Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Stanley Ktorides
  • Cryogenic rectification system with corona discharge feed air pretreatment
    Patent number: 6042699
    Abstract: A system including pretreating feed air for a cryogenic air separation plant wherein feed air is passed through an electric field, oxygen is ionized, and ionized oxygen reacts with hydrocarbons upstream of an adsorption prepurifier, and subsequent separation of the feed air by cryogenic rectification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy Rose Cribbin, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Alan Barnard Stewart, Gregory William Henzler
  • Single circuit cryogenic liquefaction of industrial gas
    Patent number: 6041621
    Abstract: A method for more efficiently liquefying industrial gas wherein refrigeration for the liquefaction is generated using a defined multicomponent refrigerant fluid and provided by a single flow circuit over a wide temperature range from ambient to cryogenic temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Joseph Olszewski, Bayram Arman, Joseph Alfred Weber, Arun Acharya
  • Cryogenic industrial gas liquefaction with hybrid refrigeration generation
    Patent number: 6041620
    Abstract: A method for liquefying an industrial gas wherein a portion of the requisite refrigeration is generated by a multicomponent refrigerant circuit and a portion is generated by turboexpansion of either a portion of the industrial gas or a portion of the multicomponent refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Joseph Olszewski, Bayram Arman, Arun Acharya, Joseph Alfred Weber, Mohammad Abdul-Aziz Rashad
  • Annular column for cryogenic rectification
    Patent number: 6023945
    Abstract: An annular column, particularly useful for cryogenic rectification, comprising coaxially oriented, radially spaced cylindrical column walls defining a first column region, and a second column region between the walls, wherein different fluid mixtures are rectified in each of the first column and second column regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Kai Wong, John Frederic Billingham, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Bayram Arman, Raymond Francis Drnevich, Minish Mahendra Shah, Todd Alan Skare
  • Low NO.sub.x combustion process
    Patent number: 6007326
    Abstract: A low NO.sub.x combustion process is carried out by reacting low concentrations of combustibles with low concentrations of oxygen. These low concentrations are obtained by injecting high velocity fuel and oxidant streams through port openings that are spatially separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry Monroe Ryan, III, Arthur Wellington Francis, Jr., Michael Francis Riley, Hisashi Kobayashi
  • Cryogenic air separation system with high ratio turboexpansion
    Patent number: 6000239
    Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system wherein a portion of the feed air is compressed to a very high pressure, bypasses the primary heat exchanger, and is turboexpanded to a low pressure to supply refrigeration in one step from the warm end temperature to the cryogenic temperature of the cryogenic air separation plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Nancy Jean Lynch
  • Cryogenic system for producing ultra-high purity nitrogen
    Patent number: 5983667
    Abstract: A process for further purification of nitrogen gas, thereby producing ultra-high purity nitrogen which is substantially free of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon monoxide, wherein the nitrogen gas is contacted with a metal-containing adsorbent at a temperature of 150 K. or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Louise Markowski, Thomas John Bergman, Jr., James Philip Natwora, Jr., John Keller Howell, David Richard Thompson
  • Gas driven fermentation system
    Patent number: 5985652
    Abstract: A gas driven fermentation system wherein a gas such as air is passed heterogeneously upwardly through the fermentation broth to agitate and recirculate the broth, provide oxygen for fermentation and strip off carbon dioxide, and a second gas such as oxygen is passed homogeneously upwardly through the broth proximate the heterogeneous air flow to provide supplemental oxygen for fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Tat Yan Cheng
  • Method of protective atmosphere heating
    Patent number: 5961689
    Abstract: A method for heating and/or melting a charge such as aluminum in a furnace using heat generated by combustion to radiatively heat the charge through a layer of protective gas wherein combustion reaction products generated by the combustion are exhausted from a lower level within the furnace, and, during melting, the protective gas layer has a higher upper boundary than during a subsequent heating period, enabling reduced NO.sub.x generation, lower fuel and oxygen consumption and reduced refractory corrosion by avoiding furnace gas flow through the high temperature upper furnace region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hisashi Kobayashi, Arthur Wellington Francis, Jr., Xueping Li
  • Production of direct reduced iron with reduced fuel consumption and emission of carbon monoxide
    Patent number: 5951740
    Abstract: A system for producing direct reduced iron wherein iron oxide material and carbonaceous material is passed successively through an oxidizing zone and a reducing zone of a furnace, each zone fired by oxy-fuel combustion, enabling a reduction in the amount of fuel needed to process the material while generating sufficient carbon monoxide to effect the reduction and ensuring that little or no carbon monoxide is emitted from the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Balu Sarma, Maynard Guotsuen Ding
  • Cryogenic air separation system for feed air flow disturbances
    Patent number: 5950455
    Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system wherein separation inefficiencies resulting from feed air flow disturbances due to discontinuous prepurifier operation are reduced or eliminated by inhibiting column liquid drainage during such disturbances using mesh packing having interspacial regions which hold up the liquid during the disturbances using surface tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John Fredric Billingham, Walter Joseph Olszewski, John Peter Ricotta
  • Annular column for cryogenic rectification
    Patent number: 5946942
    Abstract: An annular column, particularly useful for cryogenic rectification, comprising coaxially oriented, radially spaced cylindrical column walls defining a first column region, and a second column region between the walls, wherein different fluid mixtures are rectified in each of the first column and second column regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Kai Wong, John Frederic Billingham, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Bayram Arman, Raymond Francis Drnevich, Minish Mahendra Shah, Todd Alan Skare
  • Cryogenic cooling of exothermic reactor
    Patent number: 5943869
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for effectively and safely using cryogenic liquid to cool a reactor vessel housing an exothermic reaction wherein the cryogenic liquid is subcooled, valved into the reactor in a downward direction, and shielded by annular coaxial shielding gas upon injection into the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Tat Yan Cheng, Deepak Lumba
  • Stationary vortex system for direct injection of supplemental reactor oxygen
    Patent number: 5939313
    Abstract: A method for efficiently providing supplemental oxygen to a reaction mixture which is oxidized by or otherwise uses air, wherein the reaction mixture is agitated to create one or more stationary vortices, oxygen is injected into the reactor vessel at a stationary vortex, and air bubbles are circulated within the reaction mixture in the reactor vessel and outside the stationary vortex or vortices into which the oxygen is injected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Tat Yan Cheng
  • Cryogenic air separation system for dual pressure feed
    Patent number: 5934105
    Abstract: A dual feed pressure cryogenic air separation system wherein all the feed air is pressurized to an intermediate pressure and cleaned of high boiling impurities at that intermediate pressure, and a portion further compressed to the high pressure and then cooled against another portion so as to prepare that other portion for the turboexpansion to the low pressure, preferably with the turboexpansion driving the further compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Michael James Lockett
  • Cryogenic fluid cylinder filling system
    Patent number: 5934081
    Abstract: A system for rapidly filling cylinders with gas while avoiding superambient temperature excursions of the cylinder contents wherein cylinder charging gas is produced by vaporizing pressurized cryogenic liquid in admixture with pressurized gas to simultaneously in one step produce the charging gas and control the temperature of the charging gas to enable the subsequent rapid filling rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John Notaro, Erwin Schulze Beckinghausen, Jr., Bruce Hall Davidson, Thomas Edward DeBriae
  • Recessed furnace lance purge gas system
    Patent number: 5931654
    Abstract: A system and method for protecting a nozzle that injects a high velocity main gas into a furnace or combustion zone. The nozzle is located in a passage recessed from the exit port opening of the passage which communicates with the combustion zone. Purge gas is passed into the passage upstream of the nozzle. The volume of the purge gas exceeds 50% of the total volume of the main gas and purge gas and the purge gas has a velocity of at least 100 ft/sec thereby preventing furnace gases from entering the passage and attacking the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Ray Paul Chamberland
  • Carbon dioxide production system with integral vent gas condenser
    Patent number: 5927103
    Abstract: A system for producing carbon dioxide, particularly from a feed which contains significant levels of light contaminants, wherein light overhead from a distillation column is partially condensed against heat exchange fluid containing both carbon dioxide and light contaminants and the resulting heat exchange fluid passed into the feed for the distillation column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Henry Edward Howard
  • Staged combustion method
    Patent number: 5924858
    Abstract: An improved staged combustion method useful with oxy-fuel combustion and in a furnace which contains a charge, wherein substoichiometric combustion and secondary oxidant injection are carried out in an orientation which forms a more oxidizing atmosphere proximate the charge surface and oxidizing gas recirculates from the secondary oxidant stream to the charge surface and back to the secondary oxidant stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey Bruce Tuson, Ronald William Schroeder, Hisashi Kobayashi
  • Gas recycle for float glass system
    Patent number: 5925158
    Abstract: A method for cleaning and recycling protective atmosphere for a float glass facility wherein contaminated protective atmosphere is cooled, preferably while scrubbing out particulates, compressed, and then purified by passage through a bed comprising water selective and hydrogen sulfide selective adsorbents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Alfred Weber, Theodore Fringelin Fisher, Dante Patrick Bonaquist