Abstract: A system and apparatus for compression of an incoming feed air stream using at least two variable speed compressor drive assemblies controlled in tandem is provided. The first variable speed driver assembly drives at least one compression stage in the lower pressure compressor driven while the second variable speed driver assembly drives higher pressure compression stage disposed either in the common air compression train or the split functional compression train of the air separation plant. The first and second variable speed driver assemblies are preferably high speed, variable speed electric motor assemblies each having a motor body, a motor housing, and a motor shaft with one or more impellers directly and rigidly coupled to the motor shaft via a sacrificial rigid shaft coupling.

Abstract: A computing system receives an invoice and matches, based on a country in which a carrier of the shipment is established, a country in which a recipient of the shipment is established, an origin country of the shipment, and a destination country of the shipment, the invoice to a row in a buyer-specified configuration matrix. The computing system determines, based on the identified row in the buyer-specified configuration matrix, whether a buyer or the shipper is responsible for payment of value-added tax (VAT) on the shipment. If the buyer is responsible for payment of the VAT on the shipment, the computing system includes a line item in the invoice that indicates that the buyer is responsible for payment of the VAT on the shipment. The computing system provides the invoice to the buyer.

Abstract: An improved method of continuously controlling a multi-zone heater used in a chemical process has been developed. Each zone of the multi-zone heater has an ideal heat flux, FI, and an actual heat flux, FA, and the difference between the heat flux ratios, .DELTA.(FA/FI), of consecutive zones is to be less than a tolerance, T, where T is in the range of about 0.0 to about 0.1. The control is effected by determining the ideal heat flux, FI, of each zone in the heater and determining the actual heat flux, FA, of each zone in the heater. The difference between the heat flux ratios of FA/FI in consecutive zones is then calculated as .DELTA.(FA/FI). A manipulated variable of the chemical process is then adjusted according to an algorithm relating the changes in the manipulated variable to changes in the actual heat flux of each zone to afford a new value of the actual heat flux FAN where .vertline..DELTA.(FAN/FI).vertline..ltoreq..vertline..DELTA.(FA/FI).vertli ne. for consecutive zones.

Abstract: Solids plugging problems are often encountered during liquid-gas containing operations using a packed tower contactor. The invention alleviates or avoids such problems by providing a novel packing support grid characterized by a large total open area and large individual openings. The grid comprises vertically spaced upper and lower sets of laterally spaced bars. The vertical and lateral spacings are selected with respect to the size of the packing elements so that the packing elements cannot drop through the grid but at the same time the total open area of the grid is very large.

Abstract: A fluid actuated expanding mandrel or internal chuck is provided with means including very stiff springs to cause the expanding members to move outwardly a substantially equal amount, whereby a roll or workpiece is concentrically mounted, despite looseness between the bore of the roll or workpiece and the mandrel or internal chuck. A correspondingly inverted arrangement affords concentric chucking on the outer diameter of solid workpieces.