System and method for controlling vapor expansions and contractions inside of closed storage vessels

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus for the safe storage of atmospheric air inside a vessel that stores volatile liquid and vapors. The apparatus includes a storage tank defining a tank cavity for storing the volatile liquid and vapors. The apparatus includes a tube having a top opening positioned outside the tank cavity and a bottom opening positioned within the tank cavity. The apparatus includes a bag flange connected to the tube bottom opening and located within the tank cavity. The apparatus includes a bag connected to the bag flange and located within the tank cavity, the bag receiving or emitting atmospheric air via the tube when the volatile liquid and vapors stored within the storage tank contract or expand due to variations in temperature of the stored volatile liquid and vapors, and a weight and a location of the bag within the tank cavity being supported by the bag flange.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for the storage of atmospheric air inside a storage vessel, the apparatus comprising:
 a sealed storage tank having an upper tank opening and defining a tank cavity configured to store volatile liquid and vapors;   a tube having a top opening and a bottom opening, the top opening positioned outside the tank cavity and the bottom opening positioned within the tank cavity;   a bag flange located within the tank cavity and having a bottom opening, a top opening connected to the bottom opening of the tube, and a rim surrounding the bottom opening; and   a bag connected to the bottom opening of the bag flange and located within the tank cavity, the bag having an opening aligned with the bottom opening of the bag flange and the bottom opening of the connecting tube, the bag configured to receive or emit atmospheric air via the tube when the volatile liquid and vapors stored within the sealed storage tank contract or expand due to variations in temperature of the stored vapors, and a weight and a location of the bag within the tank cavity being supported by the bag flange.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a level indicator unit connected to the connector tube, the level indicator unit configured to detect a height of the bag, determine a bag volume based on the height of the bag, and determine a volume of volatile liquid and vapors stored in the sealed storage tank based on the bag volume. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the level indicator unit includes a laser configured to emit a beam through the connector tube and to a laser reflector located on an interior bottom surface of the bag, and
 wherein the level indicator unit detects the height of the bag based on a reflection of the beam from the laser reflector.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the level indicator unit includes a retractable tape connected to a tape connection point located on an interior bottom surface of the bag, the retractable tape travelling through the connector tube, and
 wherein the level indicator unit detects the height of the bag based on a detected length of the tape.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a vapor space not occupied by the stored volatile liquid inside the tank cavity, and wherein the bag occupies between 10% and 50% of the vapor space. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bag flange has a flange diameter and the bag has a bag diameter, the flange diameter being between 6 percent and 10 percent of the bag diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bag is connected to the rim surrounding the bottom opening of the bag flange. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for the safe handling and storage of volatile liquid and vapors inside of a tank cavity of a sealed storage tank, the apparatus comprising:
 a tube having a top opening and a bottom opening, the top opening positioned outside the tank cavity and the bottom opening positioned within the tank cavity;   a bag flange located within the tank cavity and having a bottom opening, a top opening connected to the bottom opening of the tube, and a rim surrounding the bottom opening; and   a bag connected to the bottom opening of the bag flange and located within the tank cavity, a weight and a location of the bag within the tank cavity being supported by the bag flange, the bag having an opening aligned with the bottom opening of the bag flange and the bottom opening of the connecting tube, and the bag configured to receive or emit atmospheric air via the tube responsive to at least one of a change in volume of the volatile liquid stored within the sealed storage tank or a change in volume of the vapors stored within the sealed storage tank.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a level indicator unit connected to the connector tube, the level indicator unit configured to detect a height of the bag, determine a bag volume based on the height of the bag, and determine a volume of volatile liquid and vapors stored in the sealed storage tank based on the bag volume. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the level indicator unit includes a laser configured to emit a beam through the connector tube and to a laser reflector located on an interior bottom surface of the bag, and
 wherein the level indicator unit detects the height of the bag based on a reflection of the beam from the laser reflector.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the level indicator unit includes a retractable tape connected to a tape connection point located on an interior bottom surface of the bag, the retractable tape travelling through the connector tube, and
 wherein the level indicator unit detects the height of the bag based on a detected length of the tape.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a vapor space not occupied by the stored volatile liquid inside the tank cavity, and wherein the bag occupies between 10% and 50% of the vapor space. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the bag flange has a flange diameter and the bag has a bag diameter, the flange diameter being between 6 percent and 10 percent of the bag diameter. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for the safe handling and storage of matter and vapors created from the matter, the apparatus comprising:
 a sealed storage tank having an upper tank opening and defining a tank cavity configured to store the matter and the vapors created from the matter;   a tube having a top opening and a bottom opening, the top opening positioned outside the tank cavity and the bottom opening positioned within the tank cavity;   a bag flange located within the tank cavity and having a bottom opening, a top opening connected to the bottom opening of the tube, and a rim surrounding the bottom opening; and   a bag connected to the bottom opening of the bag flange and located within the tank cavity, a weight and a location of the bag within the tank cavity being supported by the bag flange, the bag having an opening aligned with the bottom opening of the bag flange and the bottom opening of the connecting tube, the bag configured to:
 emit atmospheric air via the tube when the matter stored within the sealed storage tank creates vapors, and 
 receive atmospheric air via the tube when at least one of the matter or the vapors created from the matter is reduced. 
   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a level indicator unit connected to the connector tube, the level indicator unit configured to detect a height of the bag, determine a bag volume based on the height of the bag, and determine a volume of vapors created from the matter based on the bag volume and a known volume of the matter. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the level indicator unit includes a laser configured to emit a beam through the connector tube and to a laser reflector located on an interior bottom surface of the bag, and
 wherein the level indicator unit detects the height of the bag based on a reflection of the beam from the laser reflector.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the level indicator unit includes a retractable tape connected to a tape connection point located on an interior bottom surface of the bag, the retractable tape travelling through the connector tube, and
 wherein the level indicator unit detects the height of the bag based on a detected length of the tape.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the matter is food waste and the vapors created from the matter are methane, and
 wherein the sealed storage tank is an insulated sealed storage tank for maintaining a substantially constant temperature conducive for breaking down of the food waste into methane.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a vapor exit tube attached to the sealed storage tank, the vapor exit tube configured to allow the vapors created from the matter to exit the tank cavity, and a pump attached to the top opening of the tube, the pump configured to inflate the bag by directing atmospheric air into the bag, the inflating of the bag forcing the vapors created from the matter to exit tank cavity via the vapor exit tube. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a vapor space not occupied by the stored matter inside the tank cavity, and wherein the bag occupies substantially all of the vapor space when the bag is in a fully inflated state.