Patents by Inventor Neil Mark Prosser
Neil Mark Prosser 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: 9222725Abstract: A compressed air stream is cooled to a temperature suitable for its rectification within a lower pressure heat exchanger and a boosted pressure air stream is liquefied or converted to a dense phase fluid within a higher pressure heat exchanger in order to vaporize pumped liquid products. Thermal balancing within the plant is effectuated with the use of waste nitrogen streams that are introduced into the higher and lower pressure heat exchangers. The heat exchangers are configured such that the flow area for the subsidiary waste nitrogen stream within the higher pressure heat exchanger is less than that would otherwise be required so that the subsidiary waste nitrogen streams were subjected to equal pressure drops in the higher and lower pressure heat exchangers. This allows the higher pressure heat exchanger be fabricated with a reduced height and therefore a decrease in fabrication costs.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2007Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Richard John Jibb
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Publication number: 20130239609Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a krypton-xenon-rich stream in which a pipeline oxygen stream is removed from an oxygen pipeline at ambient temperature and then distilled in a cryogenic rectification plant to produce the krypton-xenon-rich stream from a column bottoms of a distillation column. The plant can generate its own refrigeration by way of a heat pump loop incorporating an expander or, alternatively, refrigeration can be added by means of a liquid oxygen reflux stream introduced into the top of such distillation column.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2013Publication date: September 19, 2013Inventors: David Ross Parsnick, Neil Mark Prosser, Ihuaku Ihejirika
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Patent number: 8484992Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a krypton-xenon-rich stream in which a pipeline oxygen stream is removed from an oxygen pipeline at ambient temperature and then distilled in a cryogenic rectification plant to produce the krypton-xenon-rich stream from a column bottoms of a distillation column. The plant can generate its own refrigeration by way of a heat pump loop incorporating an expander or, alternatively, refrigeration can be added by means of a liquid oxygen reflux stream introduced into the top of such distillation column.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2009Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: David Ross Parsnick, Neil Mark Prosser, Ihuaku Ihejirika
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Patent number: 8448463Abstract: The present invention provides a method of rectifying an oxygen, nitrogen and argon containing feed stream that employs high and low pressure columns and an argon column. Refrigeration is imparted through turboexpansion of a nitrogen-rich vapor stream withdrawn from the high pressure column. The nitrogen-rich vapor stream has a sufficiently high flow rate that the flow of both vapor and liquid within the low pressure column is decreased to such an extent that the diameter of the low pressure column can be made substantially equal to or less than that of the high pressure column. The use of the argon column allows recovery of the oxygen to be increased over that which would otherwise be obtained given the draw of the nitrogen-rich vapor. The argon column can be an argon rejection column in which the separated argon is discarded as waste.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2009Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Wei Zhang
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Patent number: 8443625Abstract: A method of separating air in which a superheated air stream is introduced into a mass transfer contacting zone associated with a higher pressure column of an air separation unit. Krypton and xenon is washed from a superheated air stream introduced into the mass transfer contacting zone, thereby to form a krypton and xenon-rich liquid. The krypton and xenon-rich liquid is stripped within a stripping column to produce a krypton-xenon-rich bottoms liquid. A krypton-xenon-rich stream composed of the krypton-xenon-rich bottoms liquid from the stripping column is produced for purposes of further refinement.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2008Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, John Bernard Saunders
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Publication number: 20120125044Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating air to produce a gaseous oxygen product in which the air is separated in an air separation plant to conduct a cryogenic rectification process that utilizes higher and lower pressure compressed air streams. The higher and lower pressure compressed air streams are generated in two multistage compressors linked together so that the lower pressure compressed air stream is produced from intermediate stages and the higher pressure compressed air stream is produced from higher pressure compression stages. During turn-down operational conditions, one of the two multistage compressors can be shut down to decrease the flow of air and therefore, the production of the oxygen product.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2010Publication date: May 24, 2012Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Minish Mahendra Shah, James Richard Handley
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Publication number: 20120036892Abstract: An air separation method and apparatus in which a supercritical oxygen product is produced by heating a pumped liquid oxygen stream having a supercritical pressure, through indirect heat exchange with a boosted pressure air stream. The indirect heat exchange is conducted within a heat exchanger and a liquid nitrogen stream is vaporized in the heat exchanger to depress the pressure that would otherwise be required of the boosted pressure air stream to heat the pumped liquid oxygen stream. The pumped liquid oxygen stream constitutes 90 percent of the oxygen-rich liquid removed from an air separation unit in which the air is rectified, the liquid nitrogen constitutes at least 90 percent of the liquid nitrogen that is not used as reflux and a flow-rate ratio between the liquid nitrogen stream and the oxygen-rich liquid is between about 0.3 and 0.90.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2011Publication date: February 16, 2012Applicant: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Richard John Jibb, James Richard Salge, Lyda Zambrano, Andrew M. Warta
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Publication number: 20120036891Abstract: An air separation method and apparatus in which a supercritical oxygen product is produced by heating a pumped liquid oxygen stream having a supercritical pressure, through indirect heat exchange with a boosted pressure air stream. The indirect heat exchange is conducted within a heat exchanger and a liquid nitrogen stream is vaporized in the heat exchanger to depress the pressure that would otherwise be required of the boosted pressure air stream to heat the pumped liquid oxygen stream. The pumped liquid oxygen stream constitutes 90 percent of the oxygen-rich liquid removed from an air separation unit in which the air is rectified, the liquid nitrogen constitutes at least 90 percent of the liquid nitrogen that is not used as reflux and a flow-rate ratio between the liquid nitrogen stream and the oxygen-rich liquid is between about 0.3 and 0.90.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2010Publication date: February 16, 2012Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Richard John Jibb, James Richard Salge, Lyda Zambrano, Andrew M. Warta
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Publication number: 20110126585Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a krypton-xenon-rich stream in which a pipeline oxygen stream is removed from an oxygen pipeline at ambient temperature and then distilled in a cryogenic rectification plant to produce the krypton-xenon-rich stream from a column bottoms of a distillation column. The plant can generate its own refrigeration by way of a heat pump loop incorporating an expander or, alternatively, refrigeration can be added by means of a liquid oxygen reflux stream introduced into the top of such distillation column.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2009Publication date: June 2, 2011Inventors: David Ross Parsnick, Neil Mark Prosser, Ihuaka Ihejirika
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Publication number: 20100242538Abstract: The present invention provides a method of rectifying an oxygen, nitrogen and argon containing feed stream that employs high and low pressure columns and an argon column. Refrigeration is imparted through turboexpansion of a nitrogen-rich vapor stream withdrawn from the high pressure column. The nitrogen-rich vapor stream has a sufficiently high flow rate that the flow of both vapor and liquid within the low pressure column is decreased to such an extent that the diameter of the low pressure column can be made substantially equal to or less than that of the high pressure column. The use of the argon column allows recovery of the oxygen to be increased over that which would otherwise be obtained given the draw of the nitrogen-rich vapor. The argon column can be an argon rejection column in which the separated argon is discarded as waste.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2009Publication date: September 30, 2010Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Wei Zhang
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Patent number: 7665329Abstract: A process for carrying out cryogenic air separation wherein liquid oxygen is pressurized and vaporized against condensing feed air to produce oxygen gas product wherein excess plant refrigeration is generated such that the aggregate warm end temperature difference of the process exceeds the minimum internal temperature difference of the primary heat exchanger by at least 2K.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2008Date of Patent: February 23, 2010Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Peter James Rankin, Neil Mark Prosser
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Publication number: 20100037656Abstract: A method of separating air in which a superheated air stream is introduced into a mass transfer contacting zone associated with a higher pressure column of an air separation unit. Krypton and xenon is washed from a superheated air stream introduced into the mass transfer contacting zone, thereby to form a krypton and xenon-rich liquid. The krypton and xenon-rich liquid is stripped within a stripping column to produce a krypton-xenon-rich bottoms liquid. A krypton-xenon-rich stream composed of the krypton-xenon-rich bottoms liquid from the stripping column is produced for purposes of further refinement.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2008Publication date: February 18, 2010Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, John Bernard Saunders
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Patent number: 7533540Abstract: A system for separating air by cryogenic rectification whereby liquid production is increased by employing two separate turboexpanders, one which exhausts at a pressure no higher than that sufficient to feed the lower pressure column, the other which exhausts at a pressure no lower than that sufficient to feed the higher pressure column, and wherein one of the turboexpanders is fed with ambient temperature or modestly cooled feed air and preferably operates intermittently depending upon whether greater or lesser amounts of liquid product are desired.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2006Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventor: Neil Mark Prosser
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Publication number: 20090071191Abstract: A process for carrying out cryogenic air separation wherein liquid oxygen is pressurized and vaporized against condensing feed air to produce oxygen gas product wherein excess plant refrigeration is generated such that the aggregate warm end temperature difference of the process exceeds the minimum internal temperature difference of the primary heat exchanger by at least 2 K.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2008Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventors: Peter James Rankin, Neil Mark Prosser
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Patent number: 7487648Abstract: A method for the cryogenic separation of air having defined temperatures for condensed feed air passed into a double column system relative to liquid oxygen and preferably to shelf vapor, and wherein kettle liquid is not subcooled from the higher pressure column to the lower pressure column.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2006Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Alfred Weber, M. Mushtaq Ahmed, Todd Alan Skare, Neil Mark Prosser
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Publication number: 20080307828Abstract: A compressed air stream is cooled to a temperature suitable for its rectification within a lower pressure heat exchanger and a boosted pressure air stream is liquefied or converted to a dense phase fluid within a higher pressure heat exchanger in order to vaporize pumped liquid products. Thermal balancing within the plant is effectuated with the use of waste nitrogen streams that are introduced into the higher and lower pressure heat exchangers. The heat exchangers are configured such that the flow area for the subsidiary waste nitrogen stream within the higher pressure heat exchanger is less than that would otherwise be required so that the subsidiary waste nitrogen streams were subjected to equal pressure drops in the higher and lower pressure heat exchangers. This allows the higher pressure heat exchanger be fabricated with a reduced height and therefore a decrease in fabrication costs.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2007Publication date: December 18, 2008Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Richard John Jibb
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Publication number: 20080223077Abstract: An air separation method in which a liquid air stream, produced by vaporizing a pumped liquid oxygen stream, is introduced into a lower pressure column and optionally, a higher pressure column of an air separation unit. The liquid air stream is subcooled by extracting a main air feed to the higher pressure column from a main heat exchanger at a temperature warmer than the liquid air stream to increase argon recovery in an argon column connected to the lower pressure column. This temperature is selected such that the liquid air stream approaches an average temperature of the return streams being fed into the main heat exchanger from the higher and lower pressure columns at a range between about 0.2K and about 3K.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2007Publication date: September 18, 2008Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Richard John Jibb
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Patent number: 7299656Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system employing a phase separator, which may include one or more trays, in conjunction with a double column air separation plant, wherein some shelf liquid is subcooled and phase separated to produce crude neon vapor, and the remaining liquid is used to reflux the lower pressure column of the double column plant.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2005Date of Patent: November 27, 2007Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Alfred Weber, Neil Mark Prosser
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Patent number: 7114352Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system for producing elevated pressure nitrogen wherein a portion of the nitrogen product fed to the product compressor downstream of the primary heat exchanger is withdrawn as refrigerant nitrogen from the product compressor, preferably from an intermediate point of the product compressor, and turboexpanded to generate refrigeration for the system.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2003Date of Patent: October 3, 2006Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Peter James Rankin
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Patent number: 6881354Abstract: Multicomponent refrigerant fluids for generating refrigeration, especially over a wide temperature range including cryogenic temperatures, which are advantageous over conventional refrigerant fluids especially for certain applications, and which are non-toxic, non-flammable and low or non-ozone-depleting and preferably are maintained in variable load form through compression, cooling, expansion and warming steps in a refrigeration cycle.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2002Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Bayram Arman, Neil Mark Prosser, M. Abdul-Aziz Rashad, Henry Edward Howard