Abstract: Methods and systems for purifying argon from a crude argon stream are disclosed, employing pressure swing adsorption at cold temperatures from ?186° C. to ?20° C.; more preferably from ?150° C. to ?50° C.; and most preferably from ?130° C. to ?80° C. with oxygen-selective zeolite adsorbent. In some embodiments, the oxygen-selective zeolite adsorbent is a 4A zeolite, a chabazite, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A method for producing a sterile cryogenic fluid is disclosed. A warm gas stream is sterilized by filtration and fed to a heat exchanger resulting in a cryogenic sterile fluid being formed. The waste gas stream from the heat exchanger is fed to a second filtration unit and the warm sterile waste gas stream is fed to a second heat exchanger to produce more cryogenic sterile fluid, resulting in a more efficient use of gases employed in the sterilization process.

Abstract: A method of purifying or separating a gas using a number of adsorbers on phase-shifted cycles, and more particularly to the purification of atmospheric air, prior to cryogenic separation of the said air by cryogenic distillation is provided. More specifically still, it relates to the purification of air with a TSA cycle using radial adsorbers.

Abstract: In a low-temperature separation of air in a distillation system, having at least one high-pressure column (11) and one low-pressure column (12), process air (20, 32) is introduced into the high-pressure column (11). A liquid product stream (42; 46) is removed from the distillation system, brought in the liquid state to an elevated pressure (43; 47), evaporated or pseudo-evaporated under this elevated pressure by indirect heat exchange (6), and finally drawn off as a gaseous product stream (45; 49). All of the process air (1) is compressed in a main air compressor to a first pressure, which is at least equal to the operating pressure of the high-pressure column (11) and then is purified in a purification device. A first partial stream (2, 7) of the process air is fed under approximately the first pressure to a first expander (8), actively depressurized there to approximately the operating pressure of the low-pressure column (12), and then introduced (10) into the low-pressure column (12).

Abstract: In a method for regulating a series of apparatus for separating air by cryogenic distillation, the series comprising N air separation apparatus (1, 2, 3, 4), where N>1, an air gas having substantially the same composition is sent from the N apparatus to a consuming unit (5), each apparatus comprising a system of distillation columns (1B, 2B, 3B, 4B) and an air purification unit (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A) of the type in which at least two adsorbers are used, each, with a phase shift, following the same cycle in which an adsorption phase, at a high cycle pressure, and a regeneration phase with depressurization, succeed one another, terminating in a repressurization of the adsorber, the method comprising a step in which the adsorbers of a unit are placed in parallel, each apparatus having an adsorption cycle time and the operation of at least some of the purification units is regulated so that the repressurization step for one apparatus begins at a different time from the beginning of the repressurization for another a

Abstract: A system for preparing feed air for processing in a cryogenic air separation plant wherein nitrogen vapor from the plant is interacted with water to cool the water by heat exchange and also by evaporative cooling to produce chilled water, and the chilled water is contacted with the feed air to cool the feed air and to scrub particulate matter out from the feed air.

Abstract: Volatile compounds (“VCs”), especially volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”), are cryogenically removed from a process gas stream (pW) by cooling the gas stream in a condenser to condense the VC to form both liquid VC and VC ice and providing a treated process gas essentially freed of the VC but containing entrained VC ice particles, which are subsequently removed by passing the treated process gas through a filter downstream of the condenser to remove at least particles of a size greater than 50 &mgr;m. The condensation can be conducted in an indirect heat exchanger or by direct contact of the process gas with a liquid cryogen such as liquid nitrogen. It is preferred that the filter removes VC ice particles greater than 1 &mgr;m.

Abstract: Volatile compounds (“VCs”), especially volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”), are cryogenically removed from a process gas stream (PW) by cooling the gas stream in a condenser to condense the VC to form both liquid VC and VC ice and providing a treated process gas essentially freed of the VC but containing entrained VC ice particles, which are subsequently removed by passing the treated process gas through a filter downstream of the condenser to remove at least particles of a size greater than 50 &mgr;m. The condensation can be conducted in an indirect heat exchanger or by direct contact of the process gas with a liquid cryogen such as liquid nitrogen. It is preferred that the filter removes VC ice particles greater than 1 &mgr;m.

Abstract: In a process for separating air in a plant comprising at least two columns (1, 3), some of the air (100) at an intermediate pressure is cooled in at least one passage of a heat-exchange system which is or are regenerated by a gas from the plant (17, 21) which may contain at least 50% oxygen. The rest of the air at the medium pressure (200) is either purified outside the heat-exchange system or sent to a passage which is purified in the same way.

Abstract: A process for purifying a cryogenic fluid, especially argon, helium or oxygen, containing N2O, CnHm or NOx impurities, in which the impurities are removed by bringing the cryogenic fluid to be purified into contact with particles of an adsorbent having an average size of less than or equal to 1.5 mm, preferably from 0.8 mm to 1.1 mm. A purified cryogenic fluid is then recovered which contains less than 100 ppb of impurities, preferably less than 10 ppb of impurities. This process can be used for producing ultrapure gases intended especially for the electronics field.

Abstract: The process serves for removing carbon monoxide and/or hydrogen from an air stream by catalytic oxidation. Dusts and/or aerosols of a particle size of less than 20 &mgr;m are removed from the air stream upstream of the catalytic oxidation.

Abstract: There is provided an air separation apparatus comprising, in fluid flow communication, a compressor having at least two stages in senes, a first outlet from a stage upstream of the final stage, an air purifier in fluid flow communication with the outlet and producing purified air in two parallel flow paths. One of the flow paths is in fluid flow communication, through a heat exchanger, to a rectification column that produces a purified nitrogen product. The second flow path in fluid flow communication with an inlet of the compressor downstream of the chosen stage and provides a purified air product via the compressor through a second outlet thereof also downstream of the chosen stage.

Abstract: A plant for liquid-phase filtration of a cryogenic fluid comprising, in an ambient environment:a supply of a cryogenic fluid in liquid phase;a filtration component arranged between an inlet for feeding the cryogenic fluid and an outlet for use of the filtered cryogenic fluid, in which the filtration component filters microorganisms and/or particles and causes a head loss which is less than that which converts liquid phase to a solid or gaseous phase.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition system including a chemical vapor deposition chamber, an inlet line for directing reactant gases into the deposition chamber, and outlet line for discharging waste by-product from the deposition chamber, and a detachable trap position along the outlet line for trapping at least a portion of the waste by-product. The trap can include an array of baffles for increasing the surface area within the trap and disrupting flow within the trap. The trap can also include cooling structure for cooling at least a portion of the trap to enhance waste by-product deposition within the trap.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) applications. In particular, this invention relates to a method for supplying oxygen concentrated air to an indoor air environment, which is termed as High Level Oxygen Air Conditioning (HLOAC): The High Level Oxygen Air Conditioning (HLOAC) primarily comprises three steps: (1). Introducing air stream to an oxygen and nitrogen separation device; (2). Separating nitrogen and oxygen in air to obtain a concentrated oxygen stream; (3). Introducing said concentrated oxygen stream into the indoor environment.