Patents by Inventor Christoph HERTEL

Christoph HERTEL has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20180023888
    Abstract: A method for recovering a helium product fraction (6) from a nitrogen- and helium-containing feed fraction (3) is described, wherein the nitrogen- and helium-containing feed fraction (3) is partially condensed (E1), separated into a first helium-enriched fraction (5) and a first nitrogen-enriched fraction (8) and the former is cleaned again in an adsorptive manner. According to the invention, the separation is carried out in a separation column (T), which is supplied with the first nitrogen-enriched fraction (8) as return flow and with a sub-flow of the second nitrogen-enriched fraction as stripping gas (12), wherein the stripping gas quantity (12) is set such that a third nitrogen-enriched fraction (20), which contains at least 30% of the nitrogen contained in the first nitrogen-enriched fraction (8), can be recovered in the separation column (T).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Heinz BAUER, Martin GWINNER, Andreas BUB, Christoph HERTEL
  • Publication number: 20170336138
    Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated process and apparatus for liquefaction of natural gas and recovery of natural gas liquids. In particular, the improved process and apparatus reduces the energy consumption of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) unit by using a portion of the already cooled overhead vapor from a fractionation column from an NGL (natural gas liquefaction) unit to, depending upon composition, provide, for example, reflux for fractionation in the NGL unit and/or a cold feed for the LNG unit, or by cooling, within the NGL unit, a residue gas originating from a fractionation column of the NGL unit and using the resultant cooled residue gas to, depending upon composition, provide, for example, reflux/feed for fractionation in the NGL and/or a cold feed for the LNG unit, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the LNG unit and rendering the process more energy-efficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: LINDE ENGINEERING NORTH AMERICA INC.
    Inventors: Stephan BURMBERGER, Danielle R. GOLDBECK, Christoph HERTEL, Aleisha MARTY, Heinz BAUER, Ronald D. KEY
  • Patent number: 9803917
    Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated process and apparatus for liquefaction of natural gas and recovery of natural gas liquids. In particular, the improved process and apparatus reduces the energy consumption of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) unit by using a portion of the already cooled overhead vapor from a fractionation column from an NGL (natural gas liquefaction) unit to, depending upon composition, provide, for example, reflux for fractionation in the NGL unit and/or a cold feed for the LNG unit, or by cooling, within the NGL unit, a residue gas originating from a fractionation column of the NGL unit and using the resultant cooled residue gas to, depending upon composition, provide, for example, reflux/feed for fractionation in the NGL and/or a cold feed for the LNG unit, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the LNG unit and rendering the process more energy-efficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: LINDE ENGINEERING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Stephan Burmberger, Danielle R. Goldbeck, Christoph Hertel, Aleisha Marty, Heinz Bauer, Ronald D. Key
  • Publication number: 20140182331
    Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated process and apparatus for liquefaction of natural gas and recovery of natural gas liquids. In particular, the improved process and apparatus reduces the energy consumption of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) unit by using a portion of the already cooled overhead vapor from a fractionation column from an NGL (natural gas liquefaction) unit to, depending upon composition, provide, for example, reflux for fractionation in the NGL unit and/or a cold feed for the LNG unit, or by cooling, within the NGL unit, a residue gas originating from a fractionation column of the NGL unit and using the resultant cooled residue gas to, depending upon composition, provide, for example, reflux/feed for fractionation in the NGL and/or a cold feed for the LNG unit, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the LNG unit and rendering the process more energy-efficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: LINDE PROCESS PLANTS, INC.
    Inventors: Stephan BURMBERGER, Danielle R. GOLDBECK, Christoph HERTEL, Aleisha MARTY, Heinz BAUER, Ronald D. KEY