Abstract: Apparatus and methods for improved combustion of oxygen and a mixture of a non-gaseous fuel, which includes providing: 1) a source of a mixture of non-gaseous fuel and conveying gas; 2) a source of oxygen; 3) a burner operatively associated with a combustion chamber; 4) a fuel duct in fluid communication with the source of mixed non-gaseous fuel and conveying gas; 5) a tubular oxygen lance fluidly communicating with the source of oxygen; and 6) at least two injection elements in fluid communication with the source of oxygen. The fuel duct includes a portion that extends along an axis towards the burner. The lance is disposed along the axis and has a diameter D. The injection elements are configured to inject oxygen into, and mix therewith, a flow of the mixture upstream of, or at, the burner. At least one of the injection elements receives oxygen from the lance. The injection elements are spaced apart by a distance X, which is greater than the length of diameter D.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for purifying gases having organic impurities, including the use of granulated porous glass. The method of the invention includes the following steps. An impure gas comprising a first gas and an organic compound is provided. A packed bed of granulated porous glass is provided. The impure gas is allowed to flow into the packed bed, thereby preferentially adsorbing at least some of the organic compound on the granulated porous glass to yield a purified gas having a concentration of the organic compound that is lower than that of the impure gas. The purified gas is allowed to flow out of the packed bed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for purifying gases having organic impurities, including the use of granulated porous glass. A system for purifying an impure gas includes a source of an impure gas, a purification element operatively associated with the source of impure gas for purifying the impure gas, and a conduit operatively associated with the purification element for receiving a flow of purified impure gas from the purification element and directing the purified impure gas to a container or point of use. The impure gas includes a first gas and an organic compound. The purification element includes a vessel containing a packed bed of granulated porous glass.

Abstract: A flow of a gaseous mixture of first and second substances at a desired ratio is provided to a storage container or point of use. Each of the first and second substances has the property of existing only as a gas when it is maintained at one atmosphere and 0° C. A vessel contains the first substance in gas phase only and a second substance in both liquid and gas phases. The second substance is bubbled into the liquid phase of the first substance thereby resulting in the gas mixture in the vessel headspace. The interior vessel temperature, the pressure at which the second substance is bubbled, and a flow rate at which the gas mixture exits the vessel are all maintained at levels sufficient to provide the desired ratio.

Abstract: A method system for providing a purified liquified gas including a vessel containing adsorbent submerged within a liquified gas and an impurity contained inside a storage tank wherein the liquified gas is purified by the adsorbent.

Abstract: A packed bed of granulated porous glass is used to purify a gas mixture comprising two gases whose boiling points or sublimation points at one atmosphere are least 10° K apart.

Abstract: A method of separating a gas mixture comprising two gases includes the following steps. A packed bed of granulated porous glass and a gas mixture including first and second gases are provided. The gas mixture is allowed to flow into the packed bed, thereby preferentially adsorbing at least some of the first gas on the granulated porous glass to yield a purified gas having a second gas concentration of the second gas higher than that of the gas mixture. The purified gas is allowed to flow out of the packed bed. The first and second gases have boiling points or sublimation points at one atmosphere that are least 10°K apart.

Abstract: ozone is dissolved ozone in a liquid cryogen. A container containing a liquified cryogen is provided. A gaseous stream of ozone is allowed to flow into at least one adsorption unit containing an adsorbent material, thereby adsorbing ozone thereupon. The cryogen is allowed to flow from the container to the at least one adsorption unit and therethrough thereby extracting an amount of the ozone adsorbed upon the adsorbent material, wherein the cryogen is in either a liquid, gaseous or supercritical phase as it flows through the adsorption unit. ozone becomes dissolved in the cryogen.

Abstract: A heat exchanger system for cooling a fiber includes an outer tube section, an inner tube section disposed within and separated a selected distance from the outer tube section to form an annular gap therebetween, and a plurality of fins extending transversely from internal peripheral wall portions of the inner tube section toward a central axis of the inner tube section. The inner tube section includes an internal passage configured to receive and cool the fiber as the fiber moves through the heat exchanger, and the fins facilitate heat transfer between a cooling medium flowing through the annular gap and a coolant fluid flowing within the inner tube section during system operation.

Abstract: Heat transfer fluid mixtures and methods of making and using same are presented. The inventive heat transfer fluid mixtures consist essentially of a light gas, such as helium, and at least one heavy fluid, such as argon, which may be adjusted between a first composition having a high heat transfer coefficient and high cost, and a second composition having a lower cost.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus to measure specific mass increases (due to the absorption of moisture) that occur in materials and for predicting moisture absorption in materials. In one method, pre-dried plastic encapsulated microchip packages (PEMs) are exposed to moist air over a period of time and moisture absorption is determined over a period of time resulting in prediction of moisture absorption of a particular material and determination of methods of care and storage of material to prevent excessive moisture absorption.

Abstract: A coolant system for cooling a fiber includes a heat exchanger with an internal passage disposed between a fiber inlet and fiber outlet to cool the fiber moving through the internal passage. A plurality of chambers are disposed within the internal passage, and at least one fluid medium flows within at least a portion of the internal passage, and at least one adjustable seal is positioned within the internal passage to form a partition between two adjacent chambers. A gas analyzer communicates with at least one chamber of the internal passage to extract a fluid sample from the chamber and to measure a concentration of a gas in the extracted fluid sample. A controller communicates with the analyzer and controls at least one of the adjustable seal and the flow rate of fluid medium within the internal passage based upon the measured concentration.

Abstract: A method of treating an object containing a material of metal, oxidized metal, non-metal, and the like and combinations thereof. The method includes (a) exposing an object to a controlled gas atmosphere, and (b) during at least a portion of time during such exposing, subjecting a specific area of the material to an energy beam, preferably a focused energy beam, more preferably a focused and filtered energy beam, having sufficient intensity to provide for the treating of the specific area. Such treating includes heating, welding, cutting, dicing, soldering, singulating, reducing, oxidizing, fusing, melting, and the like and combinations thereof. The energy beam source can be a laser selected from a group which includes YAG lasers, excimer lasers, gas lasers, semiconductor lasers, solid-state lasers, dye lasers, X-ray lasers, free-electron lasers, ion lasers, gas mixture lasers, chemical lasers, and the like and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Heat transfer fluid mixtures and methods of making and using same are presented. The inventive heat transfer fluid mixtures consist essentially of at least one light gas, such as hydrogen, and at least one heavy fluid, such as helium wherein the mixture will not be capable of mixing with air in any proportions to produce a self-sustaining flammable or combustible mixture, or wherein a concentration of hydrogen is sufficient to reduce cost of the mixture to an amount substantially less than cost of pure helium.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for removing carbon monoxide from a gas stream comprising a major portion of an inert gas and a minor portion of carbon monoxide are provided. The process involves contacting a feed gas stream with at least a primary metal oxide in a reaction zone of a reactor vessel at conditions effective to convert substantially all of the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, thus producing a purified gas stream consisting essentially of the inert gas and carbon dioxide and substantially free of carbon monoxide.

Abstract: Methods of cooling an object are presented, the methods comprising contacting a heat transfer fluid with a liquid cryogen to form a precooled, substantially pure heat transfer fluid, and contacting the object with the precooled substantially pure heat transfer fluid to form a cooled object and a recycle flow of the heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid consists essentially of a compound selected from the group consisting of substantially pure hydrogen, substantially pure helium, substantially pure argon, substantially pure nitrogen, and substantially pure carbon dioxide. Each of the contacting steps may be either direct contact, indirect contact, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for removing carbon monoxide from a gas stream comprising a major portion of an inert gas and a minor portion of carbon monoxide are provided. The process involves contacting a feed gas stream with at least a primary metal oxide in a reaction zone of a reactor vessel at conditions effective to convert substantially all of the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, thus producing a purified gas stream consisting essentially of the inert gas and carbon dioxide and substantially free of carbon monoxide.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for removing carbon monoxide from a gas stream comprising a major portion of an inert gas and a minor portion of carbon monoxide are provided. The process involves contacting a feed gas stream with at least a primary metal oxide in a reaction zone of a reactor vessel at conditions effective to convert substantially all of the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, thus producing a purified gas stream consisting essentially of the inert gas and carbon dioxide and substantially free of carbon monoxide.

Abstract: A method of treating an object containing a material of metal, oxidized metal, non-metal, and the like and combinations thereof. The method includes (a) exposing an object to a controlled gas atmosphere, and (b) during at least a portion of time during such exposing, subjecting a specific area of the material to an energy beam, preferably a focused energy beam, more preferably a focused and filtered energy beam, having sufficient intensity to provide for the treating of the specific area. Such treating includes heating, welding, cutting, dicing, soldering, singulating, reducing, oxidizing, fusing, melting, and the like and combinations thereof. The energy beam source can be a laser selected from a group which includes YAG lasers, excimer lasers, gas lasers, semiconductor lasers, solid-state lasers, dye lasers, X-ray lasers, free-electron lasers, ion lasers, gas mixture lasers, chemical lasers, and the like and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Heat transfer fluid mixtures and methods of making and using same are presented. The inventive heat transfer fluid mixtures consist essentially of at least one light gas, such as hydrogen, and at least one heavy fluid, such as helium wherein the mixture will not be capable of mixing with air in any proportions to produce a self-sustaining flammable or combustible mixture, or wherein a concentration of hydrogen is sufficient to reduce cost of the mixture to an amount substantially less than cost of pure helium.