Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Stanley Ktorides
  • Method for operating a cryogenic rectification column
    Patent number: 5921109
    Abstract: A method for operating a cryogenic rectification column for the separation of the components of air by cryogenic rectification, whereby the column may be operated above its design capacity without encountering flooding, by passing vapor upward through the column at a flowrate which generates a pressure drop within the column of at least 0.7 inches of water per foot of packing height through a height of defined structured packing sheets having a different structure in their upper and lower portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John Frederic Billingham, Daniel Mark Seiler, Michael James Lockett
  • Reflux condenser cryogenic rectification system for producing lower purity oxygen
    Patent number: 5921108
    Abstract: A method for directly producing lower purity oxygen with high recovery, employing a non-adiabatic distillation device within a distillation column to provide high purity liquid nitrogen reflux to the upper section of the column. This invention provides for a variety of feed air options to the non-adiabatic distillation device and to the distillation column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Dante Patrick Bonaquist
  • Regenerative oxygen preheat process for oxy-fuel fired furnaces
    Patent number: 5921771
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for supplying oxygen to an oxy-fuel fired furnace that has been preheated by heated flue gas recycled from the furnace. One or more regenerators are provided each having at least a first and a second regenerator bed. The beds are alternately cycled so that one is being preheated with hot flue gas exhausted from the furnace while the other is preheating oxygen through its already heated bed for supply to the furnace burner. The amount of hot flue gas supplied to the regenerator beds is controlled by continuously venting a portion of the total furnace flue gas so as to bypass the regenerators, and the regenerator beds are purged of residual oxygen by recycled cooled flue gas which is then supplied to the furnace before the regenerator beds are heated by the flue gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Hisashi Kobayashi
  • Cryogenic rectification system for producing ultra-high purity nitrogen and ultra-high purity oxygen
    Patent number: 5918482
    Abstract: A system for the production of ultra-high purity nitrogen and ultra-high purity oxygen at high recovery by the cryogenic rectification of feed air employing a main column, an auxiliary column and a stripping column, wherein the stripping column is driven by main column kettle fluid and additional process fluid generated in the auxiliary column is utilized in the main column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin John Potempa
  • Cryogenic rectification system for producing low purity oxygen and high purity oxygen
    Patent number: 5916262
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system wherein low purity oxygen is recovered from a side column or the lower pressure column of a double column while a portion of the low purity oxygen is fed to an auxiliary column driven by fluid having a high nitrogen concentration wherein high purity oxygen is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, James Richard Handley, Ravindra Fulchand Pahade, Brien Scott Wierzchowski
  • Cryogenic argon production system with thermally integrated stripping column
    Patent number: 5916261
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for producing argon employing an argon stripping column which receives a feed in its upper portion from an associated cryogenic air separation plant, and which is reboiled by another fluid taken from the cryogenic air separation plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Nancy Jean Lynch, Mark Julian Roberts
  • Serial column cryogenic rectification system for producing high purity nitrogen
    Patent number: 5906113
    Abstract: A serial column system for producing relatively large quantities of both high purity nitrogen gas and high purity nitrogen liquid using a first column producing the high purity gas and a second column producing the high purity liquid, with second column top fluid refluxing the first column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy Jean Lynch, Mark Edward Vincett, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Kevin John Potempa
  • Dual oxidant combustion system
    Patent number: 5904475
    Abstract: A dual oxidant burner having an inner conduit with a passage communicating with a source of fuel, an outer conduit over the inner conduit and an intermediate conduit between the inner and outer conduits. The three conduits form an inner passage between the inner and intermediate conduits communicating with a source of oxygen, and an outer passage between the intermediate and outer conduits communicating with a source of air. The fuel and the two oxidants are mixed in a furnace or other combustion zone beyond the outlet of the nozzle and the two passages and their flow amounts are individually adjusted to establish the burner flame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Maynard Guotsuen Ding
  • Cryogenic air separation system with integrated machine compression
    Patent number: 5901579
    Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system wherein base load pressure energy is supplied to the feed air by a base load compressor and custom load pressure energy is supplied to the feed air by a bridge machine having one or more turbine booster compressors and one or more product boiler booster compressors, all of the compressors of the bridge machine driven by power supplied through a single gear case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin William Mahoney, Christine Barbara Allen-Hayes, Jack Michael Leo, Paul Arthur Henry, Todd Alan Skare, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, James Richard Handley
  • Cryogenic rectification system with integral product boiler
    Patent number: 5901578
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system wherein a product boiler is incorporated into the primary heat exchanger without encountering boiling to dryness problems wherein liquid from the cryogenic rectification plant is processed in a phase separator upstream of the product boiler, and fluid from the product boiler is passed into the phase separator prior to recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Kai Wong, Michael James Lockett, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan, John Keller Howell
  • Cryogenic rectification system with modular cold boxes
    Patent number: 5896755
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for producing oxygen having a feed air preparation system and a plurality of same size cold box modules operating in parallel and in conjunction with the feed air preparation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Kai Wong, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, John Frederic Billingham, Michael Douglas Monteith, Neil Mark Prosser
  • Air separation float glass system
    Patent number: 5888265
    Abstract: A cryogenic air separation plant or a combined pressure swing adsorption plant and membrane separation plant is integrated with a float glass manufacturing system wherein oxygen from the plant is used for oxy-fuel combustion in the melt furnace and nitrogen from the plant is used as a protective atmosphere in the float glass forming chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Joseph Alfred Weber, Theodore Fringelin Fisher
  • Lance/burner for molten metal furnance
    Patent number: 5883917
    Abstract: A method for providing main gas into a pool of molten metal, which is particularly useful for use in an electric arc furnace. The method employs combustion of secondary oxygen with fuel to form a flame envelope around a main gas stream which protects the main gas from entrainment of ambient gases as it passes through the headspace of the furnace. This enables the gas to retain to a substantial degree its original force upon injection into the headspace and thus may be injected into the furnace at a safe distance from the molten metal surface while still achieving substantially complete penetration into the molten metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pravin Chandra Mathur, Ronald Joseph Selines, John Erling Anderson
  • Cryogenic rectification apparatus for producing high purity oxygen or low purity oxygen
    Patent number: 5881570
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification plant comprising a double column and a side column having a bottom reboiler wherein feed air is passed into the double column by way of the bottom reboiler and an auxiliary compressor is connected in parallel with the feed air line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond Francis Drnevich, Ravindra Fulchand Pahade, Minish Mahendra Shah
  • Cryogenic rectification system with serial liquid air feed
    Patent number: 5878597
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for the separation of feed air wherein at least some of the feed air is liquefied upstream of the separation columns, all of the liquefied feed air is introduced into a higher pressure column, and then a portion of this liquefied feed air is withdrawn from the higher pressure column and in serial fashion introduced into a lower pressure column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Owen Mueller, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Cheryl Ann Engels, David Ross Parsnick, John Peter Ricotta
  • Cryogenic rectification system with intermediate third column reboil
    Patent number: 5873264
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for producing lower purity oxygen comprising a double column with a third column reboiled by feed air at an intermediate level and, optionally, in a staged manner at the bottom level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Susan Marie Sattan
  • Column configuration and method for argon production
    Patent number: 5857357
    Abstract: A system for achieving a low level of nitrogen in a lower pressure column in the feed to the argon column in a cryogenic air separation system by use of two beds of structured packing of about equal height in the lower pressure column, with mixing and redistribution of liquid between them. The packed beds are located between the feed from the argon column top condenser and the point where the argon column feed is withdrawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Michael James Lockett
  • Condensation free nozzle
    Patent number: 5839890
    Abstract: A nozzle which includes a nozzle body, a central tube contained within the nozzle body for a flow of gas at a temperature less than the temperature of the nozzle body, and an annular passage, located between the nozzle body and central tube, for a flow of gas at a velocity less than the flow of gas in the central tube and less than about 100 ft/sec. enabling the nozzle to operate at elevated temperatures and avoid condensation thereon of vapors from the surrounding gas environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: William Joseph Snyder
  • High pressure, improved efficiency cryogenic rectification system for low purity oxygen production
    Patent number: 5839296
    Abstract: An improved efficiency system for producing low purity oxygen by rectification of air employs a high pressure column and a low pressure column and includes the steps of: turboexpanding a flow of nitrogen-rich gas from the high pressure column to provide a cooled nitrogen-rich gas flow; condensing the cooled nitrogen-rich gas flow to a nitrogen-rich liquid against a flow of a vaporizing oxygen-rich liquid flow taken from the low pressure column; passing the nitrogen-rich liquid as a reflux flow to the low pressure column; returning the vaporizing oxygen liquid to the low pressure column; and employing energy derived from the turboexpanding step to compress feed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Susan Marie Sattan
  • System for producing cryogenic liquid
    Patent number: 5836173
    Abstract: A system for liquefying low boiling point gases wherein a mixture of feed gas and recirculating refrigerant gas is compressed, a first portion turboexpanded, a second portion compressed to a supercritical pressure, and the supercritical fluid cooled against the turboexpanded fluid to produce cryogenic liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy Jean Lynch, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Paul Arthur Henry