Abstract: Separation method and apparatus for separating a gaseous mixture, for example, air, in a cryogenic rectification plant in which a compressed stream is divided into subsidiary streams that are extracted from a main heat exchanger of the plant at higher and lower temperatures. The two streams are then combined and expanded in a turboexpander to generate refrigeration for the plant. The flow rates of the two streams are adjusted to control inlet temperature of a turboexpander supplying plant refrigeration and to minimize potential deviation of the turboexpander exhaust from a saturated vapor state. Control of the expansion ratio can advantageously be applied to allow variable liquid production from the rectification plant.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel polymer-tethered ligands, metal complexes comprising these ligands, and the use of these complexes as chain transfer catalysts to control the molecular weight of oligomeric and polymeric materials produced in a radical polymerization process. The materials made by the processes disclosed herein have significantly reduced color, making them suitable for a wide range of color-critical end-uses, including automotive coatings.

Abstract: A cryogenic air separation method and apparatus in which first and second liquid streams are produced. The first liquid stream has a higher oxygen content than air and can consist of a higher pressure distillation column bottoms and the second liquid stream, for instance, air, has a lower oxygen content than the first liquid stream and an argon content no less than the air. The second liquid stream is subcooled through indirect heat exchange with the first liquid stream and both of such streams are introduced into the lower pressure column. The second liquid stream is introduced into the lower pressure column above that point at which the crude liquid oxygen column bottoms or any portion thereof is introduced into the lower pressure column to increase a liquid to vapor ratio below the introduction of the second liquid stream and therefore, reduce the oxygen present within the column overhead.

Abstract: Separation method and apparatus for separating a gaseous mixture, for example, air, in a cryogenic rectification plant in which a compressed stream is divided into subsidiary streams that are extracted from a main heat exchanger of the plant at higher and lower temperatures. The two streams are then combined and expanded in a turboexpander to generate refrigeration for the plant. The flow rates of the two streams are adjusted to control inlet temperature of a turboexpander supplying plant refrigeration and to minimize potential deviation of the turboexpander exhaust from a saturated vapor state. Control of the expansion ratio can advantageously be applied to allow variable liquid production from the rectification plant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating a mixture, for example air, within a cryogenic rectification plant that utilizes a banked heat exchanger arrangement. In such arrangement, a lower pressure heat exchanger is used to cool part of the mixture and a higher pressure heat exchanger is used to heat one or more pumped liquid streams composed of separated nitrogen-rich and oxygen-rich fractions and thereby produce pressurized product streams. A boosted pressure stream, that can be part of the air, is utilized to supply most of the heat exchange duty in the higher pressure heat exchanger. In addition, a heat exchange stream, that can also be part of the mixture, can be partially cooled in the higher pressure heat exchanger and then further cooled in the lower pressure heat exchanger to decrease the warm end temperature difference of the higher pressure heat exchanger and therefore, the required refrigeration for the plant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing an oxygen product in which air is separated in an installation including one or more air separation units having higher and lower pressure columns. An exhaust stream produced from a turboexpander and optionally an impure oxygen stream such as that derivable from higher pressure column bottoms is rectified within an auxiliary column to produce an oxygen containing stream that is introduced into the lower pressure column of each of the air separation units to increase the capacity of such columns. The pressure within the auxiliary column is set by the pressure of the exhaust stream such that a nitrogen-rich vapor stream extracted from the top of the auxiliary column can be used in regenerating adsorbent within a pre-purification unit utilized in connection with the installation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing an oxygen product in which air is separated in an installation including air separation units having higher and lower pressure columns. A pumped liquid stream generated within the installation, that can be a pumped liquid oxygen stream, is warmed within a main heat exchanger through indirect heat exchange with a compressed air stream to produce a liquid air stream. An impure oxygen stream is rectified within an auxiliary column to produce an oxygen containing stream that is introduced into the lower pressure column of each of the air separation units and intermediate liquid streams, composed of the liquid air stream or another air-like stream, reflux the lower pressure columns and the auxiliary column and optionally the higher pressure column of each of the air separation units.

Abstract: A method of producing a carbon dioxide product stream from a synthesis gas stream formed within a hydrogen plant having a synthesis gas reactor, a water-gas shift reactor, located downstream of the synthesis gas reactor to form the synthesis gas stream and a hydrogen pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a hydrogen product recovered from the synthesis gas stream. In accordance with the method the carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas stream by separating the carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas stream in a vacuum pressure swing adsorption system, thereby to produce a hydrogen-rich synthesis gas stream and a crude carbon dioxide stream and then purifying the crude carbon dioxide stream by a sub-ambient temperature distillation process thereby to produce the carbon dioxide product. A hydrogen synthesis gas feed stream to the hydrogen pressure swing adsorption unit is formed at least in part from the hydrogen rich stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a pressurized product stream product by cryogenic rectification. A main heat exchanger, used in the cryogenic rectification, warms a pumped product stream composed of oxygen-rich or nitrogen-rich liquid and thereby produces the pressurized product stream. Layers of the main heat exchanger are designed such that a reduction in the heat transfer area provided within the main heat exchanger for warming the pumped product stream occurs at a location at which the temperature of the pumped product stream exceeds either the critical or a dew point temperature of such stream. The reduction in heat transfer area leaves regions of the layers able to heat or cool another stream that is used in connection with the cryogenic rectification. Such other stream can be a refrigerant stream that allows the introduction of additional refrigeration to increase production of liquid products.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel polymer-tethered ligands, metal complexes comprising these ligands, and the use of these complexes as chain transfer catalysts to control the molecular weight of oligomeric and polymeric materials produced in a radical polymerization process. The materials made by the processes disclosed herein have significantly reduced color, making them suitable for a wide range of color-critical end-uses, including automotive coatings.

Abstract: A plate-fin heat exchanger having alternating layers for exchanging heat between fluids to be warmed against fluids to be cooled. One or both of the layers is subdivided into flow passages to allow for the flow of two or more fluids flowing through one of the layers to engage in indirect heat transfer with one or more fluids flowing through another adjacent layer. The flow through the heat exchanger is parallel to the width of the heat exchanger. The first and second layers provide a greater cross-sectional flow area for each of the fluids than otherwise would have been provided had the fluids flow been parallel to the length of the heat exchanger with layers thereof dedicated to the flow of each of the fluids.

Abstract: An Apparatus for purifying a feed stream containing carbon dioxide in which the feed stream, after having been compressed and dried, is partly cooled and then used to reboil a stripping column. Thereafter, the feed stream is further cooled and expanded to a lower operational temperature of the stripping column. A carbon dioxide product stream composed of the liquid column bottoms of the stripping column is expanded at one or more pressures to generate refrigeration, then fully vaporized within the main heat exchanger and compressed by a compressor to produce a compressed carbon dioxide product. Refrigeration is recovered in the main heat exchanger from a column overhead stream extracted from the stripping column within the main heat exchanger either directly or indirectly by auxiliary processing in which carbon dioxide is further separated and optionally recycled back to the main compressor used in compressing the feed stream.

Abstract: A method of supplying refrigeration to air separation plants within an air separation plant facility in which a refrigerant stream is produced at cryogenic temperature within a centralized refrigeration system. Streams of the refrigerant at the cryogenic temperature are introduced into the air separation plants such that all or a part of the refrigeration requirements of the air separation plants are supplied by the streams of the refrigerant.

Abstract: Air separation method in which air is separated within cryogenic rectification processes conducted in first and second cryogenic air separation plants. The first cryogenic air separation plant is designed to produce an oxygen-rich product stream and the second cryogenic air separation plant is designed to produce an impure oxygen vapor stream. At least part of the impure oxygen vapor stream is introduced into a lower pressure column of the first cryogenic air separation plant and oxygen contained in such stream along with air separated within the first air separation plant is used in producing the oxygen-rich product stream.

Abstract: Method of purifying a feed stream containing carbon dioxide wherein the feed stream after having been compressed and dried is partly cooled and then used to reboil a stripping column. Thereafter, the feed stream is further cooled and expanded to a lower operational temperature of the stripping column. A carbon dioxide product stream composed of the liquid column bottoms of the stripping column is expanded at one or more pressures to generate refrigeration, then fully vaporized within the main heat exchanger and compressed by a compressor to produce a compressed carbon dioxide product. Refrigeration is recovered in the main heat exchanger from a column overhead stream extracted from the stripping column within the main heat exchanger either directly or indirectly by auxiliary processing in which carbon dioxide is further separated and optionally recycled back to the main compressor used in compressing the feed stream.

Abstract: Systems and methods for lottery-style games are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method may comprise: establishing an online game that is scheduled to have lottery drawings on a number of drawing days; accepting enrollment of a plurality of players in the online game, each player being assigned at least one unique identifier and being committed to participate in a plurality of the lottery drawings; receiving, from each player, a designated number of tokens to be entered for each unique identifier in each lottery drawing said player is committed to participate in, each designated number being at least one and up to a predetermined maximum; and executing the online game on each drawing day by conducting a drawing, from unique identifiers of the participating players, to select one winner and by providing a fraction of a jackpot to the selected winner based on a calculated proportional value.

Abstract: Systems and methods for lottery-style games are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method may comprise: establishing a map-based game that is scheduled to have a number of lottery drawings associated with a plurality of grid units on a map: accepting enrollment of players in the map-based game, each player being associated with at least one grid unit on the map and being committed to participate in a plurality of the lottery drawings by contributing tokens of value, receiving, from each player, a designated number of tokens to be contributed, on behalf of each of the at least one grid unit, to each lottery drawing said player is committed to participate in; and-executing the map-based game by pooling the contributed tokens to form a jackpot and conducting a drawing, from grid units participating in said drawing, to select at least one grid unit to win a first prize.

Abstract: The present invention relates to cryogenic air separation processes and systems that employ a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) prepurification process. It is advantageous to operate the PSA process at a pressure comparable to or below the operating pressure of the highest pressure column in the cryogenic separation unit. Following PSA prepurification, the air can be split into at least two fractions, with at least a portion of the air being directed to the cryogenic separation unit and at least a portion of the remaining air being further pressurized in at least one stage of compression.

Abstract: A cryogenic plant having at least two direct phase separation devices such as distillation columns whose circular perimeters serve to define the perimeter of the cold box encompassing the direct phase separation devices and ancillary equipment for the process.