Patents by Inventor Scott A. Swafford

Scott A. Swafford 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).

  • Methods and systems for optimizing argon recovery in an air separation unit
    Patent number: 7204101
    Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system that optimizes the recovery of argon includes an air intake, a high-pressure distillation column, a low-pressure distillation column, a crude argon distillation column, and a controller that automatically controls the composition of the raw argon stream to decrease the concentration of oxygen in the stream while preventing the concentration of nitrogen in the crude argon stream from exceeding a selected value. In addition, the controller also controls the composition of the crude argon stream until an oxygen concentration of the crude argon stream reaches a selected value. The controller may include a multivariable predictive controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP
    Inventors: David S. Seiver, Scott A. Swafford
  • Methods and systems for optimizing argon recovery in an air separation unit
    Publication number: 20050072187
    Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system that optimizes the recovery of argon includes an air intake, a high-pressure distillation column, a low-pressure distillation column, a crude argon distillation column, and a controller that automatically controls the composition of the raw argon stream to decrease the concentration of oxygen in the stream while preventing the concentration of nitrogen in the crude argon stream from exceeding a selected value. In addition, the controller also controls the composition of the crude argon stream until an oxygen concentration of the crude argon stream reaches a selected value. The controller may include a multivariable predictive controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: David Seiver, Scott Swafford