Patents by Inventor John F. Billingham

John F. Billingham has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220404094
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for suppling cryogenic refrigeration to supercomputing applications such as quantum computing operations are provided. The disclosed systems and methods are flexible, efficient and scaleable to meet the cryogenic refrigeration requirements of many supercomputing applications. The disclosed systems and methods include: (i) a liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system that integrates a nitrogen refrigerator with a refrigeration load circuit; (ii) a closed loop liquid nitrogen based refrigerator that provides cooling to the refrigeration load circuit via indirect heat exchange between liquid nitrogen in a nitrogen refrigerator and a separate refrigerant in a closed-loop refrigeration load circuit; and (iii) a liquid air based integrated refrigeration system that integrates an air intake system with a refrigerator and a refrigeration load circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Neil M. Prosser, James R. Handley, Ricardo Dutra de Castro Costa, John F. Billingham, David R. Parsnick
  • Publication number: 20210372698
    Abstract: Enhancements to a dual column, nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit with waste expansion are provided. Such enhancements include an improved air separation cycle that uses: (i) three condenser-reboilers; (ii) a reverse reflux stream from the condenser-reboiler associated with the lower pressure column to the higher pressure column; and (iii) a recycle stream of a portion of the vapor from one or more of the condenser-reboilers that is recycled back to the incoming feed stream and or the compressed purified air streams to yield improvements in the performance of such dual column, nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation units in terms of overall nitrogen recovery as well as power consumption compared to conventional dual column, nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation units employing waste expansion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Zhengrong Xu, Neil M. Prosser, James R. Handley, John F. Billingham
  • Patent number: 10981103
    Abstract: A moderate pressure, argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit and air separation cycle having a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column and an argon column arrangement is disclosed. The moderate pressure, argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit is configured to take a first portion of an oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, which together with an external source of liquid nitrogen is used as the boiling side refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser. Use of the external source of liquid nitrogen in the argon condenser allows a second portion of the oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column to be taken as a liquid oxygen product stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: David R. Parsnick, Neil M. Prosser, John F. Billingham, Henry E. Howard
  • Publication number: 20200054985
    Abstract: A moderate pressure, argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit and air separation cycle having a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column and an argon column arrangement is disclosed. The moderate pressure, argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit is configured to take a first portion of an oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, which together with an external source of liquid nitrogen is used as the boiling side refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser. Use of the external source of liquid nitrogen in the argon condenser allows a second portion of the oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column to be taken as a liquid oxygen product stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: David R. Parsnick, Neil M. Prosser, John F. Billingham
  • Patent number: 10119756
    Abstract: A method and backup system for backing up a supply oxygen in an air separation plant in which during normal operation, a stream of oxygen-rich liquid is pumped through a main flow path, extending from a surge tank to a heat exchanger, to deliver an oxygen product. The surge tank receives the oxygen-rich liquid from a bottom region of the lower pressure column of the plant. Additionally, during normal operations, a stream of the oxygen-rich liquid is also introduced to a reserve storage tank through a backup flow path. During a transient operation, where the air separation plant has ceased operation, the surge tank is isolated and liquid is pumped from the surge tank through an auxiliary flow path to an auxiliary vaporizer to continue the supply of the oxygen product and the surge tank is replenished with oxygen-rich liquid previously stored in the reserve storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: David Parsnick, James Meagher, Gerald A. Paolino, John F. Billingham
  • Publication number: 20160263548
    Abstract: A method of conducting a distillation process and a cross-corrugated structured packing for use in such a process in which ascending vapor phases and descending liquid phases are contacted in such packing. The cross-corrugated structured packing contains corrugated sheets fabricated of an open cell foam-like material. The liquid phase produces a liquid film descending along struts forming cells of the material and the vapor phase ascends within the cross-corrugated structured packing and enters the cells and contacts the liquid film. The cross-corrugated structured packing is configured such that a superficial velocity at which ambient air would flow through the cross-corrugated structured packing at a pressure drop of 0.3? wc/ft is no greater than 20 times a reference superficial velocity at which the ambient air would flow through the foam-like material making up the corrugated sheets at the same pressure drop to ensure that vapor enters the cells of the foam-like material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: John F. Billingham, Guang X. Chen
  • Publication number: 20160186930
    Abstract: A method and delivery system for delivering a pressurized product stream from an air separation plant in which a liquid stream is pumped by a pump at cryogenic temperature and then heated in a heat exchanger of a flow network to produce the pressurized product stream. The flow network is designed to control flow of the pressurized product stream and to maintain the pressure of the pressurized product stream at a constant design pressure. The design pressure is maintained by sensing pressure of the pressurized product stream and varying the speed of a motor driving the pump to maintain the pressure at the design pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: David Parsnick, John F. Billingham, James P. Meagher, Brian S. Powell
  • Publication number: 20160161180
    Abstract: A method and backup system for backing up a supply oxygen in an air separation plant in which during normal operation, a stream of oxygen-rich liquid is pumped through a main flow path, extending from a surge tank to a heat exchanger, to deliver an oxygen product. The surge tank receives the oxygen-rich liquid from a bottom region of the lower pressure column of the plant. Additionally, during normal operations, a stream of the oxygen-rich liquid is also introduced to a reserve storage tank through a backup flow path. During a transient operation, where the air separation plant has ceased operation, the surge tank is isolated and liquid is pumped from the surge tank through an auxiliary flow path to an auxiliary vaporizer to continue the supply of the oxygen product and the surge tank is replenished with oxygen-rich liquid previously stored in the reserve storage tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: David Parsnick, James Meagher, Gerald A. Paolino, John F. Billingham
  • Publication number: 20160102003
    Abstract: An advanced control system for a membrane bioreactor based wastewater treatment plant is disclosed. The disclosed control system comprises a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system and a microprocessor based controller that receives signals corresponding to selected measured MBR parameters and calculates or estimates one or more MBR calculated parameters including Membrane Conductivity (Fxc); and/or Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR). The microprocessor based controller compares one or more calculated or estimated MBR parameters to prescribed setpoints or desired ranges and governs one or more pumps and valves in the MBR system to adjust the cleaning cycle in the MBR system, the MBR flows in the MBR system, or the influent flow to the biological basin in response thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: RICHARD A. NOVAK, MONICA DeGRACIA, ANDONI URRUTICOECHEA, ASUN LARREA, JOHN F. BILLINGHAM
  • Publication number: 20130001142
    Abstract: An advanced control system for a membrane bioreactor based wastewater treatment plant is disclosed. The disclosed control system comprises a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system and a microprocessor based controller that receives signals corresponding to selected measured MBR parameters and calculates or estimates one or more MBR calculated parameters including Membrane Conductivity (Fxc); and/or Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR). The microprocessor based controller compares one or more calculated or estimated MBR parameters to prescribed setpoints or desired ranges and governs one or more pumps and valves in the MBR system to adjust the cleaning cycle the MBR system, the MBR flows in the MBR system, or the influent flow to the biological basin in response thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Richard A. Novak, Monica de Gracia, Andoni Urruticoechea, Asun Larrea, John F. Billingham
  • Patent number: 5632934
    Abstract: Improved capacity structured packing arranged in a section or brick wherein the packing in the base region of the section is configured differently from the structured packing in the bulk region making resistance to gas flow between the packing sheets in the base region less than resistance to gas flow between the sheets in the bulk region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Billingham, Michael J. Lockett