Patents Assigned to Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
  • Method For Reducing Salt Usage In Aluminum Recycling
    Publication number: 20190185962
    Abstract: A method of melting an aluminum charge having no more that 4% salt by mass, including during a melting phase, introducing fuel and oxidant via a burner operating at a first firing rate, the fuel and oxidant reacting to form a combustion zone above the aluminum charge, terminating the melting phase and commencing a transition phase when the aluminum charge is nearly completely molten, during the transition phase, reducing the firing rate of the burner to a second firing rate lower than the first firing rate, introducing a non-oxidizing gas at a first velocity to form a non-oxidizing zone between the combustion zone and the aluminum charge, and allowing the aluminum charge to become completely molten, and terminating the transition phase and commencing a tapping phase after the aluminum charge has become completely molten, and during the tapping phase, pouring the molten aluminum charge out of the furnace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Lawrence, Petr Tlamicha
  • Mixed refrigerant cooling process and system
    Patent number: 10323880
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of increasing the operability, capacity, and efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes, with a focus on mixed refrigerant cycles. The present invention also relates to natural gas liquefaction systems in which the above-mentioned methods can be carried out. More specifically, a refrigerant used in a pre-cooling heat exchanger of a natural gas liquefaction plant is withdrawn from the pre-cooling heat exchanger, separated into liquid and vapor streams in a liquid-vapor separator after being cooled and compressed. The vapor portion is further compressed, cooled, and fully condensed, then returned to the liquid-vapor separator. Optionally, the fully condensed stream may be circulated through a heat exchanger before being returned to the liquid-vapor separator for the purpose of cooling other streams, including the liquid stream from the liquid-vapor separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Julian Roberts, Gowri Krishnamurthy, Adam Adrian Brostow
  • Control system in a gas pipeline network to increase capacity factor
    Patent number: 10323798
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling delivery of gas, including a gas pipeline network having at least one gas production plant, at least one gas receipt facility of a customer, a plurality of pipeline segments, and a plurality of control elements, one or more controllers, and one or more processors. The hydraulic feasibility of providing an increased flow rate of the gas to the gas receipt facility of the customer is determined using a linearized pressure drop model. A latent demand of the customer for the gas is estimated using a latent demand model. Based on the hydraulic feasibility and the latent demand, a new gas flow request rate from the customer is received. A network flow solution is calculated based on the new gas flow request rate. The network flow solution is associated with control element setpoints used by a controller to control one or more control elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Esmaili, Catherine Catino Latshaw, Eric J. Guter, Joshua David Isom
  • Method and apparatus for producing a hydrogen-containing product
    Patent number: 10308508
    Abstract: Process and apparatus for producing a hydrogen-containing product by steam-hydrocarbon reforming of multiple hydrocarbon feedstocks in a production facility utilizing a prereformer in addition to the primary reformer. The temperature of the reactant mixture introduced into the prereformer is controlled depending on the composition of the reactant mixture fed to the prereformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Craig Saloway
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COOLING A HYDROCARBON STREAM
    Publication number: 20190162468
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing the efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes by using a hybrid cooling system and method. More specifically, a system and method for converting a transcritical precooling refrigeration process to a subcritical process. In one embodiment, the refrigerant is cooled to sub-critical temperature using an economizer. In another embodiment, the refrigerant is cooled to a sub-critical temperature using an auxiliary heat exchanger. Optionally, the economizer or auxiliary heat exchanger can be bypassed when ambient temperatures are sufficiently low to cool the refrigerant to a sub-critical temperature. In another embodiment, the refrigerant is isentropically expanded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Gowri Krishnamurthy, Mark Julian Roberts
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COOLING A HYDROCARBON STREAM
    Publication number: 20190162469
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing the efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes by using a hybrid cooling system and method. More specifically, a system and method for converting a transcritical precooling refrigeration process to a subcritical process. In one embodiment, the refrigerant is cooled to sub-critical temperature using an economizer. In another embodiment, the refrigerant is cooled to a sub-critical temperature using an auxiliary heat exchanger. Optionally, the economizer or auxiliary heat exchanger can be bypassed when ambient temperatures are sufficiently low to cool the refrigerant to a sub-critical temperature. In another embodiment, the refrigerant is isentropically expanded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Gowri Krishnamurthy, Mark Julian Roberts
  • Burner with monitoring
    Patent number: 10295184
    Abstract: An oxy-fuel burner (10) with monitoring including a fuel passage (320) terminating in a fuel nozzle (322), a primary oxidant passage (330) terminating in an oxidant nozzle (333), one or more sensors including a nozzle temperature sensor (372) for sensing at least one of an oxidant nozzle temperature and a fuel nozzle temperature, and a data processor (66, 166,266) programmed to receive data from the sensors and to determine based on at least a portion of the received data the presence or absence of an abnormal burner condition including a potential partial obstruction of at least one of the primary oxidant passage (330) and the fuel passage (320) based on an increase or decrease in at least one of the oxidant nozzle temperature and the fuel nozzle temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Michael Albright, Reed Jacob Hendershot, Michael J. Gallagher, Thomas David Matthew Lee, Aleksandar Georgi Slavejkov, Mark Daniel D'Agostini, Tunc Goruney
  • System and method for filtering a gas-solids mixture
    Patent number: 10293295
    Abstract: A system for filtering a gas-solids mixture, comprises: a housing; a separating body dividing the housing in a raw gas chamber and a clean gas chamber, the raw gas chamber being accessible via an inlet for the gas-solids mixture and the clean gas chamber comprising an outlet for discharging a cleaned gas; a number of filter elements suspended from the separating body; lower ends of the filter elements being connected to a support grid, the support grid comprising a number of arms; one or more cleaning elements provided on the arms of the support grid for cleaning thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Guoqiang Wang, Chii-King Wong, Lucien Zalman
  • Process for recovering hydrocarbons from crude carbon dioxide fluid
    Patent number: 10267560
    Abstract: The power required to recover C3+ hydrocarbons from crude carbon dioxide comprising C1+ hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide may be reduced by distilling the crude carbon dioxide to produce carbon dioxide-enriched overhead vapor and C3+ hydrocarbon-enriched bottoms liquid such that the hydrogen sulfide is rejected with the overhead vapor. Power consumption reductions may be achieved by incorporating a heat pump cycle using carbon dioxide vapor as working fluid to provide at least a part of the refrigeration duty and using a side reboiler to reduce the bottom reboiler duty. Where the bottoms liquid is further processed to produce “lighter” and “heavier” hydrocarbon fractions, the process enables optimization of upgrading crude oil on the basis of API gravity, Reid Vapor pressure and/or viscosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, Liu Yang, John Eugene Palamara, Vincent White
  • Purification of carbon dioxide
    Patent number: 10254042
    Abstract: In a process for separating at least one “heavy” impurity such as hydrogen sulfide from crude carbon dioxide comprising significant quantities of at least one “light” impurity such as non-condensable gases, involving at least one heat pump cycle using carbon dioxide-containing fluid from the process as the working fluid, the “light” impurity is removed from the crude carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide is subsequently recovered from the removed “light” impurity, thereby improving overall carbon dioxide recovery and efficiency in terms of energy consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, Galip Hakan Guvelioglu, John Eugene Palamara, Vincent White
  • Alkali-promoted activated alumina adsorbent
    Patent number: 10252242
    Abstract: An adsorbent for removing CO2 from a gas mixture, the adsorbent comprising alumina and a carbonate compound where the carbonate to alumina IR absorbance intensity ratio is reduced by washing the adsorbent with water. The disclosure also describes a method of making adsorbent particles, process for removing CO2 from a gas mixture using the adsorbent, and an adsorption unit using the adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Garret Chi-Ho Lau, Erin Marie Sorensen, Fred William Taylor, Timothy Christopher Golden, Robert Quinn, William Jack Casteel, Jr.
  • RHO ADSORBENT COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THEM
    Publication number: 20190091652
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel RHO zeolites useful as kinetically selective adsorbents for oxygen and/or nitrogen. The adsorbents can be used in pressure swing adsorption processes for selectively adsorbing oxygen and/or nitrogen from feed streams such as an air stream or crude argon stream. Also disclosed are novel methods of preparing RHO zeolites, including in particular mixed-cation RHO zeolites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Magdalena M. Lozinska, Paul A. Wright, Elliott L. Bruce, William Jack Casteel, JR., Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Robert Quinn, Garret Chi-Ho Lau, Erin Marie Sorensen, Roger Dean Whitley, Timothy Christopher Golden, Mohammad Ali Kalbassi
  • PROCESSES USING IMPROVED RHO ADSORBENT COMPOSITIONS
    Publication number: 20190091651
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are new processes for adsorbing oxygen using adsorbent compositions comprising RHO zeolites kinetically selective for oxygen. The RHO zeolites can be used in pressure swing adsorption processes for separating oxygen from oxygen containing streams, such as for, but not limited to, purifying a crude argon feed stream or separating oxygen from an air feed stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Roger Dean Whitley, William Jack Casteel, JR., Timothy Christopher Golden, Garrett Chi-Ho Lau, Erin Marie Sorensen, Robert Quinn, Magdalena M. Lozinska, Paul A. Wright, Mohammad Ali Kalbassi
  • MULTIPLE PRESSURE MIXED REFRIGERANT COOLING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20190093947
    Abstract: Systems and methods described for increasing capacity and efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes having a mixed refrigerant precooling system with multiple pressure levels comprising cooling the compressed mixed refrigerant stream and separating the cooled compressed mixed refrigerant stream into a vapor and liquid portion. The liquid portion provides refrigeration duty to a first precooling heat exchanger. The vapor portion is further compressed, cooled, and condensed, and used to provide refrigeration duty to a second precooling heat exchanger. A flash gas separated from the liquefied natural gas is warmed and combined with the natural gas feed stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Gowri Krishnamurthy, Mark Julian Roberts, Adam Adrian Brostow
  • MULTIPLE PRESSURE MIXED REFRIGERANT COOLING PROCESS
    Publication number: 20190093946
    Abstract: Systems and methods described for increasing capacity and efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes having a mixed refrigerant precooling system with multiple pressure levels comprising cooling the compressed mixed refrigerant stream and separating the cooled compressed mixed refrigerant stream into a vapor and liquid portion. The liquid portion provides refrigeration duty to a first precooling heat exchanger. The vapor portion is further compressed, cooled, and condensed, and used to provide refrigeration duty to a second precooling heat exchanger. A flash gas separated from the liquefied natural gas is warmed and combined with the natural gas feed stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Gowri Krishnamurthy, Mark Julian Roberts, Adam Adrian Brostow
  • IMULTI-PRODUCT LIQUEFACTION METHOD AND SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20190078840
    Abstract: A liquefaction system is capable of sequentially or simultaneously liquefying multiple feed streams of hydrocarbons having different normal bubble points with minimal flash. The liquefying heat exchanger has separate circuits for handling multiple feed streams. The feed stream with the lowest normal boiling point is sub-cooled sufficiently to suppress most of the flash. Feed streams with relatively high normal boiling points are cooled to substantially the same temperature, then blended with bypass streams to maintain each product near its normal bubble point. The system can also liquefy one stream at a time by using a dedicated circuit or by allocating the same feed to multiple circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Laurent Marc Brussol, David Joseph Holzer, Sylvain Vovard, Russell Shnitser, Adam Adrian Brostow, Mark Julian Roberts
  • Bearing Assembly
    Publication number: 20190072134
    Abstract: A bearing assembly comprising a bearing shell, thrust bearing pads, and journal bearing pads, where the thrust bearing pads and/or the journal bearing pads have through-pad lubricating gas distributors comprising at least one of a porous layer having connected-through porosity, a dense layer having a plurality of at least six orifices defined therethrough, or a porous layer having connected-through porosity having a plurality of at least six orifices defined therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Muthusamy Rajendran, Ethan Douglas Eiswerth
  • Treatment of nitrogen-rich natural gas streams
    Patent number: 10215488
    Abstract: Helium can be recovered from nitrogen-rich natural gas at high pressure with low helium loss by cryogenic distillation of the natural gas after pre-treatment of the gas to remove incompatible impurities and then recovery of natural gas liquid (NGL) from the pre-treated gas by distillation. Overall power consumption may be reduced, particularly if the feed to the helium recovery column system is at least substantially condensed by indirect heat exchange against a first portion of nitrogen-enriched bottoms liquid at first pressure, and a second portion of nitrogen-enriched bottoms liquid at a second pressure that is different from the first pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent White, Paul Higginbotham, John Eugene Palamara, Alan Berger
  • Rapid Cycle Pressure Swing Adsorption Process and Adsorbent Laminates for Use Therein
    Publication number: 20190046919
    Abstract: A rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption (RCPSA) air purification process, apparatus, and device for the removal of at least one of water, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and one or more hydrocarbons from a feed air stream prior to cryogenic air separation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Jinzhong Liu, Wu Li, Timothy Christopher Golden
  • Recovery Of Helium From Nitrogen-Rich Streams
    Publication number: 20190041128
    Abstract: Overall power consumption in a cryogenic distillation process for recovering helium from nitrogen-rich gases comprising helium may be reduced if the feed to the distillation column system is at least substantially condensed by indirect heat exchange against a first bottoms liquid at first pressure, and a second bottoms liquid at a second pressure that is different from the first pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent White, Paul Higginbotham, John Eugene Palamara, Alan Berger