piece and the surface of the sealing portion. 18. The seamless steel-body gas storage cylinder of claim 17 wherein said at least one end closure device having a gas transfer means, wherein the securing portion is constructed of a metal which is inert relative to the gas to be stored in said cylinder, and wherein said annular sealing gland provides a non-contaminated gas/liquid wetted seal at service pressure when said end closure device is seated in said vessel end piece. 19. A vessel end closure device for a steel-body gas storage vessel for the pressurized storage and transfer of ultra-pure gases having an electroplated lining of a metal which is inert relative to the stored gas, wherein the vessel has at least one vessel end piece, having a rim and carrying internal threads, the vessel end closure device comprising a sealing portion being formed from a first metal that is corrosion resistant and inert relative to the gas to be stored in the vessel; and a securing portion being formed from a second metal of greater strength than the first metal, having exterior-engaging threads for engaging the interior threads of at least one of said vessel end pieces; said sealing portion carrying an annularly disposed sealing gland such that when said vessel end closure device is seated in said vessel end piece, a removable corrosion free liquid/gas wetted seal for the vessel is formed by radially compressing the sealing gland between the interior surface of said vessel end piece and the surface of the sealing portion. 20. The end closure device of claim 19, further comprising a gas transfer means of a metal which is inert relative to the gas to be stored in said vessel. 21. The end closure device of claim 19, wherein said end closure device further comprises a safety relief valve. 22. The end closure device of claim 19, wherein said annularly disposed sealing gland is selected from the group consisting of an "O" ring and a "C" ring. 23. The end closure device of claim 19, wherein said sealing portion further comprises an annular channel, and wherein said sealing gland is an "O" ring retained in said annular channel. 24. The end closure device of claim 19, wherein said sealing portion further comprises an annular shoulder, and wherein said sealing gland is a "C" ring retained in said annular shoulder. 25. The end closure device of claim 19, further comprising a second sealing gland, carried on said securing portion of said end closure device, which interfaces with the rim of the vessel end piece to provide a safety seal. 26. The end closure device of claim 25, wherein the securing portion of the end closure device further comprises a shoulder element at the top end portion of the securing portion, wherein said shoulder carries a recess for the said second sealing gland, thereby creating a gas tight seal between the shoulder and the rim of the vessel end piece when the end closure device is fully seated in said end piece. 27. The end closure device of claim 19, wherein the metal of the vessel lining is selected from the group consisting of nickel, cadmium, cobalt copper, lead, tin, silver, gold, platinum and alloys thereof, and is applied to said vessel by electro-disposition. 28. The end closure device of claim 19, wherein said securing portion is fixedly secured to said sealing portion. 29. A method for sealing a steel-body gas storage vessel for the pressurized storage and transfer of ultra-pure gases, said vessel having an electroplated lining of a metal which is inert relative to the stored gas, and having at least one vessel end piece, carrying internal threads and having a corrosion resistant coating which is inert relative to the gas to be stored in the vessel, said vessel further having a vessel end closure device comprised of a sealing portion being formed from a first metal that is corrosion resistant and inert relative to the gas to be stored in the vessel, and a securing portion being formed from a second metal of greater strength than the first metal, having exterior-engaging threads for engaging the interior threads of the at least one vessel end piece; said sealing portion further comprised of an annularly disposed sealing gland, comprising the step of: tightening said exterior engaging threads of said securing portion into the interior threads of the vessel end piece such that said annularly disposed sealing gland of the sealing portion is radially compressed to form a removable, corrosion free liquid/gas wetted seal with the metal lining of the said vessel end piece.