Patents Assigned to L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude
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Publication number: 20240093835Abstract: Heat is transferred from a first portion of liquid hydrogen to a flow of a heat transfer fluid at a first heat exchanger through heat exchange with a heat transfer fluid to produce a flow of vaporized hydrogen and a warmed flow of heat transfer fluid. The flow of vaporized hydrogen is combined with a second portion of liquid hydrogen in amounts designed to produce a combined flow with a desired temperature, the combined flow being used to fill one or more buffer vessels. Heat is also transferred at a second heat exchanger from a stream of pressurized hydrogen from the at least one buffer vessel to the cooled flow of heat transfer fluid to produce a cooled flow of pressurized hydrogen that is used to fill tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2022Publication date: March 21, 2024Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Vincent FAIRY, Anh Thao THIEU, Samuel TROMPEZINSKI
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Publication number: 20240093916Abstract: Dilution refrigeration device comprising a working circuit comprising a mixture of helium-3 isotope (3He) and helium-4 isotope (4He), the working circuit comprising a mixing chamber, a boiler and a transfer member, the circuit connecting an outlet from the mixing chamber to an inlet of the boiler and an outlet of the boiler to an inlet of the transfer member, and configured to connect an outlet from the transfer member to an inlet of the mixing chamber, the device further comprising at least one cooling member in heat exchange with the working circuit, the at least one cooling member comprising a cryogenerator, the device comprising a support member, a fluid-tight enclosure, an open end of the enclosure being mechanically connected to the support member via a flexible fluid-tight bellows, an upper end of the cryogenerator being secured to the support member, the device further comprising a fluid-tight sheath which is received in the enclosure, a lower end of the cryogenerator extending in the sheath inside thType: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2021Publication date: March 21, 2024Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Olivier GUIA, Marc STORA
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Patent number: 11933458Abstract: Heat is transferred from a first portion of liquid hydrogen to a flow of a heat transfer fluid at a first heat exchanger through heat exchange with a heat transfer fluid to produce a flow of vaporized hydrogen and a warmed flow of heat transfer fluid. The flow of vaporized hydrogen is combined with a second portion of liquid hydrogen in amounts designed to produce a combined flow with a desired temperature, the combined flow being used to fill one or more buffer vessels. Heat is also transferred at a second heat exchanger from a stream of pressurized hydrogen from the at least one buffer vessel to the cooled flow of heat transfer fluid to produce a cooled flow of pressurized hydrogen that is used to fill tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Vincent Fairy, Anh Thao Thieu, Samuel Trompezinski
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Patent number: 11933444Abstract: The invention relates to an inertization apparatus for inerting a working volume in a chemical production plant by flushing with inert gas, where the chemical production plant comprises a plant-wide inert gas distribution system having pipes for distributing the inert gas and at least one inert gas offtake position which can be connected to a connecting conduit. According to the invention, it is provided that the connecting conduit between inertization apparatus and working volume is connected, at its end nearest the working volume, in a not reversibly detachable manner to an intermediate piece, where the intermediate piece can be connected in a reversibly detachable manner to a counterpiece provided on the working volume.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Expoitation des Procédés Georges ClaudeInventor: Jean-Philippe Tadiello
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Publication number: 20240084941Abstract: Disclosed is a self-closing emergency coupling and release device for the transport of cryogenic fluid, comprising two fluid transport pipes extending in a longitudinal direction and each comprising, at a connection end, a valve mechanism configured to automatically close the pipe when the connection ends are separated and to open the pipe when the connection ends are coupled, the device further comprising an outer tube arranged around each transport pipe and delimiting a vacuum space for thermally insulating the transport pipe, the device further comprising a mechanism for holding the transport pipe in the outer tube, characterized in that the holding mechanism comprises a frustoconical connection tube having a first end connected to the outer tube and a second end connected to the transport pipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2022Publication date: March 14, 2024Applicant: L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDEInventors: Gaetan COLEIRO, Yan PENNEC
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Patent number: 11920572Abstract: Fluid flow control valve comprising a tubular body extending in a longitudinal direction with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet situated respectively at the two longitudinal ends of the body, the valve comprising a nozzle and a piston connected to the body, the piston being housed in the body, the nozzle being made up of a part provided with a fluid passage having a calibrated dimension, the passage emerging at one end of the nozzle and forming a seat, said seat being situated against a terminal end of the piston forming a shutter preventing the flow of fluid in the closed position of the valve, the piston comprising a body defining a passage for the fluid in the body for the flow of the fluid between the inlet and the outlet, the body of the valve consisting of a material having a different expansion coefficient from the piston or the nozzle, the valve comprising a heating member which, depending on the heating power delivered, makes it possible to separate the end of the nozzle and the piston by differentialType: GrantFiled: May 27, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes ClaudeInventors: Yoann Fendler, Simon Carpentier, Gérald Fruh, Daniel Viard, Francois Martin
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Patent number: 11920736Abstract: Heat is transferred from a flow of liquid hydrogen to a flow of a heat transfer fluid at a first heat exchanger to produce a warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen and a cooled flow of heat transfer fluid. Heat is also transferred at a second heat exchanger, to the cooled flow of heat transfer fluid, from a flow of pressurized hydrogen that is derived from one or more buffer vessels filled by the warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen and/or the warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen from the first exchanger to produce a cooled flow of pressurized hydrogen that is used to fill tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Vincent Fairy, Anh Thao Thieu
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Patent number: 11920732Abstract: A quality control method for the preparation of dry compressed gas cylinder including passivating and/or preparing the compressed gas cylinder with the technique to be validated, filling the passivated/prepared compressed gas cylinder with gaseous carbon dioxide to a normal working pressure, wherein the gaseous carbon dioxide has a known ?18O isotope ratio, maintaining the pressurized gas cylinder at ambient temperature for a first predetermined period of time, and gradually emptying the pressurized gas cylinder, while simultaneously measuring the ?18O isotopic ratio, wherein a predetermined variation in the measured isotopic ratio of ?18O indicates a properly prepared cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2020Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignees: Airgas, Inc., America Air Liquide, Inc., L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges ClaudeInventors: Tracey Jacksier, Mani C. Matthew, Richard A. Socki, Jun Sonobe, Megumi Isaji, James McHale
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Patent number: 11920737Abstract: Device for storing and for supplying fluid fuel, comprising a reservoir of liquefied fuel gas in equilibrium with a gas phase, in particular hydrogen, a circuit for filling the reservoir, at least one circuit for tapping fluid from the reservoir, and at least one circuit for regulating the pressure in the reservoir, the filling circuit, tapping circuit and pressure-regulating circuit comprising a set of valves arranged in a housing separate from the reservoir, the housing being removably connected to the reservoir via a demountable mechanical coupling system, the tapping circuit, the pressure-regulating circuit and the filling circuit comprising a set of demountable fluidic connectors situated at the junction between the reservoir and the housing and configured to allow the separation between portions of circuits situated in the reservoir and in the housing during the demounting of the housing with respect to the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2020Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Emmanuel Bensadoun, Patrick Bravais, Patrick Sanglan
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Publication number: 20240066493Abstract: A hydrogen production facility having equipment with a nitridation protective layer is provided. The hydrogen production facility can include a reformer configured to catalytically convert a feed stream into a product stream comprising hydrogen, the reformer having a plurality of catalyst tubes and a plurality of burners configured to provide heat to the catalyst tubes; means for providing the feed stream to the reformer from an ammonia source, wherein the feed stream comprises at least 90% of ammonia, wherein the plurality of catalyst tubes comprise a nitridation protective layer on an inner surface of the catalyst tubes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2022Publication date: February 29, 2024Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Christoph BEYER, Robert BREINING, Dieter ULBER
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Publication number: 20240068744Abstract: In a method for liquefying a gas rich in carbon dioxide, the gas is compressed to a first pressure greater than its critical pressure in a compressor to form a compressed gas, the compressed gas is cooled through heat exchange with a refrigerant to a variable temperature to form a cooled compressed gas with a density between 370 and 900 kg/m3, the cooled compressed gas is cooled at supercritical pressure in a first heat exchanger to a temperature below the critical temperature, the gas cooled below the critical temperature is expanded to a second pressure between 45 and 60 bara to form a diphasic fluid which is separated in a phase separator to form a liquid and a gas, and a liquid portion originating from the phase separator provides cold to the first heat exchanger.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2022Publication date: February 29, 2024Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Michael TRAN, Mathieu LECLERC
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Publication number: 20240068081Abstract: A method for converting an existing steam methane reformer (SMR) to produce hydrogen via ammonia cracking is provided. The method can include the steps of: providing the existing SMR, wherein the SMR was formerly used to produce hydrogen from a hydrocarbon feedstock; and improving the nitridation resistance of the inner surface of the equipment by adding a protective layer to an inner surface of equipment to be used in the existing SMR, wherein the equipment is selected from the group consisting of a catalyst tube, feed piping, a feed preheater, process gas heat exchangers, and combination thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2022Publication date: February 29, 2024Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Christoph BEYER, Robert BREINING, Dieter ULBER
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Publication number: 20240068746Abstract: A method and apparatus for restarting an air separation unit comprising a system of columns including at least a first distillation column and a heat exchanger positioned below the first column with its main axis vertical and with its cold end adjacent to the bottom of the first column, in which, during the restart, air is sent to the exchanger and at least one portion of the cooled air is sent in gaseous form to the atmosphere.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2021Publication date: February 29, 2024Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Benoit DAVIDIAN, Jean-Marc PEYRON
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Patent number: 11912651Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing methanol from a synthesis gas is provided. The method includes (i) producing, in a partial oxidation chamber, the synthesis gas having a stoichiometric number of less than 1.8 by performing a partial oxidation process with a hydrocarbon stream and an oxygen stream, (ii) passing, in a water-gas shift reactor, the synthesis gas over a water-gas shift catalyst to convert at least a portion of carbon monoxide and water into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, (iii) producing a dry, shifted synthesis gas by separating liquid condensate from shifted synthesis gas, (iv) combining, in a recycle compressor, the dry, shifted synthesis gas with a recycle synthesis gas comprised of unreacted synthesis gas and a hydrogen rich product to form a mixed synthesis gas stream, and (v) converting, in a cooled methanol synthesis reactor, at least a portion of the mixed synthesis gas stream into methanol.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges ClaudeInventors: Karsten Covella, Hans Kopetsch, Bryce Williams, Julien Aoun
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Patent number: 11916267Abstract: An installation for supplying a fuel cell with hydrogen comprising a fuel cell, a liquefied hydrogen storage facility and a supply circuit that includes at least one upstream end connected to the storage facility and one downstream end connected to a fuel inlet of the fuel cell, the supply circuit including at least one system for heating hydrogen by heat exchange with a heat source and a set of control valves, the liquefied hydrogen storage facility being configured to keep the liquefied hydrogen in equilibrium with a gaseous phase at a determined nominal storage pressure of between 1.5 and 4.5 bar, the supply circuit including a buffer tank for pressurized gaseous hydrogen which is configured to store the hydrogen withdrawn from the storage facility and heated by the heating system, the set of valves being configured to accumulate pressurized gas in the buffer tank at a determined storage pressure of between 4 and 100 bar, for example between 6 and 8 bar.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventor: Laurent Allidieres
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Patent number: 11912576Abstract: An integrated process for producing a purified and converted synthesis gas and a corresponding plant including initially converting in a synthesis gas generation stage a carbon-containing input material into a raw synthesis gas which in a subsequent CO conversion zone is altered in respect of its H2/CO ratio and finally sent to a gas scrubbing zone operating according to a physical gas scrubbing process with methanol as the absorption medium in which the content of unwanted gas constituents, in particular of acidic gas constituents, in the synthesis gas is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2019Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges ClaudeInventor: Stefan Walter
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Patent number: 11913720Abstract: A supply quantity adjustment device 500 comprises: a total demand quantity calculation unit 502 that calculates a total demand quantity used at a supply destination, based on plant information; an excess/deficit information setting unit 503 that compares the total demand quantity and a flow rate set value and sets a first calculated pressure value; a backup coefficient setting unit that sets a backup coefficient set value based on a reference gasholder pressure, the first calculated pressure value, a reference backup pressure set value, and a measured gasholder pressure value; and a production coefficient setting unit that compares a production pressure set value obtained by adding the reference gasholder pressure and a first pressure output value with the measured gasholder pressure value, and sets a production coefficient so as to modify a variation in the quantity of product gas produced by the air separation apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Takuya Kaneda, Shigenobu Kuwada
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Patent number: 11913719Abstract: A liquefaction apparatus that automatically adjusts the load on the liquefaction apparatus correspondingly with an upper limit value of contracted power in different time slots, and which is capable of maximizing the amount of liquefied product produced and of achieving optimum operating efficiency is provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventor: Takuya Kaneda
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Patent number: 11913718Abstract: A method for producing power and argon is provided by providing a residual gas stream, purifying the residual gas stream in a front-end purification unit to remove carbon dioxide, thereby forming a purified residual gas stream, and introducing the purified residual gas stream to a cold box, wherein the purified residual gas stream is cooled and expanded within the cold box to produce power and then fed to a distillation column system for separation therein, thereby forming an argon-enriched stream and optionally a nitrogen-enriched stream and/or an oxygen-enriched stream, wherein the residual gas stream is sourced from a retentate stream of a cold membrane having oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2019Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Alain Guillard, Michael A. Turney, Abigail Bonifacio
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Publication number: 20240060715Abstract: A liquefaction system comprises: a temperature setting unit for setting an inlet gas temperature on entry to a cold turbine; a control valve for controlling an amount of gas fed to the cold turbine, correspondingly with an inlet gas temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit; and a control unit which compares the inlet gas temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit with a warning temperature set value plus a margin, and sets a first operating state when the inlet gas temperature is equal to or less than the warning temperature set value plus the margin and also sets an emergency stoppage temperature set value at the warning temperature set value plus the margin, and sets a second operating state when the inlet gas temperature is greater than the warning temperature set value plus the margin, the control unit performing control in response to the second operating state to make a degree of opening of the control valve greater than a degree of opening during the first operating state in oType: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventor: Takuya KANEDA