Abstract: The present invention provides a food freezing apparatus and method in which food is passed through an elongated tube in which it is subjected to both crust and atmospheric freezing before being removed for packing. The crust freezing is facilitated by spraying liquid cryogen onto the outside of the tube at an upstream portion thereof.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is cooled and/or expanded to partially condense it, then separated to provide one or more C.sub.3 containing liquid steams and a first vapor stream. These streams are then directed into a distillation column wherein a second vapor stream is separated to recover a product containing the major portion of the C.sub.3 components and heavier hydrocarbon components. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the column below the feed point of the first vapor stream and is then directed into heat exchange relation with the second vapor stream to cool the distillation stream and condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream. At least a portion of the condensed stream is directed to the distillation column as its top feed.

Abstract: A cooler structure of stirling engine is designed to make it easier for the production of the cooler by using brazing soldering techniques, and which in turn reduces the loss of the heat being transmitted to the cooling water and the displacer seal. The invention includes a sealing filler metal having the same depth formed around the circumference of each surface of the upper and lower plates which seals the radiator tubes to be fixed and sustained by the upper and lower plates. An adiabatic part is formed between the upper plate having a projection maintaining a predetermined length toward the inner low part. The internal cylinder prevents the passing of the heat from the internal cylinder to the radiator tube.

Abstract: In a cryogenic condensation scheme used for benzene removal in a process for liquefying natural gas, two series connected separation columns are provided with a feedstream precooled in a heat exchanger to a temperature that will at least condense the benzene component. In the first column, benzene is absorbed and vapor/liquid is separated with the liquid passed to the second column. The second column provides an overhead vapor stream conserved for processing to LNG, and a bottoms stream comprising NGL. The cooling for condensation of gaseous feed in the heat exchanger is controlled by automatically manipulating bypass flow around the heat exchanger responsive to measured vapor flow from the second separation column. Accordingly, the amount of liquid condensed is responsive to the flow rate of vapor withdrawn overhead from the second separation column.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of separating air in which the air is rectified wig a single column nitrogen generator which produces a nitrogen stream which is expanded into a refrigerant stream and then taken as a medium pressure product. Oxygen enriched air can be taken as low pressure and medium pressure enriched air products. A stream of oxygen enriched air can be used to regenerate the pre-purification unit and also taken as a wet product.

Abstract: A process is set forth for the cryogenic distillation of an air feed to produce an oxygen product, particularly an oxygen product at moderate purity (80-99%, preferably 85-95%). The process uses an auxiliary low pressure column in addition to the conventional high pressure column and low pressure column. The auxiliary low pressure column, which is preferably operated at the same pressure as the main low pressure column and which is heat integrated with the top of the high pressure column by means of its bottom reboiler/condenser, pretreats the crude liquid oxygen from the bottom of the high pressure column. The resulting overhead vapor stream and bottom stream are subsequently fed to the main low pressure column. Preferably, the bottom stream is fed to the main low pressure column in a state which is at least partially vapor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and to a device for pellet-freezing pourable and flowable materials in a low-boiling liquefied gas (11) which is located in the interior of an insulated housing (1) having an aperture for introducing the material to be frozen. To generate a cascade-like flow (12), in which small drops can be frozen individually, coupled with a small surface area requirement of the immersion bath, there is, according to the invention, in the interior of the housing (1), a reaction tube (2) with an agitator (3) which is arranged at the lower end, the charging device (13) for the material to be frozen being arranged above the aperture (18) thereof.

Abstract: Air is separated in a higher pressure rectification column into a bottom fraction of oxygen-enriched liquid air and a top fraction of nitrogen. The column has a first inlet for a first vaporous air stream at a first pressure communicating with an expansion turbine. A first condenser-reboiler for condensing a second vaporous air stream at a second pressure greater than the first pressure has an inlet communicating with a compressor. The condensate flows through an expansion valve into the higher pressure rectification column. A stream of oxygen-enriched liquid is withdrawn from the bottom of the column and is introduced into a lower pressure rectification column in which an impure oxygen fraction is separated. A second condenser-reboiler places the top of the higher pressure rectification column in heat exchange relationship with an intermediate region of the column. Reboil for the bottom of the column is provided by the first condenser-reboiler. An impure oxygen product is withdrawn from the column.

Abstract: The present invention provides one or more sidedraws, from the stripping section of a column, of a heavy key component in the presence of a desirable heavier than heavy key component. In addition, the present invention provides one or more sidedraws, from the rectification section of a column, of a light key component in the presence of a desirable lighter than light key component. In prior art columns, an inherent remixing of the components to be separated in downstream columns occurs near the top or bottom of refluxed or reboiled columns respectively. In the prior art, a re-separation of the remixed components from an upstream column must be done in downstream columns. The present invention eliminates or reduces, according to desired optimization, the remixing by removal of the heavy or light key components in the sidedraw stream.

Abstract: A three state EM motor/damper used in a ground-based or space-based Stirling refrigerator expander mechanism provides multiple states of operation to obtain fail safe performance during assembly, launch (space based refrigerators), and operation. The device is attached to the expander's reciprocating displacer to enable actuation during assembly, provide maximum damping during launch, and provide attenuated damping to control displacer motion during operation as a refrigerator. The motor/damper is a linearly actuated "voice coil" device employing a moving coil wound on an electrically conductive bobbin and oscillating within a permanent magnet/back iron field assembly. The electrically conductive bobbin internally generates and dissipates eddy currents when moved through the magnetic field. The bobbin acts as a coil of one turn, shorted to itself. This mechanism transforms kinetic energy to electrical energy, which then dissipates as heat. In this manner, mechanical energy is removed from the system.

Abstract: The refrigeration system according to the invention includes a vacuum jacketed pressure vessel which contains both a spray heat exchanger and a shell and tube heat exchanger. The spray heat exchanger includes one or more nozzles for directing a first refrigerant at a heat exchanger element conveying a second refrigerant. The first refrigerant is sprayed in a fine mist from the nozzles onto the heat exchanger element conveying the second refrigerant. The first refrigerant then evaporates and cools the second refrigerant within the heat exchanger element. The shell and tube heat exchanger is a counter current heat exchanger which includes an inner tube for conveying the second refrigerant to the spray heat exchanger, and an outer tube surrounding the inner tube for conveying the first refrigerant recovered from the interior of the vacuum jacketed pressure vessel out of the pressure vessel.

Abstract: A dual capillary inlet cryogenic test chamber having the ability to continuously regulate temperature between about 1.5 K. and 400 K. A controllably heated capillary tube is located in the cryogenic reservoir, spaced from the test chamber and thermally insulated from the cryogen. This capillary tube has a characteristic impedance to fluid flow. A second low temperature, high impedance capillary tube inlet is also in the cryogenic reservoir and is connected between the cryogen reservoir and the test chamber. The combination of a control system with pressure and temperature feedback, combined with the two inlet tubes of different impedance, enables the apparatus to operate continuously and stably at any temperature within its operating range, or to smoothly sweep through any predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: The present invention is a combination immersion/impingement tunnel freezer. A solid conveyor belt moves the items to be frozen through an initial immersion section wherein the conveyor belt is immersed in a bath of liquid refrigerant. Subsequently, the conveyor belt moves the items to be frozen through an impingement section wherein the evaporated refrigerant from the immersion section is directed toward the solid conveyor belt at a high velocity and at an angle substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tunnel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cryopump operated with a refrigerator, having a housing, having an inlet valve, having heatable pumping surfaces and having a backing pump connected to the pump interior; to be able to regenerate the cryopump quickly by executing the removal of the condensed gases at a high pressure, it is proposed that it is equipped with a line for the precipitates to be removed and that is provided with a regeneration valve.

Abstract: A process for recovery of oxygen from a cryogenic air separation system in which measured data at the input or output of a latent heat exchanger and measured data within a column is compared with preselected data so that any deviation therebetween can be used to produce a signal that will vary the input parameters of the system until there is no deviation between the measured data and preset data thereby insuring that the system will operate under preselected optimum conditioning.

Abstract: An improved oil/gas separator having an upright cylindrical housing with a radial oil/gas inlet and a gas outlet pipe arranged within the housing downward and terminating within the housing with an open end. A helical wall is mounted coaxially around the gas outlet pipe and an oil collection zone is arranged below the open end of the gas outlet pipe. A drip ring is mounted at a low end portion of the gas outlet pipe adjacent to the open end to prevent oil from being entrained into the gas proceeding into the open end. A replaceable porous filter can be provided above an exit end of the gas outlet pipe for a last stage of oil removal from the gas flowing through the separator. A baffle is arranged below the porous filter and above the helical wall for collecting oil removed by the porous filter.

Abstract: The fluid management system comprises a mixing/recirculation system including an external recirculation pump for receiving fluid from a zero gravity storage system and returning an output flow of the fluid to the storage system. An internal axial spray injection system is provided for receiving a portion of the output flow from the recirculation pump. The spray injection system thermally de-stratifies liquid and gaseous cryogenic fluid stored in the storage system.

Abstract: An air separation method for supplying gaseous oxygen to meet the requirements of a variable demand cycle. In accordance with present invention, air is rectified by a double column low temperature rectification process to produce a nitrogen rich vapor and liquid oxygen in high and low pressure columns. The nitrogen rich vapor and the liquid oxygen are withdrawn from the high and low pressure columns, respectively. The nitrogen rich vapor is partially heated within a main heat exchanger of the process and is then, turboexpanded to create plant refrigeration. When a demand for gaseous oxygen exists, a product stream formed of withdrawn liquid oxygen is pumped to delivery pressure and the nitrogen rich vapor is diverted within the main heat exchanger from being partially heated and expanded and is fully heated, compressed and then condensed against vaporizing the product stream to form the gaseous oxygen. The condensed nitrogen is then flashed into a flash tank.

Abstract: An improved vapor degreaser characterized by a deep freeboard zone (i.e., freeboard to width ratio of 1.0 to 2.3) containing a three-stage condenser/heat exchanger configuration comprising: a water-cooled lower primary exchanger operating above 32.degree. F. to effect condensation of the bulk of the vapor generated by the boiling sump and a combination of an intermediate exchanger above, but preferably overlapping, the primary exchanger and a dehumidifying third exchanger position just below the top lip of the degreaser, both operating at a temperature below 32.degree. F. (preferably +10.degree. to -30.degree. F.) to effect a reduction in the vapor concentration gradient that controls the rate of vapor diffusion through the freeboard zone. The improved vapor degreaser is particularly useful in reducing vapor losses when using low boiling solvents.

Abstract: In the equipment for reducing evaporation losses of storage tanks containing volatile materials, the storage tanks are provided with holes for the inlet resp. outlet of the material to be stored, furtheron with breathing valves and the gas-spaces of the storage tanks (40) are joined to communicate with each other and have a common discharging means (45). In course of a process for the recovery of condensable vapors from a gas-vapors mixture and for the separation thereof the gas-vapors mixture is led from the communicating gas spaces of the storage tanks containing volatile materials into the condenser, in which condensing is performed discontinuously, if a gaugepressure prevails in the common gas spaces, and so that the gas-vapor mixture is condensed with its own condensate streaming in a counterstream, as well as by means of the heat-transferring elements with internal cooling arranged in the flow of the gas-vapor mixture, so e.g.