Abstract: A method of producing a carbon dioxide product stream from a synthesis gas stream formed within a hydrogen plant having a synthesis gas reactor, a water-gas shift reactor, located downstream of the synthesis gas reactor to form the synthesis gas stream and a hydrogen pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a hydrogen product recovered from the synthesis gas stream. In accordance with the method the carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas stream by separating the carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas stream in a vacuum pressure swing adsorption system, thereby to produce a hydrogen-rich synthesis gas stream and a crude carbon dioxide stream and then purifying the crude carbon dioxide stream by a sub-ambient temperature distillation process thereby to produce the carbon dioxide product. A hydrogen synthesis gas feed stream to the hydrogen pressure swing adsorption unit is formed at least in part from the hydrogen rich stream.

Abstract: A method of generating electrical power in which a synthesis gas stream generated in a gasifier is combusted in an oxygen transport membrane system of a boiler. The combustion generates heat to raise steam to in turn generate electricity by a generator coupled to a steam turbine. The resultant flue gas can be purified to produce a carbon dioxide product.

Abstract: Method of assembling a vacuum insulated piping run for conducting a cryogenic fluid in which piping sections are produced in a first location and then assembled in a second location into a piping run. Each of the piping sections incorporates an outer cylindrical casing and an inner pipe for transport of the cryogenic fluid to form an inner annular region for containing insulation that can be radiation shield insulation and aerogel blankets. The piping sections are joined by welding the ends of the inner pipes together and then joining the outer cylindrical casing by a shell-like section. Points of connections are tested by vacuum testing techniques as each of the connections is made. Thereafter, the annular region is purged with a condensable gas such as carbon dioxide and subjected to a subatmospheric pressure.

Abstract: Purification method and apparatus for purifying a gas stream by oxygen removal. The apparatus includes primary and secondary oxygen separation zones and tubular electrically driven oxygen separation elements. There are more elements in the primary zone than the secondary zone so that low concentrations of oxygen can be obtained in a purified stream and turbulent flow conditions can also be obtained that will permit purification to very low levels. In addition, a junction is provided to connect the tubular separation elements to metallic elements such as manifolds.

Abstract: An automated filling system to conduct a filling operation in which a bulk liquid transport vehicle is filled with a bulk liquid and quality assurance tests are performed by a gas analyzer. A programmable logic controller, employed to control the filling operation, is responsive to pressure within a fill line connected to the vehicle and is programmed to determine that there exists sufficient pressure within the vehicle to conduct an initial quality assurance test and that the fill line is properly connected to the fill line, without breaks in its flow integrity. The programmable logic controller also initiates and controls a pressurization process if there is not sufficient pressure to conduct the initial quality assurance test.

Abstract: A method for controlling an adsorption unit and associated compressor that adjusts the flow rate of a compressed feed stream produced by the compressor so that it increases from a nominal flow rate and then decreased back to the nominal flow rate. The increase and decrease of the feed stream flow rate are controlled in accordance with increase and decrease rate functions of adsorbent bed pressure ratio between off-line and on-line adsorbent beds and a triggering pressure ratio at which the feed flow rate decreases. Each of the increase and decrease rate functions is tuned to produce a similar response in the flow of a product stream produced by the adsorption unit. Additionally, repressurization time is controlled by driving it toward a target value that allows the purge stage of regeneration to be maximized and therefore, the degree to which each of the adsorbent beds is regenerated.

Abstract: A hydrogen transport membrane in which a porous ceramic support supports a dense layer of palladium or an alloy of palladium serving as a hydrogen transport material. The ceramic support has a first porous layer and a second porous layer. The first porous layer has a first thickness of about 1 mm, a first set of pores have a first average pore size of between about 10 microns and about 50 microns and a first porosity of about 40 percent by volume. The second porous layer has a second thickness of about 3 microns, a second set of pores having a second average pore size of between about 10 nanometers and about 100 nanometers and a second porosity of about 50 percent by volume. The dense layer has a thickness of about 3 microns.

Abstract: A plate-fin heat exchanger having alternating layers for exchanging heat between fluids to be warmed against fluids to be cooled. One or both of the layers is subdivided into flow passages to allow for the flow of two or more fluids flowing through one of the layers to engage in indirect heat transfer with one or more fluids flowing through another adjacent layer. The flow through the heat exchanger is parallel to the width of the heat exchanger. The first and second layers provide a greater cross-sectional flow area for each of the fluids than otherwise would have been provided had the fluids flow been parallel to the length of the heat exchanger with layers thereof dedicated to the flow of each of the fluids.

Abstract: A method of reducing a modified Wobbe index of a fuel stream fed to diffusion combustors of a gas turbine that is used in connection with an IGCC installation in which a nitrogen stream is fed into the head ends of the combustor of NOx control and the modified Wobbe index of the fuel stream has been increased in an amount that is greater than at least about 10 percent of a design Wobbe index for the fuel to be fed to the gas turbine. The reason for the increase is the conversion of the carbon monoxide within the fuel stream to hydrogen and carbon dioxide by a water gas shift reaction and subsequent removal of the carbon dioxide. The nitrogen stream is maintained at the same level both with and without conversion and subsequent removal of carbon atoms. The nitrogen stream is divided to subsidiary streams that are respectively fed into the head end of the combustors and that are mixed with a fuel to lower the modified Wobbe index to acceptable levels for the gas turbine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reacting a hydrocarbon containing feed stream by steam methane reforming reactions to form a synthesis gas. The hydrocarbon containing feed is reacted within a reactor having stages in which the final stage from which a synthesis gas is discharged incorporates expensive high temperature materials such as oxide dispersed strengthened metals while upstream stages operate at a lower temperature allowing the use of more conventional high temperature alloys. Each of the reactor stages incorporate reactor elements having one or more separation zones to separate oxygen from an oxygen containing feed to support combustion of a fuel within adjacent combustion zones, thereby to generate heat to support the endothermic steam methane reforming reactions.

Abstract: Method of purifying a feed stream containing carbon dioxide wherein the feed stream after having been compressed and dried is partly cooled and then used to reboil a stripping column. Thereafter, the feed stream is further cooled and expanded to a lower operational temperature of the stripping column. A carbon dioxide product stream composed of the liquid column bottoms of the stripping column is expanded at one or more pressures to generate refrigeration, then fully vaporized within the main heat exchanger and compressed by a compressor to produce a compressed carbon dioxide product. Refrigeration is recovered in the main heat exchanger from a column overhead stream extracted from the stripping column within the main heat exchanger either directly or indirectly by auxiliary processing in which carbon dioxide is further separated and optionally recycled back to the main compressor used in compressing the feed stream.

Abstract: A process for carrying out cryogenic air separation wherein liquid oxygen is pressurized and vaporized against condensing feed air to produce oxygen gas product wherein excess plant refrigeration is generated such that the aggregate warm end temperature difference of the process exceeds the minimum internal temperature difference of the primary heat exchanger by at least 2K.

Abstract: A method and electrode assembly for treating a substrate with a non-equilibrium plasma in which the electrode assembly has two or more spaced barrier electrodes and a ground electrode spaced apart from the two spaced barrier electrodes for passage of a substrate to be treated. Plasma fluid medium is introduced between the barrier electrodes and is biased to provide a greater flow to an inlet region of the electrode assembly to help inhibit the ingress of air. Each of the barrier electrodes can be provided with central and leg sections having passages for introducing a cooling fluid into one of the leg sections and discharging said cooling fluid from the other of the leg sections. The central section can be provided with a transverse cross-sectional area less than that of the leg sections to increase velocity in the central section.

Abstract: A method of recovering carbon dioxide from a synthesis gas stream generated within a synthesis gas facility. After the synthesis gas stream is passed through at least one process heat exchanger of the steam generation system located downstream of the water-gas shift reactor, the temperature of the synthesis gas stream is increased while simultaneously adding steam to the synthesis gas stream. Thereafter, the synthesis gas stream is added to an absorption system having an absorption zone utilizing a solvent to absorb the carbon dioxide and a regeneration zone to disengage the carbon dioxide from the solvent and thereby regenerate the solvent. Heat is transferred from the synthesis gas stream to the regeneration zone to promote disengagement of the carbon dioxide from the steam and such that between about 40 percent and about 90 percent of the carbon dioxide originally present in the synthesis gas stream is recovered.

Abstract: A purification system and method for purifying a hydrogen stream supplied from a storage tank mounted in a vehicle to produce a purified hydrogen stream for use in a PEM fuel cell system that is utilized within the vehicle. The hydrogen is purified within a membrane separator having hydrogen transport membrane elements having a dense metallic layer such as palladium to separate the hydrogen from the impurities. The separated hydrogen is supplied to the PEM fuel cell. In order to heat the membrane to its operational temperature, heat is recovered from the hydrogen permeate stream of the membrane system in a first heat exchanger and heat is generated by combusting the retentate stream containing residual hydrogen and impurities.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell assembly in which one or more grounded conduits, that can be an oxygen product tube or simply inlets or outlets, are connected to the electrically driven oxygen separator. In order to prevent the conduit(s) from degrading due to electrochemical reduction due to the electrical potential produced between the electrically driven oxygen separator(s) and the grounded conduit or conduits, a conduit is formed in whole or in part by a ceramic material that is an electric insulator and that is also resistive to electrochemical reduction. The ceramic material comprises distinct phases of magnesia and spinel or magnesia, spinel and yttrium aluminate.

Abstract: A cryogenic plant having at least two direct phase separation devices such as distillation columns whose circular perimeters serve to define the perimeter of the cold box encompassing the direct phase separation devices and ancillary equipment for the process.

Abstract: Method of controlling a pulse tube cryocooler in which the power input to the acoustic source is varied to maintain temperature of a refrigeration load or a temperature that is at least referable to the temperature of the refrigeration load, at a set point temperature. Additionally, the impedance of an inertance network of the pulse tube cryocooler is also adjusted to obtain a maximum cooling power to the refrigeration load at the particular temperature as sensed and the particular power that is being supplied to the acoustic source.

Abstract: A method of storing biological samples in which the biological samples are stored in a stack within a vessel interior of an insulated vessel. A pool of liquid cryogen is maintained within the vessel interior by condensing cryogenic vapor boiled off of the pool of liquid cryogen with a cryocooler having a cold finger. The cryocooler and cold finger are positioned so that a cold heat exchanger of the cold finger is in thermal contact with the cryogenic vapor and is positioned above the stack, so as to also maintain a temperature difference within the insulated vessel, between a bottom region of the stack and a top region of the stack, of no greater than about 65K.

Abstract: A method for establishing a cryogenic insulation system wherein aerogel is provided to a sealable insulation space which is pressurized and depressurized, preferably using carbon dioxide gas, and cooled to cryogenic temperatures typically by the application of refrigeration from cryogenic liquid.