Abstract: A method for heating a furnace is provided in which in the furnace has at least one heating zone which is heated by combusting a fuel with an oxidant. The furnace further has a dark zone, downstream of the heated zone, to which) no fuel is supplied directly. The fuel and oxidant are supplied to the heating zone is substoichiometric manner, in that between 10% and 40% of the total oxidant for achieving stoichiometric or near stoichiometric combustion is supplied directly to the dark zone. The flue gas temperature is measured in and/or downstream of the dark zone, and the share of the total oxidant supplied to the dark zone is controlled so as not to exceed a predetermined maximum measured temperature. A method for retrofitting an existing furnace is also provided.

Abstract: A method for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG), wherein a feed natural gas (NG) containing methane and higher hydrocarbons, including benzene, is cooled to a first temperature level in a first cooling step using a first mixed refrigerant (WMR) and is subsequently subjected to counter-current absorption using an absorption liquid, wherein a gas fraction depleted in the higher hydrocarbons is formed, at least a portion of the gas fraction is cooled to a second temperature level in a second cooling step using a second mixed refrigerant (CMR) and is liquefied to form the liquefied natural gas (LNG), characterized in that the absorption liquid is formed from another portion of the gas fraction, which portion preferably condenses above the counter-current absorption and is returned to the counter-current absorption, in particular without a pump.

Abstract: A SPECTRA process for low-temperature fractionation of air is proposed, in which bottoms liquid from an additional second rectification column used to obtain oxygen is evaporated in a second condenser evaporator arrangement. In this second condenser evaporator arrangement, gas that has been evaporated beforehand in a first condenser evaporator arrangement, which is used for condensation of tops gas from a first rectification column, is partially condensed after recompression. The invention also relates to a corresponding plant.

Abstract: A reactor for carrying out a chemical reaction includes a reactor wall and at least one group of M reaction tubes, each of which has an electrically heatable heating section that extends between a first and a second removal region. Each heating section has a respective feed region in a region which extends over 20% to 80% of a heating length of the heating section and electrically conductive feed elements. Each group M is paired with the feed elements connected to the feed regions of the group, and different phases of the alternating current can be fed to different feed elements paired with a group. Each group is paired with M first and M second removal elements connected to the first or second removal regions of the group, respectively. Each group is paired with a first and a second star bridge.

Abstract: A system and method of pre-purification of a feed gas stream is provided that is particularly suitable for pre-purification of a feed air stream in cryogenic air separation unit. The disclosed pre-purification systems and methods are configured to remove substantially all of the hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water, and carbon dioxide impurities from a feed air stream and is particularly suitable for use in a high purity or ultra-high purity nitrogen plant. The pre-purification systems and methods preferably employ two or more separate layers of hopcalite catalyst with the successive layers of the hopcalite separated by a zeolite adsorbent layer that removes water and carbon dioxide produced in the hopcalite layers. The separate layers of hopcalite catalyst preferably have different volumes and/or different average particle sizes of the hopcalite materials.

Abstract: A consumables holder assembly for a plasma arc torch having a torch head, the consumables holder assembly comprising a main body, a shielding cup which engages to the main body, a connection means which engages the main body to the torch head, wherein the consumable components including an electrode, a nozzle, a plasma gas distributor, a shielding gas distributor which are all positioned inside the shielding cup, wherein the consumable holder assembly can be detached from the torch head together with the consumable components and the shielding cup as one unit, wherein the nozzle comprises two focus gas passageways which lead a focus gas out of the nozzle through at least two focus holes, wherein external visual features are provided on both connection means and the torch head which are aligned to each other showing the location of the focus holes.

Abstract: A reactor for carrying out a chemical reaction, which has a reactor vessel and one or more reaction tubes, wherein power input elements for electrical heating of the reaction tube(s) are guided into the reactor vessel. It is provided that the power input elements each have a rod-shaped section that, in each case, runs at a wall passage through a wall of the reactor vessel in such a way that a connection chamber into which the rod-shaped sections project is arranged outside the reactor vessel and adjacently to the wall of the reactor vessel through which the rod-shaped sections run at their wall passages, and that cooling panels through which a cooling fluid can flow are provided in the connection chamber and are arranged between at least two or between at least two groups of the rod-shaped sections that project into the connection chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out a chemical reaction in a process fluid includes a reactor comprising one or more reaction tubes which have a number of electrically heatable tube segments which are connected to one another by an electrically conductive star bridge, and at least one power source configured to provide a multiphase alternating current with N phases to N phase lines at a predetermined voltage. N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. For each of the at least one power source, a number of power connections is provided, each of which is connected to at least one of the tube segments and to one of the phase lines of the power source. In the at least one power source, a star point is formed at which the phase lines of the power source are connected, wherein the star point is not connected to a ground connection.

Abstract: An apparatus for dissolving gas into a liquid is provided having a housing with an inlet opening for the liquid and an outlet opening for the liquid, and a blade unit arranged inside the housing in a small cross section area between the inlet opening and the outlet opening. A flow cross section for the liquid at the small cross section area is smaller than at the inlet opening. The apparatus further includes a gas inlet provided at an outside of the housing and at least one gas outlet provided in the housing on a surface of the blade unit. The at least one gas outlet is connected to the gas inlet by a channel. Methods for producing and using such an apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: A method of steam cracking using a steam cracking arrangement including an electric cracking furnace without a convection zone and a quench cooling train is proposed, wherein a process gas stream is passed through the cracking furnace and the cooling train. The cooling train is operated to comprise at least two distinct cooling steps arranged in either order, wherein in a first cooling step at least a part of the process gas stream withdrawn from the electric cracking furnace is cooled against vaporizing boiler feed water at an absolute pressure level between 30 and 175 bar and wherein in a second cooling step at least a part of the process gas stream withdrawn from the electric cracking furnace is cooled against a superheated mixture of feed hydrocarbons and process steam used in forming the process gas stream which is thereby heated to a temperature level between 350 and 750° C.

Abstract: A method of operating an internal combustion engine specified to be run with a fuel gas mixture comprising at least one hydrocarbon and hydrogen in a maximum specified hydrogen content using a pipeline gas withdrawn from a pipeline and comprising the at least one hydrocarbon and a hydrogen content exceeding the maximum specified hydrogen content is provided. The pipeline gas is at least in part subjected to a hydrogen depletion to yield a hydrogen depleted gas mixture not exceeding the maximum specified hydrogen content. Said hydrogen depleted gas mixture is at least in part used as the fuel gas and said hydrogen depletion includes a membrane separation. A corresponding arrangement is also part of the present invention.

Abstract: A wound heat exchanger, comprising a shell, a bundle of tubes arranged inside the shell and through which a medium can flow, a first annular channel arranged inside the shell and runs around it for separating a liquid phase of a refrigerant from a gaseous phase of the refrigerant, a second annular channel arranged inside the shell and runs around it and is intended for evenly distributing the liquid phase over the bundle of tubes in order to exchange the heat between the refrigerant and the medium, and a connecting channel which establishes a fluid connection between the first annular channel and the second annular channel in order to conduct the liquid phase out of the first annular channel into the second annular channel, wherein the first annular channel and the second annular channel are spaced apart.

Abstract: A process is proposed for separating carbon dioxide from a feed stream containing carbon dioxide, in which at least part of the feed stream is subjected to temperature swing adsorption to obtain a first and a second successive stream, wherein, in each case relative to the feed stream, the first subsequent stream is depleted in carbon dioxide and the second subsequent stream is enriched in carbon dioxide, and at least part of the second subsequent stream is subjected to membrane separation to obtain a third and a fourth subsequent stream, the third subsequent stream being depleted in carbon dioxide and the fourth subsequent stream being enriched in carbon dioxide, in each case relative to the second subsequent stream. A corresponding arrangement is also an object of the invention.

Abstract: A method of steam cracking using a steam cracking arrangement including an electric cracking furnace without a convection zone and a quench cooling train is proposed, wherein a process gas stream is passed through the cracking furnace and the cooling train. The cooling train is operated to comprise at least two distinct cooling steps arranged in either order, wherein in a first cooling step at least a part of the process gas stream withdrawn from the electric cracking furnace is cooled against vaporizing boiler feed water at an absolute pressure level between 30 and 175 bar and wherein in a second cooling step at least a part of the process gas stream withdrawn from the electric cracking furnace is cooled against a superheated mixture of feed hydrocarbons and process steam used in forming the process gas stream which is thereby heated to a temperature level between 350 and 750° C.

Abstract: Provided is a method of connecting an austenitic steel pipe with a ferritic steel pipe. The method comprises providing the austenitic steel pipe and the ferritic steel pipe, such that an inner end section of the austenitic steel pipe has an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of an outer section of the ferritic steel pipe, inserting the inner end section into the outer end section, such that the inner and outer end sections overlap in a connection region, and welding the inner and outer end sections in the connection region by explosive welding or magnetic pulse welding. Further, a linear quench exchanger and a processing arrangement for processing a process fluid are provided.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a gas treatment process in which a process arrangement comprising three process units is used, the gas treatment process comprising subsequently operating a different one of the three process units in a heating mode during a heating phase, the heating mode comprising heating a first gas stream to a first temperature level using a first heat exchanger, introducing the first gas stream at the first temperature level to the process unit which is operated in the heating mode, withdrawing a second gas stream from the process unit which is operated in the heating mode, and thereafter cooling the second gas stream to a second temperature level using a second heat exchanger.

Abstract: A method for operating a process plant using a dynamic model of the process plant, the dynamic model being based on at least one of thermo fluidic correlations, thermo dynamic correlations, phenomenological correlations, and equations, and being based on geometry and/or topology of components of the process plant, the dynamic model receiving process parameters as input values, the dynamic model being adapted to represent a transition from one to another state of the process plant, wherein the dynamic model is used in an online mode, in which the dynamic model is used in parallel with the operation of the process plant, wherein signals from a control system of the process plant, the signals representing values of at least one first process parameter, are received and fed into the dynamic model.

Abstract: A method for producing a target compound includes distributing a feed mixture containing ethane to multiple reaction tubes of a shell-and-tube reactor arranged in parallel, and subjecting to an oxidative catalytic conversion of the ethane in the reaction tubes. The catalytic reaction is carried out by means of catalysis zones with different activity arranged in series in the reaction tubes. One or more catalytically active materials and one or more catalytically inactive materials are provided in each of the catalysis zones. The different activity of the catalysis zones is effected by providing the one or more catalytically active materials having identical or essentially identical basic formulation, wherein the one or more catalytically active materials is or are prepared using different calcination intensities.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a storage tank for liquid hydrogen, comprising a wall, a base, which closes the wall at the end face on one side, a top, which closes the wall at the end face on the side facing away from the base, and an intermediate wall, which is arranged inside of the wall and at a distance therefrom, wherein a gap is provided between a lower edge of the intermediate wall and the base, so that an interior enclosed by the intermediate wall is fluidically connected to an interior enclosed by the wall.

Abstract: A method of steam cracking includes using a steam cracking arrangement that has a fired cracking furnace, a quench cooling train, and rotating equipment at least partly driven by electric energy. A process gas stream is passed through the furnace and the cooling train. A steam generation arrangement, operated in thermal association with the cracking arrangement, results in superheated high pressure steam at a first pressure level of 30 and 175 bar absolute pressure and at a first temperature level. No steam at a higher temperature level than the first is generated. The superheated high pressure steam is partially adiabatically and isenthalpically expanded to a second lower pressure level. The first temperature level is selected such that each intermediate temperature level reached at intermediate pressure levels of more than 20 bar during the adiabatic and isenthalpic expansion process is between 5 and 120 K above the dew point of steam.