Abstract: A microminiature laminated heat exchanger for use in a cryogenic probe, and a method of manufacture. The heat exchanger has high and low pressure flow patterns etched into oxygen free copper sheets, with the flow patterns being tortuous paths promoting turbulent flow. The sheets containing the flow patterns are bonded into a laminated assembly in the shape of a cylinder, with a high pressure inlet and a low pressure outlet in a first end, and a high pressure outlet and a low pressure inlet in a second end. The high pressure flow path lies alongside the low pressure flow path, with flow in the two paths being in opposite directions, to accomplish counterflow heat exchange. Substantial portions of the flow paths are either parallel to, or transverse to, the longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger, with the resulting heat flow being essentially radial or axial, respectively.

Abstract: A process and installation for the separation of air in a cryogenic distillation apparatus (24) comprising a distillation column (30, 42) and in which the supplied air is separated to produce a fraction rich in oxygen and a fraction rich in nitrogen as products. The purities of these products are maintained substantially constant during variations of demand of either product or of the flow rate or of the pressure of the supplied air by introducing an excess of liquid rich in nitrogen into the distillation apparatus when the demand for the product or the flow rate of the supplied air increases, and by withdrawing an excess of liquid rich in nitrogen from the distillation apparatus, and storing this liquid, when the demand for the product or the flow rate of the supplied air decreases.

Abstract: A process and plant for air separation by cryogenic distillation. Air is cooled in a main exchanger and is sent to a distillation column in which it separates into an oxygen-enriched liquid and a nitrogen-enriched vapor. A stream of pressurized liquid coming from the apparatus vaporizes in the main exchanger. The refrigeration necessary for the process is generated by expansion of air in one or more turbines immediately downstream of the main exchanger. The turbine or turbines produces or produce, as output, a stream which is at least 95 percent liquid, preferably 100 percent liquid.

Abstract: This invention describes a new geometry for a heat driven thermoacoustic me mover (i.e. acoustic motor) and its application to a thermoacoustic refrigerator and to an electricity generator. The heat driven acoustic refrigerator has no moving parts, and is thus extremely reliable, simple, and cheap to manufacture. Unlike previous heat driven acoustic cooling engines, it has good efficiency and compactness and is easy to start, avoiding destructively high temperatures upon start-up. The cooling engine is saleable over an extremely wide range of cooling capacities from integrated circuit and sensor cooling to building air-conditioning. The electricity generating engine has modest efficiency, but may be attractive in remote applications where high-reliability or low cost or low environmental noise or solar powering is important. The generator is likely to be most attractive in capacities of a few kW to below 100 W where a tiny engine would be impractical using other technologies.

Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system wherein base load pressure energy is supplied to the feed air by a base load compressor and custom load pressure energy is supplied to the feed air by a bridge machine having one or more turbine booster compressors and one or more product boiler booster compressors, all of the compressors of the bridge machine driven by power supplied through a single gear case.

Abstract: A device has at least one storage container for material to be treated with at least one inlet line and at least one return line for circulating process air therethrough. At least one heating device for heating the process air is provided as well as at least one blower for circulating the process air. A control device for receiving a nominal dew point value is provided. At least one dew point measuring device is connected to the control device for measuring the actual dew point of the process air and transmitting the actual dew point value to the control device. A first mixing valve is connected either to the inlet line or to the return line. The control device controls the first mixing valve by comparing the actual dew point value to the nominal dew point value and sending a respective control signal to the first mixing valve such that the process air has a dew point corresponding to a specific nominal, residual moisture-dependent air dew point of the material to be treated.

Abstract: A sleeve structure and method are provided for use with a cryogenic specimen container which is maintained at a cryogenic temperature below -80.degree. C. to allow for labeling of the specimen container. The sleeve structure includes sidewalls defining a cylindrically shaped interior chamber sized for telescopically receiving a lower portion of a cryogenic specimen container in nested engagement. The sleeve structure has a locking mechanism for holding the sleeve structure in removably secured engagement with specimen container when the specimen container is in nested engagement with the sleeve structure. Identification markings are secured to an exterior side of the sleeve structure.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) applications. In particular, this invention relates to a method for supplying oxygen concentrated air to an indoor air environment, which is termed as High Level Oxygen Air Conditioning (HLOAC): The High Level Oxygen Air Conditioning (HLOAC) primarily comprises three steps: (1). Introducing air stream to an oxygen and nitrogen separation device; (2). Separating nitrogen and oxygen in air to obtain a concentrated oxygen stream; (3). Introducing said concentrated oxygen stream into the indoor environment.

Abstract: Air is separated in a double rectification column comprising a higher pressure rectification column, a lower pressure rectification column and a condenser-reboiler placing the higher pressure rectification column in heat exchange relationship with the lower pressure rectification column. At least one stream of air is introduced into the double rectification column, a stream of pressurized liquid comprising oxygen and nitrogen is reduced in pressure by passage through a valve and is partially or totally vaporized in a vaporizer-condenser, a stream of resulting vapor from the partial or total vaporization is compressed in a compressor at cryogenic temperature and is introduced into the double rectification column, and an oxygen produce is withdrawn from the lower pressure rectification column through an outlet.

Abstract: A cryogenic rectification plant comprising a double column and a side column having a bottom reboiler wherein feed air is passed into the double column by way of the bottom reboiler and an auxiliary compressor is connected in parallel with the feed air line.

Abstract: This invention concerns a method of operating a cryogenic cooling device (1) with a cylinder (4, 5) in which a piston (6, 7) reciprocates and with a gas drive (8, 9) which produces the motion of the piston. In order to reduce the vibrations which occur during operation, the invention proposes that the gas drive (8, 9) is controlled in such a way that the piston (6, 7) is only accelerated for part of the stroke.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for freezing food products including a first freezer section utilizing a liquid or solid cryogen and a second freezer section which utilizes cryogenic vapor from the first freezer section to complete the freezing operation, the first and second freezer sections being in a vertical arrangement to minimize floor space and improve cooling efficiency.

Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for the separation of feed air wherein at least some of the feed air is liquefied upstream of the separation columns, all of the liquefied feed air is introduced into a higher pressure column, and then a portion of this liquefied feed air is withdrawn from the higher pressure column and in serial fashion introduced into a lower pressure column.

Abstract: In one embodiment, this invention pertains to desalination of seawater by eding methane into seawater at a depth exceeding 100 meters to form methane hydrate which rises to where it is decomposed into methane and water, and recovering water. Methane is recycled.

Abstract: A Stirling-cycle refrigerator has a three-pump configuration and pumping sequence, in which one pump serves as a compressor, one pump serves as an expander, and one pump serves as a displacer. The pumps are ferroelectrically actuated diaphragm pumps which are coordinated by synchronizing the ferroelectric-actuator voltages in such a way that the net effect of the displacer is to reduce the deleterious effect of dead space; that is, to circulate a greater fraction of the working fluid through the heat exchangers than would be possible by use of the compressor and expander alone. In addition, the displacer can be controlled separately to make the flow of working fluid in the heat exchangers turbulent (to increase the rate of transfer of heat at the cost of greater resistance to flow) or laminar (to decrease the resistance to flow at the cost of a lower heat-transfer rate).

Abstract: A process is set forth for the cryogenic distillation of an air feed to produce at least two oxygen-rich gaseous streams having different oxygen purities. The process uses a mixing column system in addition to a distillation column system. A key to the process is that at least two oxygen-rich liquid streams having different oxygen purities are transferred from the distillation column system to the mixing column system in order to produce the oxygen-rich gaseous streams.

Abstract: An arrangement for removing condensate from an interior of a drying cylinder in a paper machine and a method for regulating the removal of such condensate. The arrangement includes a steam pipe through which steam is passed into the space in the interior of the drying cylinder, and a condensate pipe and fluidly connected syphon pipe through which condensate is removed from the interior of the drying cylinder. The steam pipe and the condensate pipe are passed through a revolving axle journal of the drying cylinder. The arrangement also includes a syphon support attached in the interior of the drying cylinder to revolve along with the drying cylinder and support the syphon. A support bearing is arranged to attach to the syphon support and the syphon support is connected with the construction of condensate and steam pipes.

Abstract: A cryopump is regenerated by roughing the cryopump during purging. Purging and roughing is carried out in first a high temperature mode and then a lower ambient temperature mode. In the lower temperature mode, the cryogenic refrigerator is turned on. If the system fails a rough test after roughing at the lower temperature, it is repurged with the rough valve open.

Abstract: Water content which is bound by capillarity in fiber cells of carboniferous materials is reduced by a thermomechanical dewatering process. In the process, the carboniferous materials are conveyed by a dispersion box into a pressure chamber including upper and lower plates. Steam is applied to the materials introduced into the pressure chamber from both the upper and lower plates to heat the materials up to about 125.degree. C. and to release the water which is bound by capillarity in the fiber cells. Initially, the pressure within the chamber is maintained at no greater than the steam pressure. Subsequently, the pressure chamber is sealed gastight and the carboniferous materials in the pressure chamber are pressed using the upper and lower plates.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating air in which a compressed and purified air stream is cooled in a main heat exchanger. Thereafter, the compressed and purified air is separated in a distillation column system to produce product streams. The product streams warm within the main heat exchanger by indirectly exchanging heat with the compressed and purified air stream. One or more of the product streams is distributed to a plurality of vortex tubes at successively warmer temperatures so that warm and cold streams produced thereby become successively warmer and one or more of the warm streams has a temperature warmer than that of said compressed and purified air stream upon its introduction into said main heat exchanger. All but the warm stream(s) having the warmer temperature are recycled back to said main heat exchanger to participate in the indirect heat exchange and heat is rejected by discharging said warm stream(s) so that heat is rejected at the warmer temperature and refrigeration is produced.