Patents Examined by Keith Raymond
  • Patent number: 10215488
    Abstract: Helium can be recovered from nitrogen-rich natural gas at high pressure with low helium loss by cryogenic distillation of the natural gas after pre-treatment of the gas to remove incompatible impurities and then recovery of natural gas liquid (NGL) from the pre-treated gas by distillation. Overall power consumption may be reduced, particularly if the feed to the helium recovery column system is at least substantially condensed by indirect heat exchange against a first portion of nitrogen-enriched bottoms liquid at first pressure, and a second portion of nitrogen-enriched bottoms liquid at a second pressure that is different from the first pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent White, Paul Higginbotham, John Eugene Palamara, Alan Berger
  • Patent number: 10215486
    Abstract: A liquefied gas production facility includes a plurality of liquefied gas producers which produce liquefied gas by removing an unnecessary substance and liquefying feed gas containing methane as a main component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: JGC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji Akiyama, Yoshihisa Wakamatsu, Naoyuki Takezawa, Takahiro Kitabayashi, Masahito Seiwa, Yuzuru Kakutani, Takashi Hirata, Kei Kubota
  • Patent number: 10197313
    Abstract: A condenser for refrigerator includes left and right or upper and lower headers spaced apart from each other for introduction or discharge of refrigerant, a tube unit including tubes mounted between the headers and spaced apart from one another to allow the refrigerant to pass through the tubes, and a fin structure mounted in the respective neighboring tubes to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant passing through the tubes and outside air, the fin structure including fins having a greater width than a width of the tubes. Providing the fins with a greater width than that of the tubes may achieve an expanded heat exchange range and higher heat exchange efficiency. Moreover, wider gaps between the fins ensure smooth air movement, causing a reduced pressure difference of the moving air and neither dust nor debris is trapped between the fins, resulting in higher heat exchange efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: SAMWON INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kapyoung Kim, Youngjin Kim
  • Patent number: 10183548
    Abstract: In a thermal management system for a vehicle, a first switching valve is connected to at least one device in a group of a plurality of devices, a heat medium discharge side of a first pump, and a heat medium discharge side of a second pump in parallel with each other; and a second switching valve is connected to at least one device in the device group, a heat medium suction side of the first pump, and a heat medium suction side of the second pump in parallel with each other. Heat medium circulating through a first device included in the device group allows to flow through the second device. One side of a heat medium inlet side and a heat medium outlet side of the second device is connected to between one of the first switching valve and the second switching valve and the first device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihiko Enomoto, Michio Nishikawa, Nobuharu Kakehashi
  • Patent number: 10184694
    Abstract: In a cryogenic refrigerator, a valve switches between a flow passage of a low-pressure refrigerant gas and a flow passage of a high-pressure refrigerant gas. A motor drives the valve. The motor includes a rotor and a stator, the rotor located radially inward of the stator. A casing hermetically houses the rotor and the stator. The stator includes a back yoke and a magnetic member that acts as a magnetic path of an external magnetic field generated outside of the casing, the magnetic member located radially outward of and spaced apart from the back yoke. The magnetic member is hermetically housed in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takaaki Morie
  • Patent number: 10180282
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing the capacity and efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes by debottlenecking the refrigerant compression system. A secondary compression circuit comprising at least one positive displacement compressor is provided in parallel fluid flow communication with at least a portion of a primary compression circuit comprising at least one dynamic compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Gerard Wehrman, Gowri Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 10179497
    Abstract: A ventilation bed for a vehicle may include an air conditioning system configured to supply air at a required temperature, a pad divided into a plurality of regions, and an airflow control apparatus configured to deliver the air supplied from the air conditioning system into the pad by controlling an amount and direction of the air, in which the air may be selectively supplied into at least a region of the pad depending on operation of the airflow control apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: SangJun Kim
  • Patent number: 10156405
    Abstract: A plate heat exchanger includes first and second frame plates, and a stack of heat transfer plates. Each heat transfer plate has a peripheral portion encircling a center portion. The heat transfer plates are arranged in pairs between the first and second frame plates, and formed between the pairs of heat transfer plates is a first flow path for a first fluid and a second flow path for a second fluid. One of the first and second flow paths is a free-flow path along which center portions of the heat transfer plates are completely separated from each other. A reinforcement plate is thicker than the heat transfer plates and has a center portion encircled by a peripheral portion. The reinforcement plate is arranged between the first frame plate and the stack of heat transfer plates. Permanent reinforcement joints each bond together the reinforcement plate and an outermost heat transfer plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: ALFA LAVAL CORPORATE AB
    Inventors: Ralf Blomgren, Olivier Noël-Baron
  • Patent number: 10144518
    Abstract: A combination includes a selectively driven fan and a bypass flow passage for bypassing the fan. The bypass flow passage communicates with a first check valve to allow air to flow from the bypass passage to a downstream location. A second check valve allows air driven by the fan to pass into a return passage and return to an inlet of the fan in the event that the discharge pressure from the fan overcomes a spring force associated with the second check valve. A heat exchanger pack and an environmental control system for use on an aircraft, and a method are all also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Harold W. Hipsky
  • Patent number: 10138810
    Abstract: Cryogenic energy storage systems, and particularly methods for capturing cold energy and re-using that captured cold energy, are disclosed. The systems allow cold thermal energy from the power recovery process of a cryogenic energy storage system to be captured effectively, to be stored, and to be effectively utilised. The captured cold energy could be reused in any co-located process, for example to enhance the efficiency of production of the cryogen, to enhance the efficiency of production of liquid natural gas, and/or to provide refrigeration. The systems are such that the cold energy can be stored at very low pressures, cold energy can be recovered from various components of the system, and/or cold energy can be stored in more than one thermal store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Highview Enterprises Limited
    Inventors: Robert Morgan, Stuart Nelmes, Nicola Castellucci, Stephen Gareth Brett
  • Patent number: 10139158
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a distillation tower for separating a feed stream. The distillation tower includes a controlled freeze zone section having a controlled freeze zone upper section and a controlled freeze zone lower section below the controlled freeze zone upper section. The controlled freeze zone section includes: (a) a spray assembly in the controlled freeze zone upper section; (b) a melt tray assembly in the controlled freeze zone lower section; (c) a feed stream distribution mechanism between the spray assembly and the melt tray assembly. The feed stream distribution mechanism is constructed and arranged to uniformly distribute the feed stream in the controlled freeze zone section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Jaime A. Valencia
  • Patent number: 10132562
    Abstract: In a process for the cryogenic separation of a methane-rich feed stream containing between 3 and 35% of oxygen and also nitrogen, the feed stream is cooled in order to produce a cooled stream, at least one portion of the cooled stream is sent to a distillation column, a bottom stream is withdrawn from the distillation column, the bottom stream being enriched in methane compared to the feed stream, a stream enriched in oxygen compared to the feed stream is withdrawn from the distillation column, and a nitrogen-rich stream is sent to the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Golo Zick
  • Patent number: 10126048
    Abstract: This floating liquefied-gas production facility (1) is equipped with: a gas turbine unit (20); a liquefaction facility (90) that has a primary refrigeration compressor (40) driven by the gas turbine unit (20), and cools natural gas; a drum-circulation-type exhaust heat recovery boiler (30) that recovers the energy of exhaust heat from the gas turbine unit (20) as steam; a component separation system (85) that uses the steam generated by the drum-circulation-type exhaust heat recovery boiler (30) as a heat source to separate components in natural gas obtained from the ocean floor, and sends said components to the liquefaction facility (90); and a fuel gas supply device (100) that compresses end-flash gas and/or boil-off gas, and supplies said compressed gas to the gas turbine unit (20) as fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Nagao, Masahiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10125751
    Abstract: Disclosed is an liquid natural gas supply and delivery system with a multimode fuel gas delivery system and process. The tender is capable of supplying gaseous methane fuel to an cryogenic tank via direct pumping, pressure transfer, or any combination mode due to a configuration of pumps, heat exchangers, and piping and controls. There is redundancy in the tender and it can operate with saturated or unsaturated liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Chart, Inc.
    Inventors: Terry Johnson, Tom Drube
  • Patent number: 10113790
    Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling a refrigerator. The method includes turning on power of the refrigerator and starting a compressor; setting a predetermined power consumption parameter to a default value; measuring power consumption within a set period during an operation of the refrigerator; recognizing whether the measured power consumption is smaller than previous power consumption; and changing a value of the power consumption parameter when the measured power consumption is greater than the previous power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sangwook Seo
  • Patent number: 10113127
    Abstract: A mixed single refrigerant process for separating a nitrogen gas stream from a natural gas stream containing nitrogen to produce a nitrogen gas stream from a liquefied natural gas stream wherein the separated nitrogen gas stream is used as a refrigerant for the natural gas stream and wherein the mixed refrigerant provides cooling for the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: BLACK & VEATCH HOLDING COMPANY
    Inventor: Brian C. Price
  • Patent number: 10113818
    Abstract: An oil cooler comprises a cooler core having an oil fin. The oil fin includes a moveable window. The moveable window includes a base and a first flap on one side of the base. The first flap moves between a closed position and an open position. The first flap is in the open position when the cooler core is in a hot condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: GARRETT TRANSPORTATION I INC.
    Inventor: Keith Agee
  • Patent number: 10101097
    Abstract: A bonded dissimilar material heat transfer assembly is provided. The assembly comprises a frame component, a thin stamped component and at least one dissimilar metal component having means for heat transfer and having a higher thermal conductivity than the frame component and stamped component. The heat transfer assembly includes a novel geometry such that distortion caused by mismatch of thermal expansion rates does not affect the normally planar shape of the assembly. Such a construction leads to higher thermal performance, lighter weight, less cost, and higher reliability than similar prior art heat exchanger assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: COOLER MASTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ralph Remsburg
  • Patent number: 10101083
    Abstract: A process for removing light components from an ethylene stream may include providing a dried ethylene stream containing ethylene, ethane, CO, CO2, H2, CH4, and C3+ hydrocarbons. The process may include sending the dried ethylene stream to a stripper to produce an overhead stream containing ethylene, CO, H2 and CH4, and a bottom stream containing ethylene, ethane, CO2, and C3+ hydrocarbons. The gaseous phase on top of the stripper may be condensed in a heat exchanger cooled by a refrigerant stream to get a first gaseous phase and a first liquid phase. The first gaseous phase may be condensed in a heat exchanger cooled by liquid ethane or liquid ethylene to get a second gaseous phase containing ethylene CO, H2 and CH4 and a second liquid phase. The first and second liquid phases may be the reflux of the stripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignees: Total Research & Technology Feluy, IFP Energies Nouvelles
    Inventors: Walter Vermeiren, Catherine Boutrot, Manuela Arratia
  • Patent number: 10093151
    Abstract: A method for controlling a temperature regulated system within the cabin of a vehicle. The method comprises providing a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, the temperature sensors being located within the cabin such that the first temperature sensor is located at a substantially higher level than the second temperature sensor when the vehicle is on a level surface. The method further comprises calculating TR, an estimated temperature, wherein TR is calculated using T1, the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor and T2, the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor. The method then comprises operating the temperature regulation system according to the calculated value TR for a predefined period of time after start up, and thereafter operating the temperature regulation system according to the measured value of T2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventor: Roger Baker