Patents Represented by Attorney Allen E. White
  • Patent number: 8288161
    Abstract: Articles of manufacture and methods of making and using same concern a container having an internal space and a passivated internal metal surface. The container contains a composition of an acid gas and a balance gas contained within the internal space and in contact with the passivated internal metal surface. The stability of the acid gas concentration over time is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: American Air Liquide, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Benesch, Malik Haouchine, Tracey Jacksier
  • Patent number: 8268254
    Abstract: The gas-phase fluorination of plastic articles is effected in a reaction chamber 1 into which the plastic articles to be fluorinated are introduced. The gas-phase fluorination is effected at normal or atmospheric ambient pressure of about 1 kPa in the reaction chamber. The gas-phase fluorination can be carried out statically or dynamically. The flushing carried out before the gas-phase fluorination for complete or partial removal of atmospheric oxygen from the reaction chamber 1 can also be effected at atmospheric pressure in the reaction chamber. The reaction chamber 1 is equipped with a cover 2 and metering valves V0, V1, V2 for air, inert gas and gas mixture comprising fluorine and one or more inert gases are present on the entrance side of the reaction chamber, which is not vacuum-tight and hence also cannot be evacuated. The metering valves are connected to the reaction chamber 1 via a flow meter 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Rolf Van Bonn, Joachim Barbe
  • Patent number: 8246721
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for purifying a supply gaseous flow containing at least 5 vol. % of N2O and oxygen, in which: (a) the gaseous flow is contacted with a main adsorbent (3) including at least one zeolite exchanged at more than 50% by one or more metal cations and having an N2O adsorption capacity, as measured under 1 bar and at 200° C., of more than 80 Ncm/g in order to adsorb at least a portion of the N2O from said flow and to produce a purified gaseous flow; and (b) recovering a purified gaseous flow having an N2O content lower than the N2O content of the supply gaseous flow contacted with the main adsorbent during step (a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Serge Moreau
  • Patent number: 8244116
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for storing and distributing a high-purity pressurized liquefied gas at a rate which is higher than or equal to 1 kg/h, said device having: a container comprising a liquefied phase of said gas in its lower part, and a gaseous phase of said gas in its upper part, a system for bleeding the gaseous phase of said gas, and a heating system used to maintain a constant pressure of the gas at the moment of use. The invention is characterized in that the heating system involves the circulation of a hot fluid in a circuit built into the surface of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude Et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Jean-Paul Barbier
  • Patent number: 8235076
    Abstract: An enclosure is filled with a filling gas according to the disclosed method. An enclosure is provided having an interior, a width, a height, a thickness, and fluid filling and exit holes fluidly communicating with the interior. Filling of the enclosure is commenced by directing a flow of the filling gas at a filling flow rate into the fluid filling hole. An oxygen concentration of gas exiting the fluid exit hole is sensed. The filling of the enclosure is stopped when the sensed oxygen concentration reaches a threshold concentration, wherein the threshold oxygen concentration and/or the filling flow rate are selected by a Decision Support Tool based upon the width, height, and/or the thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: American Air Liquide, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe A. Coignet, Pascal J. Tromeur, Justin J. Wang
  • Patent number: 8225816
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas filling and distribution head (2) which is intended to be disposed in a hole in a pressurized gas storage tank. The inventive head (2) includes a mounting segment (21) which is intended to be housed in the hole in the tank and an expansion segment which houses a pre-expansion device (22), said pre-expansion device (22) being arranged in relation to the mounting segment (21) such as to be housed at least partially inside the tank when the head is in the mounted position. The head (2) also includes: a filling circuit which extends between a first end which is equipped with a filling hole (6) and a second end which is intended to communicate with the interior of the tank, and an extraction circuit which extends between a first end which is intended to communicate with the interior of the tank and a second end which is equipped with an extraction hole. The invention is characterized in that the filling hole (6) is aligned with the extraction hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Arnaud Denis, Renaud Ligonesche, Philippe Pisot
  • Patent number: 8156961
    Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly including a pressurized gas storage tank and a control device for filling the tank with gas and/or extracting gas therefrom. The aforementioned tank includes: a hole which communicates with the interior of the tank, a filling and distribution head which is disposed at the hole and which includes a pre-expansion device which is at least partially integrated inside the volume of the tank, and a connection interface which is removably engaged with the gas supply and/or extraction control device such as to co-operate therewith. The invention is characterized in that the head includes an isolation member, such as a valve, which is housed at least partially inside the volume of the head and which can be accessed by an opening member that is external to the head through an access hole that is provided in the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Arnaud Denis, Renaud Ligonesche, Philippe Pisot
  • Patent number: 8153010
    Abstract: Scaling is controlled in a cooling water system with CO2 based upon measurements of the cooling water's pH, alkalinity and Ca2+ concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: American Air Liquide, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel D. Duarte, Meenakshi Sundaram, Jeffrey E. Arbogast
  • Patent number: 8141552
    Abstract: Apparatus for respiratory anaesthesia of a patient by administration of a gas containing gaseous xenon, with a main gas circuit which is open or closed and has an inhalation branch and an exhalation branch, means for supply of gaseous xenon to the inhalation branch of the main circuit, and means for determining the xenon concentration. The means for determining the xenon concentration comprise at least one hot-wire sensor having at least one electrically conducting wire in direct contact with the gaseous flow containing the xenon, calculating means that cooperate with the hot-wire sensor(s) in order to determine the xenon concentration (Xe %) in the flow, means for generating an electrical current in order to generate a current in at least one hot wire, and means for voltage measurement that can measure at least one voltage value at the terminal of at least one hot wire or at least one resistance arranged in series with at least one hot wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude Et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Christian Daviet, Richard Blandin, Noureddine Kissi
  • Patent number: 8136791
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling the filling and/or extraction of a fluid, for example, in relation to a pressurized fluid tank including a body having a connection end (516) which is equipped with engagement means that are intended to co-operate with complementary engagement means which are provided, for example, on a connection interface of a tank, a member (17) for opening a valve that can move in relation to the body, actuation means (250) which can move the opening member (17) selectively and which can move between a running position and a stopped position corresponding respectively to an operating position and a rest position of the opening member (17) and a hole (105) which can receive a removable outlet or inlet coupling (75) for the distribution of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude Et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Arnaud Denis, Renaud Ligonesche, Philippe Pisot
  • Patent number: 8122753
    Abstract: A portable metered flow apparatus for accurately providing calibration gas from a calibration gas source to a gas monitoring instrument in order to permit calibration/bump testing of the instrument comprising a regulator and a gas delivery device that includes a solenoid valve, an electronic timing circuit, a device for providing power to the solenoid valve and the electronic timing circuit, a power switch for activating the electronic timing circuit, a device for activating the release of calibration gas; and optionally one or more LED lights. A method for calibration/bump testing of a gas monitoring device utilizing the portable metered flow apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Air Liquide Advanced Technologies U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Tryfonos, Eric E. Brooking, Robert A. DeNicola, Ryan W. Kauler, Joshua D. Treisner, Kayla R. Burnim, Ryan B. Adelman
  • Patent number: 8062525
    Abstract: The process according to the invention for treating water in a treatment plant comprising a reaction chamber in which a biodegradable material present in the water is biodegraded at least partly by microorganisms, in the course of which, at least temporarily, water is transferred out of the reaction chamber into a separating chamber and the biodegradable material and the microorganisms are separated at least partly from the water therein, a return stream comprising biodegradable material and at least some of the microorganisms flowing out of the separating chamber into the reaction chamber via a recycle line, is characterized in that at least some of the following substances: a) the biodegradable material and b) the microorganisms are treated with ozone (O3), an amount of 15 to 150 milligrams of ozone per kilogram of dry substance of the biodegradable material and of the microorganisms being added per hour in the reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour l'Etude Et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Jörg Schwerdt, Stefan Wolff, Jan Parmentier
  • Patent number: 8043557
    Abstract: A medical device is sterilized or sanitized by at least partially submerging it within liquid nitrogen and imparting ultrasonic energy to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: American Air Liquide, Inc.
    Inventors: Sudhir R. Brahmbhatt, Richard R. Masi
  • Patent number: 7985574
    Abstract: A fermentation process uses substantially pure oxygen. The oxygen is the only reactive gas which is injected into a fermentation vessel. The oxygen is moved through the vessel solely by its own pressure. The process can be used with both mechanically-agitated and air-lifted fermenters. The mechanically-agitated fermenter includes an analyzer for measuring oxygen concentration in the exhaust line, and adjusting the flow of fresh oxygen into the vessel accordingly. In the air-lifted fermenter, an analyzer measures the oxygen concentration in the head space of the vessel, and operates valves which either recycle the gas from the head space, or vent that gas to the outside, according to the measured concentration. A stream of nitrogen is periodically injected into the vessel to drive out carbon dioxide and other gases, to control the pH of the fermentation medium. The present invention substantially improves the efficiency of a commercial fermentation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: American Air Liquide, Inc.
    Inventor: Sudhir R. Brahmbhatt
  • Patent number: 7972667
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a packing structure for containers, characterized in that it comprises a material of xonotlite and/or tobermorite and/or foshagite crystal structure crystallized in the form of needles, at least 50% by volume of which have a length ranging from 2 to 10 ?m and a thickness ranging from 0.2 to 1 ?m. Process for manufacturing such a packing structure and gas container containing it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes G eorges Claude
    Inventors: Emmanuel Baune, Pascal Del-Gallo, Thierry Chartier, Gilles Cannet