Patents by Inventor Kevin J. Saboda
Kevin J. Saboda 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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Publication number: 20220146196Abstract: A system and method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2022Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: Neil M. Prosser, Yang Luo, Richard D. Lenz, Kevin J. Saboda
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Publication number: 20220146195Abstract: A method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The disclosed cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2022Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: Neil M. Prosser, Yang Luo, Richard D. Lenz, Kevin J. Saboda
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Patent number: 11262125Abstract: A system and method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2018Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Neil M. Prosser, Yang Luo, Richard D. Lenz, Kevin J. Saboda
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Patent number: 10928129Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2020Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Patent number: 10866025Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2020Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Publication number: 20200173163Abstract: A system and method for anchoring a cold box structure of an air separation unit to a concrete foundation is provided. One such embodiment provides a concrete foundation having a plurality of reinforced concrete piers projecting vertically from a top surface of the concrete foundation and configured to anchor the cold box structure to the reinforced concrete piers using a plurality of horizontally disposed anchor bolts. Alternatively, the concrete foundation may include a plurality of hollow steel structures projecting vertically from a top surface of the concrete foundation and configured to anchor the cold box structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2019Publication date: June 4, 2020Inventors: Bismarck N. Luna, Joseph W. Ball, Ryan C. Mierzwa, Kevin J. Saboda
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Publication number: 20200149809Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2020Publication date: May 14, 2020Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Publication number: 20200149810Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2020Publication date: May 14, 2020Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Patent number: 10578357Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2018Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Patent number: 10578356Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2018Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Patent number: 10578355Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2018Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Publication number: 20190204009Abstract: A system and method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2018Publication date: July 4, 2019Inventors: Neil M. Prosser, Yang Luo, Richard D. Lenz, Kevin J. Saboda
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Publication number: 20190063829Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2018Publication date: February 28, 2019Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Publication number: 20190063830Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2018Publication date: February 28, 2019Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Publication number: 20190063831Abstract: An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2018Publication date: February 28, 2019Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Paul W. Belanger, Richard D. Lenz, Kirk F. Larson, Steven C. Brown, John P. Ricotta, Guang X. Chen, Jeremy D. Faust
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Publication number: 20180209727Abstract: A pre-fabricated or shop-built structural support assembly cold box structures containing distillation columns or other cold box equipment in an air separation unit is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2018Publication date: July 26, 2018Inventors: Kevin J. Saboda, Karl K. Kibler, Nick J. Degenstein