Patents Assigned to L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme a'Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes George Claude
  • Hybrid arc/laser welding with earth contactor position control
    Patent number: 6608285
    Abstract: Hybrid welding process using a laser beam and an electric arc to produce a weld bead. The electric arc is established between an electrode connected to a first pole of a current source and at least one workpiece to be welded and connected to a second pole of a current source via at least one electrically conducting earth contactor in contact with the workpiece to be welded. To obtain effective welding, a contact is made between the earth contactor and the workpiece to be welded laterally and/or upstream of the point of impingement of the electric arc on the workpiece(s) to be welded, and considering the direction of formation of the welded joint, so as to balance the forces associated with the induced electromagnetic field acting on the puddle of liquid metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Philippe Lefebvre, Jean-Marie Fortain, Christian Bonnet
  • Method of feeding, with impure nitrogen, the combustion chamber of a gas turbine combined with an air distillation unit, and corresponding electricity generation plant
    Patent number: 6607582
    Abstract: The air distillation unit (2) has a low-pressure column (11C) which operates clearly above atmospheric pressure. The waste nitrogen coming from this column serves to purge, under low pressure, the air purification adsorbers (10A, 10B) in order to desorb them of the contaminants (water and CO2), then is mixed with the impure nitrogen stream sent directly to the nitrogen compressor (14) which feeds the combustion chamber (8) of the gas turbine (1). At the start of regeneration, each adsorber is decompressed down to atmospheric pressure, then brought back up to the low pressure by impure nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Giovanni Massimo, Jean Marc Peyron
  • Process and system for separation and recovery of perfluorocompound gases
    Patent number: 6605133
    Abstract: Processes and systems to recover at least one perfluorocompound gas from a gas mixture are provided. In one embodiment the inventive process comprises the steps of a) providing a gas mixture comprising at least one perfluorocompound gas and at least one carrier gas, the gas mixture being at a predetermined pressure; b) providing at least one glassy polymer membrane having a feed side and a permeate side; c) contacting the feed side of the at least one membrane with the gas mixture; d) withdrawing from the feed side of the membrane as a non-permeate stream at a pressure which is substantially equal to the predetermined pressure a concentrated gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one perfluorocompound gas; and e) withdrawing from the permeate side of the membrane as a permeate stream a depleted gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one carrier gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme a' Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, American Air Liquide
    Inventors: Yao-En Li, Joseph E. Paganessi, David Vassallo, Gregory K. Fleming
  • Hybrid electric-arc/laser welding process, especially for the welding of pipes or motor-vehicle components
    Patent number: 6603092
    Abstract: Hybrid welding process and unit for welding metal workpieces, such as tailored blanks, by using a laser beam and an electric arc, preferably a plasma arc, in which process, after a welded joint has been produced, the laser beam is sent and/or deflected into radiation absorption means, such as an absorption cavity, allowing the radiation of the said beam to be absorbed. The beam continues to be deflected during the welding stop phase after producing one welded joint and before starting to weld a second welded joint. The process and the unit of the invention are particularly suitable for the mass production of workpieces for the motor-vehicle industry, such as tailored blanks that can be used to manufacture, for example, motor-vehicle body components, or for the mass production of pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide-Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Francis Briand, Christian Bonnet
  • Process for the MIG welding of nickel and nickel alloys with a shielding gas based on argon and CO2
    Patent number: 6596971
    Abstract: Process for the MIG welding of nickel and nickel alloys, with the use of a gas shield for at least part of the welding zone, in which process the gas shield is a gas mixture containing from 0.05% to 0.5% CO2, the balance being argon. Advantageously, the gas mixture also contains, by volume, from 15 to 50% helium, preferably from 17% to 30% helium, or from 0.1% to 10% hydrogen by volume and preferably from 1% to 7% hydrogen by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide-Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Laurent Biskup, Didier Marchand, Jean-Marie Fortain, Jean-Yves Mouton
  • Method for sanitizing a food processing environment
    Patent number: 6589480
    Abstract: A method for sanitizing a food processing environment includes the preparation of an aqueous ozone was solution for use in sanitizing food contact surfaces and food processing work stations. During preparation of an ozone wash solution, ozone off-gas is collected from the aqueous ozone solution. The ozone off-gas is then introduced into an ambient of the food processing environment. The introduction of the ozone off-gas can be carried out in conjunction with the application of the ozone wash solution to food contact surfaces. Additionally, the ozone off-gas can be introduced at relatively high concentrations for application to food processing equipment and food contact surfaces or, alternatively, the ozone off-gas can be diluted to relatively low levels for introduction into the ambient air of a food processing facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme a'Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, American Air Liquide, Inc.
    Inventors: James T. C. Yuan, Edward F. Steiner
  • Vented compartment inerting system
    Patent number: 6585192
    Abstract: 1. An inerting system for a vented controlled atmosphere container, for inerting a flammable gas comprising a flammable vapor and oxygen, comprising: (i) a container; (ii) an outlet in the container for the flammable gas; (iii) a compressor, in fluid communication with the outlet, which compresses the flammable gas from the container; (iv) a separator, in fluid communication with the compressor, for removing oxygen from the flammable gas to produce an oxygen-depleted flammable gas; (v) an inlet in the container, which is in fluid communication with the separator; through which the oxygen-depleted flammable gas is fed into the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme A'Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Karl S. Beers
  • Process for ozone bleaching of low consistency pulp
    Patent number: 6579412
    Abstract: Provided is a process for bleaching pulp with ozone. The process involves preparing a slurry of cellulosic pulp having a consistency in fibers of from 1-5 weight %. Such a low consistency slurry is then mixed with ozone under high shear conditions. The ozone is then maintained in contact with the cellulosic fibers to effect bleaching of the fibers. The present process offers the advantages of bleaching using a low consistency slurry, with the added advantages of employing ozone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide - Societe' Anonyme a' Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, American Air Liquide LP
    Inventors: V. S. Meenakshi Sundaram, Derek Hornsey, Sebastien Corbeil
  • Stabilized-flame aerogas/oxygas burner and quarl block fitted with such a burner
    Patent number: 6579088
    Abstract: Provided is a burner which includes a pipe having a free end region designed to be housed in a furnace quarl. The pipe includes one or more fuel feed ducts surrounded over part of their length by a sheath which defines an oxidizer feed channel and is fastened to a flange. A jacket is disposed around at least part of the length of the end region so as itself to be housed in the quarl and to define a feed channel for a second oxidizer between the jacket and the internal wall of the quarl. The jacket is fastened to a flange for securing to the quarl and the flange for the sheath is fastened to that for the jacket. The burner has particular applicability in industrial furnaces, especially for melting non-ferrous materials, for rehearing or for annealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Thierry Legiret, Gérard Le Gouefflec, Stéphane Arnoux, Thierry Borissoff, Dominique Robillard
  • Process and plant for producing argon by cryogenic distillation
    Patent number: 6574988
    Abstract: In a process for separating argon-enriched gas, the gas is purified of oxygen in a first column (1) and then a stream (15) removed from the top of the first column is sent into a stripping column (2). The product (21) is withdrawn as bottoms therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Bernard Saulnier, Jean-Pierre Gourbier
  • Low temperature heat transfer methods
    Patent number: 6574972
    Abstract: Methods of cooling an object are presented, the methods comprising contacting a heat transfer fluid with a liquid cryogen to form a precooled, substantially pure heat transfer fluid, and contacting the object with the precooled substantially pure heat transfer fluid to form a cooled object and a recycle flow of the heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid consists essentially of a compound selected from the group consisting of substantially pure hydrogen, substantially pure helium, substantially pure argon, substantially pure nitrogen, and substantially pure carbon dioxide. Each of the contacting steps may be either direct contact, indirect contact, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide - Societe' Anonyme a' Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, American Air Liquide
    Inventors: Frederick W. Giacobbe, Michael G. Pizzo
  • Process and plant with oxygen-enriched air feed for a non-ferrous metal production unit
    Patent number: 6576040
    Abstract: All of the air is compressed in a single compressor, which feeds a smelter for smelting ore, a converter for converting matte coming from the smelter and an air separation unit which delivers two oxygen streams for enriching the air. A buffer tank is used to deliver a variable flow of enriched air to the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Didier Magnet, Norbert Rieth
  • Combination air separation and steam-generation processes and plants therefore
    Patent number: 6568185
    Abstract: This invention proposes innovative techniques of NOx reduction in boiler operation through an adaptation of staged combustion in combustion boilers. In preferred processes, air is fed into an air separation unit, and a nitrogen-enriched stream is combined with air to produce a nitrogen-enriched first stage air stream, and at least a portion of an oxygen-enriched stream is mixed with air to produce an oxygen-enriched second stage air stream. A reduction in NOx and increase in efficiency is promoted by the inventive processes and systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme a'Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, American Air Liquide
    Inventors: Ovidiu Marin, Erwin Penfornis
  • Integrated process and installation for the separation of air fed by compressed air from several compressors
    Patent number: 6568207
    Abstract: In an integrated process an air separation unit A receives compressed air from the compressor S of a blast furnace B and the compressor K of a gas turbine C. Nitrogen enriched air N from the air separation unit is sent to the gas turbine and oxygen enriched air O from the air separation unit is sent to the blast furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide-Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Jean-Renaud Brugerolle, Bao Ha
  • Method and installation for treating a metal part surface
    Patent number: 6561198
    Abstract: In this method for the surface treatment of a metal part (12) for the purpose of deoxidizing it and/or cleaning it, a sealed chamber (16), in which the part to be treated is placed, is filled with a low-pressure reducing gas mixture, a static magnetic field is created in a region of the chamber (16) separate from the region in which the part (12) to be treated is placed and the gas mixture is excited by means of an electromagnetic wave injected into the chamber (16) so as to generate a treatment plasma in the gas, the intensity of the static magnetic field corresponding to electron cyclotron resonance established in the chamber in a distributed manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Bernard Drevillon, Nicolas Bertrand, Jean-Christophe Rostaing
  • Process and apparatus for blending and distributing a slurry solution
    Patent number: 6554467
    Abstract: On-site blending and distribution of oxide abrasives with other constituents as used in semiconductor applications. Constituent blending is accomplished through weighing components individually into a blending tank. Some components may be added by injection or weight. Alternatively blends can be made to varying concentrations by passing the blended oxide solution in a closed circulation loop through a calibrated encapsulated torroid coil to measure electrical conductivity. The resulting conductivity output may be used to add one or more component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide - Societe' Anonyme a'Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, Air Liquide America, L.P.
    Inventors: David L. Snyder, Karl J. Urquhart, Richard Swindell
  • Cryogenic tunnel for chilling products, especially food products
    Patent number: 6553781
    Abstract: Cryogenic tunnel for chilling products, especially food products, comprising a horizontal conveyor belt (1) for products and means for blowing a cold gas thereover and for limiting the escape of cold gas from the tunnel and/or the admission of external gas into the tunnel. The tunnel comprises at least one fan (2) placed above the conveyor belt, the blades of which extend transversely with respect to the belt over virtually the entire width thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Robert Taylor
  • Integrated air-separation/energy-generation process and plant for implementing such a process
    Patent number: 6550234
    Abstract: Integrated air-separation process and plant, including at least two air separation units (1, 101), an air compressor (13), which feeds a combustion chamber and at least one of the air separation units with compressed air, and at least one dedicated air compressor (21, 121) feeding one or both of the air separation units, so that, if both air separation units receive air from the compressor (13), the proportions of air coming from the air compressor are different in the case of the two air separation units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance Pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Alain Guillard
  • Systems and methods for application of substantially dry atmospheric plasma surface treatment to various electronic component packaging and assembly methods
    Patent number: 6551860
    Abstract: This invention is related to a method for encapsulating bond regions in electronic components comprising, for example, metallic bond regions, the method comprising the steps of exposing an electronic component having at least one bond region through a primary gas atmosphere comprising unstable or excited gaseous species, the gaseous species being substantially devoid of any electrical charges, the primary gas atmosphere having a pressure ranging from about 0.5×105 Pa to about 3.0×105 Pa, thereby forming a treated, non-encapulated electronic component, then encapsulating the electronic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme a'Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, American Air Liquide
    Inventors: Jason R. Uner, Thierry Sindzingre, Claude Carsac
  • Process and device for inerting an aircraft fuel tank
    Patent number: 6547188
    Abstract: There is produced (at 2) air enriched in inert gas, from a source (9) of compressed air internal to the aircraft, and this enriched air is admitted (via 10) into the fuel tank (12). During the cruising phase of the aircraft, there is produced a first fraction of air having a first inert gas content, and this first fraction is admitted into the fuel tank (12) at a first flow rate. Moreover, during the descent phase, there is produced a second fraction of enriched air having a second inert gas content substantially less than the first content, and the second fraction is admitted to the reservoir (12) at a second flow rate substantially greater than the first flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Nicolas Schmutz, Olivier Vandroux