Methods of and apparatus for storing and delivering a fluid

Abstract

A fluid (12), such as dichlorosilane, is stored in a pressure vessel (17) located at a site remote from a processing facility within the confines of a building (14). At such remote site the pressure vessel (17) is subject to climatic temperature variations over a range at the lower temperatures of which a vapor pressure of the fluid may be insufficient to generate a pressure within the pressure vessel to drive the fluid through a duct (36) toward the processing facility. A supply of an inert gas (34) is applied at a first predetermined pressure to the pressure vessel (17) to urge the fluid under such predetermined pressure through the duct (36) toward an evaporator vessel (38) located at the processing facility. The evaporator vessel (38) is maintained at a first predetermined elevated temperature at which the fluid at such first predetermined pressure is in a gaseous state. Any of the fluid urged toward and entering the evaporator vessel (38) is evaporated, such that a supply of the fluid in its gaseous state at the first predetermined pressure is maintained within the evaporator vessel (38). Fluid is drawn from the evaporator vessel and its pressure is reduced, advantageously by a heated regulator (43), to a second predetermined and stable pressure at which the fluid remains a gas at temperatures existing at the processing facility within the building (14). The amount of the fluid within the confines of the building (14) is by the described method and apparatus kept near a practical minimum.