A pressure regulator for controlling the flow of gas from a high pressure source to a low pressure device and regulating a pressure to the low pressure device includes a body having a high pressure inlet and a regulated pressure outlet. The body has a series of passages and bores including first and second regulator valve assembly bores and first and second fill valve assembly bores. The first and second regulator valve assembly bores are disposed on opposing sides of one of the passages and the first and second fill valve assembly bores are disposed on opposing sides of one of the passages. A regulator valve assembly includes a seal, a regulator valve piston, a biasing member and an adjusting plug positioned in the first regulator valve assembly bore, and a seal, a seat, a ball, a spring and a plug positioned in the second regulator valve assembly. A fill valve assembly includes a seal, a jam nut, a spring, a valve shaft, and a shaft actuator positioned in the first fill valve assembly bore and a seal, a seat, a ball, a spring and a plug positioned in the second fill valve assembly bore.

A fill station permits transferring a gas, such as a compressed gas from a second device to a first device. The fill station includes a body having an inlet, an inlet/outlet port and an outlet. The body has a passage extending between the inlet, the inlet/outlet port and the outlet. The passage includes a central passage portion. The body includes a bore therein in communication with the central passage portion. A valve assembly includes a seal, a seat, a ball and a biasing member mounted in the body at a first side of the central passage in communication with the inlet/outlet port and a seal, a seal support, and an actuator shaft positioned in the body on an opposite side of the central passage portion. Engagement of the actuator shaft with the ball moves the ball off of the seat to open flow communication from the inlet/outlet port to the outlet and disengagement of the actuator shaft from the ball moves the ball onto the seat to close flow communication from the inlet to the outlet. When the ball is on the seat to close flow communication from the inlet/outlet port to the outlet, flow is communicated from the inlet to the inlet/outlet port.

A method for calculating the remaining usage time of a gas cylinder equipped with a pressure reducer, the method comprising the following steps: (a) measuring the pressure of the gas in the cylin-der; (b) calculating the variation of pressure of the gas in the cylinder over time while gas is out-putted; (c) calculating a remaining usage time Tr based on the measured pressure in the cylinder and the calculated variation of pressure. Step (c) takes into account characteristics of the pressure reducer relative to variations of its nominal flow rate along the decrease of its inlet pressure while emptying the cylinder.

A pressure vessel assembly includes a vessel having a wall defining a chamber and a circumferentially continuous lip projecting into the chamber from the wall. The lip defines a through-bore that is in fluid communication with the chamber. A nozzle assembly of the pressure vessel assembly includes a tube projecting at least in-part into the through-bore, and an o-ring disposed between, and in sealing contact with, the tube and the lip.

The invention relates to a pressurized gas container, in particular a gas cylinder, having an internal volume for gas storage, a fluid-distributing valve, a pressure sensor and microprocessor-based control means. The microprocessor-based control means are configured to detect filling of the gas container with gas, by comparing said at least one pressure value measured by the pressure sensor with at least one predefined and stored reference pressure threshold value; then to initiate a timer on the basis of a detection of filling of the gas container with gas; and to trigger a warning when the timer exceeds a given period calculated from the initiation of the timer.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for storing liquefied gas in at least one insulated container (1) while withdrawing evaporated gas from one or more of the at least one container (1), wherein at least a part of the evaporated gas is supplied to a recondenser (11) and wherein liquefied gas is withdrawn from one or more of the at least one container (1) and at least in part supplied to the recondenser (11) for recondensing the evaporated gas supplied to the recondenser (11) such that recondensed gas is obtained at a recondenser outlet, wherein before supplying the liquefied gas to the recondenser (11), the liquefied gas is subcooled by passing it through a refrigeration unit (8, 9), at least a part of the subcooled liquefied gas being supplied to the recondenser (11), and wherein at least a part of the recondensed gas obtained at the outlet of the recondenser (11) is reintroduced into one or more of the at least one container (1).

The present invention relates to a breathing air charger for detecting a tank state, capable of providing air properly adjusted in the concentration of oxygen and nitrogen to a breathing air tank used by a firefighter or a scuba diver, and of effectively discharging air from the breathing air tank.

A tank that may be used in combination with an actuating means such as a pneumatic door actuator includes a first, inner, enclosure positioned and enclosed within a second, outer, enclosure, to provide an enclosed chamber between the inner enclosure and outer enclosure. The pressure in the chamber may be measured with a gauge that does not extend into the inner enclosure. The measured pressure may then be monitored and compared in order to detect a change in pressure and thereby also detect a leak through a wall from the inner enclosure. The tank may also be used to inflate and/or deploy an emergency evacuation slide in an aircraft.

A method for calculating the autonomy of a gas distribution system assembly including a container containing gas and equipped with at least one gas filling indicator device and a gas flow rate indicator device at the output of the container. The method includes recovering at least one item of identification information on the container and/or the gas used. The method also includes acquiring at least one image to recover a first datum on a value indicated by the gas filling indicator device and a second datum on a value indicated by the flow rate indicator device. The method also includes communicating the at least one acquired image and the at least one recovered tern of identification to a computation module configured to deduce therefrom a corresponding value of autonomy of the gas distribution assembly, the computation module including at least the ability to process images.

The invention relates to a test apparatus and a method for testing a load change of a compressed-gas accumulator, said method comprising the steps of: i. arranging the compressed-gas accumulator to be tested inside a test container; ii. increasing the pressure of a compressed gas in the compressed-gas accumulator to a test pressure; iii. measuring the elastic deformation of the compressed-gas accumulator, which is caused by the test pressure of the compressed gas; iv. Increasing the pressure of a pressure medium in the test container such that the elastic deformation of the compressed-gas accumulator is reduced by the pressure of the pressure medium on the compressed-gas accumulator; v. lowering the pressure of the pressure medium in the test container; and vi. repeating steps iii. to v.