Abstract: The present invention is directed toward providing a system for the remote monitoring and control of operating equipment. Through a series of sensors located on or near the equipment, a plurality of operating and production parameters are read and metered. Should any of the readings exceed predetermined levels, an alarm signal is triggered, thereby notifying service personal located remote from the equipment site. Through the automated resources at the monitoring site, the system automatically logs the readings, events, and alarms; communicates alarms to the appropriate personnel dependent upon the nature of the alarm, the type of equipment involved, and the location of the equipment. Service and maintenance information and aids are available to personnel at the equipment site through a communication network to the remote monitoring site.

Abstract: A device for connecting cryogenic fluid containers includes a connection having screw-threaded connection portions and a flange having at least one pair of openings spaced by a predetermined distance. The device also includes a retaining strap of L shape with two wings cut out in U shape, the front wing also having a pair of openings spaced by the same distance as the openings of the flange. Rivets secure the strap and the flange to each other. The front wing also has a marking identifying the gas corresponding to the distance between openings.

Abstract: Protective cap for a plasma arc working torch, includes a cap body (7) having an opening (17) for the passage of plasma gas, the cap body (7) being made of at least one material of ceramic type. The ceramic is a silicon nitride or an aluminum silicate. Preferably, the ceramic cap body (7) is clad with boron nitride deposited on the external surface of the cap body, the thickness of the cladding of boron nitride being less than 3 mm. Torch provided with such a cap and its use in a steel plate plasma cutting operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the decarburization of steel components in a furnace during heat treating processes. The concentration of CO2 and/or CO in the furnace is monitored in a first batch in order to determine periods of elevated CO2/CO concentrations, and inert gas is injected in subsequent batches during the previously determined periods of elevated CO2/CO concentrations.

Abstract: A tank for a cryogenic fluid, of the type comprising an inner vessel (2) intended to receive the cryogenic fluid and delimiting, with an outer vessel (8), a space (9) for the insertion of multilayer thermal insulation (7). The tank comprises multilayer thermal insulation (7) supporting the inner vessel (2) and an outer vessel (8) without a rigid connection to the inner vessel (2).

Abstract: Provided is a novel regenerative heat exchanger and a method for heating a gas in the heat exchanger. The regenerative heat exchanger features a chamber separated into a plurality of annular concentric spaces, including: a first, inner annular space defining a hot collection chamber; a second, outer annular space concentric to and around the first space defining a cold collection chamber; and a third annular space defining a heat exchange zone concentric to and between the first and second spaces. The heat exchange zone contains a particulate heat transfer material. The third space is supported on the inside by a concentrically disposed hot grid, and the external diameter of the third annular space is less than about double the internal diameter of the third annular space. The invention has particular applicability to the feeding of hot blast to a blast furnace in the iron making industry.

Abstract: Steel work gases (blast-furnace gases, coke-oven gases, converter gases, etc.) are burnt with an exhaust gas from a gas turbine, optionally with a supply of natural gas and of air, in a combustion section between the outlet of the gas turbine and the inlet of a recovery boiler, the steam from which is utilized especially for producing electrical energy.

Abstract: A device useful for separating the components of gas mixtures includes a selectively gas permeable mixed matrix membrane of a dispersed phase of chabazite type molecular sieve particles uniformly distributed throughout a continuous phase of a polymer. The membrane can be fabricated by dispersing the chabazite type molecular sieve particles in a solution of the polymer dissolved in a suitable solvent, and then forming the suspension into a membrane structure by conventional polymer membrane fabrication techniques. Mixed matrix membranes with chabazite type molecular sieves are well suited to separations of oxygen, carbon dioxide or helium from nitrogen or methane.

Abstract: A method and installation for forming a coating on a substrate, wherein the substrate is contacted with a gas treatment atmosphere in order to carry out said coating. The gas treatment atmosphere includes a primary gas treatment mixture comprising excited or unstable gaseous species obtained from a device which converts an initial gas mixture into said species, and an adjacent gas treatment mixture comprising at least one gas precursor required to form said coating, whereby the adjacent mixture is not transported via said device. The adjacent gas treatment mixture is injected into the flow of the primary gas mixture when the gas exits from the device.

Abstract: A reboiler/condenser bath heat exchanger for heat exchange between a first fluid to be vaporized and a second fluid to be condensed includes a number of passages for heat exchange between the two fluids in order to make the second fluid flow, which fluid has a temperature of T2-2 at the outlet of the passages; a vessel containing the passages for making the first fluid flow between the passages by thermosiphon effect from the bottom upwards over a height h, the first fluid having an entry temperature T1-1 where T1-1<T2-2 and an exit pressure P1-2; elements for giving the entry pressure P1-1 of the first fluid a value such that the pressure P1-2 is greater than a minimum pressure Pm,ex and elements for ensuring that at least one of the following two conditions is fulfilled: the height h of the passages is at least equal to 2.5 m; and the temperature T2-2 of the second fluid is less than T1-1+1.2° C.

Abstract: The apparatus and method of the present invention relates use of a warm and dry atmosphere in electronic component storage areas. The warm and dry atmosphere provides the benefit of eliminating the baking process and other moisture management issues by removing moisture from the components. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a component storage system includes an enclosed component storage area and a dry gas delivery system for delivery of a dry gas to the storage area to prevent moisture from being absorbed by the components, and a temperature control system for controlling a temperature of the dry gas to about 10° C. to about 60° C.

Abstract: An air separation unit including an air intake, a high pressure cryogenic distillation column receiving air from the air intake and producing an oxygen rich liquid reflux, and a low-pressure cryogenic distillation column. An adaptive controller controls the flow rate of the oxygen-rich liquid from the first distillation column into the second distillation column, wherein during plant upsets, the adaptive controller maintains the level of oxygen-rich liquid in the first distillation column at a substantially constant level by adjusting a flow rate of the oxygen rich liquid into the second distillation column, and wherein the argon content of the argon-rich output stream from the second distillation column remains substantially constant.

Abstract: Steam generation apparatus and methods are presented that are dedicated to oxygen-enriched air combustion of a fuel, wherein the oxygen concentration of the oxygen-enriched air may range from just above 21 percent to 100 percent. One apparatus comprises an oxygen-enriched air preheater through which oxygen-enriched air flows and exchanges heat indirectly with flue gas, creating a preheated oxygen-enriched air stream. The apparatus further comprises a boiler having a radiant section and a convection section, and other heat transfer units adapted to handle reduced flue gas flow rate and higher temperature flue gases than comparable air/fuel combustion boilers, thus allowing a smaller heat transfer surface area, a more compact design and a higher efficiency.

Abstract: In an integrated method of air separation, a plant includes at least one first air separation unit (1, 101), a first air compressor (13), a first combustion chamber (17), a first expansion turbine (19), a second air compressor (15), a second combustion chamber (23) and a second expansion turbine (25) and a third air compressor (21) in which compressed air is sent from the first air compressor to the first combustion chamber and to the first air separation unit, compressed air is sent from the second air compressor to the second combustion chamber and to the first air separation unit.

Abstract: A formed adsorbent material includes an adsorbent solid phase and a gas phase ensuring transport of the gaseous components right to the adsorbent, being such that the constants for the transport kinetics of the components adsorbable in the gas phase and in the solid phase are in a ratio of between 0.1 and 10 defined for a gas discharge velocity of 0.2 m/s measured on air at 1 bar and 20° C. or in a ratio of between 0.1 and 10, defined for a gas discharge velocity of 0.01 m/s measured on hydrogen at 30 bar and 40° C.

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.

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.

Abstract: A multicomponent, ground based system for reducing the hazard of explosion of aircraft fuel in the on board tanks of aircraft. The system is adapted to provide a supply of scrubbed fuel having a low concentration of dissolved oxygen. The scrubbed fuel can be supplied from bulk storage tanks to dispensing stations nearby the aircraft loading and boarding positions at an airport. The system also includes equipment adapted to wash the ullage of the aircraft fuel tanks to remove excess oxygen above the fuel in the tanks. The system further includes a gas cleaning unit to strip excessive amounts of volatile organic compounds from gas exhausted during operation of the system thereby producing environmentally benign atmospheric emissions. The system also includes redundant sources of inert gas so that the system can continue to operate in the contingency that one of the inert gas sources temporarily ceases to operate.

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.

Abstract: The plant comprises, on site, a compressed-air provision and distribution system (LA) with at least one dedicated air compressor (CO2, CO3), an air-gas production and provision system (LG) comprising an air treatment unit (S), with a reservoir R of the said air gas and normally fed by a compressor (CO1). In temporary operating mode, with one air compressor (CO2) off-line, the compressed air from the compressor (CO1) of the air gas provision system (S) is at least in part diverted (C), typically with pressure reduction (D), to sustain the production of the compressed air system (LA), the air gas then being at least in part provided by the reservoir (R).