Abstract: A fuel vapor treatment device or canister for a vehicle evaporative emission control system has a casing filled with a fuel vapor absorbent material in its chamber. A relay pipe projects outwardly from one end the casing and communicates with the chamber. A liquid-fuel separator having a cavity is sealingly mounted to the one end of the casing so that the relay pipe extends into the cavity. Inlet and outlet pipes, which communicate with the cavity and fuel vapor, are formed in the separator. A fuel vapor outflow passage is formed inside the separator and communicates with the outlet pipe. The suction pipe has a reduced size section with an orifice. A liquid-fuel suction pipe, which communicates with the outflow passage through the orifice, extends perpendicularly downwardly from the outflow passage. The suction pipe extends from the orifice to the area where the liquid-fuel collects.

Abstract: A portable air cleaner designed to remove fine particles and unwanted gases from a room to provide for a healthier and cleaner environment. The portable air cleaner includes a high air volume circulating design and operates quietly and efficiently. The portable air cleaner is designed to minimize the unsettling of particles which have settled out on the floor about the base of the air cleaner so as not to aggravate the particle concentration within the room environment. The portable air cleaner includes a particle filter designed to have ultra high efficiencies with respect to particle removal. Disposed coterminous to the particle filter to remove unwanted gases from the filter air to provide for improved cleaner and healthier environment.

Abstract: This invention is directed at a cross-flow filtration device for receiving a feed stock and for separating the feed stock into filtrate and retentate, comprising a multicellular monolith structure having a central longitudinal axis and a peripheral surface. The monolith structure has both an inlet and outlet end face and a matrix of porous walls which define a plurality of cells; these mutually parallel cells extending longitudinally between the inlet and outlet end faces. The cells exhibit a uniform transverse cross section throughout each respective cell's length and each cell's cross-section and shape is variable when compared to at least one other cell such that all of the cells of the structure exhibit an equivalent hydraulic diameter. Lastly, the monolith structure's cells exhibit an increasing aggregate wall thickness in at least one direction as the cells approach the peripheral surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the dehydration of a gas, particularly of a gas where the gas values should all be substantially recovered as dehydrated gas. The process uses membrane dryers and provides a sweep gas for each of the dryers. The sweep gas is substantially recovered and used again as a sweep gas. The process is economical and can process large quantities of gas.

Abstract: Chromatographically active stationary phases and adsorbents are made from sol-gels produced by the hydrolysis and condensation of alkoxysilanes that contain hydrolyzable alkoxy groups and non-hydrolyzable organo groups. The organo groups provide chromatographic activity in the resulting hybrid organic-inorganic material. Deposited as hybrid sol-gel coatings on solid supports, the coatings are heated to activate them. Hybrid organic-inorganic materials which contain different organic groups distributed in an inorganic network may be designed for the improved analysis of specific groups of compounds by the selection of the organo groups. Hydrocarbon mixtures may be advantageously analyzed by such hybrid materials.

Abstract: A high-performance, field-portable, thermally agile, gas chromatography (GC) system employs a low-thermal-mass oven in which intake and exhaust vent apertures are aligned with respect to the rotational axis of the stirring fan. The poppets of the vent dynamically vent to ambient the air-flow generated by the stirring fan. The geometry of the vents cooperates with the axial and radial components of the stirring fan to promote conical vortex air flow, to facilitate rapid and controllable mass-flow interchange with ambient air. The resulting cooling performance in a small GC oven promotes more rapid requilibration between runs, control at temperatures closer to ambient, and the reduction of thermal overshoot; thus enhancing the performance and productivity of a field instrument.

Abstract: An imaginary plane dividing a profile of a rough surface of a filter into halves with equal volume is defined as a mean plane. Assuming cutting the filter with the mean plane, a ratio of the total cross-sectional area of the recesses appearing to the whole area of the mean plane is defined as a Valley Level. An exhaust gas filter having a surface with a Valley Level of at most 20%, a porosity of 40% to 55% and an average pore diameter of 5 .mu.m to 50 .mu.m effectively collects fine particles contained in exhaust gases discharged from internal combustion engines, such as diesel engines, with little pressure loss, and has an improved releasability of deposited fine particles and can be readily regenerated by flow of blowback air, with high efficiency. When the filter has a specified two-layer structure, the Valley Level is readily controllable.

Abstract: A filter assembly is formed of an impervious elongated tubular housing and an elongated filter member positioned within the housing with its opposed longitudinal edges sealed to the housing internal tubular surface. A first barrier is interposed between the filter member first surface and the housing internal tubular surface adjacent the housing inlet end and a second barrier is interposed between the filter member second surface and the housing internal tubular surface adjacent the housing outlet end. Air flowing into the housing inlet end passes through the filter member before exiting at the outlet end.

Abstract: An improved system for producing dry, high pressure air uses a semipermeable membrane dehydrator to remove water vapor from compressed air between two stages of compression in a multistage air compressor.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for removing moisture from compressed air through a pre-compression adsorptive desiccant bed, heat reactivated and regenerative air drying and filtration system. This system consists of an air filter affixed to a blower and in communication with a heater connected and communicating with a conduit communicating with a first valve and a second valve. The first and second valve are each connected to another conduit which is connected to a desiccant bed adsorption unit and another valve and conduit which is in communication with an air compression machine. Each desiccant bed is preferably of tubular configuration.

Abstract: A canister includes a partition wall which extends toward the lid member with one end thereof connected to the end wall and opposite sides are connected to an inner surface of the casing body. First and second adsorbent layers, formed by an adsorbent, are retained between first and second filters and a third filter, respectively. The first and second filters are fixedly disposed on opposite sides of the partition wall to define first and second chambers between the first and second filters and the end wall, respectively. The third filter is placed and carried on an inner surface of a support plate which is fitted in the casing body and which has a large number of communication bores. The support plate and a lid member are biased by a spring in a direction to compress the first and second adsorbent layers.

Abstract: The disclosed hybrid membrane and pressure swing adsorption process can recover helium from source streams of about 0.5 to 5 percent by volume helium and concentrate the helium to a concentration of greater than about 98 percent by volume. The process comprises a membrane separation followed by two stages of pressure swing adsorption which are used in series. The source gas will primarily contain hydrocarbons but will contain some nitrogen. The membrane unit will contain a semipermeable membrane which is permeably selective for helium and will to the extent feasible reject hydrocarbons. The permeate gas will be increased in helium content by 2 to 10 times. Part of the residue gas is used in the regeneration of the adsorbent beds in the first stage of pressure swing adsorption. Each stage of pressure swing adsorption will contain a plurality of adsorbent beds, and will be cycled through multiple phases.

Abstract: A process for separating components of a gas by adsorption in an enclosure (1) divided into equal tight separated compartments (27) each provided with an adsorbent material (7, 8) chosen in function of the gas to be treated and each provided for temporarily allowing the gas to be treated to be introduced and at least one chosen component of the components of this gas to be evacuated whilst the other component or components of this gas are adsorbed by the material (7, 8), which process consists in introducing the gas to be treated into one of the compartments (27) until a predetermined pressure is reached while in the next compartments (27), gas to be treated is introduced in at least one compartment (27) and the chosen component is allowed to escape, the pressure in the next compartment (27) is allowed to drop so as to obtain a partial desorption of the non chosen component or components of the gas, a purging fluid is injected in the last compartment to achieve the final desorption, and device for carrying ou

Abstract: A filter assembly is formed of an impervious elongated tubular housing and an elongated filter member positioned within the housing. In a first embodiment a barrier is interposed between a filter member first surface and the housing internal tubular surface adjacent the housing inlet end and another barrier is interposed between the filter member second surface and the housing internal tubular surface adjacent the housing outlet end. In a second embodiment, the filter member is formed of a pleated sheet, the pleats being folded at their ends, and the pleated sheet is formed into a frusto-conical shape with the conical base secured to the tubular housing interior surface. Air flowing into the housing inlet end passes through the filter member before exiting at the outlet end.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for dehydrating natural gas while filling a compressed natural gas storage vessel are provided. The natural gas is dehydrated through a process of compression, followed by expansion for cooling, and freezing or condensation of water from the cooled gas onto the surface of a moisture collecting material. The invention provides dehydrated compressed natural gas which can be used to supply natural gas vehicle filling stations.

Abstract: A moisture-collecting device comprises an enclosure (12) with a fluid inlet (15), a fluid outlet (16) and a fluid passage (18) extending between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and a moisture-absorbing body (17) disposed in the fluid passage. The moisture-absorbing body fills substantially the entire flow cross section of the fluid passage (18) and to a substantial degree consists of a material having a high moisture-absorbing capability. The moisture-absorbing body defines, or has formed within it, at least one fluid passageway (19) which is in fluid flow communication with the fluid inlet (15) and the fluid outlet (16) and is substantially free of moisture-absorbing material. When the moisture-absorbing body (17) absorbs moisture it swells, and when it has swelled to a predetermined extent it may actuate a control or operating member, such as a valve.

Abstract: A regeneratable adsorber for adsorbing adsorbable contaminates from a fluid stream containing same is disclosed. The adsorber includes an adsorber housing in which there is a fluid stream inlet and a fluid stream outlet. The adsorber also includes a plurality of adsorber chambers which are arranged in an indexable wheel configuration. Each chamber includes an electrically conductive adsorbent, such as a monolithic activated carbon, a set of electrical conductors in contact with the adsorbent, and an inlet and outlet. A chamber is either in contact with a source of contaminate fluid or a desorbent fluid used to regenerate the adsorber. The adsorber includes selectively indexed chambers for adsorption or desorption to provide continuous contaminate adsorption and regeneration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the separation of one or more components from a multi-component gaseous stream. The component(s) being separated are relatively small molecular diameter gas components. They are separated by sorption techniques wherein the sorbent is a unique class of layered nanostructure materials, such as carbon nanofibers, characterized as having; (i) a surface area from about 0.2 to 3,000 m.sup.2 /g as determined by N.sub.2 adsorption at -196.degree. C., (ii) a crystallinity from about 5% to about 100%, and (iii) interstices from about 0.335 nm to about 0.67 nm.

Abstract: The purpose of this invention is to provide a consumer with an inexpensive and reliable device for controlling ethylene gas for plantstuffs. The device is a sealed, air tight package which contains a gas permeable envelope containing ethylene absorbing chemicals. A consumer peels a seal off of the airtight packaging thereby allowing the chemical reagents to be exposed to the atmosphere within the container in which the ethylene producer is situated. Only upon initial activation by the consumer does the reaction take place. The system is simple, reliable, inexpensive and disposable.

Abstract: In a pressure swing adsorption plant for the production of oxygen enriched gas a pressure vessel contains a first bed of molecular sieve adsorbent located adjacent an outlet 4 of the vessel which has an optimum operating efficiency at approximately ambient temperature and a second bed 10 of molecular sieve adsorbent which has an optimum efficiency below that of ambient operating temperature located adjacent the inlet 2.