Abstract: A reservoir of the device supports, in its upper portion, a profiled flange forming a handling apparatus for the device and a trough to collect and discharge, via an opening, the water of condensation forming on a vaporization coil. The coil has turns of changing diameters, supported by support combs on the trough and enclosed in a cover provided with peripheral and upper air openings. The cover includes an element for securing a receptacle that directly coacts, by gravity, condensates.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 31, 2000
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: First and second sub-parts are brought into contact with each other so as to form an unwelded hollow structure defining an internal volume. The internal volume of the hollow structure is inerted by introducing an inerting gas mixture into the hollow structure, the inerting gas mixture comprising from 93% to 99.8% nitrogen and from 0.2% to 7% oxygen and being produced by air permeation by means of one or more membrane modules. The first and second sub-parts are arc welded together so as to form a welded hollow structure.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 25, 1999
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: In an integrated power generation system, part of the air from a gas turbine compressor is separated in a single nitrogen wash column to remove oxygen and the gaseous nitrogen produced at the top of the column is sent back to a point upstream of the expander of the gas turbine. The wash column may be fed with liquid nitrogen from an independent air separation unit in which air is separated. Liquid from the bottom of the wash column may be fed back to the air separation unit. In order to boost production of an air separation plant, an additional plant is linked with the original plant. For example, air may be separated in a single nitrogen wash column to remove oxygen and gaseous nitrogen is produced at the top of the column. The wash column is fed with liquid nitrogen from the high pressure column of the air separation unit. Liquid from the bottom of the wash column may be fed back to the air separation unit.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 12, 2000
Date of Patent:
August 21, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: An installation for the treatment of fluid having a receptacle (1) defining a non-vertical portion of a path for fluid through at least two adjacent masses (A; B; C) of particulate materials, typically different from each other, each mass being in direct contact with its neighbor or neighbors, without the interposition of a separating grid. The installation is particularly useful for the separation or drying of air.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 9, 1999
Date of Patent:
August 21, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: A self-cooled oxidant-fuel burner consisting novel fuel and oxidant nozzles and three compartment refractory burner block design is proposed. The new oxidant-fuel burner can fire in high-temperature (2200° F. to 3000° F.) and high-particulate (or high process volatiles/condensates) furnaces without over-heating or causing chemical corrosion damage to it's metallic burner nozzle and refractory burner block interior. Using various embodiments of nozzle and block shape, the burner can offer a traditional cylindrical flame or flat flame depending on the heating load requirements. The new features of this burner include unique fuel nozzle design for the streamline mixing of fuel and oxidant streams, a controlled swirl input to the oxidant flow for desired flame characteristics, a controlled expansion of flame envelope in the radial and axial dimensions, and efficient sweeping of burner block interior surface using oxidant to provide convective cooling and prevent any build up of process particulates.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 22, 2000
Date of Patent:
August 21, 2001
Assignees:
American Air Liquide, Inc., L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
Mahendra L. Joshi, Harley A. Borders, Ovidiu Marin, Olivier Charon
Abstract: A process, particularly of the TSA type, for separating impurities of the nitrogen protoxide (N2O) and possibly carbon dioxide (CO2) or ethylene (C2H4) type which are contained in a gas stream, such as air. The impurities of nitrogen protoxide type are removed on a faujasite zeolite having a Si/Al ratio of 1 to 1.5 and containing from 0 to 35% of K+ cations, between 1 and 99% of Na+ cations and between 1 and 99% of Ca2+ cations, preferably at least 50% of Ca2+ cations. The separation is preferably carried out at a temperature of approximately −40° C. to +80° C., preferably at room temperature. Advantageously, the process is employed for prepurifying atmospheric air before cryogenic distillation of the air thus prepurified.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 20, 1999
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
Cyrille Millet, Serge Moreau, Georges Kraus, Jean-Pierre Gabillard
Abstract: The invention relates to a device for distributing a working gas, comprising a series of pipes connected to at least one source of working gas and to at least one outlet pipe for conveying the working gas towards a consumer station, functional members (25, 25A); and a command-control unit (35, 35A) comprising means (37) for communicating with the said functional members (35, 35A), means (39) for controlling tasks relating to the said functional members (25, 25A) and means (45) for operating the control means (39), which can be actuated by an operator of the distribution device. The operating means (45) comprise a touch-sensitive screen (47) which has main control zones associated with the control of corresponding tasks, which main control zones are delimited by graphics associated with the said tasks and displayed permanently on the said touch-sensitive screen (47).
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 21, 1998
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
André Chavand, Marc Bourgeois, Norbert Fanjat
Abstract: A plant for separation of a gas mixture comprises at least two columns which are of the same length. The tops of two of the columns are at the same height.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 12, 2001
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
Olivier Bruder, Bernard Darredeau, Jean-Yves Lehman
Abstract: In this process, the apparatus for separating the feed gas is connected to the delivery side of at least one variable-rotation-speed compressor, whose speed is controlled on the basis of the measurement of a parameter representative of the flow of gas product. The process is useful in the production of nitrogen from atmospheric air.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 8, 1999
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: Process for preparing hydrogen peroxide, comprising the following steps:
a) a step of reduction of dioxygen in acidic medium with a hydrophobic organometallic complex, and
b) a step of separation of the oxidized organometallic complex resulting from step a) and of the hydrogen peroxide by liquid/liquid extraction.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 16, 1999
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
Henry Ledon, Roger Guillard, Alain Tabard, Guy Royal, Gregory Broeker
Abstract: A compression machine (compressor 4 and/or pump 5) of the plant (1) for the treatment of a fluid, typically by pressure swing adsorption, comprises at least one detector (7) for detecting clearance between a moving part (6) and a stator and delivering a measurement signal used so as to vary, depending on this measurement, the operation of the plant and especially to automatically shorten the phases during which the machine is running at an excessively high speed.
Type:
Application
Filed:
February 7, 2001
Publication date:
August 9, 2001
Applicant:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: This device includes a drive device (1) arranged above the reactor, provided with a vertical output shaft (2) equipped at its end with an axial-flow mobile assembly such as a propeller (4) immersed in the reactor; the output shaft of the drive device also carries an auto-suction turbine (5) immersed in the reactor and drivable by the output shaft (2), and the latter is enveloped coaxially by a cylinder (6) linked at its upper end to the drive device and whose lower end (6a) opens out into the turbine; in the upper end of the cylinder is drilled an aperture (14) for injecting a gas into an annular gap (15) delimited by the shaft and the cylinder. This device makes it possible to transfer a gas into a liquid efficiently and to ensure agitation whereby particles may be placed in suspension and held there. Application to the biological treatment of industrial effluents.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 5, 1999
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: Process for separating at least carbon dioxide (CO2) contained in a gas stream, preferably air, in which at least carbon dioxide is adsorbed on a zeolite-X having a Si/Al ratio of approximately 1 to 1.5 and containing at most 35% of K+ cations, between 1 and 99% of Na+ cations and at most 99% of Ca2+ cations. This process is carried out at a temperature ranging from −40° C. to +80° C. Optionally, impurities chosen from water vapour and hydrocarbons, particularly ethylene, are also removed. The air thus purified is then capable of being cryogenically distilled.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 29, 1998
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
Cyrille Millet, Philippe Bourgeois, Georges Kraus, Jean-Pierre Gabillard
Abstract: The invention relates to a process for controlling a PSA, especially VSA, plant for separating a gas stream, in particular a gas stream containing nitrogen and at least one less polar gaseous component, especially oxygen and/or hydrogen. The PSA plant operates in a production cycle and has one or more adsorbers, each production cycle comprising at least one feed step of feed duration (TA), which comprises introducing the gas stream to be separated into an adsorber; at least one production step, which comprises recovering a stream of gas produced at a prefixed production pressure (PP) and with a prefixed nominal production output (DN); and at least one pumping step of pumping duration (TP); which comprises extracting a gas stream from at least one adsorber.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 21, 1999
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: A method for air distillation with production of argon using an air distilling installation (1) comprising an air distilling apparatus (2) in particular with double column, and at least one column for producing impure argon. The installation has dimensions for supplying argon with a nominal yield &rgr;n of argon extraction at the impure argon producing column output. For reduced argon production requirements corresponding to a required yield &rgr; of argon extraction at the impure argon producing column output, with &rgr;≦&rgr;o≦&rgr;n where &rgr;o is a predetermined optimal yield, the argon extraction yield in the impure argon producing column is maintained at the value &rgr;o.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 1, 2000
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
François De Bussy, Frédéric Staine, Bernard Saulnier
Abstract: The liquid to be delivered leaves a container (3A, 3B) maintained at a first overpressure P1, from where it is transferred to an intermediate storage tank (11) maintained at a predetermined intermediate pressure P2>P1. Several small-volume delivery containers (12A, 12B), each of which may be pressurized either to a delivery pressure P3>P2 or to a filling pressure P4<P2, are connected in parallel downstream of this tank. The invention has applicability to the delivery of ultrapure chemicals intended for the microelectronics industry.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 3, 2000
Date of Patent:
July 31, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: A process for producing a heat and material exchange device including a stack of fixed ventilators to promote gas mixing, each ventilator being constituted by four deflectors whose mean normals are inclined and generated one after another by rotation about vertical axes, the sum of the four angles of rotation being 360°. The ventilators are stacked in successive horizontal layers amidst which each deflector forms a part of two adjacent ventilators turned in opposite directions and such that there is sufficient space between two adjacent deflectors for the passage of gas. The deflectors are pierced by at least one hole so as to promote passage of the liquid to the underside of the deflectors. At least some of the deflectors are connected to at least one of their neighbors in a same horizontal plane by a common edge segment so as to permit lateral division of the liquid between deflectors.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 29, 1999
Date of Patent:
July 31, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: A plasmagenic gas comprises a ternary mixture of helium, argon and hydrogen. The gas contains less than 30% helium, at least 55% argon, and from 5.5 to 15% hydrogen. The gas is energized to form a plasma. A powder of a refractory or metallic material is introduced into the plasma.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 3, 2000
Date of Patent:
July 24, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Abstract: A corrosion resistant gas cylinder and gas delivery system includes an electroless nickel-phosphorous layer overlying the inner surface of a steel alloy cylinder. The nickel-phosphorous layer has a thickness of at least about 20 micrometers and a porosity of no greater than about 0.1%. The electroless nickel-phosphorous layer has a phosphorous content of at least about 10% by weight and a surface roughness of no greater than about 5 micrometers. Prior to introducing liquefied gas into the gas cylinder, a cleaning process is carried out using a two-step baking process to clean the surface of the nickel-phosphorus layer. The nickel-phosphorous layer substantially reduces the contamination of liquefied corrosive gasses stored in the gas cylinder by metal from the steel wall surface underlying the nickel-phosphorous layer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 4, 2000
Date of Patent:
July 24, 2001
Assignees:
Air Liquide America Corporation, American Air Liquide Inc., L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
Alan D. Zdunek, Eugene A. Kernerman, William Korzeniowski
Abstract: A PSA or VSA process for separating a gas flow, such as air, containing at least one first gas compound, such as nitrogen, which is preferentially adsorbed on at least one adsorbent, and at least one second gas compound, such as oxygen, which is adsorbed less preferentially on at least the one adsorbent than the first gas compound. The adsorbent used comprises particles of faujasite zeolite having a Si/Al ratio <1.5, such as a LSX zeolite, and containing 80 to 99% Li+ cations, 0.01 to 25% Na+ cations, 0.01% to 10% Mg2 cations, 0.01% to 10% Ca2+ cations and 0 to 3% K+ cations.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 23, 1999
Date of Patent:
July 17, 2001
Assignee:
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation
des Procedes Georges Claude
Inventors:
Jacques Labasque, Bernard Lledos, Serge Moreau