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.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for the purification of a cryogenic fluid in liquid, diphase, gaseous or supercritical state, having boiling point Pe, with at least one of its impurities having a boiling point Pe', with Pe'>Pe. The process includes at least one step selected from the group comprised by:a filtration step of at least one impurity in solid state,and an adsorption step of at least one impurity in liquid or gaseous state;and in which there is recovered at least one portion of the cryogenic fluid at least partially purified.

Abstract: A burner assembly having improved flame length and shape control is presented, which includes in exemplary emodiments at least one fuel fluid inlet and at least one oxidant fluid inlet, means for transporting the fuel fluid from the fuel inlet to a plurality of fuel outlets, the fuel fluid leaving the fuel outlets in fuel streams that are injected into a combustion chamber, means for transporting the oxidant fluid from the oxidant inlets to at least one oxidant outlet, the oxidant fluid leaving the oxidant outlets in oxidant fluid streams that are injected into the combustion chamber, with the fuel and oxidant outlets being physically separated, and geometrically arranged in order to impart to the fuel fluid streams and the oxidant fluid streams angles and velocities that allow combustion of the fuel fluid with the oxidant in a stable, wide, and luminous flame. Alternatively, injectors may be used alone or with the refractory block to inject oxidant and fuel gases.

Abstract: A process and installation for the separation of air by permeation, for the production of high purity nitrogen. The installation comprises in series an air compressor (2), a refrigerator (3) cooled by air or water, a unit (4) for filtering out oil and water, an air reheater (5) and a permeator (6). The air reheater (5) is provided with a device (18A) for adjusting the temperature as a function of the temperature of the final refrigeration fluid that cools the compressed air.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, methods and apparatus to control or monitor the combustion of a burner are presented which overcome many of the problems of the prior art. One aspect of the invention comprises a burner control apparatus comprising means for viewing light emitted by a flame from a burner, means for optically transporting the viewed light into an optical processor, optical processor means for processing the optical spectrum into electrical signals, signal processing means for processing the electrical signals obtained from the optical spectrum, and control means which accept the electrical signals and produce an output acceptable to one or more oxidant or fuel flow control means. The control means may be referred to as a "burner computer", which functions to control the oxidant flow and/or the fuel flow to the burner.

Abstract: A device for atomizing a liquid fuel comprising a central liquid fuel feed passage for feeding with liquid fuel an outer atomizing-gas feed passage for feeding with atomizing gas, these being coaxial overall,an atomizing head extending said passages, the head being equipped for each fluid with one or more ducts which converge into one or more nozzles made in the head and emerging in a combustion region in which the nozzles release a mixture of atomized liquid fuel and of atomizing gas, which head is held at the end of the coaxial passages by a nut screwed onto a wall of the outer passage,wherein the central liquid-fuel feed passage is surrounded by the atomizing-gas feed passage and the atomizing head includes a skirt surrounding inlets to the ducts for the liquid fuel, which skirt is received inside the central passage and the skirt and the said passage respectively have externally and internally complementing cross sections.

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.

Abstract: A charge of scrap is melted in a furnace (1) with post-combustion of the fumes by injection of an oxygenated gas into the space in the furnace above the charge. During periods of post-combustion, the oxygenated gas is injected in the form of several jets each having a flow rate comprised between about 400 and 1200 Nm.sup.3 /h and an injector (11, 12) outlet speed comprised between about 50 and 150 m/s, preferably between about 500 and 900 Nm.sup.3 /h and between about 70 and 125 m/s. Several groups of injectors (11, 12) are used, having an outlet tangential component relative to the vertical axis (X--X) of the furnace (1), successive groups of injectors being disposed at different levels (N.sub.1, N.sub.2) and oriented in alternate circumferential directions.

Abstract: Gas separation membranes having enhanced selectivity for a mixture of gases is disclosed. The membranes may be asymmetric or multicomponent. The membranes surprisingly provide selectivity for gases in a mixture that approaches the relative selectivity of the single gas components. Preferably the membrane provides selectivity for a mixture of gases which is at least 65%, preferably 80%, of the relative selectivity of the corresponding single gases. A process for making improved gas separation membranes is also disclosed.

Abstract: Device for the formation of a fan jet (J) of liquid, of the type comprising:means (3) for supplying a liquid;means for distributing the delivery and for controlling the turbulence of the liquid supplied;outlet means (4) for the fan jet (J) formed, characterized in that the means for distributing the delivery and for controlling the turbulence of the liquid supplied are formed:from a first fixed curved conduit (15) for the flow of the liquid;from a second curved conduit (25) having an axis parallel to that of the first conduit (15);from means (26) for forming calibrated vortices having an axis parallel to the curved flow, so as to bring about a harmonic transverse distribution of the speeds and pressures and to control the scale and level of the vortices.Planned uses: headbox of a paper machine or installation for the couching of paper.

Abstract: A device for in-line surface hardening of products intended to feed a unit for preparation of the products, the unit being located downstream of the device comprising:a chamber comprising a frigorie transfer means for surface hardening the products, at least one conveyor for introducing the products into the chamber and for extracting a surface hardened product and means for receiving a product request signal emitted by the preparation unit,means (i) or controlling the at least one conveyor so as, upon receiving a request signal, to extract from the chamber the surface-hardened product which has resided the longest in the chamber and, substantially at the same time, (ii) for introducing into the chamber a new product to be surface hardened, and means for controlling the frigorie transfer means so as to control the quantity of frigories to be transferred to the products present in the chamber per unit time as a function of at least one elapsed period between two successive times at which preceding request sign

Abstract: A method of forming a gaseous treatment atmosphere capable of depositing a silicon on a metal substrate comprising the steps of:converting an initial gas mixture into a primary gas mixture in an apparatus for forming excited or unstable gas species, the primary gas mixture comprising excited or unstable gaseous species substantially devoid of electrically charged species,combining the primary gas mixture with an adjacent gas mixture which comprises at least one silicon precursor gas and which has not passed through the apparatus, to form the gaseous treatment atmosphere.

Abstract: A method of forming a gaseous treatment atmosphere capable of depositing a silicon-containing film on a nonmetallic substrate comprising the steps of:converting an initial treatment gas mixture into a primary treatment gas mixture in an apparatus for forming excited or unstable gas species, the primary treatment gas mixture comprising excited or unstable gaseous species substantially devoid of electrically charged species,combining the primary treatment gas mixture with an adjacent treatment gas mixture which comprises at least one gaseous silicon precursor which has not passed through the apparatus, to form the gaseous treatment atmosphere.

Abstract: The gas mixture leaving the laser apparatus (1) is recycled to a permeator (45) which separates it into two flows. The discharge from the permeator is expanded in an expansion turbine (27) coupled to a compressor (35) for exerting suction on the recycled mixture, which makes it possible to obtain the desired reduced pressure in the laser apparatus. Applications to power laser apparatuses with nitrogen/carbon dioxide mixture, intended for cutting materials.

Abstract: An air compressor (1) is cooled by a water circuit (5) which comprises a buffer tank (6) and an air cooled cooler (7) provided with a fan (8) of adjustable speed. The buffer tank is supplied by makeup water and includes a purge (16) which serves, when the ambient temperature is relatively high, to cool the preliminarily separated compressed air from cooling water. Application in processes for separation of air by adsorption or permeation.

Abstract: Air is supplied to an air separation apparatus via a heat exchanger in which the entering air is cooled against an air gas separated in the separation apparatus. The air is first compressed in an adiabatic compressor. The air gas separated in the separation apparatus is humidified after it leaves the separation apparatus but before it reaches the heat exchanger.

Abstract: The heat exchanger is of the type comprising a stack of parallel plates and, between these plates, undulant spacers, each pair of plates defining a passage for fluid of generally flat shape. Certain passages (20) are subdivided over one part of their length into two closed subpassages (at 45, 57) at locations longitudinally offset relative to each other. The exchanger is applicable in cryogenic heat exchangers of installations for the distillation of air.

Abstract: A process for treatment of a secondary gas including ozone, comprising the steps of:a) adding an adjacent gas including CO.sub.2 to the secondary gas to form a mixture of secondary gas and adjacent gas;b) passing the mixture of secondary gas and of adjacent gas obtained at the end of stage a) into at least one stock of adsorbent, where the ozone is completely or partly adsorbed;c) sweeping the stock of adsorbent with the aid of a desorbing gas including CO.sub.2, and discharging from an outlet of the stock an output gas including ozone, wherein the ozone has a concentration which is higher in the output gas than the ozone concentration of the secondary gas.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the preparation of a cryogenic fluid in the high purity liquid state, such as liquid argon, liquid helium or liquid nitrogen of high purity, substantially free from at least one of the impurities which it contains. The cryogenic fluid in the liquid state to be purified is placed in contact with an adsorbent permitting the adsorption of at least one of the impurities, and the cryogenic fluid is recovered in the high purity liquid state, characterized in that cooling of at least a proportion of the adsorbent is maintained with purified cryogenic fluid in the liquid state during at least a part of the duration of the stoppage stage separating a purification cycle N and a purification cycle N+1, which are successive.

Abstract: An adsorber having an upright longitudinal extent includes two perforated parallel panels extending within the vessel formed therein and spaced apart defining an adsorbent mass chamber. The adsorbent mass is in two longitudinal parts having a first part of fine particles and a second part of larger particles. The gas to be treated is circulated horizontally between the two perforated panels. This device allows the treatment cycle to be less than 60 seconds with the same or better performance. This adsorber and process are preferably used for the separation of oxygen from air.