Patents Examined by Malik N. Drake
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Patent number: 6467305Abstract: An installation for crystallizing a liquid from a solution, for example for freeze-concentrating effluent, having a nucleation zone, a ripening zone and a separator where the nucleation zone is constructed as a vacuum crystalline, such that the installation is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction, can easily be scaled up and is suitable for concentrating liquids containing undissolved particles, such as, for example, precipitated salts.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2000Date of Patent: October 22, 2002Assignee: Niro Process Technology B.V.Inventors: Jacobus Petrus Roodenrijs, Halbe Anne Jansen
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Patent number: 6463758Abstract: A first air stream is expanded in a first turbine (D1) before being mixed with a second air stream (104) in order to form a third stream (105). At least part of the third stream is sent to a second turbine (D2) and then to the double column. The stream expanded in the first turbine is smaller than the stream expanded in the second turbine.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 1999Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventor: Patrick Le Bot
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Patent number: 6460369Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing substrates is provided, wherein the apparatus includes at least one substrate carrier for transporting a substrate within a processing environment. At least one temperature controlled plate positioned in the processing environment is selectively in communication with the at least one substrate carrier and is used to both transfer substrates from an external substrate shuttle to the substrate carrier in the processing environment and to regulate the temperature of the processing environment. At least one deposition device configured to deposit a selected film on the substrate and an annealing device are positioned proximate the at least one substrate carrier within the processing environment.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2001Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Akihiro Hosokawa
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Patent number: 6460348Abstract: A regenerator comprises a regenerator body and cold accumulating material packed in the regenerator body in which cooling medium gas flows from one end portion of the regenerator body to the other end portion of the regenerator body so as to obtain a lower temperature, wherein at least part of the cold accumulating material is a plate-shaped cold accumulating material having a thickness of 0.03-2 mm. In the above structure, it is preferable that the cold accumulating material is composed of an alloy containing 10 at % or more of rare earth element and that a length of the plate-shaped cold accumulating material in a flowing direction of the cooling medium gas is 1-100 mm.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2001Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Masami Okamura, Tomohisa Arai
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Patent number: 6457318Abstract: An integrated environmental control system for providing conditioned air supply in an aircraft is provided. The system includes an integrated bootstrap air cycle subsystem and a regenerative air cycle subsystem, which are in heat exchange relationship. The bootstrap and the regenerative air cycle systems are also in heat exchange relationship with a liquid cooling cycle subsystem. In the bootstrap cycle, bleed air is compressed and expanded. After absorbing heat from the liquid cycle, the expanded air from the bootstrap cycle is received and expanded by a first turbine of the regenerative air cycle. Before it is received by a compressor of the regenerative cycle, the air flow, which is expanded and cooled by the first turbine, absorbs heat from the liquid cycle, supplies air to the cabin and absorbs heat from the bootstrap cycle. After the compression, the air flow is received by a second turbine of the regenerative cycle and expanded.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2000Date of Patent: October 1, 2002Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Clarence Lui, Wai-Pak Wong, Myron Quan
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Patent number: 6457327Abstract: The process removes from a diluted gas one or more fluorine compounds present at a first concentration in the diluted gas and concentrates the fluorine compounds. This is done by directly contacting the diluted gas with a cryogenic liquid having a temperature less than or equal to about −150° F., thereby producing a vapor lean in the fluorine compounds and liquid enriched with the fluorine compounds at a second concentration. The second concentration is greater than the first concentration.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2000Date of Patent: October 1, 2002Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Zbigniew Tadeusz Fidkowski, John Frederick Cirucci, Rakesh Agrawal, Timothy Edward Conway
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Patent number: 6453681Abstract: An improved and simplified system for densifying a cryogenic liquid for space vehicles is provided, which includes a heat exchanger having heat exchange tubes therein for receiving a flow of liquid from a storage tank, for example a liquid propellant in a vehicle storage tank. The heat exchanger is filled around the exchange tubes with a two-component bath, the volume of a primary component substantially exceeding the volume of a secondary component. The secondary component has a boiling temperature that is lower than the boiling temperature of the primary component, and both are lower than the boiling temperature of the cryogenic liquid. In one example, the liquid to be densified is oxygen, the primary component is liquid nitrogen, and a secondary component is liquid hydrogen. The secondary component is preferably injected into the heat exchanger in separate flows to prevent localized freezing of the first component.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2001Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: Boeing North American, Inc.Inventors: Tibor I. Lak, John H. LeBlanc, Jay K. Yoshinaga, Martin E. Lozano
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Patent number: 6453698Abstract: A process for enhancing the recovery of less volatile components, from a multi component gas mixture, in a cryogenic distillation column, which involves withdrawing a stream from the cryogenic distillation column and processing it to yield a stream leaner in the component to be recovered, which will be cooled and fed to the cryogenic distillation column as a reflux. The processing step may include heating or cooling the side draw and then further contacting the side draw with another stream which is substantially condensed.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2001Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: IPSI LLCInventors: Pallav Jain, Rong-Jywn Lee, Jame Yao, Jong Juh Chen, Douglas G. Elliot
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Patent number: 6449983Abstract: Liquefied natural gas is stored in an insulated tank, typically forming part of an ocean going tanker. Boiled off vapour is compressed in a compressor and at least partially condensed in a condenser. The resulting condensate is returned to the tank. The vapour is mixed with liquefied natural gas in a mixing chamber upstream of the compressor. The liquefied natural gas so mixed with the vapour in the mixing chamber is taken from the condensate or from the storage tank.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2001Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: The BOC Group, Inc.Inventor: Josef Pozivil
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Patent number: 6449964Abstract: A regenerative type of refrigeration system recirculates a mixture of R-134a, R-32 and R-125 through first and second series condensers. In order to increase the concentration of the high-boiling point R-134a, the liquid output of a liquid-vapor separator receives a super-heated mixture vapor tapped from the output of the compressor. An adjustable valve controls the amount of the super heated mixture vapor which is injected to vary the concentration of R-134a in the recirculation line. Liquified R-134a passes through a secondary expansion valve and a secondary evaporator, reducing to an intermediate pressure, and enters a vortex tube, thus bypassing the main evaporator. Subsequently, the suction pressure of the compressor increases, increasing the EER of the refrigeration system. The recirculating concept is also applicable to a single refrigerant system.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2001Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Vortex AirconInventors: Young I. Cho, Cheolho Bai
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Patent number: 6446445Abstract: A method of reducing the duration of the thermal stabilization phase of a liquefied gas converter (13) is characterized in that the method comprises providing in a feed line (11) between a source (12) of liquefied gas and the liquefied gas converter (13), an uninsulated flow region (16) through which at least a portion of the liquefied gas passes during filling.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 1999Date of Patent: September 10, 2002Inventors: Robert John Phillips, David John Peacey, Humphrey Albert Samuel Hamlin
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Patent number: 6442948Abstract: A liquid helium circulation system capable of recycling helium gas has a liquid helium reservoir 1 and refrigerator 5 where helium gas boil-off recovered from the reservoir is refrigerated and liquefied, and is designed to have the helium gas refrigerated or liquefied with the refrigerator returned to the reservoir. The system is equipped with line 9c that supplies high-temperature helium gas heated up inside the liquid helium reservoir to the refrigerator, where the helium gas is made into refrigerated helium gas, and supplies the refrigerated helium gas to the upper part inside the reservoir, lines 9b and 9a that supply low-temperature helium gas in the vicinity to the surface of liquid helium inside the liquid helium reservoir to the refrigerator, where the low-temperature gas is liquefied, and supply the liquefied helium to the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2001Date of Patent: September 3, 2002Assignee: Japan Science and Technology CorporationInventor: Tsunehiro Takeda
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Patent number: 6443833Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method to redirect airflow and enhance heat transfer using an oscillating baffle. This apparatus and method allows for the improved efficiency of a heat transfer tunnel, while reducing the size of the tunnel. Several embodiments of the oscillating baffle have a first degree of freedom and a second degree of freedom which allows it to oscillate under the power of the airflow. The method employs the oscillating baffle to redirect and mix the airflow in order to enhance heat transfer in a heat transfer tunnel. The oscillating baffle is used for cooling, for heating, for enhancing the mixing of a multi-component air flow or redirecting an air flow. Other applications could include use in dusty environments to provide high speed gas streams sweeping a wall to prevent the build-up of dust.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1999Date of Patent: September 3, 2002Inventor: Charles W. Knisely
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Patent number: 6438968Abstract: An installation for the storage of a liquified gas under pressure in a pressure chamber. The installation includes a closed pressure resistant chamber to contain the liquid. The container has a wall whose thickness es is determined by computations taking into account parameters associated with a pressure Ps within the chamber and a temperature Ts<−50° of the wall of the chamber. The installation further includes a device to indicate a magnitude G of a temperature Ts of the chamber wall and a device to indicate a magnitude G′ representative of the computation temperature Ts. The installation also includes a device to compare the magnitudes G and G′, and a device to lower the pressure to a value P2 below the computed pressure Ps if as a result of the comparison, Te is greater than Ts.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2000Date of Patent: August 27, 2002Assignee: CryolorInventors: Lucien Varrassi, Patrick Fontanille
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Patent number: 6430940Abstract: An effects generation system structured to produce a controlled special effects cloud and including a cryogenic fluid source including a container wherein a quantity of a cryogenic fluid is stored. The container includes a fluid outlet and a fluid inlet, the fluid inlet being disposed in fluid flow communication with a pressurization assembly that is structured to maintain an outflow of the cryogenic fluid, under pressure, through the fluid outlet and into a delivery assembly operatively connected with the fluid outlet and structured to deliver the cryogenic fluid into a desired area through a plurality of delivery ports and into reactive proximity with a quantity of a reactive fluid so as to bring about a phase change in the reactive fluid sufficient to result in the formation of the special effects cloud.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2000Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Inventor: Alejandro J. Gonzalez
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Patent number: 6430938Abstract: A cryogenic vessel system for containing cryogenic fluid wherein heat leak into the vessel interior is counteracted by refrigeration generated from energy provided by a pulse generator.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2001Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: John Henri Royal, Christian Friedrich Gottzmann, Arun Acharya, Gary D. Lang
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Patent number: 6430949Abstract: In a heat-pump water heater, an ECU sets a target temperature difference between water flowing into a water heat exchanger and refrigerant flowing out from the water heat exchanger, and controls a valve opening degree of an expansion valve so that the target temperature difference is obtained. When a refrigerant temperature discharged from a compressor is higher than a predetermined value, the target temperature difference is increased until the refrigerant temperature discharged from the compressor becomes lower than the predetermined value. Further, when water-heating capacity is decreased due to the increase of the target temperature difference, a rotation speed of the compressor is increased.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2001Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignees: Denso Corporation, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Central Research Institute of Electric Power IndustryInventors: Shinya Noro, Hisayoshi Sakakibara, Jyouji Kuroki, Tomoaki Kobayakawa, Kazutoshi Kusakari, Michiyuki Saikawa
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Patent number: 6430962Abstract: In a production method for oxygen, liquid oxygen is taken out from a rectification column of an air separation unit, and is compressed by a pump so that the pressure thereof exceeds the critical pressure. Then, the oxygen is led into a heat exchanger and is heated therein so that the temperature of the oxygen exceeds the critical temperature.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2001Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho.Inventors: Shinichi Miura, Masayuki Tanaka, Koji Noishiki, Shuhei Natani
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Patent number: 6427457Abstract: An automatic refrigerant handling apparatus has a compressor pump for withdrawing a refrigerant from an associated refrigeration system to be serviced, a condenser for liquefying the refrigerant and a storage vessel for storing the recovered refrigerant, the compressor pump also being capable of evacuating the refrigeration system to a first refrigeration system pressure. The apparatus has a connection jack for receiving a connector of an associated optional vacuum pump, the connector including a jumper which interconnects two terminals on the jack when the vacuum pump is connected so that the control circuitry of the apparatus can recognize the presence of the vacuum pump, whereupon the program routine of the control processor utilizes the vacuum pump instead of the compressor pump to draw a vacuum on the associated refrigeration system.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2001Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: Snap-on Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Dean P. Pfefferle, Craig F. Govekar, Michael B. Meeker, Larry G. Moller
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Patent number: 6427450Abstract: A cryocooler having an improved linear motor assembly. The cryocooler comprises a displacer unit, heat exchanger unit and compressor and linear motor assembly. The compressor and linear motor assembly includes a linear motor having both a stationary internal return iron element and a moving internal return iron element, thus enabling the motor to operate at a predetermined resonant frequency. In a preferred form, the compressor and linear motor assembly comprise a unitary structure.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2000Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: Superconductor Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Mark W. Hanes