Patents Examined by John F Pettitt
  • Patent number: 11566841
    Abstract: A method for producing liquid nitrogen using a residual gas stream derived from a flue gas of a power plant is provided. The residual gas stream is purified in a front-end purification unit to remove freezable components and then the purified stream is compressed. Following compression, the stream can be divided into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is cooled and sent to a distillation column, wherein oxygen and argon are separated, thereby leaving an essentially pure gaseous nitrogen stream. The gaseous nitrogen stream can then be liquefied using refrigeration provided by expanding the second portion of the purified stream. In a preferred embodiment, the second portion is expanded in two turbines, and the gaseous nitrogen is compressed in a cold nitrogen booster, which is powered by one of the two turbines. In an additional embodiment, after warming, the expanded second portion of the purified stream can be used to regenerate the front-end purification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Michael A Turney
  • Patent number: 11555651
    Abstract: A method for liquefying a feed gas stream. A refrigerant stream is cooled and expanded to produce an expanded, cooled refrigerant stream. Part or all of the expanded, cooled refrigerant stream is mixed with a make-up refrigerant stream in a separator, thereby condensing heavy hydrocarbon components from the make-up refrigerant stream and forming a gaseous expanded, cooled refrigerant stream. The gaseous expanded, cooled refrigerant stream passes through a heat exchanger zone to form a warm refrigerant stream. The feed gas stream is passed through the heat exchanger zone to cool at least part of the feed gas stream by indirect heat exchange with the expanded, cooled refrigerant stream, thereby forming a liquefied gas stream. The warm refrigerant stream is compressed to produce the compressed refrigerant stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Yijun Liu, Fritz Pierre, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11525544
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for producing a hydrogen storage vessel that is lightweight. The hydrogen storage vessel may comprise an inner body and an outer body structured as concentric rings with a conic interface. The vessel may have four material layers, including a barrier layer, an insulation layer, a fiber knit, and an abrasion layer. The fiber knit may be braided to trap the hydrogen, as the barrier layer may not be completely impermeable. Additionally, the fiber braid may be clamped to the outer body, enabling pressure pushing on the inner body to wedge and seal the storage vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Hydrogen Co.
    Inventors: John-Paul Clarke, Neil Gupta, Gregory Loboda
  • Patent number: 11486638
    Abstract: A CO2 separation and liquefaction system such as might be used in a carbon capture and sequestration system for a fossil fuel burning power plant is disclosed. The CO2 separation and liquefaction system includes a first cooling stage to cool flue gas with liquid CO2, a compression stage coupled to the first cooling stage to compress the cooled flue gas, a second cooling stage coupled to the compression stage and the first cooling stage to cool the compressed flue gas with a CO2 melt and provide the liquid CO2 to the first cooling stage, and an expansion stage coupled to the second cooling stage to extract solid CO2 from the flue gas that melts in the second cooling stage to provide the liquid CO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: CARBON CAPTURE AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Miles L. Abarr, Scott Raymond Frazier
  • Patent number: 11486636
    Abstract: A method to recover olefins and C2+ fractions from refineries gas streams. The traditional recovery methods employed at refineries are absorption with solvents and cryogenic technology using compression and expansion aided by external refrigeration systems. In contrast to known methods, there is provided first a pre-cooling heat exchanger on a feed line feeding the gas stream to a in-line mixer, secondly by injecting and mixing a stream of LNG to condense the C2+ fractions upstream of the fractionator. The temperature of the gas stream entering the fractionator is monitored downstream of the in-line mixer. A LNG stream is temperature controlled to flow through the injection inlet and mix with the feed gas at a temperature which results in the condensation of the C2+ fractions before entering the fractionator. A LNG reflux stream is temperature controlled to maintain fractionator overhead temperature. The fractionator bottoms temperature is controlled by a circulating reboiler stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignees: 1304338 ALBERTA LTD, 1304342 ALBERTA LTD
    Inventors: Jose Lourenco, MacKenzie Millar
  • Patent number: 11480299
    Abstract: A cryostat, such as for a quantum computing system, includes a plurality of temperature-controlled flanges operable to be cooled to respective cryogenic target temperatures, the temperature-controlled flanges being nested one inside another and concentrically arranged about a central axis. The temperature-controlled flanges are radially spaced apart and define closed polygonal perimeters. The temperature-controlled flanges including an outermost flange defining a vacuum chamber, an innermost flange enclosing a central core of the cryostat, and intermediate flanges radially located between the innermost flange and the outermost flange. Each of the intermediate flanges surrounds one or more of the other temperature-controlled flanges. The outermost flange is maintained at a highest temperature, the innermost flange is maintained at a lowest temperature, and the intermediate flanges are maintained at respective intermediate temperatures less than the highest temperature and greater than the lowest temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: ANYON SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Alireza Najafi-Yazdi, Chris Peirone, Justin Huneault
  • Patent number: 11448366
    Abstract: A dense fluid recovery and supply pressure sensing system includes a dense fluid source, recovery tank and working tank, where the recovery tank is in connection with the dense fluid source with an input pipe configured with a pre-pressure valve and pre-pressure compressor, and the bottom of the recovery tank is configured with a weight measuring device measuring the weight of the recovery tank and in electric connection with the pre-pressure compressor, allowing the pre-pressure compressor to control the go and stop of the compression according to a value measured by the weight measuring device; the working tank is in connection with the recovery tank through a delivery pipe configured with a pressure building compressor and configured with a recovery pipe, another end of the recovery pipe is in connection with the input pipe of the recovery tank, and the recovery pipe is configured with a recovery valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Inventor: Hui-Ping Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11408675
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the efficient cooling within air liquefaction processes with integrated use of cold recovery from an adjacent LNG gasification process are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Highview Enterprises Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Gareth Brett, Nicola Castellucci
  • Patent number: 11402068
    Abstract: A power plant for energy production from a liquid gas product stored in a cryogenic storage tank, and comprises a container housing and an inlet to receive the gas product from the tank via a line. An evaporation unit converts the liquid gas product to a gaseous phase. The plant comprises an aggregate for the combustion of the gaseous phase to provide an electrical current to an external consumer. A circuit brings the liquid and/or gaseous phase to the motor via the evaporation unit. A regulating unit regulates the pressure and/or temperature. The liquid gas product is supplied to the motor in the gaseous phase by passive liquid and gas transport. A cooling circuit transfers heat from the motor to a heat exchanger in the evaporation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: 247 ENERGY BVBA
    Inventors: Peter Himschoot, James Troch, Karl Aerts, Kurt Ahrens
  • Patent number: 11402136
    Abstract: A magnetic refrigeration apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a magnetic-field source and two or more bed rings. The bed rings can be arranged in pairs with shared cold and hot fluid plenums. A flow of heat transfer fluid may pass at least partially radially through the shared fluid plenum or through a connection between the fluid plenum and one or more flow tubes. The MR apparatus and systems of the present disclosure may further include one or more circumferential flux returns with radial through-hole passageways to accommodate flow tubing. For apparatus configurations with an even number of bed rings, the axial dimension of the passageways may be smaller than the circumferential dimension of the passageways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Astronautics Corporation of America
    Inventors: Kyle Charles Rule, Andre Michael Boeder, Carl Bruno Zimm, Bryant Wayne Mueller, Steven Lee Russek, Jeremy Jonathan Chell
  • Patent number: 11391511
    Abstract: Systems and methods for liquefying a gaseous hydrogen that include a first refrigeration stage and a second refrigeration stage. The first refrigeration stage includes a first heat exchanger configured to flow a first refrigerant to pre-cool the gaseous hydrogen. The second refrigeration stage includes a second heat exchanger configured to flow a second refrigerant to liquefy and sub-cool the hydrogen. The second refrigerant is split into two streams that flow through two compressor-expanders and multiple passes through the second heat exchanger before being recombined to repeat the second refrigeration stage circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: JTurbo Engineering & Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob Thomas, Nickey Jacob Thomas
  • Patent number: 11382339
    Abstract: A method of preparing and storing a free-flowing frozen supplementary product, including preparing a supplementary composition for freezing, dripping the supplementary composition into a freezing chamber, freezing the dripped supplementary composition into beads, and transporting the frozen beads by conveyor belt out of the freezing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Dippin' Dots, LLC
    Inventor: Stan Jones
  • Patent number: 11376543
    Abstract: Methods and systems of collecting carbon dioxide are disclosed. In one example, a method includes removing water from atmospheric air with a condenser and a desiccant material to produce dry air, adsorbing carbon dioxide to a material from the dry air, releasing the adsorbed carbon dioxide to a vacuum chamber, and transitioning the released carbon dioxide from a gas to a solid in the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Anthony M. DiCenzo, Joseph P. Bruschi, James G. Parlett, Douglas Anthony Galasso, Tab Hunter Crooks
  • Patent number: 11359843
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a refrigeration system including detectors, each of which detects a phase indicative of a displacement of a displacer of each of cryogenic refrigerators; a processor that calculates an operation frequency of a motor of each of the cryogenic refrigerators, which is a frequency that suppresses oscillations or noises generated by reciprocating motions of the displacer of each of the cryogenic refrigerators, based on a detection result obtained by each of the detectors; and drivers, each of which drives the motor of each of the cryogenic refrigerators based on a calculation result obtained by the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Hayato Nezuka, Shohei Takami, Tomofumi Orikasa
  • Patent number: 11346603
    Abstract: A gas production system that can supply liquefied gas obtained by rectifying source gas as product gas continuously with high heat efficiency without using a machine that has a risk of contamination like a pump. A gas production system includes a single pressure device having a single pressurized container to which liquefied gas extracted from a rectification unit is supplied, a pressure line for extracting and vaporizing a part of the liquefied gas in the pressurized container and returning the part of the liquefied gas to the pressurized container, and a second heat exchange unit that is disposed in the pressure line, and a liquefied gas storage unit that stores liquefied gas which is led out from the pressurized container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Kenji Hirose, Shinji Tomita
  • Patent number: 11326739
    Abstract: A cryostat includes a room temperature vessel, a low temperature vessel, and a refrigeration mechanism. The room temperature vessel includes a room temperature tank, an outer neck tube and a sealing head. The low temperature vessel includes a low temperature tank, an inner neck tube and a liquefaction chamber. The liquefaction chamber corresponds to the first opening and passes through the first opening. The refrigeration mechanism includes a device panel and a refrigeration device. The device panel is disposed on the sealing head. The refrigeration device includes a body and a cold finger. The body is disposed at the device panel. The cold finger is connected with the body and extends into the liquefaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: NUCTECH COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Hongyan Wei, Yulan Li, Jianping Chang, Haijun Yu, Xiuxia Li, Hong Li, Li He
  • Patent number: 11320196
    Abstract: This specification relates to operating industrial facilities, for example, crude oil refining facilities or other industrial facilities that include operating plants that process natural gas or recover natural gas liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mahmoud Bahy Mahmoud Noureldin, Akram Hamed Mohamed Kamel, Abdulaziz A. AlNajjar
  • Patent number: 11313515
    Abstract: A process for collection, storage and transport of boil off-gas from a liquefied natural gas storage tank. An ultra-low temperature, composite gas tank is provided to accept the boil-off gas and saturated vapor at ultra-low-temperatures in a range of about ?80° C. to ?45° C. (about ?112° F. to ?229° F.) and at high pressure of about 150 bar (about 2,175.5 psi). Boil off gas collected from liquefied natural gas storage at a pressure in a range of about 15 to 18 bar (217.5 psi to 261 psi) and at a temperature in of about ?150° C. (about ?238° F.). The ultra-low temperature, composite gas tank can hold the gas as it warms to ambient temperature. The process includes a liner step; a filament step; a wrap step; and a filling step. Optional steps include an insulation step; a fiber step; a layering step; a nozzle step; and a gas step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Vinjamuri Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Gopala Krishna Vinjamuri
  • Patent number: 11262124
    Abstract: A system for preparing subcooled liquid oxygen based on mixing of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen and then vacuum-pumping, including atmospheric-pressure saturated liquid nitrogen and oxygen tanks. An inlet of the liquid nitrogen tank communicates with pressurized gas, and an outlet is connected to an inlet a of a secondary subcooler. An inlet of the liquid oxygen tank communicates with the pressurized gas, and a first outlet is connected to an inlet b of the secondary subcooler. An outlet c of the secondary subcooler is connected to an inlet d of a primary subcooler. An outlet e of the primary subcooler is connected to a pumping-out device through a rewarming device. A second outlet of the liquid oxygen tank is connected to an inlet n of the primary subcooler. An outlet o of the primary subcooler is connected to an inlet r of the secondary subcooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Xi'an Jiaotong University
    Inventors: Fushou Xie, Yanzhong Li, Jianhua Ren, Hongwei Mao
  • Patent number: 11262125
    Abstract: A system and method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Neil M. Prosser, Yang Luo, Richard D. Lenz, Kevin J. Saboda