Patents Assigned to Linde GMBH
  • Patent number: 11976880
    Abstract: A method for low temperature separation of air using an air separating installation having a distillation column system which has a first, a second, a third and a fourth separating unit. Compressed and cooled air is fed into the first separating unit. An oxygen-enriched, nitrogen-depleted, argon-containing first sump liquid and a nitrogen-enriched, oxygen-depleted first head gas are formed by means of the first separating unit. An oxygen-rich second sump liquid and an argon-enriched second head gas are formed by means of the second separating unit. A liquid return to the second separating unit is provided by means of the third separating unit. A fourth sump liquid and a fourth head gas are formed by means of the fourth separating unit, and the fourth sump liquid is at least partially returned to the second separating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Lochner
  • Patent number: 11925895
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for performing a process (P) having at least one heat-consuming process step (F). A first fluid (2), which arises in the process and contains acid gases and water vapor, is cooled indirectly against a second fluid (7), an acidic condensate thus being formed. The invention is characterized in that the first fluid (2) is cooled in at least two successive steps (E1, E2), between which heat for use in the heat-consuming process step (V) is indirectly drawn from the second fluid (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Lang, Alexander Hirsch
  • Patent number: 11920873
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wound heat exchanger having a core tube extending along a longitudinal axis in an axial direction and having a tube bundle, which has a plurality of tubes for conducting a first fluid, wherein the tubes are wound about the core tube in a plurality of windings, the tubes being arranged in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction in a plurality of tube layers, adjacent windings of at least one tube layer having different axial distances in the axial direction and/or tube layers adjacent in the radial direction having different radial distances from each other in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The invention further relates to a method for producing a wound heat exchanger and to a method for transferring heat between a first fluid and a second fluid by means of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Steinbauer, Manfred Schönberger, Christoph Seeholzer, Florian Deichsel, Markus Romstätter
  • Patent number: 11919852
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for separating a component mixture (K) comprising hydrogen, methane, hydrocarbons having two carbon atoms and hydrocarbons having three or more carbon atoms, wherein in a deethanization at least a portion of the component mixture (K) is subjected to a first partial condensation by cooling from a first temperature level to a second temperature level at a first pressure level to obtain a first gas fraction (G1) and a first liquid fraction (C1), at least a portion of the first gas fraction (G1) is subjected to a second partial condensation by cooling from the second temperature level to a third temperature level at the first pressure level to obtain a second gas fraction (G4) and a second liquid fraction (C2), and at least a portion of the first liquid fraction (C1) and at least a portion of the second liquid fraction (C2) are subjected to a rectification to obtain a third gas fraction (G3) and a third liquid fraction (C3+).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: LINDE GmbH
    Inventors: Duc Tuat Pham, Benedikt Kurz
  • Patent number: 11892161
    Abstract: A burner module according to the invention comprises at least three or four or five or six or seven or eight functional walls which delimit at least one first functional space and form a module body, wherein the module body has at least three or four or five or six or six or seven gas passage openings and at least two of these gas passage openings are connected to one another communicatively via the first functional space, and wherein at least one nozzle device having a fuel gas opening is formed in an upper wall of the burner module, which fuel gas opening is connected communicatively to the first functional space via a gas channel. The burner module is produced in an additive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz-Dieter Eßer, Matthias Riecker, Florian Lang, Fabian Neuner
  • Patent number: 11865614
    Abstract: According to the present invention a method is provided for feeding a gas flow to an additive manufacturing space during a manufacturing process wherein the gas flow is established by a pump connected to the manufacturing space wherein the pump is controlled by a set differential pressure, and wherein the gas flow consists of Helium or the gas flow consists of a gas mixture comprising 30 Vol.-% Argon and 70 Vol.-% Helium or the gas flow consists of a gas mixture comprising 50 Vol.-% Argon and 50 Vol.-% Helium or the gas flow consists of a gas mixture comprising 70 Vol.-% Argon and 30 Vol.-% Helium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: LINDE GMBH
    Inventors: Camille Pauzon, Tanja Arunprasad, Andres Torres
  • Patent number: 11846468
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a low-temperature air separation in which an air separation unit is used comprising a first rectification column and a second rectification column. The first rectification column is operated at a first pressure level, and the second rectification column is operated at a second pressure level below the first pressure level. Fluid which is oxygen-enriched compared to atmospheric air is drawn from the first rectification column in the form of one or more first material flows. At least one fraction of the fluid which has been drawn from the first rectification column in the form of the one or more first material flows is heated in a heat exchanger; a fraction of the fluid which has been heated in the heat exchanger is compressed using a compressor and is returned to the first rectification column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Kunz, Stefan Lochner, Wolfgang Haag, Lars Kirchner, Tobias Lautenschlager, Dimitri Golubev
  • Patent number: 11841194
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for use in the production of a tube bundle (3) of a wound heat exchanger (100), wherein tubes (30) are wound in a plurality of tube layers (4) onto a core tube (300) running in an axial direction (z), webs (10) which run in the axial direction (z) being arranged between the tube layers (4). The invention further relates to a method for producing a tube bundle using said device (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Schönberger, Roland Hiller, Christian Michael Herwerth
  • Patent number: 11834356
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for treating a waste lye of a lye scrub using an oxidation reactor (100), the waste lye and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas mixture being introduced into the oxidation reactor (100) and steam being introduced into the oxidation reactor (100). It is provided that the steam is at least partially introduced by means of a steam feeding device (10), which has a cylindrical section (11) with a centre axis (12) and a wall (13), the centre axis (12) being aligned perpendicularly, a number of groups of openings (14) being formed in the wall, each of the groups comprising a number of the openings (14), and the number of openings (14) of each of the groups being arranged in one or more planes (15) that is or are in each case aligned perpendicularly to the centre axis (12). A corresponding installation and also a corresponding oxidation reactor (100) are likewise the subject of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: LINDE GmbH
    Inventors: Anton Wellenhofer, Jörg Zander, Ekaterina Ananieva, Florian Hairer, Michael Baus, Martin Schubert
  • Patent number: 11828281
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a piston compressor (100) having a reciprocating piston (111) in a cylinder (110), wherein an inlet valve (112) and an outlet valve (113) are provided in the cylinder (110) on the side of a medium (b) which is to be compressed and conveyed, wherein the reciprocating piston (111) is moved to and fro by way of a hydraulic drive (120, 121) with a hydraulic piston (120) with the use of a hydraulic medium (a) in a first volume (141), with which the reciprocating piston (111) is loaded on the side of the hydraulic drive (120, 121), wherein, if required, hydraulic medium (a) is fed into the first volume (141) and/or is discharged from the first volume (141) in a manner which is dependent on a position of the hydraulic piston (120) and/or a rotational angle ((p) of a shaft (121) which is provided for moving the hydraulic piston (120) in relation to a position (x) of the reciprocating piston (120) and/or a pressure (p) in the first volume (141), and to a piston compresso
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Sascha Dorner, Christoph Nagl, Johannes Fritzer, Klaus Fischer
  • Patent number: 11806658
    Abstract: A method for operating a temperature swing adsorption plant having three adsorption units which are operated in an adsorption phase, a feed phase, a regeneration phase, a flush phase, and a cooling phase, wherein in the adsorption phase a first gas mixture at a first temperature is guided over an adsorbent in the adsorption units with obtention of a second gas mixture and adsorption onto the adsorbent of components of the first gas mixture, in the regeneration phase the adsorption units are heated and the components adsorbed by the adsorbent during the adsorption mode are at least partially desorbed, and in the flush phase the components which were desorbed during the regeneration mode are at least partially flushed using a third gas mixture with obtention of a fourth gas mixture. In the cooling phase, the adsorption units are at least partially cooled to the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Ried, Gabriel Salazar Duarte
  • Patent number: 11796134
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting the formation of carbonyl compounds in a gas cylinder containing carbon monoxide wherein the gas cylinder is in fluid communication with a valve assembly wherein the valve assembly connects to a threaded opening in the gas cylinder by a threaded assembly by coating interior and exterior components of the valve assembly selected from the group consisting of an inlet port, an outlet port, a diaphragm and a lower spindle with an amorphous hydrogenated silicon compound. A valve assembly containing the coated interior and exterior components is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Mittonette, David Milner, Ce Ma
  • Patent number: 11781079
    Abstract: A process for separating a component mixture comprising essentially hydrocarbons having two or two or more carbon atoms, methane and hydrogen using a distillation apparatus (10) is proposed. Fluid (a, c, e, g, i) from the component mixture is cooled stepwise to a first pressure level, with separation of first condensates (b, d, f, h, j) out of the fluid (a, c, e, g, i) in each case. Fluid (k) from the component mixture that remains in gaseous form thereafter is expanded to a second pressure level in an expander, giving a second condensate (l). Fluid from the first condensates (b, d, f, h, j) is expanded from the first pressure level to the second pressure level and fed together with the fluid from the second condensates into the distillation apparatus (10) which is being operated at the second pressure level. The present invention likewise provides a corresponding separation apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: LINDE GmbH
    Inventors: Torben Höfel, Duc Tuat Pham
  • Patent number: 11772036
    Abstract: A method for separating a gas mixture flow, n which uses a temperature-change adsorption plant having a number of adsorption units which are operated in a first and a second operating mode. The first operating mode comprises guiding a gas mixture flow at least in part through an adsorption chamber of an adsorption unit and subjecting this flow to an adsorptive exchange with at least one adsorbent. The second operating mode comprises guiding a first heat transfer fluid flow at a first temperature through a heat-exchange arrangement of an adsorption unit. The first operating mode also comprises guiding a second heat transfer fluid flow at a second temperature through the heat-exchange arrangement of the respective adsorption unit. The adsorption units are operated in a third operating mode which comprises guiding a third heat transfer fluid flow at a third temperature through the heat-exchange arrangement of the respective adsorption unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Ried, Benedikt Schuerer, Gabriel Salazar Duarte
  • Patent number: 11717923
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a wound heat exchanger which has a core tube and a tube bundle, said tube bundle having a plurality of tubes wound about the core tube in a helical manner for conducting a first fluid. The course of the tubes of the tube bundle from a first tube base of the heat exchanger to a second tube base of the heat exchanger about the core tube is automatically calculated, and at least one position at which a respective tube runs according to the calculated course is marked by means of at least one light beam, wherein the respective tube is installed according to the marking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Seeholzer
  • Patent number: 11709484
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for performing a chemical engineering process, in particular in an air separation plant or a natural gas plant, wherein a multiplicity of process simulations are performed simultaneously, in the course of each of which the process in the process plant is in each case simulated for a particular application case, wherein each application case is characterized by values of process plant variables and/or values of process parameters, wherein, in the multiplicity of process simulations, values for the process plant variables and/or for the process parameters are determined such that at least one predefined condition is met, wherein free values for process plant variables and/or process parameters are determined, and wherein dependent values for process plant variables and/or process parameters are determined from the free values for process plant variables and/or process parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Windmeier, Tobias Lautenschlager, Bernd Wunderlich
  • Patent number: 11658316
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell system comprising an outer container, defining an enclosed chamber. Inside the enclosed chamber are provided: a storage vessel for storing a cryogenically liquefied working fluid, a gasification device coupled to the storage vessel, a fuel cell arrangement coupled to the gasification device, and a control unit configured to control flow between the components within the enclosed chamber. A power cable is provided which is coupled at one end to the fuel cell arrangement and extending through an exterior wall of the outer chamber such that a second end of the cable extends outside the chamber. The enclosed chamber is substantially sealed such that in use, leaking of the working fluid is substantially prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Ehegartner, Martin Knoche
  • Patent number: 11617986
    Abstract: Method and Apparatus for separating at least one CO isotope compound, especially isotope compound 13C16O, from natural CO, comprising: a rectification column system (110) comprising a plurality of rectification sections (112,114,116,118,120) arranged adjacent to one another in a chain-like manner, including an upper rectification section (112) and a plurality of lower rectification sections (114,116,118,120), each rectification section comprising a heating means (112a,114a,116a,118a,120a) to maintain evaporation of liquid present therein, provided that the heating means (112a) of the at least one of the plurality of rectification sections (112) is provided to comprise a heat pump cycle (112b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Alekseev
  • Patent number: 11607641
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (200-400) for extracting pure helium using a first membrane separation stage (1), a second membrane separation stage (2), and a third membrane separation stage (3), in which a first helium-containing feed mixture is supplied to the first membrane separation stage (1), a second helium-containing feed mixture is supplied to the second membrane separation stage (2), and a third helium-containing feed mixture is supplied to the third membrane separation stage (3), and in which a first permeate and a first retentate are formed in the first membrane separation stage (1), a second permeate and a second retentate are formed in the second membrane separation stage (2), and a third permeate and a third retentate are formed in the third membrane separation stage (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Keller, Martin Bauer, Patrick Schiffmann
  • Patent number: 11603496
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process (100) for producing liquefied natural gas using a feedstock mixture that contains at least methane, one or more components boiling at a temperature lower than methane and one or more hydrocarbons boiling at a temperature higher than methane, wherein the hydrocarbon(s) boiling at a temperature higher than methane comprise one or more hydrocarbons freezing at a higher temperature, with a freezing point higher than ?50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Fritz, Werner Leitmayr, Tobias Keller, Christian Voss