Patents by Inventor Patrick Le Bot

Patrick Le Bot 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).

  • Publication number: 20210039039
    Abstract: A method for producing oxygen from air using vacuum swing adsorption by means of a unit comprising at least two adsorbers each following, with an offset a pressure cycle, with a decompression step comprising at least a co-current first decompression sub-step for the partial balancing of pressure with the other adsorber which is performing counter-current recompression by means of a balancing valve, and, at least for one cycle out of three, a dead time sub-step which succeeds the first decompression sub-step, the method including a pressure of X bar at the end of the first decompression sub-step for the cycles that do not have a dead time sub-step, and a pressure of X bar at the end of the dead time sub-step, opening the balancing valve identically during the first decompression sub-step and the dead time sub-step, for the cycles that do have a dead time sub-step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Guillaume RODRIGUES, François DARRIGADE, Patrick LE BOT, Pierre PETIT, Stéphane PUSIOL, Maxime PEREZ
  • Publication number: 20200398211
    Abstract: An adsorber for purifying or separating a gas stream, wherein a granular-material filling system is made up of a cylinder that is perforated over all or part of its height, of the top end thereof of diameter Dext, and of the bottom end thereof. The distance Din-Dext is greater than twice the size of particles of the second granular material. A first granular material and the second granular material follow one another in the direction of circulation of the gas stream and are such that M>ADN. And, the second granular material is in contact both with at least a part of the outer surface of the granular-material filling system and at least a part of the inner surface of the domed top end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Guillaume RODRIGUES, Bernard FRAIOLI, Patrick PEREIRA, Patrick LE BOT, Benjamin MORINEAU
  • Publication number: 20200333069
    Abstract: A method for separating air by cryogenic distillation, wherein air is compressed in a first compressor, cooled in a heat exchanger and then separated in a system of columns, liquid oxygen is vaporized in the heat exchanger countercurrent to a flow of pressurized gas which pseudo-condenses, a flow of gas which is air or a gas delivered from the system of columns is expanded in a cryogenic expansion turbine having a single wheel, the turbine having an inlet temperature lower than ?100° C., a gas which is air or a gas delivered from the system of columns is compressed in a first booster compressor having a single wheel, with an inlet temperature higher than ?50° C., a gas which is air or a gas delivered from the system of columns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Richard DUBETTIER-GRENIER, Patrick LE BOT
  • Publication number: 20200224444
    Abstract: A gas liquefaction and/or separation unit comprising at least one chamber, optionally insulated, of slender shape, wherein the chamber is arranged on a first concrete block and the chamber is anchored to the ground by means of at least three stay cables, each connected to a second separate concrete block, the second concrete blocks connected to the stay cables being arranged on the ground at the corners of a polygon, the first and second blocks having a depth below the reference level of the ground not exceeding 1 m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Patrice CAVAGNE, Patrick LE BOT
  • Publication number: 20200209113
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing the content of at least one contaminant in a liquid cryogen comprising a cylindrical enclosure, an annular enclosure arranged around the cylindrical enclosure, means for dividing a flow of liquid cryogen in two, means for delivering a first part of the liquid cryogen to the cylindrical enclosure, means for delivering a second part of the liquid cryogen to the annular enclosure, a pipe connected to the cylindrical enclosure to allow vaporized liquid to pass through, a pipe connected to the annular enclosure to allow vaporized liquid to pass through, a heater for heating the cylindrical enclosure vessel and means for stopping the delivery of liquid cryogen to the cylindrical enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Patrick LE BOT, Frederic CRAYSSAC, Benoit DAVIDIAN, Mathieu LECLERC
  • Publication number: 20200191689
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for analyzing the content of at least one contaminant in a cryogenic liquid, wherein a known amount of liquid L constituting the initial liquid is injected at the pressure P into an enclosure; a predetermined fraction of the liquid present in the enclosure is vaporized by heating same; the vapor thus generated is discharged from the vaporizing enclosure to maintain a pressure no higher than the pressure P during the vaporization phase; the amount of liquid thus vaporized, less than L, is precisely controlled so that the amount of contaminant in the residual liquid present in the enclosure is substantially equal to that of the initial liquid, which implies that the concentration thereof is multiplied by a previously determined factor; a sample of residual liquid is collected; the contaminant content is measured after total vaporization of the residual liquid sample; and the contaminant content in the initial liquid is deduced from the measurement of contaminant in the residual
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: l'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Patrick LE BOT, Frédéric CRAYSSAC, Benoit DAVIDIAN, Mathieu LECLERC
  • Patent number: 10413859
    Abstract: A (V)PSA unit for purifying a gas stream by adsorption is provided. The (V)PSA unit comprises, arranged successively in the direction of flow of the feed gas stream, a rotary-structured adsorbent wheel configured so as to drive the gas stream therethrough in an axial manner and allowing the feed gas to dry to a level corresponding to a dew point below ?30 C., and an adsorber with a centripetal radial configuration, comprising a bed of particulate adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Patrick Le Bot, Maxime Perez, Guillaume Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20180264437
    Abstract: A composite adsorbent mixture is provided, including at least one adsorbent active principle in the form of microparticles and a non-adsorbent thermal principle in the form of microparticles, where the characteristic mean size Di of the microparticles of the thermal principle is smaller than the characteristic mean size Da of the microparticles of the active principle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Patrick LE BOT, Christian MONEREAU, Pluton PULLUMBI, Guillaumje RODGRIGUES
  • Patent number: 9976803
    Abstract: Process for producing gaseous oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a portion of the feed air flow is brought to a pressure P1, by means of a first compressor, the suction temperature T0 of which is between 0 and 50° C., the gas at the pressure P1 is cooled, in order to generate an air stream at the pressure P1 and the temperature T1 between 5 and 45° C., a portion of the air compressed in the first compressor undergoes an additional compression step starting from the temperature T1 and pressure P1 to a pressure P2 greater than P1, then is cooled, to the temperature T2 where T2 and T1 differ by less than 10° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: L'AIR LIQUIDE SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATTION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE
    Inventors: Alexis Asse, Ingrid Berthaume, Alain Briglia, Richard Dubettier-Grenier, Patrick Le Bot, Jean-Marc Peyron
  • Patent number: 9945606
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cryogenic distillation of air. In a system of air separation columns, all the air is taken to a high pressure which is 5 to 10 bar greater than a medium pressure. A portion of air, between 10% and 50% of the high pressure air stream, is boosted in a cold booster. This boosted air is then sent to an exchanger and a portion of it liquefies at the cold end of the exchanger. Part of the air is sent to one column of the column system, and another fraction is partly expanded in a Claude turbine. After expansion in the turbine, the air is sent to a medium pressure column, and a liquid stream is withdrawn for one of the columns of the system. The withdrawn stream is pressurized and vaporizes in the exchange line. The cold booster is coupled to either an expansion turbine, an electric motor, or a combination of the two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: L'AIR LIQUIDE SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE
    Inventors: Patrick Le Bot, Olivier De Cayeux, Frédéric Judas
  • Publication number: 20170216760
    Abstract: A (V)PSA unit for purifying a gas stream by adsorption is provided. The (V)PSA unit comprises, arranged successively in the direction of flow of the feed gas stream, a rotary-structured adsorbent wheel configured so as to drive the gas stream therethrough in an axial manner and allowing the feed gas to dry to a level corresponding to a dew point below ?30 C, and an adsorber with a centripetal radial configuration, comprising a bed of particulate adsorbent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Patrick LE BOT, Maxime PEREZ, Guillaume RODRIGUES
  • Patent number: 9476640
    Abstract: In a method for producing nitrogen by cryogenic distillation, air containing carbon monoxide is sent to a cryogenic distillation column (5), a flow D of nitrogen is taken from the top of the distillation column, with a CO content less than a fixed value S1, and a flow of nitrogen-rich cryogenic liquid coming from an external source (7) is sent to the top of the column, the flow rate of cryogenic liquid sent to the column being less than a value V if the CO content in the air does not exceed a previously defined threshold (S0), and the flow rate of cryogenic liquid sent to the column being greater than a value V if the carbon monoxide content of the air exceeds this previously defined threshold (S0).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Patrick Le Bot
  • Publication number: 20160265840
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas depleted of carbon dioxide produced by distillation, which is separated such as to produce a gas depleted of hydrogen, the gas depleted of hydrogen being used as a regeneration gas of a system for purification by adsorption upstream from the distillation, the composition of the regeneration gas at the intake of the purification system not being in the range of flammability in air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Patrick LE BOT
  • Publication number: 20160231053
    Abstract: Process for producing gaseous oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a portion of the feed air flow is brought to a pressure P1, by means of a first compressor, the suction temperature T0 of which is between 0 and 50° C., the gas at the pressure P1 is cooled, in order to generate an air stream at the pressure P1 and the temperature T1 between 5 and 45° C., a portion of the air compressed in the first compressor undergoes an additional compression step starting from the temperature T1 and pressure P1 to a pressure P2 greater than P1, then is cooled, to the temperature T2 where T2 and T1 differ by less than 10° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Alexis ASSE, Ingrid BERTHAUME, Alain BRIGLIA, Richard DUBETTIER-GRENIER, Patrick LE BOT, Jean-Marc PEYRON
  • Patent number: 9091478
    Abstract: The invention relates to equipment for separating air by cryogenic distillation, including: a double air separation column; an exchange line (91); a hot air supercharger (CI) and a cold air supercharger (C2); a first turbine (TI) and a second turbine (T2), each of which is coupled to one of the superchargers; means for bringing all the air to a high pressure that is greater than the mean pressure; means for purifying the air at said high pressure; means for dividing the purified air into two fractions and sending one fraction thereof to the hot air supercharger and one fraction to the cold air supercharger after cooling in the exchange line; means for feeding the second air fraction from the cold air supercharger back into the exchange line; means for sending at least one pressurized liquid from one of the columns into the exchange line; a valve (4, 5); means for sending the non-supercharged air, purified at a high pressure, to the exchange line, so as to be cooled therein, and then to the valve; and means fo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Frederic Judas, Herve Le Bihan, Patrick Le Bot
  • Publication number: 20150121955
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for air separation by cryogenic distillation in a column system that includes at least a first column operating at a first pressure, and a second column operating at a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure, the head of the first column being thermally connected to the tank of the second column via a vaporizer-condenser, a first portion of a nitrogen-enriched gas is drawn from the head of the first column, compressed in a compressor having an inlet temperature no higher than ?150° C. and condensed in the vaporizer-condenser, an oxygen-rich fluid is drawn from the lower portion of the second column and heated in the exchange line, a nitrogen-rich gas is drawn from the upper portion of the second column and heated in the exchange line, and a second portion of the nitrogen-enriched gas is expanded in a turbine without being compressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Benoit Davidian, Richard Dubettier-Grenier, Alain Guillard, Loic Joly, Patrick Le Bot, Petra Pechova
  • Patent number: 8997520
    Abstract: A method of producing at least one air gas using cryogenic distillation is provided. The expanded streams coming from the two turbines are combined and then split into two fractions. The first fraction is sent to the medium-pressure column of the system in gaseous form, whereas the second fraction is returned to the cold end of the heat exchange line. At a temperature T4 below ?100° C. and above T2, the second fraction is sent to a turbine where it expands up to a temperature T5, forming an air stream. This air stream is then warmed in the heat exchange line before being discharged into the atmosphere, so that the distillation is not disturbed. A liquid product is withdrawn from the column system as final product. The sole liquid product from the apparatus is liquid oxygen, but of course other products may be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Alain Guillard, Patrick Le Bot, Xavier Pontone
  • Patent number: 8973567
    Abstract: A carbon fuel combustion process, employing an air gas separation unit, a combustion unit operating either with air or with an oxidizer leaner in nitrogen than air, coming from the air gas separation unit, and a unit for compressing and/or purifying the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gas, wherein the power consumed by the air gas separation unit and/or the flow of oxygen produced by the air gas separation unit and/or the capture of the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gas are variable over time is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l 'Etude et l 'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Philippe Court, Arthur Darde, Jean-Pierre Tranier, Patrick Le Bot, Jean-Marc Tsevery
  • Publication number: 20140013798
    Abstract: In an air-distillation method, purified air is cooled in an exchange line and then sent to a distillation column of a system of columns, and oxygen- and nitrogen-rich fluids are extracted from a column of the system of columns only during the repressurization phase. A purified airflow, constituting between 3% and 20% of the air compressed in the compressor, is used to at least partially pressurize the adsorber completing the regeneration phase thereof, and the airflow compressed in the compressor during the adsorption phase is substantially equal to the airflow compressed in the compressor during the pressurization of the adsorber. A portion of the purified air is sent to a turbine where it is decompressed and then sent into the atmosphere an as to ensure that it is kept at least partially cold during the entire cycle, and the amount of decompressed airflow sent into the air during the pressurization of an adsorber is less than the amount sent into the air during the adsorption phase of the same adsorber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE
    Inventor: Patrick Le Bot
  • Publication number: 20140007617
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for separating air by means of cryogenic distillation in a system of columns, in which two single-stage air superchargers are connected in series and coupled to two turbines, which expand the air that was not supercharged. The superchargers supercharge the cooled high-pressure air in an exchange line in which the oxygen from the system of columns is vaporized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: L'Air Liquid Societe Anonyme pour I'Etude et I'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Patrick Le Bot