Patents by Inventor Gerald E. Engdahl

Gerald E. Engdahl 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).

  • Patent number: 7493778
    Abstract: The assembly includes a boil-off gas line that carries storage tank boil-off gas to a condenser that uses condensing liquid from the liquid send-out line to condense the gas. A level control valve on the condensing liquid line actively controls the flow of condensing liquid based on the liquid level in the condenser. A check valve prevents liquid from the send-out line from flowing into the condenser through the condensate line that discharges condensate from the condenser to the send-out line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Inventor: Gerald E. Engdahl
  • Publication number: 20080202126
    Abstract: The new liquefied natural gas (LNG) vaporizer uses seawater as a heat source for vaporizing in a fish friendly manner. The vaporizer provides environmental benefits. Multiple seawater heat source plate heat transfer surface units provide heat for vaporizing propane. Propane provides the heat source for LNG vaporization in a propane/LNG exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventor: GERALD E. ENGDAHL
  • Patent number: 7168395
    Abstract: This invention discloses a method and device for vaporizing LNG with a submerged combustion vaporizer. The submerged combustion LNG vaporizer uses spiral tube heat transfer circuits and a submerged combustion heat source for vaporizing LNG. The submerged combustion heat source has a unique low submergence heat and mass transfer arrangement for heating circulation water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Inventor: Gerald E Engdahl
  • Publication number: 20040261395
    Abstract: An apparatus for vaporizing liquefied natural gas (LNG) is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an LNG side with a plurality of heat transfer circuits and a heating medium side with a plurality of passages within a trough like containment. The vaporizer is designed for high heat transfer rates and reduced thermal stresses. The vaporizer can be brought on line quickly, and can utilize sea water and other fluids as the heating medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Inventor: Gerald E. Engdahl
  • Patent number: 6470706
    Abstract: A system and apparatus for condensing boil-off vapor from a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) container are disclosed. A system for condensing vapor includes the steps of providing contact area within a condenser vessel, directing vapor to the condenser vessel, providing a condensing fluid and a pump fluid, directing the condensing fluid to the condenser vessel, varying the flow of the condensing fluid to control the pressure in the vessel, contacting the vapor with the condensing fluid to create a condensate, and combining the condensate and the pump fluid. An apparatus for condensing vapor includes a vessel, a liquified gas input to the vessel, control means on the liquified gas input for varying a first liquified gas stream to control the pressure in the vessel, a vapor input to the vessel, means for condensing vapor in the vessel, and means for combining condensed vapor with a second liquified gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
    Inventor: Gerald E. Engdahl
  • Patent number: 5513961
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving the available pump net positive suction head in a system for pumping liquid from a storage tank. When the liquid in the system is at or near its boiling point, a pump suction vessel is used to store and cool the liquid. The liquid in the pump suction vessel is kept at a temperature lower than its boiling point by surrounding the vessel with a jacketed space containing liquid from the storage tank. As the liquid in the jacketed space evaporates, the vapor is vented to the storage tank and more liquid is fed into the jacketed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Technical Services Company
    Inventors: Gerald E. Engdahl, William S. Schoerner, Joseph P. Mavec
  • Patent number: 5359856
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for increasing the methane content of liquid natural gas to provide an essentially pure liquid methane product. In the process, a liquid natural gas feed stream is introduced into a first heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange with a purified methane vapor stream so as to liquify the purified methane vapor stream and to provide a purified liquid methane product. The heat exchange results in increasing the temperature of the liquid natural gas feed stream to a temperature just below the dew point of the liquid natural gas feed stream so as to partially vaporize the liquid natural gas feed stream to provide a mixture of a major amount of substantially pure methane vapor and a minor amount of liquid containing methane and higher hydrocarbons. The mixture of vapor and liquid from the first heat exchanger is transferred to a low pressure separator to provide a liquid bottom fraction and a purified methane top vapor fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Liquid Carbonic Corporation
    Inventors: George D. Rhoades, Ronald C. Weber, Gerald E. Engdahl
  • Patent number: 5037463
    Abstract: A method of removing contaminants from an aqueous waste stream comprising feeding a contaminated aqueous liquid to the lower internal space of a feed tank and cooling the liquid in the tank to a temperature which results in precipitation of at least part of the contaminants; withdrawing the precipitated contaminants from the feed tank lower internal space; withdrawing aqueous liquid from the feed tank upper internal space and delivering it to a freezer; cooling the aqueous liquid in the freezer to convert at least part of the liquid to ice to produce an aqueous ice slurry; feeding aqueous ice slurry from the freezer to an aqueous ice slurry receiver; withdrawing aqueous ice slurry from the aqueous ice slurry receiver and recycling some of it to the freezer and some of it to the lower internal space of the feed tank; withdrawing aqueous ice slurry from the aqueous ice slurry receiver and delivering it to a central space of a separator-precipitate vessel; withdrawing aqueous ice slurry from the central space of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Technical Services Company
    Inventors: Gerald E. Engdahl, James H. Richardson
  • Patent number: 5003784
    Abstract: An ice slurry is produced at the triple point of water in a freezer vessel having vertical freezer tubes on which feed water falls as an outside film and coolant tubes on which cold coolant falls as an outside film, with the liquid coolant and liquid feed distributed to the tubes by a pan over the tubes. The resulting warmer coolant flows to a collecting pan at the vessel bottom and then through an outlet for withdrawing the coolant from the vessel, while the ice slurry is withdrawn through an outlet at the vessel bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1991
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Technical Services Company
    Inventors: Gerald E. Engdahl, Tushar K. Shah
  • Patent number: 5001906
    Abstract: A high pressure heat exchanger has a body with spaced apart parallel plates with side walls joined to the peripheral edge of each plate; a tubular high pressure liquid inlet header external of the body; a tubular high pressure liquid outlet header external of the body; a plurality of separate tubular runs in communication with the inlet and outlet headers; each tubular run including a tubular portion between substantially all adjacent plates of the body; the tubular portions of the same run being interconnected at one end by a tubular liquid return with a tubular portion on the opposite side of a first adjacent body plate and interconnected at the other end by a tubular liquid return with a tubular portion on the opposite side of a second adjacent body plate; the body internal plates having a liquid communication opening which permits a second liquid to flow from the space on one side of a baffle plate to the space on the other side of the baffle plate in a serpentine flow path through the body while in heat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Technical Services Company
    Inventors: Gerald E. Engdahl, Per E. Duus
  • Patent number: 4936114
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling a warm feed stream of aqueous liquid to close to but above the freezing point of the aqueous liquid and delivering it to a mixing tank; withdrawing an aqueous ice slurry from an ice slurry receiver-crystallizer and delivering it to the mixing tank to further cool the contents and produce temperature control of the mixing tank contents; withdrawing an aqueous slurry from the mixing tank and delivering it to a slurry thickener tank for precipitate separation thereof; removing the precipitate from the slurry thickener tank and disposing of it; withdrawing aqueous liquid from the thickener tank and delivering it to the ice slurry receiver-crystallizer; and withdrawing an aqueous ice slurry from the ice slurry receiver-crystallizer, feeding it through a freeze exchanger to produce additional aqueous ice slurry and withdrawing the aqueous ice slurry from the freeze exchanger and feeding it to the ice slurry receiver-crystallizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Technical Services Company
    Inventors: Gerald E. Engdahl, James H. Richardson, William S. Schoerner, Matloob Husain
  • Patent number: 4735641
    Abstract: Ice is produced by supplying a cold antifreeze solution into a freezer vessel evacuated to operate at the triple point of water; feeding a stream of water into the vessel whereby (A) part of the water flashes into water vapor which extracts its latent heat of vaporization from the water in the freezer and part of the water is cooled and converted to ice crystals in a pool of water therein and (B) the water vapor is condensed by and absorbed into the cold antifreeze solution thereby forming a more dilute antifreeze solution; removing a mixture of ice crystals and water from the vessel; withdrawing dilute antifreeze solution from the vessel and subjecting the solution to a water separating treatment to separate water and form concentrated antifreeze, combining the concentrated antifreeze with antifreeze solution withdrawn from the vessel to form a combined antifreeze stream; cooling the combined antifreeze stream to produce a cold antifreeze stream; and recycling the cold antifreeze stream to the freezer vessel
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: CBI Research Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald E. Engdahl
  • Patent number: 4457769
    Abstract: A freeze concentration apparatus comprising a cold concentrator tank; a conduit to deliver an aqueous liquid mixture feed stream to the cold concentrator tank; a conduit to feed the liquid mixture from the cold concentrator tank to a freeze exchanger for indirect cooling by heat exchange to a cold fluid to form ice crystals in the liquid mixture; a conduit to feed the liquid mixture containing ice crystals from the freeze exchanger to the cold concentrator tank; a conduit to withdraw liquid mixture from the cold concentrator tank concentrated by the freezing of water therefrom; a conduit to withdraw an ice slurry from the cold concentrator tank and deliver it to an ice slurry washer; a spray system to wash the ice slurry in the washer with water; a washer to collect washed ice and an aqueous mixture; a conduit to remove the aqueous mixture from the washer; and an unloader to remove the washed ice from the washer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1984
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
    Inventor: Gerald E. Engdahl
  • Patent number: 4314455
    Abstract: A freeze concentration apparatus comprising a cold concentrator tank; a conduit to deliver an aqueous liquid mixture feed stream to the cold concentrator tank; a conduit to feed the liquid mixture from the cold concentrator tank to a freeze exchanger for indirect cooling by heat exchange to a cold fluid to form ice crystals in the liquid mixture; a conduit to feed the liquid mixture containing ice crystals from the freeze exchanger to the cold concentrator tank; a conduit to withdraw liquid mixture from the cold concentrator tank concentrated by the freezing of water therefrom; a conduit to withdraw an ice slurry from the cold concentrator tank and deliver it to an ice slurry washer; a spray system to wash the ice slurry in the washer with water a washer to collect washed ice and an aqueous mixture; a conduit to remove the aqueous mixture from the washer; and an unloader to remove the washed ice from the washer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1982
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
    Inventor: Gerald E. Engdahl
  • Patent number: 4291550
    Abstract: A method of crystallizing or freezing out a component of a mixture composed of a liquid and a dissolved or suspended solid material, or both, by passing the mixture upwardly through a column containing a mass of insoluble solid particles having a specific gravity greater than that of the mixture; by heat exchange to a cold fluid, indirectly cooling the mixture to a temperature at which the component crystallizes or freezes out of solution, as it flows upwardly in the column; said component being the liquid or dissolved solid material; and said flow of the mixture through the column being at a sufficient velocity to fluidize the insoluble solid particles into turbulent action to scour the column inside surface and thereby prevent build up thereon of the crystallized or frozen out component.Apparatus for practicing the method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1981
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
    Inventors: Gerald E. Engdahl, James B. Maher
  • Patent number: 4286436
    Abstract: A falling film freeze exchanger having a plurality of spaced apart vertical freeze tubes secured in, and penetrating, an upper and a lower tube sheet; a cover above the upper tube sheet; a shell around the tube sheets and connected thereto, with said cover supported by the shell; the upper ends of the freeze tubes desirably extending above the upper tube sheet and, optionally, the lower ends of the freeze tubes not being enclosed by the shell; a conduit to deliver a liquid feed stream into a feed box between the upper tube sheet and the cover; a conduit to deliver a cooling fluid around the tubes inside of the shell between the upper and lower tube sheets; and, a conduit to remove cooling fluid therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1981
    Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
    Inventors: Gerald E. Engdahl, James A. Nail, Vincent F. Allo