Patents Examined by Brian King
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Patent number: 9459042Abstract: A first liquefied hydrocarbon stream is provided from a first source and a second liquefied hydrocarbon stream is provided from a second source. The second liquefied hydrocarbon stream has been liquefied by cooling solely against a first cooled nitrogen-based stream. The first and second liquefied hydrocarbon streams are gasified to produce a gasified hydrocarbon stream, thereby cooling a gaseous nitrogen-based stream against the gasifying first and second liquefied hydrocarbon streams to provide a second cooled nitrogen-based stream.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2008Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Francois Chantant, Wiveka Jacoba Elion, Casper Krijno Groothuis
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Patent number: 9453662Abstract: A disclosed device cryogenic refrigerator includes a first stage displacer; a first stage cylinder configured to form a first expansion space between the first stage cylinder and the first stage displacer; a second stage displacer connected to the first stage displacer; and a second stage cylinder configured to form a second expansion space between the second stage cylinder and the second stage displacer, wherein a helical groove is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the second stage displacer so as to helically extend from a side of the second expansion space toward the first stage displacer, wherein the second stage cylinder includes a first flow resistor communicating with a side of the first stage displacer in the helical groove, and a buffer portion communicating with a side of the first stage displacer in the first flow resistor.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Mingyao Xu, Takaaki Morie
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Patent number: 9441878Abstract: A cryogenic air separation method and apparatus in which first and second liquid streams are produced. The first liquid stream has a higher oxygen content than air and can consist of a higher pressure distillation column bottoms and the second liquid stream, for instance, air, has a lower oxygen content than the first liquid stream and an argon content no less than the air. The second liquid stream is subcooled through indirect heat exchange with the first liquid stream and both of such streams are introduced into the lower pressure column. The second liquid stream is introduced into the lower pressure column above that point at which the crude liquid oxygen column bottoms or any portion thereof is introduced into the lower pressure column to increase a liquid to vapor ratio below the introduction of the second liquid stream and therefore, reduce the oxygen present within the column overhead.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2016Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventor: Henry Edward Howard
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Patent number: 9435570Abstract: A magnetocaloric thermal appliance (10) comprising at least one thermal module (2) with at least one magnetocaloric element (3) in contact with a heat transfer fluid and at least one magnetic arrangement (4) arranged so as to create a magnetic field in a gap (6) defined by the magnetic arrangement (4). The gap (6) has two openings (7) enabling the passage of the thermal module (2) through the gap (6) by a relative movement between the magnetocaloric element (3) and the gap (6). The positions able to be taken by the magnetocaloric element (3), outside of the gap (6), define magnetocaloric region (8) in which the magnetocaloric region (8) is disposed in an enclosure delimited by the magnetic arrangement (4) comprising a body (11) forming deflector of the magnetic field able to capture and to lead towards the magnetic arrangement (4) flux of magnetic field that appears outside of the gap (6).Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2010Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: COOLTECH APPLICATIONS S.A.S.Inventors: Jean-Claude Heitzler, Christian Muller
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Patent number: 9389015Abstract: Described herein is a method for separating C2+-hydrocarbons or C3+-hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon-rich fraction is described, whereby the separation is carried out in a rectification fractionation. The rectification fractionation is provided with at least three heating circuits via which intermediate fractions are drawn off from rectification fractionation, partially evaporated and fed back again to rectification fractionation. In the method, removal of the intermediate fraction circulating in the heating circuit located at the highest temperature level is at least temporarily interrupted. During this interruption, a partial stream of a bottom fraction from the rectification fractionation is partially evaporated against an external medium and is fed as a bottom heating to the rectification fractionation.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Rainer Sapper, Jurgen Witte
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Patent number: 9328943Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for integrated detector cooler assemblies (IDCAs) and multi-circuit cryostats are discussed herein. Solutions include using cryostats with multiple cooling circuits. Some cryostat variations may include a rapid cooldown circuit and a temperature maintenance circuit. In some cases, the temperature maintenance circuit may be a closed-loop circuit run by a compressor instead of an open-loop circuit run on a pressurized gas bottle/cartridge. Variations of a cryostat may also include a gas expander portion that replaces the coldfinger of typical IDCAs. Further variations of cooling circuits may include circuits that perform reverse-flow heat exchange to pre-cool incoming refrigerant and also cooling circuits that have heat bridges disposed thereon to assist in such heat exchange.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2012Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATIONInventors: Vincent Loung, Elna Saito, Jeff W. Scott
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Patent number: 9322126Abstract: A domestic appliance, which may be a tumble dryer, includes a thermoelectric heat pump; at least one series of Peltier elements operationally associated with the heat pump and driven by a supply voltage for producing heat during appliance operation wherein the resistance of the Peltier elements increases with increasing temperature and wherein a threshold temperature for the Peltier elements is defined; and a heat flow path for dissipating heat produced by the Peltier elements wherein at a maximum temperature of the Peltier elements above a normal operating temperature and below the threshold temperature the power of the heat dissipated through the heat flow path is substantially equal to the electrical power drawn by the Peltier elements from the supply voltage.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2006Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbHInventors: Hasan Gökcer Albayrak, Klaus Grunert, Günter Steffens, Andreas Stolze
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Patent number: 9279613Abstract: A cryogenic air separation method and apparatus in which first and second liquid streams are produced. The first liquid stream has a higher oxygen content than air and can consist of a higher pressure distillation column bottoms and the second liquid stream, for instance, air, has a lower oxygen content than the first liquid stream and an argon content no less than the air. The second liquid stream is subcooled through indirect heat exchange with the first liquid stream and both of such streams are introduced into the lower pressure column. The second liquid stream is introduced into the lower pressure column above that point at which the crude liquid oxygen column bottoms or any portion thereof is introduced into the lower pressure column to increase a liquid to vapor ratio below the introduction of the second liquid stream and therefore, reduce the oxygen present within the column overhead.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2010Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventor: Henry Edward Howard
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Patent number: 9109819Abstract: A refrigerator includes a main body in which a first storage compartment is defined, and a heat exchange chamber defined in the main body. An evaporator received in the heat exchange chamber. A second storage compartment is provided in the first storage compartment and a quick cooling module to cool an inside of the second storage compartment is provided, where the quick cooling module heat-exchanges with a refrigerant pipe of the evaporator. The quick cooling module includes a thermal conductive unit in thermal conduction with the refrigerant pipe, and a thermoelectric device having a first surface in thermal conduction with the thermal conductive unit to heat-exchange with the thermal conductive unit when current is supplied and a second surface facing the second storage compartment.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2012Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Jaehoon Shin, Yanggyu Kim, Heayoun Sul, Yongjoo Park
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Patent number: 9097459Abstract: An improved process for producing elevated pressure nitrogen including providing an air separation unit with at least two columns, a low pressure (LP) column and a medium pressure (MP) column. Also including extracting a nitrogen stream from the MP column and extracting a rich liquid from the bottom of the MP column, and providing at least a portion of the rich liquid stream to a first vaporizer. Also including introducing a portion of the nitrogen stream into the first vaporizer, thereby producing a boil-off gas, and warming at least a portion of the nitrogen stream in a heat exchanger, thereby producing a product nitrogen stream. Also including warming at least a portion of the boil-off gas in the heat exchanger, thereby producing warm. intermediate stream, expanding the warm intermediate stream in an expander, thereby producing a quantity of work, and a low pressure intermediate stream, and introducing the low pressure intermediate stream into the LP column.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2011Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: Air Liquide Process & Construction, Inc.Inventor: Paul Musicus
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Patent number: 9086244Abstract: The present invention relates to the vaporization of a liquid by exchanging heat with a second fluid by means of a heat exchanger of the vertical plate type. It applies in particular to air distillation installations.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2009Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Frederic Crayssac, Frederic Rousseau, Marc Wagner
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Patent number: 9032741Abstract: A cryopump 10 includes: a first cryopanel including a radiation shield 18 having a shield opening 20 and a louver 23 arranged in the shield opening 20; a second cryopanel 24 surrounded by the first cryopanel; and a refrigerator 14 configured to cool the first cryopanel to a first cooling temperature and to cool the second cryopanel to a second cooling temperature lower than the first cooling temperature. A rough surface 42 is formed on the louver 23.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2010Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Hidekazu Tanaka
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Patent number: 9016082Abstract: A condensing unit has a fan selectively operable to draw air through the condensing unit along an airflow path, a first row of condenser tubes disposed along the airflow path, and a second row of desuperheater tubes disposed along the airflow path downstream relative to the first row of condenser tubes. A condensing unit has an airflow path, a desuperheater heat exchanger disposed along the airflow path, and a condenser heat exchanger disposed along the airflow path. A method of desuperheating a refrigerant includes causing air having a first air temperature to encounter a condenser tube comprising refrigerant having a first refrigerant temperature, raising the temperature of the air to a second air temperature, and causing the air having the second air temperature to encounter a desuperheater tube comprising refrigerant having a second refrigerant temperature higher than the first refrigerant temperature.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2010Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Trane International Inc.Inventor: Stephen S. Hancock
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Patent number: 9010128Abstract: A cooling device includes a magnetocaloric unit disposed between a heat sink and a heat load, an electromagnet operably connected with the magnetocaloric unit, and at least one refrigerant storage included in the magnetocaloric unit, wherein the magnetocaloric unit is cooled down by using an evaporation heat of a refrigerant in the refrigerant storage.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2010Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Inventor: Chun Shig Sohn
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Patent number: 8997519Abstract: A method and device for the cryogenic separation of a methane-rich flow is provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2008Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventor: Pierre Briend
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Patent number: 8991202Abstract: To provide an air-conditioning hot-water supply complex system that can simultaneously process a cooling load, a heating load, and a high-temperature hot-water supply load to provide a stable heat source all through the year. The air-conditioning hot-water supply complex system provides a bypass pipe in which a bypass electromagnetic valve is installed in parallel with a heating medium-refrigerant heat exchanger between a gateway of refrigerant piping of the heating medium-refrigerant heat exchanger to control an inflow amount of the refrigerant for hot-water supply to the heating medium-refrigerant heat exchanger by making the refrigerant for hot-water to flow into a bypass pipe by opening and closing the bypass electromagnetic valve.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2008Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Hironori Yabuuchi, Junichi Kameyama, Kosuke Tanaka, Satoshi Akagi
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Patent number: 8978413Abstract: The present invention is a process for recovering rare gases from a multiple column oxygen plant, wherein the multiple column oxygen plant comprises a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column, a middle pressure intermediate column, and a low pressure intermediate column, said middle pressure intermediate column comprising a first bottom reboiler and said low pressure intermediate column comprising a second bottom reboiler. The process includes providing a first oxygen rich liquid stream containing rare gases from the higher pressure column, wherein said first oxygen rich liquid stream is introduced to the first bottom reboiler. The process also includes removing a second oxygen rich liquid stream rich in rare gases from the bottom of the middle pressure intermediate column, wherein said second oxygen rich liquid stream is introduced to the low pressure intermediate column.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2010Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventor: Bao Ha
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Patent number: 8966927Abstract: An output unit of a refrigeration device having a niche with a rear wall, which is provided with a cover, and a method of installing the output unit. The cover includes a dish-shaped section, which is curved inward into the niche and bounded by opposite edge sections, which are connected with a niche frame. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the edge sections at front supporting surfaces of the niche frame are held in contact in an installation end position, wherein the dish-shaped section is pulled by fastening means against the rear wall of the niche. By these means, it is ensured that the narrowest or most uniform gap possible between the cover and the place of installation is guaranteed and, in addition, fastening means are not visible to the user.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2008Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbHInventors: Peter Eckartsberg, Karl-Friedrich Laible, Arno Matzner, Frank Placke, Matthias Stahl, Ulrich van Pels
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Patent number: 8966937Abstract: A process and to an apparatus for the generation and separation of a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide is provided.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2009Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Natacha Haik-Beraud, Antoine Hernandez, Pascal Marty, Bernd Polster
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Patent number: 8869551Abstract: An apparatus for forming a block from carbon dioxide particle is configured to allow changing between precise thicknesses with very little downtime, utilizing both weight based and volumetric dosing. A spacer supports the lower ejection piston during block forming, with a shuttle discharging particles into the forming chamber while simultaneously pushing a previously formed block on to a conveyor. In one embodiment, the shuttle dosing cavity has a volume that is greater than the volume of the forming chamber volume, which allows more pellets, volumetrically, to be dosed into the dosing cavity than the volume of the forming cavity.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2011Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Cold Jet LLCInventors: Frederick C. Young, Matthew August Gunderson, James R. Combs, Scott Thomas Hardoerfer