Patents Assigned to L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
  • Publication number: 20230160534
    Abstract: A cryogen storage vessel at an installation is filled with liquid cryogen from a liquid cryogen storage tank that has a pressure lower than that of the vessel. After headspaces of the vessel and tank are placed in fluid communication with another via a gas transfer vessel and are pressure-balanced, a pump in a liquid transfer line connected between the tank and the vessel is operated to transfer amounts of liquid cryogen from the tank to the vessel via the liquid transfer line and pump as amounts of gaseous cryogen are transferred, through displacement by the pumped cryogenic liquid, from the vessel to the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Joshua LIGHT, Jerry HAYES, Laurent ALLIDIERES, Thomas FAYER, Cyril BENISTAND-HECTOR
  • Publication number: 20230160528
    Abstract: Device for filling pressurized gas tanks, in particular hydrogen tanks of vehicles, comprising a fluid transfer circuit having an upstream end connected to a plurality of sources (2 to 10) of pressurized fluid and a downstream end comprising at least one dispenser intended to be connected to a tank to be filled, the sources (2 to 10) being connected in parallel to the at least one dispenser, each source (2 to 10) comprising a fluid outlet connected to a respective outlet valve (22 to 30), the sources (2 to 10) being connected in parallel in different subgroups to respective transfer lines (35 to 37), i.e.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Benjamin FISCHER, Herve PAOLI
  • Publication number: 20230160634
    Abstract: A pressurized CO2 rich gas is cooled down to condense at least part of the stream in a heat exchanger. A bulk of the CO2 is separated by partial condensation and distillation in order to obtain at least one non-condensable gas from a separation vessel. The non-condensable gas is optionally heated up to a temperature lower than ?20° C. (membranes performances is greatly enhanced by low temperature operation). The non-condensable gas is introduced into a membrane permeation unit, producing a residue stream and a permeate stream (the permeate stream is enriched in CO2). The permeate stream is recycled to the process, optionally after compression. The method is auto-refrigerated, i. e. no external refrigerant is used to provide cooling below 0° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l?Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sandeep KARODE, Sudhir KULKARNI, Paul TERRIEN
  • Publication number: 20230160529
    Abstract: A cryogen storage vessel at an installation is filled with liquid cryogen from a liquid cryogen storage tank that has a pressure lower than that of the vessel. After headspaces of the vessel and tank are placed in fluid communication with another via a gas transfer vessel and are pressure-balanced, a pump in a liquid transfer line connected between the tank and the vessel is operated to transfer amounts of liquid cryogen from the tank to the vessel via the liquid transfer line and pump as amounts of gaseous cryogen are transferred, through displacement by the pumped cryogenic liquid, from the vessel to the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Joshua LIGHT, Jerry HAYES, Laurent ALLIDIERES, Thomas FAYER, Cyril BENISTAND-HECTOR
  • Publication number: 20230151929
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for improving stability of a hydrogen gaseous dispensing system. An example of such system is hydrogen powered vehicle fuel filling station. Vehicle is filled by multiple high pressure gaseous hydrogen tubes, usually one tube at a time. For safety and reliability reasons a control requirement for such system is to be able to deliver the hydrogen at constant rate to the fuel tank so that its rate of pressure increase stays constant during entire filling process. A dual pressure regulator arrangement is proposed to better maintain flow continuity and/or pressure during tube switching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Pierre-Philippe GUERIF, Paul KONG, Wendy May Yee YIP, Aaron HARRIS, Jorge LOPEZ
  • Patent number: 11644119
    Abstract: A valve for pressurized fluid having a body housing a fluid circuit having an upstream end configured to be placed in communication with a reserve of pressurized fluid and a downstream end configured to be placed in communication with a user of fluid, the circuit having a collection of valve shutter(s) having at least one shutoff valve shutter allowing the circuit to be closed or opened, the valve having a member for manually controlling the collection of valve shutter(s), the control member being mounted to allow the body to move between a rest position in which the collection of valve shutter(s) is in a position in which the circuit is closed and an active position in which the control member actuates the collection of valve shutter(s) into a position in which the circuit is open with a first bore section
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Samuel Vignerol, Antoine Frenal, Denis Muller, Hervé Paoli, Morgan Lamiable, Johan Broechler, Claudio Di Filippo
  • Publication number: 20230135431
    Abstract: Device for storing and transferring cryogenic fluid, comprising at least one elementary container comprising a liquefied gas tank, the tank being provided with a first pipe for transferring fluid, which pipe has a first end connected to an upper end of the tank, the tank being provided with a second pipe for transferring fluid, which pipe has a first end connected to a lower end of the tank, the first and the second transfer pipes each comprising an assembly of respective valves, characterized in that the first transfer pipe comprises two arms forming two second ends connected in parallel to the first end of the first transfer pipe, the two second ends of the first transfer pipe each being provided with a respective fluidic connection coupling, and in that the second transfer pipe comprises two arms forming two second ends connected in parallel to the first end of the second transfer pipe, the two second ends of the second transfer pipe each being provided with a respective fluidic connection coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Jean-Marc BERNHARDT
  • Patent number: 11634325
    Abstract: The invention relates to an absorber column and to the use thereof for separation of unwanted, especially acidic, gas constituents, for example carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, from a crude synthesis gas by absorption with an absorbent, especially under low load states of the absorber column in relation to the synthesis gas velocity. According to the invention, a defined concentration of carbon dioxide in the clean synthesis gas is established by mixing at least a portion of the absorbent regenerated by flash regeneration with the absorbent regenerated by means of hot regeneration prior to the recycling thereof into the absorber column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Alfred Gubrinski, Sandra Jensen, Sharon Corbet
  • Patent number: 11635254
    Abstract: An air separation apparatus and process, which produces gaseous oxygen and/or nitrogen products at an elevated pressure through internal compression of respective liquid products, are disclosed. Split-core main heat exchangers are employed to warm up product streams generated in an air rectification unit against 1) a main feed air stream in the low-pressure heat exchanger and 2) at least one boosted pressure air stream in the high-pressure exchanger. Because the boosted pressure air stream is at a higher pressure and temperature than the main feed air stream, after separate heat exchange in the split main heat exchangers, the subsidiary waste nitrogen stream exiting the high-pressure heat exchanger is also warmer than the subsidiary waste nitrogen stream exiting the low-pressure heat exchanger. The warmer waste nitrogen stream is fed into the air purification unit for regeneration purposes and the cooler waste nitrogen stream is introduced into the nitrogen water tower to perform cooling duty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Bowei Zhao, Alain Briglia
  • Publication number: 20230119575
    Abstract: Facility and method for hydrogen refrigeration, comprising a hydrogen circuit to be cooled, comprising:—a first and a second set of heat exchanger(s) arranged in series for exchanging heat with the hydrogen circuit to be cooled;—a first cooling device for exchanging heat with the first set of heat exchanger(s) comprising a refrigerator that operates a refrigeration cycle of a first cycle gas;—a second cooling device for exchanging heat with the second set of heat exchanger(s) comprising a refrigerator that operates a refrigeration cycle of a second cycle gas having a molar mass of less than 3 g/mol, the refrigerator of the second cooling device comprising, arranged in series in a cycle circuit: at least one centrifugal compressor, a cooling member, an expansion member and a member for reheating the second expanded cycle gas;—a system for mixing at least one additional component having a molar mass greater than 50 g/mol with the second cycle gas before it enters the at least one centrifugal compressor and a me
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Patrick LE BOT, Marine ANDRICH, Nicolas KOFMAN
  • Patent number: 11629051
    Abstract: A method for decreasing the SFFC of a steam reforming plant, including establishing a base operating mode. Then modifying the base operating mode by introducing the shift gas stream into a solvent based, non-cryogenic separator prior to introduction into the pressure swing adsorption and introducing the compressed hydrogen depleted off-gas stream in a membrane separation unit, wherein the membrane is configured to produce the hydrogen enriched permeate stream at a suitable pressure to allow the hydrogen enriched permeate stream to be combined with carbon dioxide lean shift gas stream, prior to introduction into the pressure swing adsorption unit without requiring additional compression. Thereby establishing a modified operating mode. Wherein said pressure swing adsorption unit has a modified overall hydrogen recovery. Wherein said modified operating mode has a modified hydrogen production, a modified hydrogen production unit firing duty, a modified SCO2e, and a modified SFFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Pierre-Philippe Guerif, Joseph T. Stroffolino, IV, Alain Guillard
  • Patent number: 11629918
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heat exchanger for vaporizing a coolant fluid by heat exchange with a calorigenic fluid, said exchanger comprising several parallel plates defining a plurality of passages between them which are suitable for the coolant fluid or calorigenic fluid to flow, a first wave and a second wave extending between two successive plates so as to define a plurality of channels within the same passage, said first and second waves comprising two adjacent edges, at least one assembly member extending from one edge to the other so as to connect the waves to one another. According to the invention, the assembly member is forcibly engaged in at least one part of a channel of the first wave on one hand, and in at least one part of a channel of the second wave on the other hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Guillaume Cardon, Frederic Crayssac, Philippe Grigoletto, Natacha Haik-Beraud, Frederic Rousseau, Marc Wagner
  • Patent number: 11629050
    Abstract: A method for decreasing the SFFC of a steam reforming plant, including establishing a base operating mode. Then modifying the base operating mode by introducing the shift gas stream into a solvent based, non-cryogenic separator prior to introduction into the pressure swing adsorption and introducing the compressed hydrogen depleted off-gas stream in a membrane separation unit, wherein the membrane is configured to produce the hydrogen enriched permeate stream at a suitable pressure to allow the hydrogen enriched permeate stream to be combined with carbon dioxide lean shift gas stream, prior to introduction into the pressure swing adsorption unit without requiring additional compression. Thereby establishing a modified operating mode. Wherein said pressure swing adsorption unit has a modified overall hydrogen recovery. Wherein said modified operating mode has a modified hydrogen production, a modified hydrogen production unit firing duty, a modified SCO2e, and a modified SFFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Pierre-Philippe Guerif, Joseph T. Stroffolino, IV, Alain Guillard
  • Patent number: 11629111
    Abstract: Proposed is a process for producing methanol from synthesis gas by means of multi-stage, for example two-stage, heterogeneously catalyzed methanol synthesis, wherein the methanol product formed in every synthesis stage is separated by condensation and the remaining residual gas is supplied to the downstream synthesis stage or after separation of a purge stream recycled to the first synthesis stage as a recycle stream. According to the invention after each synthesis stage the residual gas streams have separated from them a respective purge stream, from which, using one or more hydrogen recovery apparatuses, hydrogen is separated and recycled to the first synthesis stage. The ratio of the individual purge streams and their total molar flow may optionally be varied to allow better control of the reaction in the individual synthesis stages and to allow reaction to the advancing deactivation of the catalysts present therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Veronika Gronemann, Karin Huder
  • Patent number: 11624464
    Abstract: A device for supplying pressurized fluid, comprising a first valve) and a second valve accommodating internal circuits, the first valve and the second valve including respective coupling members that form a quick-connection system for removably connecting the second valve to the first valve, the internal circuits including a set of one or more control valves the device including at least one manually actuable mobile control member for controlling the set of one or more control valves, between a first, rest position, in which the flow of fluid towards the outlet is prevented, and a second, active position, in which the flow of fluid towards the outlet is allowed, the quick-connection system including a connection piece for connecting the second valve to the first valve between a first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Antoine Frenal, Guillaume Casaert, Valérie Nille, Sébastien Gorry, René Fogen, Morgan Lamiable
  • Patent number: 11624479
    Abstract: A quantity of gas is introduced into a gas reservoir via a filling station provided with a filling line. The quantity is measured. A signal is generated indicating a corrected quantity of transferred gas. The signal is obtained by adding a predetermined, positive or negative, corrective amount to the measured quantity of gas transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Thibaut Francois, Marcus Buck
  • Patent number: 11624035
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas scrubbing process and plant for purifying raw synthesis gas by physical absorption in methanol. A raw synthesis gas stream which includes hydrogen and carbon monoxide as desired constituents and water and acid gases as undesired constituents is admixed with methanol and subsequently cooled below the freezing point of water. According to the invention a liquid phase including methanol and water is separated from the cooled raw synthesis gas stream. Acid gases are removed from the remaining gaseous phase by physical absorption in methanol at elevated pressure. Separating the water from the raw synthesis gas stream before the absorption of the acid gases prevents larger amounts of water passing into the methanol circuit of the gas scrubbing process. This achieves savings in resources and certain plant parts may be smaller than is customary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Ganesh Arumugam, Dorit Rappold, Sharon Corbet, Robert Szabo
  • Publication number: 20230107973
    Abstract: Dilution refrigeration device and method comprising a loop working circuit containing a working fluid comprising a mixture of helium-3 (3He) and helium-4 (4He), the working circuit comprising, arranged in series and fluidically connected via a first set of pipes, a mixing chamber, an evaporator and transfer member, the first set of pipes being configured to transfer the working fluid from an outlet of the mixing chamber to an inlet of the evaporator and from an outlet of the evaporator to an inlet of the transfer member, the working circuit comprising a second set of pipes connecting an outlet of the transfer member to an inlet of the mixing chamber, the working circuit comprising at least a first heat-exchange portion for exchange of heat between at least part of the first set of pipes and the second set of pipes, the first heat-exchange portion being situated between the evaporator and the mixing chamber, the device further comprising at least one cooling member in a heat-exchange relationship with the work
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Simon CRISPEL, Alain RAVEX
  • Patent number: 11619443
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the production of air gases by the cryogenic separation of air with front end purification and air compression can include using an available compressed dry gas such as nitrogen, oxygen, stored purified air, or synthetic air to repressurize the adsorber without diverting any of the purified air just exiting the currently on-line adsorber or changing the flow rate of the main air compressor or air sent to the cold box. This enables the main air compressor (MAC) to operate at a relatively constant flow rate while also sending a relatively constant air flow to the cold box during this repressurization step, thereby reducing the risks of process upsets and minimizing capital expenditures related to the MAC and other warm-end equipments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Paul Kong, Minh Pham-Huy, Wendy Yip
  • Publication number: 20230085780
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid compression apparatus having a plurality of compression stages, comprising a first compression chamber, a second compression chamber, an intake system communicating with the first compression chamber which is configured to allow fluid to be compressed into said first compression chamber, a transfer system configured to allow in an open position the transfer of fluid from the first compression chamber to the second compression chamber, a mobile piston for ensuring the compression of the fluid in the first and second compression chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Cyril BENISTAND-HECTOR, Guillaume PETITPAS