Patents Examined by Ibrahim A. Michael Adeniji
  • Patent number: 11976875
    Abstract: A refrigerator has a shelf seating protrusion and a separate shelf seating member. The shelf seating protrusion is not formed at an approximate mid-point, height wise, of a storage space defined by an inner casing. The shelf seating member may be coupled to the inner casing to support a shelf assembly. An arrangement of the shelf seating protrusions and the shelf seating member is configured to reduce deformation and cracking of the inner casing due to thermal impact in a manufacturing process or when items are stored on the shelf assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jun Yeong Kim, Hyung Kyu Park, Jae Seok Jang
  • Patent number: 11959699
    Abstract: In an aspect, a system comprises a water stream in fluid communication with an electrolyzer; the electrolyzer comprising an anode and a cathode side chamber; a deep space oxygen radiator in fluid communication with the anode side chamber of the electrolyzer; a cryogenic heat exchanger comprising an oxygen storage tank in fluid communication with the deep space oxygen radiator; an electrochemical hydrogen compressor in fluid communication with the cathode side chamber; a hydrogen storage tank in fluid communication with the electrochemical hydrogen compressor via a cooled hydrogen stream; wherein at least a portion of the cooled hydrogen stream is in a first fluid communication with an expansion valve and the cryogenic heat exchanger; wherein the hydrogen storage tank is in a second fluid communication with the electrochemical hydrogen compressor via a warmed hydrogen stream; and wherein the cryogenic heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the warmed hydrogen stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: ETA SPACE LLC, SKYRE, INC.
    Inventors: Trent M. Molter, Robert Roy, William Notardonato
  • Patent number: 11940102
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus for providing long-term cold storage of solid materials such as dry ice are disclosed. The solid materials are stored in a tank configured to maintain the materials in their solid state. The tank is designed with a port sufficiently large to facilitate ingress and egress of the solid materials. A cryogenic liquid is used within the tank to substantially prevent the solid materials from sticking to each other, and to maintain the solid materials at a low temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Carver Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: T. Carver Anderson, Tao Fang, Croix Snapp, Mostafa Ghiaasiaan
  • Patent number: 11940184
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an absorption cooling machine including an absorber, a first regenerator, a second regenerator, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and relates to a cooling machine that prevents the refrigerant from flowing backward to the first regenerator under a low pressure condition by installing a gas-liquid separator that separates the refrigerant discharged from the first and second regenerators and flows into the condenser into a gas state and a liquid state, in order to heat the absorption solution supplied from the absorber to separate into a refrigerant and an absorbent, and to smoothly discharge the refrigerant from the first regenerator and the second regenerator for discharging the separated refrigerant to the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Heungju Lee, Yongsun Cho, Jaeseo Lee
  • Patent number: 11933539
    Abstract: A system and method for improving the performance of an oxygen, nitrogen, and argon producing air separation unit configured to produce a gaseous nitrogen product stream is provided. By recycling the argon condenser boil-off vapor stream to the main air compression train, the argon recovery and oxygen recovery while maintaining the production level of a medium or high pressure gaseous nitrogen product stream. In addition, some operational cost savings in terms of lower power costs can also be realized compared to some prior art oxygen, nitrogen, and argon producing air separation units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhengrong Xu, Neil M. Prosser
  • Patent number: 11933541
    Abstract: A system and method for producing two or more nitrogen product streams and a crude argon stream from a nitrogen and argon producing air separation unit is provided. The disclosed embodiments of the cryogenic-based nitrogen and argon producing air separation units and associated air separation cycles include the means for directing a first portion of a boil-off stream from an argon condenser of the air separation unit to a waste expansion refrigeration circuit and concurrently recycling a second portion of the boil-off stream from the argon condenser to the main air compression system of the air separation unit to be mixed or blended with the incoming feed air. Optionally, a third portion of the boil-off stream from the argon condenser may be further compressed in a cold compressor and returned to the lower pressure column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Zhengrong Xu
  • Patent number: 11933538
    Abstract: A moderate pressure nitrogen and argon producing cryogenic air separation unit is provided that includes a three distillation column system and turbine air stream bypass arrangement or circuit. The turbine air stream bypass arrangement or circuit is configured to improve argon and nitrogen recoveries in select operating modes by optionally diverting a portion of the turbine air stream to a nitrogen waste stream circuit drawn from the lower pressure column of the cryogenic air separation unit such that the diverted portion of the turbine air stream bypasses the distillation column system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian R. Kromer, Neil M. Prosser
  • Patent number: 11906234
    Abstract: A ventilation unit for a freezer chamber, with a conduit and at least one heating element, wherein in the conduit, at least in sections, an air-permeable filler material is disposed, as well as a freezer chamber with such a ventilation unit as well as methods for operating such ventilation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Binder GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf Menzer, Hartmut Winkler, Richard Leidolt
  • Patent number: 11892234
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a supercritical compressed air energy storage system. The supercritical compressed air energy storage system includes a supercritical liquefaction subsystem, an evaporation and expansion subsystem, a staged cryogenic storage subsystem, a heat storage and heat exchange subsystem, and a cryogenic energy compensation subsystem, the staged cryogenic storage subsystem being used for implementing the staged storage and release of cryogenic energy, improving efficiency of recovering cryogenic energy during energy release and energy storage, and thereby improving cycle efficiency of the system. The present disclosure does not need to provide any inputs of additional cryogenic energy and heat energy input externally, and has the advantages of high cycle efficiency, low cost, independent operation, environmental friendliness, and no limitation on terrain conditions, and it is suitable for large-scale commercial applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Xipeng Lin, Liang Wang, Haisheng Chen, Ningning Xie, Zheng Yang
  • Patent number: 11879685
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention lies in providing a high-purity oxygen production system which is capable of supplying liquid nitrogen in order to supply the cold required by a high-purity oxygen production apparatus, without the use of a costly conventional liquefaction apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Kenji Hirose
  • Patent number: 11874054
    Abstract: A dry ice receptacle is described. The dry ice receptacle includes a first portion defining a first opening, a second portion defining a second opening, and a curved exterior sidewall extending between the first portion and the second portion, and connecting the first portion and second portion, to define a receiving chamber arranged to contain a volume of dry ice. The dry ice receptacle also includes a curved interior sidewall extending between the first opening and the second opening. The interior sidewall is radially inward of the exterior sidewall and defines a straw channel, which may at least partially taper between the first opening and the second opening, and which is configured to receive a drinking straw. A fluid reservoir may also be included to allow accumulation of liquid under the straw channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: THE ROXI GROUP, INC.
    Inventor: Marc Radow
  • Patent number: 11854737
    Abstract: A detachable cryostat includes many novel structures. Two radiation shields are installed in the detachable cryostat. One of the radiation shields is cooled by the second-stage cold chamber utilized to contain a cryogen, and the other one is cooled by the first-stage cold head of the cryocooler. These structures are both used for reducing heat loads from an outside. The resilient supporting device, the resilient circular sleeve, the bellows and the conductive blocks are utilized to achieve excellent thermal contact and complete thermal isolation between the cryocooler and the cryogen. A detachable binary current lead device can be introduced in the detachable cryostat, wherein, the detachable binary current lead includes a superconducting current lead and a copper current lead. When the installation adjustment mechanism is tightly pressed and loosened, it can enable the superconducting current lead to contact and separate from the copper current lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Southwest Jiaotong University
    Inventors: Guangtong Ma, Zhen Luo, Xingchao Nie, Ruichen Wang
  • Patent number: 11852408
    Abstract: In a method for separating air by cryogenic distillation using a column system consisting of a higher pressure column operating at a first pressure and a lower pressure column operating at a second pressure, a first air flow constituting between 75% and 98% of the air sent to the column system compressed to a third pressure above the first pressure, is sent to the higher pressure column, a second air flow constituting between 5% and 25% of the air sent to the column system is compressed to a fourth pressure above the second pressure but lower than the third pressure, is sent to the lower pressure column, a third column separates an argon-enriched flow and the air sent to the lower pressure column constitutes between 10% and 25% of the total air sent to the column system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Tranier, Richard Dubettier-Grenier, Maxime Rozieres
  • Patent number: 11810711
    Abstract: A cryostat assembly comprises an outer container that houses a coil tank with a superconducting magnet coil system and a first cryogenic fluid, and a storage tank with a second cryogenic fluid. The coil tank is secured to the outer container by a first suspension element and the storage tank is secured to the outer container by a second suspension element. The storage tank is thermally connected to a cover element having a mechanical and thermally-conductive connection to a tube element and to the first suspension element. The cover element connects to the storage tank via a resilient, heat-conducting connection that is in thermal contact with the cover element and the storage tank. This allows thermal coupling between the storage tank and cover element, and independent relative movements between the storage tank and cover element, while suppressing relative movements between the tube element and the superconducting magnet coil system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Inventors: Pierre-Alain Bovier, Robert Schauwecker, Guenter Kuebler, Thomas Wuethrich
  • Patent number: 11808518
    Abstract: A natural gas liquefaction system and method for effectively and efficiently removing heavy hydrocarbons and converting natural gas into liquefied natural gas. Natural gas streams entering the system may consist of varied gas compositions, pressures, and temperatures. In embodiments the system may comprise a natural gas (NG)-to-liquefied natural gas (LNG) portion and a closed-loop refrigeration portion comprising a closed-loop single mixed refrigerant system. In other embodiments the system may comprise an NG-to-LNG portion and a closed-loop refrigeration portion comprising a closed-loop gaseous nitrogen expansion refrigeration system. All embodiments utilize an integrated heat exchanger with cold-end and warm-end sections and integrated multi-stage compressor and expander configurations (e.g. compander) in order to increase overall operation flexibility and efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: EnFlex, Inc.
    Inventors: James Zhao, Shukui Zhao
  • Patent number: 11800854
    Abstract: A system for transferring heat between a first livestock animal and a second livestock animal may include a first element positionable adjacent to the first livestock animal to transfer heat from a first fluid to a first thermally conductive surface on the first element, a second element positionable adjacent to the second livestock animal to transfer heat from a second fluid to a second thermally conductive surface on the second element, and a heat exchange assembly configured to transfer heat to the first fluid from the second fluid. The heat exchange assembly may include a first heat exchanger receiving the first fluid from the first element, a second heat exchanger receiving the second fluid from the second element, and a refrigeration apparatus utilizing a refrigerant to exchange heat between the first and second heat exchangers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Inventor: Jerome I. Mack
  • Patent number: 11740015
    Abstract: An air separation unit using cryogenic distillation comprises a first column, a second column thermally linked to the first column, a first argon column, a second argon column, means for sending cooled, compressed and purified air to at least the first column, means for sending at least one fluid enriched in nitrogen from the first column to the second column and at least one fluid enriched in oxygen from the first column to the second column, means for sending a gas enriched in argon from the second column to a first end of the first argon column, means for sending gas from a second end of the first argon column to a first end of the second argon column, means for removing argon rich fluid from a second end of the second argon column, a pump, means for removing argon enriched liquid from the first end of the second argon column and sending it to the second end of the first argon column via the pump, the first end of the first argon column being raised above the ground by a first supporting structure, the pum
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Remy Kurtz, Patrice Cavagne, Delphine Vallier
  • Patent number: 11650009
    Abstract: A system and method for removing nitrogen from natural gas using two fractionating columns, that may be stacked, and a plurality of separators and heat exchangers, with horsepower requirements that are 50-80% of requirements for prior art systems. The fractionating columns operate at different pressures. A feed stream is separated with a vapor portion feeding the first column to produce a first column bottoms stream that is split into multiple portions at different pressures and first column overhead stream that is split or separated into two portions at least one of which is subcooled prior to feeding the top of the second column. Optional heat exchange between first column and second column streams provides first column reflux and reboil heat for a second column ascending vapor stream. Three sales gas streams are produced, each at a different pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: BCCK Holding Company
    Inventor: Rayburn C. Butts
  • Patent number: 11644024
    Abstract: A cryopump includes a cryocooler which includes a high-temperature cooling stage and a low-temperature cooling stage, a radiation shield which is thermally coupled to the high-temperature cooling stage and axially extends in a tubular shape from a cryopump intake port, and a low-temperature cryopanel section which is thermally coupled to the low-temperature cooling stage, is surrounded by the radiation shield, and includes a plurality of cryopanels and a plurality of heat transfer bodies axially arranged in columnar shape, and in which the plurality of cryopanels and the plurality of heat transfer bodies are axially stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kakeru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11629913
    Abstract: A nitrogen liquefier configured to be integrated with an argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit and method of nitrogen liquefaction are provided. The integrated nitrogen liquefier and associated methods may be operated in at least three distinct modes including: (i) a nil liquid nitrogen mode; (ii) a low liquid nitrogen mode; and (iii) a high liquid nitrogen mode. The present systems and methods are further characterized in an oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column of the air separation unit is an oxygen enriched condensing medium used in the argon condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Brian R. Kromer, Neil M. Prosser, Jeremy M. Cabral, James R. Handley