Abstract: A facility for conditioning compressed natural gas to be dispensed to vehicle fuel tanks is provided that includes a fuel storage system, a chilling apparatus, and a fuel dispensing system. The chilling apparatus includes a refrigeration system and a liquid separator. The refrigeration system cools the compressed natural gas to near freezing temperature and/or a sub freezing temperature to remove water vapor, to remove higher hydrocarbons, and/or to obtain a full fill of the vehicle fuel tanks. The liquid separator is located downstream of the refrigeration system to remove any condensed liquids from the natural gas. A desiccant bed can be provided downstream of the liquid separator to remove any residual liquids remaining in the natural gas.

Abstract: A sulfur recovery process including a Claus reaction wherein sulfur-containing compounds are converted to elemental sulfur in the presence of a stoichiometric excess of hydrogen sulfide. The sulfurous compounds in the tail gas of the Claus reaction are separated for recycle using crystallization. Liquid carbon dioxide absorption is used to separate substantially all sulfur-containing compounds from a residual tail gas suitable for venting to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A apparatus and method for the reduction and oxidation of constituents of a fluid is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a honeycomb-like structure of oxygen ion conducting ceramic having at least one passage. The passage is lined with a porous bipolar electrode and porous electrodes are formed outside the passage on the ceramic structure, the electrode in the passage being between the outside electrodes. If a voltage is applied to the outside electrodes, reducible and oxidizable constituents in a fluid passing over the passage electrode are oxidized and reduced. The capacity of the apparatus may be increased by increasing the number of passages/electrodes located between the outside electrodes.

Abstract: A cogeneration plant for a site having an expected daily thermal load. In one embodiment, the plant includes a heat engine/electrical power generator set and a heat storage unit. The engine/generator set is sized to normally operate only during the peak rate period of the central electric service utility while rejecting a quantity of heat equal to the daily thermal load at the site. The storage unit is sized to contain a quantity of heat equal to the daily thermal load reduced by that portion of the daily load incurred during the peak rate period. In another embodiment, the cogeneration plant includes a fuel cell electrical power generator serving a local energy-integrated community. The fuel cell is sized to reject a quantity of heat to satisfy the collective average daily thermal load at the community site. Separate thermal storage sections are provided for high and low grade rejected heat.

Abstract: A rotating gas diffuser for shearing fine gas bubbles from the surface thereof when the diffuser is immersed in a body of liquid and rotated therein. The rotatable shaft of the diffuser carries a disk like member defining at least one gas plenum having a porous wall out of which gas introduced into the plenum can pass to form nascent gas bubbles which are then sheared off by the viscous shear forces exerted by the liquid in which the disk is rotating. Preferably both the top wall and the bottom wall forming the gas plenum or plenums are porous. The ratio of the overall diameter of the disk to the maximum thickness of the disk in the gas diffusing area occupied by the plenums is at least about 32:1. Improved results are obtained when this ratio is at least about 48:1, more improvement is obtained with a ratio of at least about 64:1, and still greater improvement with a ratio of at least about 128:1. The preferred value of the ratio is at least about 256:1.

Abstract: The growth of micro-organisms, including cells, molds, yeasts, bacteria and the like, under conditions of substantially zero gravity, is accomplished in a closed system maintained within a space vehicle in orbital flight including mechanisms for supplying oxygen of an optimum bubble size range and number density of bubbles, to a suitable culture medium, continuously dialyzing the culture medium of the micro-organism suspension against an excess of fresh culture medium to remove metabolites and replenish nutrients, supplying additional growth medium to the culture as needed, and recovering desired products of the fermentation, including, for example, enzymes, steroids and pharmaceuticals.