Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Cormier, Sr.

Thomas E. Cormier, Sr. 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).

  • Use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) coupled with a cold expander to produce liquid nitrogen
    Patent number: 5141543
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the liquefaction of a nitrogen stream produced by separating air components, by using the combination of cryogenic distillation with improved refrigeration. Very cold liquefied natural gas (LNG) is employed as refrigerant, with the LNG currently being revaporized for transportation.Multi-stage component compression is used, with the component feed to each compression stage being precooled using sequential refrigeration from the LNG. Expander means for the coldest air component product stream provides supplemental refrigeration at the cold end beyond that which is available from the refrigerant LNG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Rakesh Agrawal, Thomas E. Cormier, Sr.
  • Production of ultra-high purity oxygen from cryogenic air separation plants
    Patent number: 5049173
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improvement for the production of ultra-high purity oxygen from cryogenic air separation processes which produce nitrogen and/or commercial purity oxygen products. In particular, the improvement comprises removing or producing an oxygen-containing but heavy contaminant-lean (free, stream from one of the distillation columns of a single or multiple column cryogenic air separation facility and further stripping the removed or produced oxygen-containing stream in a fractionator to produce ultra-high purity oxygen (i.e., contaminant concentration <10 vppm).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Cormier, Sr., Rakesh Agrawal, Alan L. Prentice, Donald W. Woodward
  • Air separation process
    Patent number: 4662918
    Abstract: A process is set forth for the separation of air by cryogenic distillation in a single column to produce a nitrogen product and an oxygen-enriched product. In the process, at least a portion of the nitrogen product is compressed and recycled to provide reboil at the bottom of the distillation column and to provide some additional reflux to the upper portion of the column. In addition, part of the compressed nitrogen recycle stream is expanded to provide work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Rakesh Agrawal, Thomas E. Cormier, Sr.
  • Process for the separation of air
    Patent number: 4662917
    Abstract: A process is set forth for the separation of air by cryogenic distillation in a single column to produce a nitrogen product and an oxygen-enriched product. In the process, at least a portion of the nitrogen product is compressed and recycled to provide reboil at the bottom of the distillation column and to provide some additional reflux to the upper portion of the column. In addition, part of the compressed air stream is expanded to provide work, which is used to drive an auxiliary compressor for recycle nitrogen stream compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Cormier, Sr., Rakesh Agrawal
  • Process for the separation of air
    Patent number: 4662916
    Abstract: A process is set forth for the separation of air by cryogenic distillation in a single column to produce a nitrogen product and an oxygen-enriched product. In the process, at least a portion of the nitrogen product is compressed and recycled to provide reboil at the bottom of the distillation column and to provide some additional reflux to the upper portion of the column. In addition, part of the compressed feed air stream is expanded to provide work, which is used to drive an auxiliary compressor for feed air substream compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Rakesh Agrawal, Thomas E. Cormier, Sr.