Air Patents (Class 62/640)
  • Patent number: 11485634
    Abstract: Method and plant for generation of synthesis gas, comprising the steps of air fractionation to give oxygen, nitrogen and tail gas, gasification of a hydrocarbonaceous fuel to give crude synthesis gas and cleaning of the crude synthesis gas by removal of acid gas by means of cryogenic absorption, wherein the absorbent is cooled by means of a compression coolant circuit and the cooling water used is cooled by evaporative cooling by means of the tail gas obtained in the air fractionation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Lucie Chaubet, Frederic Bonne, Camille Bouet, Holger Schlichting, Marc Wagner
  • Patent number: 10899728
    Abstract: A system for processing cannabinoids and recovering solvent has a vessel for a mixture of cannabinoids and solvent. A pump forms a vacuum in the system to draw the mixture into a first heat exchanger to pre-heat the mixture. A falling film evaporator receives the mixture from the first heat exchanger, and boils the mixture to form a solvent vapor. The falling film evaporator collects the cannabinoids from the mixture as a crude oil. The first heat exchanger receives the solvent vapor. Heat is transferred to incoming mixture of the system, and cools and condenses the solvent vapor to form solvent condensate and vapor. A second heat exchanger receives and further cools the solvent condensate and vapor to form further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor. The pump receives the further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor and increases pressure to form solvent liquid and recovers solvent liquid for reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Delta Separations, LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Patent number: 10399852
    Abstract: Processes and apparatuses for treating a sour synthesis gas are provided. The process comprises passing the sour synthesis gas stream to an acid gas removal unit to provide a treated synthesis gas stream and a CO2 rich stream. At least a portion of the CO2 rich stream is passed to a thermal oxidizer unit to provide a treated CO2 gas stream. At least a portion of the treated synthesis gas stream is passed to a pressure swing adsorption unit to obtain a purified hydrogen stream and a tail gas stream. At least a portion of the tail gas stream is passed to the thermal oxidizer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Inventors: Jan De Ren, Bart J. T. Beuckels, William J. Whyman
  • Patent number: 10344673
    Abstract: A cooling system for use with a turbine engine. The system includes a coolant reservoir configured to store cooling fluid therein, and a cooling device coupled in flow communication with the coolant reservoir, wherein the cooling device is configured to cool heated components of the turbine engine with the cooling fluid. The system further includes a first valve configured to control flow of the cooling fluid from the coolant reservoir towards the cooling device, and a controller coupled in communication with the first valve. The controller is configured to monitor an operational status of the turbine engine, and actuate the first valve into an open position after the turbine engine has been shut down such that the cooling fluid cools the heated components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 10330383
    Abstract: A method and plant for discharging components that are less volatile than oxygen from an air separation plant that contains a main heat exchanger a side condenser and a two-column distillation column system for nitrogen-oxygen separation. The side condenser is constructed as a condenser-evaporator and is arranged in a vessel. A part of the feed air is cooled in the main heat exchanger and liquefied at least in part in the side condenser. A first oxygen fraction is withdrawn in the liquid state from the low-pressure column, introduced into the vessel of the side condenser and in part vaporized. A purge stream is taken off from the bottom of the vessel in the liquid state and discharged or withdrawn as end product. The vessel has a mass transfer section above the side condenser, which mass transfer section corresponds to more than one theoretical plate and fewer than 10 theoretical plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Lars Kirchner
  • Patent number: 10018412
    Abstract: A system and method for providing supplemental refrigeration to an air separation plant is provided. A closed loop supplemental refrigeration circuit that can be easily retrofitted or added onto an air separation plant that increases the liquid product production capability of the air separation plant. The supplemental refrigeration capacity of the supplemental refrigeration circuit is controlled by removing or adding a portion of the refrigerant in the supplemental refrigeration circuit to adjust the inlet pressure while maintaining a substantially constant volumetric flow rate and substantially constant pressure ratio across the compressor. Removing the refrigerant from the supplemental refrigeration circuit decreases the refrigeration imparted by the supplemental refrigeration circuit and thus provides the capacity to turn-down liquid product make without shutting down the compressors and turbo-expanders in the supplemental refrigeration circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Catherine B. Sarigiannis, Anna Knight, Evelyn Juandi, Wei Zhang, Jeremiah J. Rauch
  • Patent number: 9010136
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a refrigerating installation, according to which the cooling liquid temperature is controlled and stabilized upstream of the expansion valve, and the suction vapor temperature is controlled and stabilized upstream of the condenser in dry expansion systems, thermosyphon installations, two-stage evaporation installations, dry expansion installations having a downstream internal heat exchanger (IWT), and all other refrigerating systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: BMS-Energietechnik AG
    Inventor: Remo Meister
  • Publication number: 20140245782
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a purified liquid argon product in which liquid argon having oxygen impurities is produced in a cryogenic air separation plant by separating argon from oxygen within an argon column. An impure liquid argon stream, composed of part of the liquid argon, is purified in an adsorbent bed by adsorbing the oxygen impurities in an adsorbent to produce a purified liquid argon stream that constitutes the purified liquid argon product. During adsorption, the adsorbent bed is maintained at a reduced temperature with a coolant to prevent vaporization of the liquid argon. The bed is then regenerated by draining residual liquid argon from the adsorbent bed, introducing the residual liquid argon back into the air separation plant and then desorbing the oxygen impurities with a regeneration gas. After regeneration, the adsorbent bed is refilled with purified liquid argon prior to being brought back on-line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Inventors: Henry E. Howard, Persefoni E. Kechagia, Philip A. Barrett, James R. Handley
  • Publication number: 20140216106
    Abstract: An air separation unit produces and supplies nitrogen gas used in gasification furnace facility and/or gas purification facility from material air and supplies oxygen-rich waste gas to air compressor installed in gasification furnace facility, and introduces it as part of the gasification agent in gasification furnace after being pressurized together with air in air compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Inventors: Kensuke Nakasuji, Kouhei Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20140216105
    Abstract: Hybrid apparatus for drying compressed gas and including an adsorption dryer with first and second columns and an outflow device for the dried gas therefrom, a first diverting device to convey the compressed gas toward and through the first and second columns, a second diverting device to convey toward a downstream connected device the compressed gas coming from the first or second column, in which is arranged the command and control device to implement an adsorption cycle and a regeneration cycle that includes, for each column, an initialization, gas exhausting, regeneration, cooling and pressurization phases, and in which the initialization phase includes the determination of an assigned time within which subsequent phases must be maintained; the regeneration phase including tapping previously heated gas from the first column and feeding it into the second. The apparatus also includes a heating device connected to the second diverting device for the regeneration phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: PARKER HANNIFIN MANUFACTURING S.R.L.
    Inventor: Chiara FAVERO
  • Publication number: 20140208799
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and air separation plant in which a pumped liquid oxygen stream is heated within a heat exchanger through indirect heat exchange with compressed air to produce an oxygen product. The liquid oxygen stream is pressurized in a range above about 55 bar(a) and no greater than about 150 bar(a) and is a supercritical fluid after having been heated within the heat exchanger. The air is compressed to an air pressure that is a function of the oxygen pressure that will result in a minimum power being expended in the compression of the air. The heat exchanger can be a brazed fin heat exchanger fabricated from aluminum in which the fins located in heat exchange passages have an undulating configuration to increase the flow path length and induce flow separation and thereby increase the heat transfer coefficient within the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Richard John Jibb, Maulik R. Shelat, Lyda C. Zambrano
  • Patent number: 8776546
    Abstract: An air distillation unit comprises an air distillation column (10) suitable for producing a nominal flow of gaseous nitrogen, the top of said column being connected to a liquid nitrogen source (8), and operates by carrying out the following steps: a flow of compressed, cooled and purified air is sent to an exchanger (11) and then to the column, a flow of gaseous nitrogen is withdrawn from the column, the level of liquid at the bottom of the column is controlled; and injection liquid (20), sent from the source to the column, is no longer sent if the required production reduces to at most the nominal production. Application to the separation of air by cryogenic distillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Benoit Davidian, Pierre Bodelin
  • Publication number: 20140116304
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of operating a boiler system that includes an oxy-fuel boiler in which an oxygen stream and a fuel stream are combusted to generate a flue gas stream. An air separation unit produces the oxygen stream for the oxy-fuel boiler. A gas processing unit cleans and compresses at least a portion of the flue gas stream generated in the oxy-fuel boiler producing a pressurized carbon dioxide stream. The method includes operating the boiler system, at least for a period of time, in a recirculation mode, during which a carbon dioxide stream from a CO2 compression unit within the gas processing unit is evaporated in the air separation unit and forwarded as a stream to the gas processing unit. The present disclosure further relates to a boiler system for an oxy-fuel process as well as to a power plant comprising such a system. The present disclosure also relates to the use of a carbon dioxide containing stream as a refrigerant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Markus Joerg WEITZEL
  • Patent number: 8661847
    Abstract: A process is described for producing a clean gas, which is provided, in particular, for testing a pressurized construction component (100) for leaks, which process includes the steps of providing a liquefied gas mixture (1) which contains the clean gas (2) and at least one foreign gas (3) in a gas separation unit (20), enriching the clean gas (2), wherein the at least one foreign gas (3) is transferred to a surface region of the liquefied gas mixture (1), and taking off the enriched clean gas (2), wherein the enriched clean gas (2) flows out of a volume region of the gas separation unit (20) via a guide unit (22), and wherein a foreign gas barrier (23) is formed at the guide unit (22), using which the foreign gas (3) in the liquefied gas mixture (1) is passed out from an opening in the guide unit (22). A device for producing a clean gas, a noble-gas-free gas composition and a process for testing a construction component pressurized with a test gas for leaks are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Inventor: Robert Brockmann
  • Patent number: 8647409
    Abstract: An air compression system and method for an air separation plant in which air is compressed in a series of compression stages and a temperature swing adsorption unit adsorbs water vapor and carbon dioxide. The temperature swing adsorption unit is situated at a location of the compression stages such that air pressure upon entry into the adsorbent beds is between about 400 psia and about 600 psia. Each of the adsorbent beds of the unit have a minimum transverse cross-sectional flow area that will set the air velocity of the air to a level below that at which adsorbent bed fluidization would occur. Such operation allows fabrication costs of the adsorbent beds to be reduced because less adsorbent and smaller adsorbent beds are required while power consumption will be at a minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohamed Hashi, Michael C. Johnson, John Royal
  • Patent number: 8647414
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for drying a gas by gradually releasing and condensing the moisture in various chambers of a column, different pressures and different temperatures thus being present in the chambers of the column. The gas to be dried is first fed into the bottom chamber, where the largest amount of the water contained in the gas is condensed, and the gas is then discharged from the bottom chamber via a nozzle. Subsequently the gas is cooled and fed into at least one more chamber located above the first chamber, where further moisture is condensed before the resulting condensate is fed via a pipe—preferably shaped like a siphon—into the bottom reservoir to prevent the gas from flowing from the chamber below into the chamber above. A process which enables a gas to be dried is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: UHDE GmbH
    Inventors: Thilo Von Trotha, Julia Raab, Ernst Sichtermann
  • Patent number: 8640496
    Abstract: Air separation method in which air is separated within cryogenic rectification processes conducted in first and second cryogenic air separation plants. The first cryogenic air separation plant is designed to produce an oxygen-rich product stream and the second cryogenic air separation plant is designed to produce an impure oxygen vapor stream. At least part of the impure oxygen vapor stream is introduced into a lower pressure column of the first cryogenic air separation plant and oxygen contained in such stream along with air separated within the first air separation plant is used in producing the oxygen-rich product stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Henry Edward Howard
  • Publication number: 20140020426
    Abstract: A system includes an air separation unit configured to generate a chilled fluid. The system also includes an electromechanical machine configured to be cooled via heat exchange with the chilled fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Rebecca Ann Nold, James Michael Fogarty, Richard Anthony DePuy, William Hunter Boardman, IV
  • Publication number: 20130319041
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for cooling a dynamoelectric machine. In some embodiments, a system is disclosed including: at least one of a nitrogen separation unit (NSU) or an air separation unit (ASU) for extracting nitrogen from an inlet air source; a nitrogen expander fluidly connected with the at least one of the NSU or the ASU, the nitrogen expander for expanding the extracted nitrogen; and a dynamoelectric machine fluidly connected with the nitrogen expander, the dynamoelectric machine configured to receive the expanded nitrogen for cooling the dynamoelectric machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Indrajit Mazumder, Joseph John, Sudhahar Rajan, Rajarshi Saha
  • Publication number: 20130255312
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus to remove unwanted water moisture from industrial, commercial and home shop compressed air systems. The invention removes water through the process of thermal condensation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventor: Brian Scott Elliott
  • Patent number: 8528363
    Abstract: In a process for the production of nitrogen and of oxygen enriched liquid by separation of air by cryogenic distillation, a first stream of air is sent to an exchanger to form a first cooled air stream, the first cooled air stream is sent to a bottom reboiler of a column, condensed air is sent from the bottom reboiler to a top condenser of the column, vaporized air is sent from the top condenser to a first compressor, air is sent from the first compressor to the column, air is sent to a second compressor and from the second compressor to the exchanger to produce a cooled second air stream, the cooled second air stream is sent to a first turboexpander and from the turbo expander to the column, bottom liquid is removed from the column and gaseous nitrogen is removed from the top of the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Bao Ha, Jean-Renaud Brugerolle
  • Patent number: 8523980
    Abstract: An apparatus for water reclamation includes an inlet head for admitting warm humid ambient air, a buried pipe coupled at a first end to the inlet head and sloping downward in the ground from the first end. Water condenses as the air is cooled in the buried pipe and collects in a cistern coupled at a second end of the buried pipe. A tube coupled at a lower end near the second end of the buried pipe includes a heated element extending at least partially into the tube from an upper end of the tube. Cooled air is heated by the heated element and is expelled at the top of the tube. A heater is coupled to an upper end of the heated element. The heater may be a solar collector with a Bernoulli aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Inventor: Javier Fernandez-Han
  • Patent number: 8479535
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of producing high purity oxygen in connection with low purity liquid oxygen produced by a plurality of cryogenic air separation plants. The low purity liquid oxygen from the air separation plants is introduced into a distillation column of an auxiliary cryogenic rectification plant that is reboiled by nitrogen also produced by the air separation plants. Nitrogen is separated from the low purity liquid oxygen to produce high purity liquid oxygen from residual liquid located in a bottom region of the distillation column that can be taken as a product. Optionally, an argon column can be connected to the distillation column to produce a liquid argon product stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ross Parsnick, Richard David Karp
  • Publication number: 20130167557
    Abstract: A power plant includes a compressor configured to compress inlet air for combustion. The power plant also includes an air separation unit configured to receive and remove nitrogen from an air supply. The power plant further includes a fluid manipulator operably coupled to the air separation unit and the compressor, wherein the fluid manipulator is configured to receive nitrogen removed from the air separation unit at an inlet pressure and an inlet temperature and produce a modified pressure and a modified temperature of the nitrogen prior to selectively delivering the nitrogen to the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kihyung Kim, Barrett David Gardiner, Diego Fernando Rancruel
  • Publication number: 20130086940
    Abstract: An air separation plant is provided that includes a plurality of air compressors, a plurality of air purification units, and one or more cold boxes. In a first mode of operation, a first air compressor is configured to compress air to a higher pressure than a second air compressor. In a second mode of operation, the second air compressor is configured to compress air to a higher pressure than during the first mode of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pout l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Richard Dubettier-Grenier, Alain Guillard
  • Patent number: 8376035
    Abstract: A plate-fin heat exchanger having a plurality of layers for indirectly exchanging heat between two or more fluids. The heat exchanger is provided with two sections and inlets and outlets to the sections to cause streams of the fluids to flow within the two sections parallel to the length of the heat exchanger between central locations and the ends of the heat exchanger. In such manner, the cross-sectional flow area of such a heat exchanger is greater than the heat exchanger in which the flow is from one end to the other end of the heat exchanger. This increase in cross-sectional flow area reduces the pressure drop within the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Edward Howard, Richard John Jibb
  • Publication number: 20120324944
    Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated device for separating air and heating a gas in the air resulting from said air separation, comprising: an air separation device (9); a heat exchanger (13, 43); a channel for conveying the gas in the air to the heat exchanger; and a channel for conveying water to the heat exchanger, the water-conveying channel being connected to the water inlet or water outlet of a water preheat exchanger (5) or a water deaerator (27). According to the invention, the preheat exchanger and/or the deaerator are connected to an oxy-combustion boiler (19) in order to convey water to and from the boiler, said boiler also being connected to the separation device in order to receive an oxygen-enriched gas (17).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L' Exploitatio Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Richard Dubettier-Grenier, Jean-Pierre Tranier
  • Publication number: 20120279255
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for compressing and cooling air upstream from a facility for cryogenic separation of air, with no means for exchange by indirect heat, in which humid air is compressed in a compressor, the air compressed in the compressor is cooled in a first exchanger having indirect heat exchange, water is recovered from the air upstream and/or downstream from cooling in the first exchanger, the air cooled in the first exchanger is sent to a purification unit in order to produce air purified of carbon dioxide and/or water, the purified air is sent to the cryogenic separation facility, and at least one gas is recovered from the cryogenic separation facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude ET L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Benoit Davidian
  • Patent number: 8286446
    Abstract: Method and apparatus of separating an oxygen and nitrogen containing feed stream, for example, air, in higher and lower pressure columns. A crude liquid oxygen stream condenses nitrogen vapor in the higher pressure column for reflux purposes and results in the partial vaporization of the crude liquid oxygen stream to produce vapor and liquid fractions thereof. The liquid fraction condenses a lower pressure part of the feed stream and results in the liquid fraction being at least partially vaporized. Both the vapor fraction of the crude liquid oxygen stream and the liquid fraction after having been at least partially vaporized are introduced into the lower pressure column. Boil-up is produced within a bottom region of the lower pressure column by partially vaporizing an oxygen-rich liquid column bottoms against condensing a higher pressure part of the feed stream and then utilizing vapor or residual liquid as an oxygen product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Edward Howard, Richard John Jibb, Kirk Frederick Larson
  • Publication number: 20120227442
    Abstract: The present embodiments are directed towards the cooling of a solvent of a gas treatment system using a fluid flow from an air separation unit. In one embodiment, a system is provided that includes an air separation unit. The air separation unit has an air inlet configured to receive an air flow, an oxygen outlet configured to output an oxygen flow, a nitrogen outlet configured to output a nitrogen flow and a cooling system configured to cool the air flow to enable separation of the air flow into the oxygen flow and the nitrogen flow, wherein the cooling system is configured to cool a first solvent of a first gas treatment system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fredric Samuel Russ, George Frederick Frey, Charles Martin Mitchell, Paul William Plummer
  • Publication number: 20120174624
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for operating at least one air separation unit and an oxygen-rich gas consumer, comprising a carbon fuel combustion unit or a gasification unit, the oxygen-rich gas consumer being capable of generating electricity. The consumer is supplied with an oxygen-rich gas coming from the air separation unit or units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Inventors: Alain Guillard, Nicolas Allard, Pierre-Etienne Franc, Hadi Moussavi
  • Publication number: 20120167618
    Abstract: As described herein, a method and system for operating a refrigeration system are provided. In the present methods and systems, a portion of the refrigerant from the refrigeration system is used for reducing the temperature of inlet air entering the gas turbine. The refrigeration system disclosed herein can be used for LNG production, air separation, food storage, or ice-making.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Stanley H. Huang, Robert C. Havlik
  • Patent number: 8161771
    Abstract: Method and apparatus of separating a nitrogen from a compressed and purified feed stream in a cryogenic rectification plant that employs a distillation column to produce a nitrogen-rich vapor as a column overhead and an oxygen-rich liquid column bottoms. Reflux is generated for the column by condensing part of the nitrogen-rich vapor within a down-flow heat exchanger. A stream of the oxygen-rich liquid column bottoms is introduced into an ejector which draws a stream of an oxygen-rich liquid phase produced from the outlet of a down-flow heat exchanger. The combined oxygen-rich liquid exiting the ejector is fed to the down-flow heat exchanger to condense the nitrogen-rich vapor. In such manner, part of the oxygen-rich liquid phase is recirculated to prevent dry-out of the down-flow heat exchanger outlet and to maintain effective condensation of the nitrogen-rich vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Edward Howard, Martin L. Timm
  • Publication number: 20120067082
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing an argon-enriched fluid and an oxygen-enriched fluid from a fluid resulting from a method for purifying of oxy-fuel combustion fumes, wherein said method comprises purifying the residual gas by a purification method in order to produce a gas enriched with carbon dioxide and a residual gas lean in carbon dioxide, pre-treating the residual gas lean in carbon dioxide in order to obtain a flow enriched with carbon dioxide and a flow lean in carbon dioxide, treating the flow lean in carbon dioxide by a cryogenic technique so as to extract at least an argon-enriched fraction, an oxygen-enriched fraction, and a fraction lean in argon and/or oxygen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: L'AIR LIQUIDE SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET EXPL
    Inventor: Jean-Pierre Tranier
  • Patent number: 8136369
    Abstract: A hybrid system which utilizes high purity oxygen from a local pipeline, which is blended with low purity oxygen from an on-site or local cryogenic distillation system, thus resulting in a blend of intermediate quality which satisfies the needs of the customer. In order to offset the operating and energy costs associated with this fairly low profit margin intermediate purity oxygen, high purity nitrogen at high pressure is simultaneously exported to the local pipeline, thereby acting as a credit to the overall system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour L'Etude, et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, Air Liquide Process and Construction, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Renaud Brugerolle, Bao Ha
  • Patent number: 8122738
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for creating an air-conditioned atmosphere in a transportation container (14), having a compressor (3) for generating compressed air, a cooling device (5) for cooling the compressed air and a gas-separation diaphragm (10), which is connected downstream of the compressor (3) and the cooling device (5), for producing a nitrogen-rich gas stream, and a wetting diaphragm (12), with the apparatus permitting controlled wetting of the nitrogen-rich gas stream. The invention also relates to a method for creating an air-conditioned atmosphere in a storage or transportation container, in which method compressed air is generated by means of a compressor, the compressed air is then cooled using a cooling device and a nitrogen-rich gas stream is produced from the compressed air for the purpose of conduction into the transportation container by means of a gas-separation diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Hoffmann Consorten Hamburg GmbH
    Inventor: Heinrich Saul
  • Publication number: 20120011887
    Abstract: A pre-purification method of feed air for cryogenic air separation, which includes; (a) an adsorption step wherein a compressed feed air is supplied in an adsorption column, wherein a moisture adsorbent and a carbon dioxide adsorbent are filled in this order from the side where the feed air is introduced in the column, to remove water and carbon dioxide from the feed air; (b) a decompression step wherein pressure in the adsorption column is reduced; (c) a heating step wherein the adsorbents in the decompressed column are heated and regenerated, and the heating step includes a total heating step wherein the moisture adsorbent and the carbon dioxide adsorbent are heated and a partial heating step wherein the moisture adsorbent is heated; (d) a cooling step wherein the adsorbents are cooled by introducing a purge gas, which is not heated, to the adsorption column; and (e) a pressurization step wherein the cooled adsorbents are pressurized by purified air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: Morimitsu Nakamura, Masato Kawai, Hiroyuki Takei
  • Publication number: 20110296872
    Abstract: A method and a system capable of removing carbon dioxide directly from ambient air, and obtaining relatively pure CO2. The method comprises the steps of generating usable and process heat from a primary production process; applying the process heat from said primary process to water to co-generate substantially saturated steam, alternately repeatedly exposing a sorbent to removal and to capture and regeneration system phases, wherein said sorbent is alternately exposed to a flow of ambient air during said removal phase, thereby enabling said sorbent to sorb, and therefore remove, carbon dioxide from said ambient air, and to a flow of the co-generated steam during the regeneration and capture phase, after the sorbent has adsorbed the carbon dioxide, thereby enabling regeneration of such sorbent, and the resultant capture in relatively pure form of the adsorbed carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventor: Peter Eisenberger
  • Patent number: 8065879
    Abstract: A process for the integration of a cryogenic air separation plant and an oxy-combustion power plant is presented. This process includes producing a pressurized nitrogen stream and a pressurized oxygen stream, burning a fuel stream thereby generating a steam stream from a boiler feed water stream, wherein the stream is used for work expansion within the oxy-combustion power plant. This process also includes heating the pressurized nitrogen stream and the pressurized oxygen stream with a compressed air stream, thereby forming a heated pressurized nitrogen stream and a heated pressurized oxygen stream. This process also includes heating the heated pressurized nitrogen stream to form a hot pressurized nitrogen stream, work expanding the hot pressurized nitrogen stream to a lower pressure thereby forming a hot exhaust nitrogen stream and recovering energy, and heating the boiler feed water stream by indirect heat exchange with the hot exhaust nitrogen stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Jean-Renaud Brugerolle, Bao Ha
  • Patent number: 8043417
    Abstract: A reactor-installed or column-installed vertical plate heat exchanger having channels for flow of cooling fluid and vertical passageways between the cooling fluid channels for flow of product. A divider is located between a first fraction and a second fraction of the product vertical passageways and a vapor product inlet communicates with the tops of the product vertical passageways in the first fraction. A product collection volume communicates with the bottoms of the product vertical passageways and an outlet communicates with the product collection volume for recovering condensed product. An uncondensed vapor outlet communicates with the tops of the vertical passageways in the second fraction for removing uncondensed vapor from the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Phillip F. Daly
  • Publication number: 20110214452
    Abstract: An integrated air-separating and water-heating apparatus intended for a boiler is presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicants: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L' Exploitation Des Procedes George Claude, Siemens Val Metals Technologies Gmbh
    Inventors: Richard Dubettier-Grenier, Jean-Pierre Tranier, Stephane Gree
  • Publication number: 20110192193
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of enriching a pressurised gas stream (1) with one of the components (A) thereof. The inventive method comprises the following steps: the stream is separated into at least first and second fractions (2, 3); at least one part of the first fraction (2) is sent to a separation unit (ASU); the separation unit supplies at least two discharges, including a first discharge (10) having a greater A content than that of the fraction (2) supplied to the separation unit; at least one part of the first discharge (10) is mixed with at least one part of the second fraction (3) such as to form a pressurised gas mixture (15); the second fraction (3) is expanded and, subsequently, at least one part of the first discharge (10) is mixed therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Patrick Le Bot, Xavier Pontone
  • Publication number: 20110132076
    Abstract: A process is described for producing a clean gas, which is provided, in particular, for testing a pressurized construction component (100) for leaks, which process includes the steps of providing a liquefied gas mixture (1) which contains the clean gas (2) and at least one foreign gas (3) in a gas separation unit (20), enriching the clean gas (2), wherein the at least one foreign gas (3) is transferred to a surface region of the liquefied gas mixture (1), and taking off the enriched clean gas (2), wherein the enriched clean gas (2) flows out of a volume region of the gas separation unit (20) via a guide unit (22), and wherein a foreign gas barrier (23) is formed at the guide unit (22), using which the foreign gas (3) in the liquefied gas mixture (1) is passed out from an opening in the guide unit (22). A device for producing a clean gas, a noble-gas-free gas composition and a process for testing a construction component pressurized with a test gas for leaks are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventor: Robert Brockmann
  • Publication number: 20110132429
    Abstract: A system for using the waste heat produced from the production of liquefied or solidified heat sink refrigerant in the production of fuel that includes a liquefied or solidified heat sink refrigerant production system, a fuel production system, and a heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventor: Jay Stephen Kaufman
  • Publication number: 20110132035
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing nitrogen is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et Expolitaion Des procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Pierre Bodelin, Benoit Davidian, Eric Masliah
  • Publication number: 20110107792
    Abstract: A shipboard system provides dry, oil-free utility air and inert gas for use on a marine vessel. A compressor converts ambient air into a pressurized air stream. The air stream is cooled by heat exchange with sea water in the vicinity of the vessel. The air stream is then dried in a dehydration membrane module, and some of the product of the dehydration module is taken for use as utility air. The remainder of the dried air is passed through an air separation module which includes a polymeric membrane. The product of the air separation module includes a nitrogen-enriched gas which is used as an inert gas on the vessel. The compressor is the only mechanically moving component of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: GENERON IGS, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Jeffers, Marc Straub
  • Publication number: 20110048068
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for drying a gas, in particular air, that comprises at least one chamber (5) with an inlet (a) for the flow of gas to be treated and an outlet (5b) for the flow of treated gas, said chamber being limited by at least one membrane (6) having a water vapour perviousness that is significantly higher than the perviousness to other gases or vapours, a humidity absorbing material being provided or flowing against the membrane (6) on the side opposite the chamber. The device includes a stack of plates (P1, P2) provided with central openings (A, B); each chamber (5) is formed by a central opening (A) located between two parallel membranes (6) while the humidity absorbing material is provided against each membrane (6); each plate (P1) is sandwiched between two plates (P2, P3) including a housing (B, B1) for the humidity absorbing material; and a plurality of chambers (5) are stacked and connected in series.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: R + Alliance
    Inventors: Ignacio Valor Herencia, Juan Manuel Juarez-Galan
  • Publication number: 20100319397
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing components from a gas stream by feeding the gas stream into a pre-condensation unit to produce a gas stream at a lower intermediate temperature and feeding this intermediate temperature gas stream into a cryogenic condensation unit where a lower predetermined final temperature is achieved. This final temperature gas stream is directed back to the pre-condensation unit to assist in cooling the gas stream entering this unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Ron C. LEE, Stefan Wolf, Hans-Rudolf Himmen
  • Publication number: 20100287986
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an air separation apparatus and method in which a pumped liquid oxygen stream is heated within a heat exchanger through indirect heat exchange with compressed air to produce an oxygen product. The liquid oxygen stream is pressurized in a range above about 55 bar(a) and no greater than about 150 bar(a) and is a supercritical fluid after having been heated within the heat exchanger. The air is compressed to an air pressure that is a function of the oxygen pressure that will result in a minimum power being expended in the compression of the air. The heat exchanger can be a brazed fin heat exchanger fabricated from aluminum in which the fins located in heat exchange passages have an undulating configuration to increase the flow path length and induce flow separation and thereby increase the heat transfer coefficient within the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Richard John Jibb, Maulik R. Shelat, Lyda Zambrano
  • Publication number: 20100281917
    Abstract: A system for removing contaminants from a gas, preferably through condensation and adsorption, followed by liquefaction of the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventor: Alexander LEVIN