Patents Assigned to Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20230304733
    Abstract: A hydrogen feed stream comprising one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water, is purified using a cryogenic temperature swing adsorption (CTSA) process with high overall recovery of hydrogen. The waste gas from regenerating the CTSA may be used to improve the performance of upstream hydrogen processing steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Jeffrey R. Hufton, Timothy C. Golden, Aaron Raymond Scott, Kamlesh Ghodasara, Maulik R. Shelat, Garret C. Lau
  • Publication number: 20230287875
    Abstract: An apparatus and process for cooling down a liquid hydrogen or other cryogenic fluid pump can be configured to allow for a quick startup that also helps minimize hydrogen losses. Some embodiments can utilize a blow-by circuit configured and arranged to support the cryogenic cooldown operation for the pump that can minimize hydrogen loss while allowing substantially improved pump startup times. Some embodiments can utilize at least one temperature sensor to monitor temperature and an adjustable control valve that can facilitate the flow of the fluid utilized to perform the cooldown of the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven W. Hoffman, David Jonathan Chalk, Joseph P. Cohen
  • Publication number: 20230279996
    Abstract: A method and system for forming a compressed gas and dispensing it to a compressed gas receiver. The compressed gas is formed from a process fluid provided at a cryogenic temperature. The forming includes pressurizing the process fluid, feeding the pressurized process fluid at still a cryogenic temperature to a heat exchanger and heating it in indirect heat exchange with a thermal fluid which is provided in a reservoir at a thermal fluid temperature above the cryogenic temperature of the pressurized process fluid. Once heated to a suitable temperature the compressed gas may be dispensed to the compressed gas receiver or stored in one or more compressed gas storage vessels for later use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Cacciapalle, Joseph P. Cohen, David Jonathan Chalk, David John Farese, Anthony R. Kyvelos
  • Publication number: 20230272971
    Abstract: A simple and efficient single mixed refrigerant process for cooling and liquefying a hydrocarbon feed stream, such as natural gas. The process employs a closed-loop single mixed refrigerant process for refrigeration duty. The refrigerant compressed to a high pressure using at least three stages of compression and two intercoolers (both producing liquid). A hydraulic turbine is used to expand the high pressure refrigerant before it flows into the main heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc,
    Inventors: Mark Julian Roberts, Annemarie Ott Weist, Bo Jin, Brian James Barr
  • Publication number: 20230249119
    Abstract: A hydrogen feed stream comprising oxygen and one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water, is purified by first removing oxygen using a copper oxide and/or manganese oxide getter, then using a cryogenic temperature swing adsorption (CTSA) process with high overall recovery of hydrogen. The oxygen getter prevents an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen from occurring in the CTSA during regeneration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Casteel, Jr., Garret C. Lau, Timothy C. Golden, Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Jeffrey R. Hufton
  • Publication number: 20230249970
    Abstract: A hydrogen feed stream comprising one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water, is contacted with liquid hydrogen in a cryogenic wash column (CWC) process that produces pure hydrogen with high overall recovery. The waste liquid stream leaving the CWC may be used to improve the performance of upstream hydrogen processing steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Kamlesh Ghodasara, Maulik R. Shelat, Paul Higginbotham, Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Timothy C. Golden
  • Publication number: 20230249971
    Abstract: A hydrogen feed stream comprising oxygen and one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water, is purified using a cryogenic temperature swing adsorption (CTSA) process with high overall recovery of hydrogen. The CTSA is regenerated using an inert gas to prevent an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen from occurring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Jeffrey R. Hufton, Timothy C. Golden, Aaron Raymond Scott, Quan Min Shao, Vishrut Garg
  • Publication number: 20230242395
    Abstract: Recovery of hydrogen from an ammonia cracking process in which the cracked gas is purified in a PSA device is improved by using a membrane separator on the PSA tail gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Shaw, Vincent White, Edward Landis Weist, Jr., Paul Higginbotham, Donald E Henry
  • Publication number: 20230233986
    Abstract: A process for separating carbon dioxide from a feed gas comprising carbon dioxide may comprise compressing the feed gas in a feed gas compressor to produce a compressed feed gas. The process may also comprise separating the compressed feed gas by an adsorption process comprising: using a plurality of adsorbent beds to produce a carbon dioxide-enriched product stream and a carbon dioxide-depleted stream, and a blowdown step. A blowdown gas may be removed from the adsorbent bed. The process may also comprise compressing the blowdown gas in the feed gas compressor and combining the blowdown gas with the compressed feed gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Mozhgan Alimohammadi Zanjani, David Ross Graham, Donald E. Henry, Donn Michael Herron, Roger Anthony Dewing
  • Publication number: 20230185283
    Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling an industrial gas plant complex comprising a plurality of industrial gas plants powered by one or more renewable power sources, the method being executed by at least one hardware processor, the method comprising receiving time-dependent predicted power data for a pre-determined future time period from the one or more renewable power sources; receiving time-dependent predicted operational characteristic data for each industrial gas plant; utilizing the predicted power data and predicted characteristic data in an optimization model to generate a set of state variables for the plurality of industrial gas plants; utilizing the generated state variables to generate a set of control set points for the plurality of industrial gas plants; and sending the control set points to a control system to control the industrial gas plant complex by adjusting one or more control set points of the industrial gas plants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay Mehta, Pratik Misra
  • Publication number: 20230188024
    Abstract: A hydrogen expander magnetic generator apparatus can include a magnetic generator to recover energy. Embodiments can utilize a permanent magnetic motor (PM) and energy conversion system (ECS) for converting energy from a rotating shaft of a turboexpander. Some embodiments can position magnets on the shaft such that the magnets are protected from exposure to hydrogen to avoid damage to the magnets. Some embodiments can include retrofitting of a pre-existing expander to remove an oil brake and replace it with an embodiment of the PM and ECS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: GENGLIN TANG, CANDICE DAIBES SILVESTRE, ETHAN D. EISWERTH, ROBERT E. BENTON, JR.
  • Patent number: 11674749
    Abstract: A method and system for liquefying a natural gas feed stream and removing nitrogen therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Sylvain Vovard, Justin David Bukowski, Fei Chen, Mark Julian Roberts
  • Publication number: 20230175773
    Abstract: Hydrogen is liquefied through a process utilizing refrigeration from hydrogen at one, two, or three different pressures as well as a nitrogen refrigeration cycle. One or more stages of catalyst are used to convert ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen as the hydrogen is cooled and liquefied. Subcooled liquid hydrogen feeds the final stage of ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen conversion to reduce or eliminate vaporization of the hydrogen during the exothermic ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen conversion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, John H. Petrik, Christopher F. Harris
  • Publication number: 20230178984
    Abstract: There is provided a method of determining and utilizing predicted available power resources from one or more renewable power sources for one or more industrial gas plants comprising one or more storage resources. The method is executed by at least one hardware processor and comprises: obtaining historical time-dependent environmental data associated with the one or more renewable power sources; obtaining historical time-dependent operational characteristic data associated with the one or more renewable power sources; training a machine learning model based on the historical time-dependent environmental data and the historical time-dependent operational characteristic data; executing the trained machine learning model to predict available power resources for the one or more industrial gas plants for a pre-determined future time period; and controlling the one or more industrial gas plants in response to the predicted available power resources for the pre-determined future time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay Mehta, Pratik Misra
  • Patent number: 11668522
    Abstract: A system and method for integrated heavy hydrocarbon removal in a liquefaction system having a lean natural gas source. An economizer located between a main cryogenic heat exchanger and a reflux drum is provided to cool an overhead vapor stream against a partially condensed stream. In addition, pressure of the natural gas feed stream is maintained into a scrub column. A pressure drop is provided by a valve located between the economizer and the reflux drum on a partially condensed stream withdrawn from the cold end of the warm section of the main cryogenic heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Fei Chen, Mark Julian Roberts, Christopher Michael Ott, Annemarie Ott Weist
  • Publication number: 20230159328
    Abstract: A residue stream comprising liquid hydrocarbons and metal-rich solid particles is reacted with an oxidant stream in a gasifier to produce a syngas stream that is quenched in a water bath. The risk of plugging in the water lines is reduced by removing solids from the recycled water streams. Acid gases are stripped from at least a portion of the recycled water to reduce the risk of precipitates forming from the reaction of dissolved acid gases with metal ions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Shelley, Joachim Wolff, Thomas Von Kossak, Eduardo Ribeiro, Nan Liu, Steffen Jancker
  • Patent number: 11656612
    Abstract: A method of controlling an industrial gas production facility comprising: receiving time-dependent power data receiving time-dependent operational characteristic data; defining one or more power constraints for the operational parameters of the power network; defining one or more process constraints for the operational parameters of each industrial gas plant; generating, based on the power data, the operational characteristic data, the one or more power constraints and the one or more process constraints, control set point values for the one or more industrial gas plants to achieve a pre-determined production parameter for the industrial gas production facility; and sending the control set point values to a control system to control the one or more industrial gas plants by adjusting one or more control set points of the industrial gas plants to achieve the pre-determined production parameter for the industrial gas production facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Espie, Pratik Misra, Graeme Richard Wilson
  • Publication number: 20230147084
    Abstract: Described herein are coil wound heat exchangers (CWHEs), and methods of cooling and/or liquefying streams of fluid using said CWHEs, in which one or more tube layers of the tube bundle are provided with a non-uniform tube winding angle and tube pitch in order to facilitate the equalization of radial pressure imbalances on the shell side of the CWHE, thereby reducing radial maldistribution of fluid on the shell side and improving the heat transfer efficiency of the CWHE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Jin, Justin David Bukowski, Patrick Alan Houghton, Christopher Michael Ott, Mark Julian Roberts, Mark Robert Pillarella
  • Publication number: 20230137335
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator can adjust production as necessary depending on station usage. When the generator is running at a high output and there isn't enough usage from a dispenser, then excess hydrogen can be fed to storage in at least one trailer. As the generator attempts to match usage rates, it may slow down. If the production rate is slowed and the dispensing need for hydrogen subsequently increases, then the required additional supply can be provided from the at least one trailer until the generator ramps up output to meet the increased demand. The trailer storage can allow for matching of usage with production. At least one trailer can be maintained at each pressure level at a station to enable trailers to be removed as they become full or to be replaced as they become empty to match station demand and provide import and export capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: ANTHONY R. KYVELOS, JOSEPH P. COHEN
  • Patent number: 11639824
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling a gas stream is provided comprising at least one heat exchanger in which a gas stream is cooled against a cooling liquid, whereby the cooling liquid temperature increases from a first temperature to a second temperature, at least one air cooler for cooling the cooling liquid after passing though the at least one heat exchanger, surface area of the at least one air cooler being designed to decrease temperature of the cooling liquid to the first temperature; a pump; and conduits to form a closed-circuit for the cooling liquid to pass continuously through the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one air cooler. The ratio of surface area of the at least one air cooler to the surface area of the at least one heat exchanger is optionally 12 or lower, and the difference of temperature between the second temperature and first temperature being greater than 15° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd M. Moyle, Xukun Luo