Abstract: A controlled atmosphere system comprising a plurality of open-ended chambers within an enclosure that may be refrigerated, each chamber provided with a detach-able closure either in the form of a flexible curtain or a solid lightweight partition wherein each chamber is supplied with its own controlled atmosphere.

Abstract: A container (10) for the storage of perishable foodstuffs is chilled by means of a liquefied gas comprising a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen which when totally vaporised has an oxygen concentration of between 15 and 22%, the remaining concentration being substantially of nitrogen. Such an atmosphere is breathable, and hence avoids the problems associated with non breathable chilling atmospheres.

Abstract: A gas containing at least two constituents A and B having different temperatures is fractionated by carrying out at least the two cooling and contacting phases as follows:a) during a first stage, said gas is at least partly cooled to cause condensation of at least a first liquid fraction and said gas is brought into contact with said liquid fraction in at least a first zone of contact and heat exchange Z1, and at least a liquid fraction enriched in constituent A and at least a gaseous fraction are collected at the outlet of said first zone of contact and heat exchange Z1,b) during a second stage, said gaseous fraction from stage a) is at least partly cooled to cause condensation of at least a second liquid fraction and said gaseous fraction is brought into contact with said second liquid fraction in at least a second zone of contact and heat exchange Z2, and at least a liquid fraction enriched in constituent B and at least a gaseous fraction are collected at the outlet of said second zone.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a structured packing element, the element being corrugated with corrugations which form alternating peaks and troughs across the element, the corrugations having a longitudinal axis, the element having plural portions of first fluting at an angle between 0.degree. and 180.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the corrugations and plural portions of second fluting at an angle between 0.degree. and 180.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the corrugations, the fluting of the first portions being at an angle greater than zero to the fluting of the second portions, the respective first and second portions alternating both laterally and longitudinally of the element with respect to each other. The element preferably has a plurality of holes through the element. The foregoing structured packing is suited for use in processes requiring a contact device for accomplishing mass and/or heat transfer.

Abstract: A cooling powdering method with low temperature gas flow circulation including a gas expansion cooling circulation system, a low temperature gas flow powdering system and a material refrigerating system. The gas expansion cooling circulation system serves to provide cold capacity for the low temperature gas flow powdering system and material refrigerating system and the gas flow powdering machine serves to powder the material. The method is able to powder those materials which are impossible or difficult to be powdered at normal temperature, especially for resilient polymer materials and high resilient bodies.

Abstract: A system for producing high purity argon wherein crude argon produced in a cryogenic rectification plant is processed in a pressure swing adsorption unit. Residual gas from the pressure swing adsorption unit is recycled to the cryogenic rectification plant and high purity argon is cooled prior to recovery against oxygen-containing fluid which is subsequently passed into the cryogenic rectification plant.

Abstract: A cryopump includes a refrigerator, a heat station cooled by the refrigerator, and a cryopanel mounted to the heat station. The cryopanel and at least part of the heat station are within a chamber defined by a chamber wall. A shield extends from the chamber and surrounds the cryopanel to minimize the convective flow of gas past the cryopanel.

Abstract: Air is compressed in a compressor, pre-purified in an unit, and cooled in a heat exchanger. The resulting flow of air is subjected to a first rectification in a double rectification column so as to separate the air into an oxygen-rich fraction and a nitrogen-rich fraction. A further oxygen fraction, enriched in argon, is withdrawn from the double rectification column and is introduced into the bottom of a second rectification column in which relatively pure argon is separated from the oxygen. A stream of relatively impure argon is supplied from an independent source to an intermediate region of the second rectification column through an inlet thereof.

Abstract: In a "permanent" magnet system based on high-temperature superconductors, a superconducting magnet is cooled to a temperature below its critical temperature with a cooler. The magnet is coupled to a cold body of solid nitrogen which is insulated to minimize heat input to the system. The superconducting magnet is energized to generate a magnetic field and the cooler is removed. Unlike conventional superconducting magnets in which the magnet operating temperature is maintained at a fixed point, in the system of the present invention the operating temperature is allowed to rise from an initial value of approximately 20 K to as high as 63 K (the melting point of nitrogen), enabling operation over an extended period without the aid of direct cooling. The superconducting magnet is recooled periodically to lower its temperature to approximately 20 K. The magnetic field is maintained and the system is fully operable during the recooling process.

Abstract: A method and device is disclosed for removing residual oil and other contaminants from the refrigerant stream flowing to low-temperature stages of a cryogenic refrigerator. A stream of vapor and liquid refrigerant is injected into a cyclone chamber ?32! through the inlet tube ?34!. While the liquid drains down a conical section ?36! and out through a liquid line ?38!, the vapor phase moves up into a packing of metal platelets ?42! which is, in a particular embodiment, cooled by a returning stream of cold vapor passing through a tube ?48! wrapped around the column. A portion of the vapor condenses on the platelets and is maintained in equilibrium with the vapor. Since high-molecular-weight contaminants are more soluble in the liquid phase, they are carried down the column with the drops of condensate and are swept out with the liquid fraction through the liquid line ?38!.

Abstract: A liquid-vapor contact apparatus has pairs of vertical outer walls disposed in the manner of the vertical faces of a cuboid. The apparatus includes a plurality of spaced, parallel, vertical plates. Between each pair of adjacent plates there is a packing comprising a vertical array of corrugated liquid-vapor contact elements of the type that are used in structured packing. The corrugations in each element slope from top to bottom in a direction opposed to that in which the corrugations in contiguous elements slope. The two outermost plates form the walls of the apparatus. The walls comprise alternate edge portions of plates and of spacer bars. The plates define first and second sets of passages, respectively. One set of passages performs a first fractionation duty, and the other set another fractionation duty.

Abstract: An integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power generation system is operated with a cryogenic air separation system which produces oxygen used in a gasification system to produce fuel gas for the IGCC combustion turbine and pressurized nitrogen which is introduced into the combustor for control of nitrogen oxides and increased combustion turbine output. The air separation system produces argon as an additional product, and the air separation system preferably operates in the feed pressure range of about 100 to about 160 psia. The compressed air feed for the air separation system and the compressed combustion air for the IGCC system are provided independently in separate compression steps.

Abstract: A bi-directional Joule-Thomson device comprising two nearly identical heating containers which are connected via tubing to a cooling head. The cooling head is contained within a low temperature vacuum cryostat. Each of the small diameter tubes enters a chamber in the body of the cooling head. The chambers are connected by a small diameter orifice. Heat exchangers at ambient temperature and/or thermoelectric devices are used to cause the temperature of the gases entering and leaving the heating containers and cryostat to be at or near ambient. Within the cryostat, the small diameter tubes are thermally connected so that the cold gas flowing outward will cool the hotter incoming gas. The power for operation is supplied through two heating elements (one in each of the nearly identical heating vessels). This device will continue to perform at reduced power even if one of the heating elements fails.

Abstract: A cooling device for cooling of current leads (6, 7) in the bushings of a cryotank (1), wherein the current leads in the gas-filled part of the cryotank are designed as plate-formed sub-leads (12) surrounded by a casing (8) of insulating material with an inner open part of rectangular shape. Between all the sub-leads inside the cryotank there are arranged a number of rows of inclined transverse ribs (13a, 13b, . . . 13n, 14a, 14b . . . 14n) of insulating material. On the inner walls of the casing, facing the plate edges of the sub-leads, and at the ends of the transverse ribs, shelves (15, 16) are fixed whereby spiral cooling coils are formed around the current leads from the lower edge of the casing.

Abstract: A secondary pump unit comprising a mechanical secondary pump and a cryogenic trap, wherein the cryogenic trap forms a ring surrounding the outside of the mechanical secondary pump at its intake end, and the trap is enclosed in a casing defining, in parallel, the intake opening of the mechanical pump and of the cryogenic trap.

Abstract: A liquid-vapour contact apparatus has pairs of vertical outer walls disposed in the manner of the vertical faces of a cuboid. The apparatus includes a plurality of spaced, parallel, vertical plates. Between each pair of adjacent plates there is a packing comprising a vertical array of corrugated liquid-vapour contact elements of the type that are used in the assembly of structured packing, and having the apexes of the elements in fluid tight engagement with the respective plates. The corrugations in each element slope from top to bottom in a direction opposed to that in which the corrugations in contiguous elements slope. The two outermost walls form the walls of the apparatus. The other walls comprise alternate edge portions of plates and of spacer bars. Liquid is distributed appreciably evenly between the passages formed by adjacent vertical plates at the top of the apparatus and flows over the elements and effectively vertically downwards.

Abstract: A fluid consisting at least partly of a mixture of hydrocarbons is liquefied by means of the following stages:the mixture under pressure is cooled so as to condense it at least partly to produce a liquid phase and a gas phase, and bringing into contact of at least a fraction of each of said phases is simultaneously achieved at least partly in a countercurrent flow so as to obtain, by matter transfer, a gas phase enriched in light hydrocarbons and a first liquid phase enriched in heavy hydrocarbons, andthe two phases obtained thereby are separated and the gas phase enriched in light hydrocarbons is sent to a second cooling stage in order to obtain a second liquid phase enriched in light hydrocarbons.

Abstract: A double layer cooler for particulate material has a conveyor to which separate streams of such material are delivered at spaced intervals to form lower and upper layers of material on the conveyor. As the layers move toward the discharge end of the conveyor a coolant passes upwardly through the layers. At the discharge end of the conveyor the material of the lower layer is discharged, whereas the material of the upper layer passes over a stationary quantity of material to a crusher in which the upper layer material is crushed. From the crusher material is returned to that stream which forms the lower layer on the conveyor. The lower layer of material thus is precooled and comminuted.

Abstract: A device and method for freezing or cooling of food or other items using cryogenic and low temperature coolants is provided. The device includes a coolant container which contains the cryogenic or low temperature coolant. The device will also include a freezing compartment with a lower surface which is immediately adjacent to the coolant container. The coolant container includes a valve for controlling the pressure within the coolant container, and thereby control the temperature of the coolant. When the materials to be cooled are placed in the freezing compartment the coolant will absorb heat from the materials via the lower surface and some of the coolant will vaporize. In a preferred embodiment the device includes a system for collecting the vapors thus created.

Abstract: A method for cryopreservation of biological samples. A cryogenic liquid such as liquid nitrogen is turned into a slush within a container such as a standard cryogenic storage vial by applying suction to create a partial vacuum above the liquid. The sample to be cooled is dropped into the slush and is subsequently stored in the container within which it was cooled.