Patents by Inventor Jean-Marc Bernhardt
Jean-Marc Bernhardt 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).
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Patent number: 10465981Abstract: A device for refrigerating and/or liquefying a working gas comprising helium, the device comprising a looped working circuit for the working gas includes, in series, a compression station, a cold box, a heat exchange system exchanging heat between the cooled working gas and a user, the device further comprising an additional pre-cooling system comprising at least one tank of auxiliary cryogenic fluid, such as liquid nitrogen, the cold box comprising a first cooling stage of the working gas comprising a first exchanger disposed at the output of the compression station as well as a second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger being of the aluminum plate-fin type, the second heat exchanger being of the tube or welded plate type, characterized in that the second and third heat exchangers are connected both serially and in parallel on the working circuit downstream of the first heat exchanger.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2013Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exoloitation des Procedes Georqes ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Fabien Durand, Vincent Heloin, Pierre Barjhoux, Gilles Flavien
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Patent number: 10393428Abstract: The invention relates to a device for cooling and/or liquefying, at a low-temperature, a working fluid containing helium or consisting of pure helium. The device includes a working circuit provided with a compressor station and a cold box. The compressor station includes one or more compression stages, each using one or more compressors that include a compressor wheel rigidly connected to an axle that is rotatably mounted on bearings. The axle of each compressor is rotated by an output shaft of a motor via a gear mechanism placed in a mechanical housing including lubricating oil. Said device is characterized in that the inner space of the mechanical housing contains a gaseous atmosphere consisting of a gaseous mixture having a mean molar mass that smaller than the molar mass of the air.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2014Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Fabien Durand
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Publication number: 20190257475Abstract: The invention primarily concerns a facility for storing and cooling a liquefied gas, for example a liquefied natural gas, the facility comprising at least one tank configured to contain the liquefied gas, a closed cooling circuit configured to be supplied with liquefied gas in the liquid state coming from the tank, at least one injection member configured for reinjecting cooled liquefied gas into the tank, the facility being characterized in that it comprises at least one connection line configured to recover a cooled gas from at least one remote container that is separate and independent from the facility.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2017Publication date: August 22, 2019Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc BERNHARDT, Fabien DURAND, Cecile GONDRAND, Veronique GRABIE
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Patent number: 10060653Abstract: Method and installation for refrigerating the same application by means of several refrigerators/liquefiers disposed in parallel, the refrigerators/liquefiers in parallel using a working gas of the same nature having a low molar mass, that is to say having a mean total molar mass of less than 10 g/mol such as pure gaseous helium, each refrigerator/liquefier comprising a station for compressing the working gas, a cold box intended to cool the working gas at the output from the compression station, the working gas cooled by each of the respective cold boxes of the refrigerators/liquefiers being put in thermal exchange with the application with a view to supplying cold to the latter, in which a single compression station compresses the working gas for each of the respective separate cold boxes of the refrigerators/liquefiers disposed in parallel, the single compression station comprising only compression machines of the lubricated-screw type and systems for removing oil from the working fluid output from the comType: GrantFiled: August 14, 2012Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Cindy Deschildre, Eric Fauve, David Grillot
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Publication number: 20180100696Abstract: The invention relates to a facility for producing liquid helium from a source gas mixture substantially comprising nitrogen and helium. The facility includes a cryogenic purifier including a system for separating the nitrogen from the source gas mixture with a view to producing helium at a temperature lower than the temperature of the source gas. The facility also includes a helium liquefier that subjects the helium to a work cycle including, in series: compressing the helium, cooling and decompressing the compressed helium, and reheating the cooled, decompressed helium. The facility includes a helium transfer pipe connecting an outlet of the purifier to an inlet of the liquefier in order to transfer helium produced by the purifier into the work cycle of the liquefier. The facility is characterized in that the cryogenic purifier includes a decompression system that includes an inlet to be connected to a source of pressurized nitrogen gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2016Publication date: April 12, 2018Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour I'Etude et I'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Bertrand DEMOLLIENS, Jean-Marc BERNHARDT, Rawia ALI SAID, Delphine PICHOT, Antoine HERNANDEZ, Jean-Marc TSEVERY, Jean-Marc PEYRON
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Patent number: 9766002Abstract: An installation for refrigerating a same application by means of a single refrigerator/liquefier or several refrigerators/liquefiers arranged in parallel, the refrigerator(s)/liquefier(s) using a working gas of the same type having a low molar mass, each refrigerator/liquefier comprising a compression station to compress the working gas, a cold box intended for cooling the working gas at the outlet of the compression station, the compression station comprising only compression machines of the lubricated screw type and systems for removing the oil from the working fluid at the outlet of the compression machines, and the compression station comprises a plurality of compression machines defining several levels of pressure for the working fluid, the compression station comprising at least two compression machines defining at least two levels of pressure increasing above the level of pressure of the fluid at the inlet of the compression station, two main compression machines being arranged in series and defining,Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2012Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Cindy Deschildre, Eric Fauve, David Grillot
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Publication number: 20170219265Abstract: The invention relates to a method for adjusting a cryogenic refrigeration apparatus including a plurality of liquefiers/refrigerators arranged in parallel in order to cool a single device. The method includes a step of calculating in real time the dynamic mean value of at least one operating parameter for all the liquefiers/refrigerators. The apparatus controlling in real time the at least one valve for controlling the stream of working gas of at least one liquefier/refrigerator in accordance with the difference between the instantaneous values of the parameter relative to said dynamic converge toward said dynamic mean value.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2015Publication date: August 3, 2017Inventors: Pierre BARJHOUX, Jean-Marc BERNHARDT, Cindy DESCHILDRE, David GRILLOT
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Patent number: 9657986Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an installation for producing liquid helium, said installation comprising a cooling/liquefaction device comprising a working circuit that subjects a helium-enriched working fluid to a thermodynamic cycle in order to produce liquid helium, said circuit comprising at least one working fluid compression body and a plurality of heat exchangers. The installation also comprises a plurality of fluid recovery lines having respective upstream ends to be selectively connected to respective reservoirs, and a first collection line having an upstream end connected to the recovery lines and a downstream end connected to a receiving body that can supply the working circuit with a working fluid.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2012Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, David Grillot, Veronique Grabie, Eric Fauve, Michel Bonneton
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Publication number: 20160305708Abstract: The invention relates to a device for cooling and/or liquefying, at a low-temperature, a working fluid containing helium or consisting of pure helium. The device includes a working circuit provided with a compressor station and a cold box. The compressor station includes one or more compression stages, each using one or more compressors that include a compressor wheel rigidly connected to an axle that is rotatably mounted on bearings. The axle of each compressor is rotated by an output shaft of a motor via a gear mechanism placed in a mechanical housing including lubricating oil. Said device is characterized in that the inner space of the mechanical housing contains a gaseous atmosphere consisting of a gaseous mixture having a mean molar mass that smaller than the molar mass of the air.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2014Publication date: October 20, 2016Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe, Anonyme pour I'Etude et I'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc BERNHARDT, Fabien DURAND
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Patent number: 9389006Abstract: A method for the pulsating load refrigeration of a component of a Tokamak using a refrigeration device subjecting a working fluid to a working cycle. At least one “periodic and symmetrical” operating mode of the Tokamak includes an operating mode in which plasmas of preset duration Dp are generated periodically with intervals of duration Dnp between two successive plasmas. Dnp=Dp±30%. The cooling device cooling power is increased to a relatively high level in a plasma generation phase and reduced to a relatively low level when the Tokamak is no longer in a plasma generation phase. The refrigerating power variation brings gradual increases and reductions in refrigerating power. The increase in the refrigeration device refrigerating power is triggered in advance, in response to a signal (S) generated during a plasma starting step before the thermal load on the component increases.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Gerald Aigouy, Pierre Briend, Cindy Deschildre, Eric Fauve, Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Franck Delcayre
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Patent number: 9285141Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for pulsed charge cooling of a component of a Tokamak. The method uses a refrigeration device that subjects a working fluid such as helium to a work cycle including: compression, cooling, and decompression, as well as heat exchange with the member and heating. The refrigeration power produced by the refrigeration device is increased to a relatively high level when the Tokamak is in a plasma generation phase and is decreased to a relatively low level when the Tokamak is no longer in a plasma generation phase. The increase in refrigeration power produced by the refrigeration device is automatically triggered in response to a signal produced during a step for starting plasma in the Tokamak.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Gerald Aigouy, Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Pierre Briend, Eric Fauve, David Grillot, Vincent Heloin
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Patent number: 9272963Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the purification by adsorption of a feed flow rich in methane and comprising at least carbon dioxide.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2011Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Pierre Briend, David Grillot, Elise Renou, Simon Saulquin, Olivier Weitten
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Publication number: 20150345834Abstract: Refrigeration device comprising a working circuit in a loop for the working gas and comprising, in series: a compression station, a cold box, a system for the exchange of heat between the cooled working gas and a point of use, a system for the additional pre-cooling of the working gas leaving the compression station comprising an auxiliary cryogenic fluid volume, the cold box comprising a first cooling stage for the working gas comprising a first and a second heat exchanger, these being connected both in series and in parallel to the working circuit at the outlet of the compression station, the first cooling stage also comprising a third heat exchanger selectively exchanging heat with the auxiliary fluid, characterized in that the third heat exchanger is connected both in series and in parallel to the first and to the second heat exchangers, the working circuit comprising a recuperation pipe fitted with at least one valve and which connects the outlet of the third heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2013Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventors: Pierre BARJHOUX, Fabien DURAND, Vincent HELOIN, Jean-Marc BERNHARDT, Gilles FLAVIEN
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Publication number: 20150316315Abstract: A device for refrigerating and/or liquefying a working gas comprising helium, the device comprising a looped working circuit for the working gas includes, in series, a compression station, a cold box, a heat exchange system exchanging heat between the cooled working gas and a user, the device further comprising an additional pre-cooling system comprising at least one tank of auxiliary cryogenic fluid, such as liquid nitrogen, the cold box comprising a first cooling stage of the working gas comprising a first exchanger disposed at the output of the compression station as well as a second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger being of the aluminum plate-fin type, the second heat exchanger being of the tube or welded plate type, characterized in that the second and third heat exchangers are connected both serially and in parallel on the working circuit downstream of the first heat exchanger.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2013Publication date: November 5, 2015Inventors: Jean-Marc BERNHARDT, Fabien DURAND, Vincent HELOIN, Pierre BARJHOUX, Gilles FLAVIEN
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Publication number: 20140238070Abstract: An installation for refrigerating a same application by means of a single refrigerator/liquefier or several refrigerators/liquefiers arranged in parallel, the refrigerator(s)/liquefier(s) using a working gas of the same type having a low molar mass, each refrigerator/liquefier comprising a compression station to compress the working gas, a cold box intended for cooling the working gas at the outlet of the compression station, the compression station comprising only compression machines of the lubricated screw type and systems for removing the oil from the working fluid at the outlet of the compression machines, and the compression station comprises a plurality of compression machines defining several levels of pressure for the working fluid, the compression station comprising at least two compression machines defining at least two levels of pressure increasing above the level of pressure of the fluid at the inlet of the compression station, two main compression machines being arranged in series and defining,Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2012Publication date: August 28, 2014Inventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Cindy Deschildre, Eric Fauve, David Grillot
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Publication number: 20140238074Abstract: Method and installation for refrigerating the same application by means of several refrigerators/liquefiers disposed in parallel, the refrigerators/liquefiers in parallel using a working gas of the same nature having a low molar mass, that is to say having a mean total molar mass of less than 10 g/mol such as pure gaseous helium, each refrigerator/liquefier comprising a station for compressing the working gas, a cold box intended to cool the working gas at the output from the compression station, the working gas cooled by each of the respective cold boxes of the refrigerators/liquefiers being put in thermal exchange with the application with a view to supplying cold to the latter, in which a single compression station compresses the working gas for each of the respective separate cold boxes of the refrigerators/liquefiers disposed in parallel, the single compression station comprising only compression machines of the lubricated-screw type and systems for removing oil from the working fluid output from the comType: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2012Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour I'Etude et I'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Cindy Deschildre, Eric Fauve, David Grillot
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Publication number: 20130291585Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an installation for producing liquid helium, said installation comprising a cooling/liquefaction device comprising a working circuit that subjects a helium-enriched working fluid to a thermodynamic cycle in order to produce liquid helium, said circuit comprising at least one working fluid compression body and a plurality of heat exchangers. The installation also comprises a plurality of fluid recovery lines having respective upstream ends to be selectively connected to respective reservoirs, and a first collection line having an upstream end connected to the recovery lines and a downstream end connected to a receiving body that can supply the working circuit with a working fluid.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2012Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, David Grillot, Veronique Grabie, Eric Fauve, Michel Bonneton
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Publication number: 20130269523Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the purification by adsorption of a feed flow rich in methane and comprising at least carbon dioxide.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2011Publication date: October 17, 2013Inventors: Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Pierre Briend, David Grillot, Elise Renou, Simon Saulquin, Olivier Weitten
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Publication number: 20130014518Abstract: A method for the pulsating load refrigeration of a component of a Tokamak, said method using a refrigeration device subjecting a working fluid such as helium to a working cycle, the Tokamak comprising at least one operating mode called “periodic and symmetrical,” according to the method, the refrigerating power produced by the refrigeration device being increased to a relatively high level when the Tokamak is in a plasma generating phase (Dp) whereas the refrigerating power produced by the refrigeration device is reduced to a relatively low level when the Tokamak is no longer in a plasma generating phase (Dnp), characterized in that during the “periodic and symmetrical” operating phase of the Tokamak, the refrigerating power of the refrigeration device is regulated according to a forced variation also of the “periodic and symmetrical” type, that is one wherein the respective durations of generation of a high level of refrigeration and of generation of a low level of refrigerating power differ at most by 30%,Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: January 17, 2013Applicant: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Gerald Aigouy, Pierre Briend, Cindy Deschildre, Eric Fauve, Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Franck Delcayre
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Publication number: 20130000332Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for pulsed charge refrigeration of a member from a Tokamak. The method uses a refrigeration device that subjects a working fluid such as helium to a work cycle comprising: compression, cooling, and decompression, as well as heat exchange with the member and heating. The refrigeration power produced by the refrigeration device is increased to a relatively high level when the Tokamak is in a plasma generation phase, and the refrigeration power produced by the refrigeration device is decreased to a relatively low level when the Tokamak is no longer in a plasma generation phase. Said method is characterized in that the increase in refrigeration power produced by the refrigeration device is automatically triggered in response to a signal produced during a step for starting plasma in the Tokamak.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: L'AIR LIQUIDE SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXInventors: Gerald Aigouy, Jean-Marc Bernhardt, Pierre Briend, Eric Fauve, David Grillot, Vincent Heloin