Abstract: A process and apparatus for highly efficient production of industrial gases by the cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a feed stream of compressed air, is supercharged to high pressure, cooled, and mixed with various recycle streams of supercharged air, to regulate the expander turbine operating temperature. The need for pre-cooling equipment downstream of the supercharger, which is widely employed in industry to manage the temperature of the incoming compressed air stream, is eliminated.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for highly efficient production of industrial gases by the cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a feed stream of compressed air, is supercharged to high pressure, cooled, and mixed with various recycle streams of supercharged air, to regulate the expander turbine operating temperature. The need for pre-cooling equipment downstream of the supercharger, which is widely employed in industry to manage the temperature of the incoming compressed air stream, is eliminated.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for highly efficient production of industrial gases by the cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a feed stream of compressed air, is supercharged to high pressure, cooled, and mixed with various recycle streams of supercharged air, to regulate the expander turbine operating temperature. The need for pre-cooling equipment downstream of the supercharger, which is widely employed in industry to manage the temperature of the incoming compressed air stream, is eliminated.

Abstract: A marine craft includes a floating body, elements adapted to generate a center-board effect, in particular a center-board projecting beneath the floating body, and a rigging. The rigging includes at least a directional kite forming a canopy and a series of sheets controlling the canopy linked to the craft, the series of sheets including a main sheet and two directional sheets, and a substantially punctiform member for guiding the main sheet and for applying tractive force of the sheet on the craft. The rigging further includes elements for spatial orientation of the axis of the resultant elements the tractive force exerted by the rigging on the craft so as to almost completely eliminate the list whatever the moving speed of the craft and with the guiding and force-applying member located above the water level.

Abstract: In a method of producing a high-pressure gas in an air separation unit, all the air intended for distillation is compressed in a compressor (1), the compressed air is purified, at least a first portion of the air is supercharged to a high pressure, the compressed and purified air is sent into a heat exchange line (6) of the unit where it cools, the compressed, purified and cooled air is separated in a system of columns of the unit comprising at least one distillation column (8, 9), a fluid (16) is withdrawn in the liquid state from one column of the system of columns, the said fluid is brought in the liquid state to the high pressure, it is vaporized by heat exchange with the air and the vaporized liquid at this high pressure is warmed in the heat exchange line of the installation, at least one portion of the supercharged air is expanded in an expansion turbine (4) from the high pressure to a second pressure, the expanded air then being sent into one column of the system of columns and during start-up of the

Abstract: This water craft (1) comprises a floating body (2), means adapted to generate a lateral resistance effect for opposing leeward drift, in particular at least one leeboard (4, 6) projecting from beneath the floating body, and a rig (8). The rig comprises at least one steerable kite (12) forming a sail (10), and a series of sheets (M, P, Q) for controlling the sail and connected to the craft, the series of sheets for controlling the sail comprising at least one main traction sheet (M) and at least two directional sheets (P, Q), and a member substantially at a point for guiding the main traction sheet (M) and for applying the traction from said sheet to the craft. The rig further comprises means for three-dimensionally positioning the axis of the traction resultant exerted by the sail on the craft so that it is possible to eliminate heeling substantially completely regardless of the point of sailing of the craft, and with said guide and application member situated above the water level.

Abstract: A refrigerating mixture is compressed in the penultimate stage of a plurality of stages of a compression unit. The mixture is partially condensed in order to cool it substantially to ambient temperature; the condensed mixture is separated in order to obtain a vapour fraction and a liquid fraction; the vapour fraction is cooled and partially condensed; the resultant vapour fraction is sent to the final compression stage at least the high pressure vapour fraction and the liquid fraction are cooled, expanded, and circulated in at least first heat exchange means (5) with the fluid to be cooled.Moreover, according to the invention, during condensation of the vapour fraction, the vapour fraction produced by separating the condensed mixture is cooled by circulating it in heat-exchange relationship with a refrigerating fluid, in second heat exchange means.

Abstract: The heat exchanger is of the type comprising a stack of parallel plates and, between these plates, undulant spacers, each pair of plates defining a passage for fluid of generally flat shape. Certain passages (20) are subdivided over one part of their length into two closed subpassages (at 45, 57) at locations longitudinally offset relative to each other. The exchanger is applicable in cryogenic heat exchangers of installations for the distillation of air.

Abstract: The heat exchanger is of the type comprising a stack of parallel plates and, between these plates, undulant spacers, each pair of plates defining a passage for fluid of generally flat shape. Certain passages (20) are subdivided over one part of their length into two closed subpassages (at 45, 57) at locations longitudinally offset relative to each other. The exchanger is applicable in cryogenic heat exchangers of installations for the distillation of air.

Abstract: The heat exchanger is of the type comprising a stack of parallel plates and, between these plates, undulant spacers, each pair of plates defining a passage for fluid of generally flat shape. Certain passages (20) are subdivided over one part of their length into two closed subpassages (at 45, 57) at locations longitudinally offset relative to each other. The exchanger is applicable in cryogenic heat exchangers of installations for the distillation of air.

Abstract: A process and a plant in which gaseous oxygen is produced directly at the desired high pressure by pumping liquid oxygen drawn off in the vessel of the low-pressure column (11). The air to be distilled is split into three flows: a flow at the medium pressure of the double distillation column (1), a flow at a high pressure, higher than approximately 60 bars, and a flow at an intermediate pressure which, after partial cooling, is expanded to the medium pressure in a turbine (8). The intermediate pressure is chosen so that the air treated in the turbine is near its dew point at the entry of the turbine wheel. Liquid product is simultaneously drawn off (at 24) from the plant.

Abstract: In this process, which incorporates an integral cascade, the coolant mixture issuing from the penultimate stage (1B) of the compressor cycle (1) is delivered to a distillation apparatus (5) the head vapor of which is cooled (in 24) to a temperature significantly lower than the ambient temperature, then separated into two phases (in 6C); the vapor stage is supplied to the last stage (1C) of the compressor, and the liquid phase constitutes a coolant fluid for the hot part (8) of the heat exchange line (7).

Abstract: An air separation process of the "pumped" type, in which liquid oxygen is removed from a double distillation column and is pumped to a higher production pressure and then vaporized under that pressure. The incoming air is divided into several streams. A first stream is compressed to the medium pressure, cooled and sent to the double distillation column (7). A second stream is compressed above about 25 bars, but below its condensation pressure during vaporization of the liquid oxygen under pressure, then cooled to an intermediate temperature, at which a portion of the air continues its cooling and is liquified (in 20A), then expanded (in 21A) and sent to the double column, while the rest is work expanded (in 4). Use in large size installations for the production of oxygen.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the liquefaction of hydrogen, of the type using a refrigeration cycle whose cycle fluid comprises mostly hydrogen, and a closed liquid nitrogen refrigeration cycle. The cycle fluid is hydrogen and a mixture of C.sub.2 + hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons are liquefied and expanded to form fluids which vaporize in a substantially continuous manner between a temperature of the order of -120.degree. C. and a temperature adjacent ambient temperature. More particularly, the mixture of hydrocarbons is saturated C.sub.2, C.sub.3, and C.sub.5 hydrocarbons, and if desired C.sub.4, and separated liquefied fractions of these hydrocarbons are expanded at respective temperatures before expansion of the order of 0.degree. C. to -10.degree. C., -40.degree. C. to -50.degree. C. and -110.degree. C. to -120.degree. C., to form refrigerant liquids adapted to be vaporized.

Abstract: In this process, which incorporates an integral cascade, the coolant mixture issuing from the penultimate stage (1B) of the compressor cycle (1) is delivered to a distillation apparatus (5) the head vapor of which is cooled (in 24) to a temperature significantly lower than the ambient temperature, then separated into two phases (in 6C); the vapor stage is supplied to the last stage (1C) of the compressor, and the liquid phase constitutes a coolant fluid for the hot part (8) of the heat exchange line (7).

Abstract: In a process for the production of gaseous oxygen under pressure at a variable flow rate, of the type in which air is distilled in an air distillation installation comprising a distillation apparatus (7) and a heat exchange line (6) to cool the air by heat exchange with the products from the distillation apparatus; liquid oxygen is withdrawn from this apparatus, brought to a vaporization pressure, vaporized and reheated under this pressure in the heat exchange line, this vaporization and this reheating being accompanied by a liquefaction of air in the air liquefaction passages (21; 21,21A) of the heat exchange line.

Abstract: Auxiliary gas is withdrawn from the heat exchanger during cooling or reheating at an intermediate temperature which is close to the vaporizing temperature of the oxygen or nitrogen high pressure product stream, then compressed by a cold compressor and reintroduced in the heat exchanger. The invention is particularly applicable to the production of gaseous oxygen at a pressure greater than about 15 bar.

Abstract: All the air to be distilled is compressed to a first high pressure and is thereafter separated into two portions. The first portion, representing at least 70% of the flow, is boosted to a second high pressure and cooled down in a heat exchanger to an intermediate temperature, where a part thereof is work expended to the mean pressure while the remainder is liquefied. The second portion is cooled and liquefied in the heat exchange line, into one or a plurality of flows at one or more pressures between the first and second high pressures.

Abstract: In this apparatus, the treatment column is insulated by means of a sheath under vacuum while the heat exchange line is insulated by means of a cold box under atmospheric pressure containing a solid insulating material such as a material in particulate form.

Abstract: The air distillation double column (1,2) includes an apparatus for vaporizing oxygen and condensing nitrogen which comprises on one hand a running type main heat exchanger (7) which is partially immersed during stoppage of the equipment and on the other hand an auxiliary heat exchanger (20) which alone is responsible for liquid vaporization when the equipment is restarted.