Abstract: A method and apparatus for the purification and collection of hydrogen isotopes in a flowing inert gaseous mixture containing impurities, wherein metal alloy getters having the capability of sorbing non-hydrogen impurities such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, ammonia, nitrogen and water vapor are utilized to purify the gaseous mixture of impurities. After purification hydrogen isotopes may be more efficiently collected. A plurality of parallel process lines utilizing metal getter alloys can be used to provide for the continuous purification and collection of the hydrogen isotopes.

Abstract: The invention discloses a NOx adsorption and removal apparatus employed in the method of passing NOx containing gas into the adsorber 1 filled with NOx adsorbent to adsorb a specific volume of NOx on the adsorbent, passing hot air into the adsorber to desorb NOx, and regenerating the adsorbent, wherein the adsorber is divided in plural zones arranged parallel in the gas flow direction. In this invention, by regenerating after adsorbing NOx in each zone, the regenerating apparatus can be reduced in size, and the energy may be saved by effective utilization of preheat.

Abstract: A regeneratable adsorber for adsorbing adsorbable contaminates from a fluid stream containing same is disclosed. The adsorber includes an adsorber housing in which there is a fluid stream inlet and a fluid stream outlet. The adsorber also includes a plurality of adsorber chambers which are arranged in an indexable wheel configuration. Each chamber includes an electrically conductive adsorbent, such as a monolithic activated carbon, a set of electrical conductors in contact with the adsorbent, and an inlet and outlet. A chamber is either in contact with a source of contaminate fluid or a desorbent fluid used to regenerate the adsorber. The adsorber includes selectively indexed chambers for adsorption or desorption to provide continuous contaminate adsorption and regeneration.

Abstract: Selected strongly adsorbed gaseous impurities are removed from a gas stream by pressure swing adsorption in an adsorption system which includes a single adsorption vessel, a gas storage vessel and a single gas pump. Feed gas is pumped at a selected adsorption pressure cocurrently through the adsorption vessel, which contains an adsorbent that selectively adsorbs the selected impurity or impurities. The less strongly adsorbed components of the gas mixture pass out the adsorption vessel through the nonadsorbed gas outlet end of the adsorption vessel. When the adsorbed gas front reaches a certain point in the adsorption vessel, the adsorption step is terminated and gas is countercurrently transferred from the adsorption vessel to a gas storage vessel, optionally with use of the gas pump. The adsorption vessel is then countercurrently evacuated by use of the pump and a selected gas-enriched product is recovered and sent to storage or further processed in downstream treatment operations.

Abstract: A fuel vapor treatment device adapted to prevent evaporative emission from an automotive vehicle has a casing formed of a plastic and defines therein a space filled with a fuel vapor absorbent. An end wall is sealingly connected to a first end of the casing and provided with a first pipe through which fuel vapor is charged to the space, and a second pipe through which the fuel vapor within the space is purged. A cover plate is sealingly connected to a second end of the casing. A partition member is integral with the casing and disposed within the space of the casing to define first and second chambers. The partition member includes first and second partition walls that are parallel with each other and form a predetermined space therebetween. The partition member further includes a first lateral wall to connect first ends of the respective first and second partition walls, and a second lateral wall to connect second ends of the respective first and second partition walls.

Abstract: A container for a plurality of molecular sieve beds for use in a pressure swing oxygen concentrator. An extrusion defines at least two and preferably at least three passages extending between open ends of the extrusion. The extrusion ends are closed by first and second end caps secured to the extrusion. Two of the passages form separate molecular sieve containers and a third passage may form an accumulator for storing concentrated oxygen. In a preferred embodiment, the first end cap has separate inlet ports for each molecular sieve container and an outlet port for the accumulator. The second end cap has separate outlet ports for each molecular sieve container and an inlet port for the accumulator.

Abstract: The present invention is a single vessel apparatus for separating at least a first component from a second component of a process stream. The apparatus has a vertically-elongated vessel which contains a plurality of vertically spaced apart distillation contactors for vapor and liquid distillation and an adsorbent-retaining volume defined at least in part by a solids-impermeable member located above the contactors for passing a fluid into the retaining volume. The apparatus also contains a mechanism for adding adsorbent above the solids-impermeable member and a mechanism for withdrawing adsorbent particles from the retaining volume to contact the fluid with adsorbent particles and to provide at least intermittent downward gravity flow of adsorbent particles through the retaining volume and to selectively adsorb a portion of the fluid.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for open cycle desiccant cooling wherein the process stream and regeneration stream are divided into a plurality of radial stream segments by non-parallel partitions forming unequal face segments in the desiccant wheel and the heat wheel for the same stream segment. The unequal face segments in the desiccant wheel and the heat wheel provide differing temperature profiles at the face of each wheel and allow obtaining desired temperature profiles for heat exchange and moisture adsorption. The process of this invention results in reduction of the radial speed of the heat wheel to less than 4 providing high effectiveness of the heat wheel increasing the capacity and the COP of the system.

Abstract: A method for analyzing organic substances, includes the steps of subcooling a semiconductor substrate to a temperature at least lower than an ambient temperature, trapping volatile organic substances present in an atmosphere on the semiconductor substrate, heating the semiconductor substrate to thereby remove the volatile organic substances from the semiconductor substrate, and analyzing the volatile organic substances. This method is capable of selectively trapping to analyze only organic substances which might be adsorbed to a semiconductor device and thereby deleteriously affect the performances of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A process and apparatus wherein an adsorption media, containing contaminants adsorbed from a contaminated gas stream, are contained in a media chamber. This chamber is defined by a generally cylindrical vessel, and the adsorption media comprises a polymeric material in particulate or bead form. The media chamber is defined in surrounding relationship to an elongate hollow guide tube which extends longitudinally along the central axis of the chamber. A microwave generator supplies microwave energy into the guide tube which functions as a waveguide. This waveguide has a plurality of slots formed therein which functions as radiators for the microwave energy. The microwave energy passes radially outwardly from the waveguide into the surrounding media throughout the length thereof to effect uniform heating of the media both longitudinally and radially. This heating effects release of the contaminants from the adsorbent media, which volatiles are then sucked out of the media.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating a gaseous mixture of chemically identical but physically different molecules based on their polarities. The gaseous mixture of molecules is introduced in discrete quantities into the proximal end of a porous glass molecular. The molecular sieve is exposed to microwaves to excite the molecules to a higher energy state from a lower energy state, those having a higher dipole moment being excited more than those with a lower energy state. The temperature of the sieve kept cold by a flow of liquid nitrogen through a cooling jacket so that the heat generated by the molecules colliding with the material is transferred away from the material. The molecules thus alternate between a higher energy state and a lower one, with the portion of molecules having the higher dipole moment favored over the others. The former portion can then be extracted separately from the distal end of the molecular sieve.

Abstract: An electrically conductive sorption and in situ regeneration system and method for separating species of different adsorption characteristics in a fluid includes flowing a contaminated fluid through an electrically conductive sorbent bed having a multiplicity of adsorption sites, and providing an electric current through the sorbent bed to heat the bed to increase the adsorption sites available for adsorption by the bed of the more strongly adsorbed specie by inhibiting adsorption by the bed of the less strongly adsorbed specie which might occupy adsorption sites in the bed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the desorption of a sorbent by an air stream which is delivered by a blower and, prior to entering the sorbent, is heated. In order to reduce the desorption time, provision is made for adjusting the mass of the air stream as a function of the outlet temperature of the air stream exiting from the sorbent, in such a way that, when a preset temperature limit value is reached, the mass of the air stream is reduced, and the desorption is continued with an air stream heated to a higher temperature. The method is particularly suitable for the desorption of adsorbent in sorption reactors contained in refrigerant-free air conditioning plants.

Abstract: The gasification-combined power plant of the present invention has a structure wherein a fuel gas is generated by partially oxidizing a carbon-containing fuel 2 with an oxygen-containing gas 3 in the gasification apparatus 1, the sensible heat of the fuel gas is recovered by the heat exchanger 4, char and dust are removed from the fuel gas by the dust collector 5, trace gas components, such as H.sub.2 S and NH.sub.3, are simultaneously removed from the waste gas by the gas separation apparatus 6 based on dry physical adsorption of these components (for example, by a pressure swing adsorption method), the thus separated and removed gas containing high concentrations of trace gas components, such as H.sub.2 S and NH.sub.3, is denitrated and desulfurized by the gas disposal apparatus 7 and then is discharged from the chimney 13 into the atmosphere.

Abstract: A moisture removal device for compressed air lines and the like includes a connection head having a gas inlet and a gas outlet. An elongated housing having an internal cavity is threaded to the connection head and sealed thereto with O-rings such that a central distribution tube is coupled to one of the inlet and the outlet and an open end of the housing is coupled to the other. The housing contains desiccant material for removing moisture from the gas, held captive in the housing by a retention screen across the open end. The distribution tube is impermeable between its end coupled to the connection head and one or more openings at the opposite end of the housing. The gas thus flows from the gas inlet through the entire bed of desiccant material and is discharged through the gas outlet in the connection head.

Abstract: An adsorption filter to prevent the emission of hydrocarbons from the tanks of motor vehicles comprises a highly air-permeable, substantially stable, three-dimensional bearer structure of wires, monofilaments or webs to which is secured a layer of granular, especially bead-structured adsorbent particles with a diameter of 0.1 to 1 mm, whereby the size of the micropores of the adsorbent is reduced in the direction of flow of the hydrocarbons emitted.

Abstract: A scrubber for industrial exhaust systems advantageously employs liquid gallium to adsorb vapor phase mercury as well as sub-micron sized particulates such as other trace metal constituents from a hot gas exhaust stream in an industrial exhaust system. The temperature of the liquid gallium is elevated for optimum adsorption efficiency, and subsequently lowered to separate the adsorbed mercury and other species.

Abstract: A process and system for pressurizing a vessel for integrity testing with gas comprising helium, recovering the gas comprising helium, and purifying the gas comprising helium for reuse. The process for purifying the gas stream comprising helium comprises drying the gas stream; separating the dried gas stream in a membrane separator stage into a helium-enriched permeate product stream and a helium-depleted raffinate stream; recovering helium in the raffinate stream in a membrane stripper stage thereby producing a purge stream; and purging water from the dryer with the purge stream.

Abstract: Water contamination is purged from molecular sieve material used in oxygen concentrators by heating the molecular sieve material to a temperature in the range of approximately 450.degree. to 950.degree. F., and subjecting the molecular sieve material to a stream of dry sweep gas having a dew point in the range of approximately -80.degree. to -100.degree. F. In the preferred embodiment, the molecular sieve material is contained in a vessel and heated by means of a number of heating elements. In addition, a flow of dry sweep gas is produced by at least two drying chambers containing a desiccating material. A first valve assembly alternately cycles the sweep gas through the first drying chamber and then through said second drying chamber.

Abstract: The gasification-combined power plant of the present invention has a structure wherein a fuel gas is generated by partially oxidizing a carbon-containing fuel 2 with an oxygen-containing gas 3 in the gasification apparatus 1, the sensible heat of the fuel gas is recovered by the heat exchanger 4, char and dust are removed from the fuel gas by the dust collector 5, trace gas components, such as H.sub.2 S and NH.sub.3, are simultaneously removed from the waste gas by the gas separation apparatus 6 based on dry physical adsorption of these components (for example, by a pressure swing adsorption method), the thus separated and removed gas containing high concentrations of trace gas components, such as H.sub.2 S and NH.sub.3, is denitrated and desulfurized by the gas disposal apparatus 7 and then is discharged from the chimney 13 into the atmosphere.

Abstract: A vapor phase adsorption system employing an adsorbent for removing a volatile organic compound from an air stream to produce a purified air effluent in which the adsorbent first adsorbs the compound and is then regenerated by raising the temperature of the adsorbent to a maximum desorption temperature, which employs an improvement which comprises an unloading compound pre-adsorbed on the adsorbent, wherein the unloading compound is an organic compound having a boiling point greater than that of the volatile organic compound and having an equilibrium loading capacity on the adsorbent at the maximum desorption temperature greater than the equilibrium loading capacity of the volatile organic compound.

Abstract: Novel methyne dyes comprising two auxochromic groups of the type used in a cyanine or merocyanine dye linked by a carbon atom chain wherein each of the carbon atoms have an unsaturated linkage to at least one adjacent carbon atom in the chain and at least one pair of carbon atoms in the chain being joined by a triple bond or, in an alternate resonance form, the chain including three consecutive carbon to carbon double bonds. The dyes are useful as spectral sensitizing dyes for silver halide emulsions and as intermediates for synthesizing chain-substituted methine dyes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to light-sensitive photographic material with a light-sensitive heavy metal compound, e.g. a silver halide, and a spectral sensitizer. The spectral sensitizer is a compound in which the radicals of a sensitizing dyestuff are covalently bonded to amino, imino, hydroxyl, mercapto, carboxylic acid or carboxylic acid amide groups of a natural hydrophilic colloid, preferably gelatin.The invention also relates to new sensitizing dyes which are dinuclear cyanine dyes or merocyanine dyes which have attached either to a heterocyclic nucleus of the dye or to its methine chain a group which is reactive with a hydrophilic colloid.

Abstract: Novel sensitizing dyes containing isoindole nuclei. These dyes can be used as spectral sensitizers for silver halide emulsions.

Abstract: Novel methyne dyes comprising two auxochromic groups of the type used in a cyanine or merocyanine dye linked by a carbon atom chain wherein each of the carbon atoms have an unsaturated linkage to at least one adjacent carbon atom in the chain and at least one pair of carbon atoms in the chain being joined by a triple bond or, in an alternate resonance form, the chain including three consecutive carbon to carbon double bonds. The dyes are useful as spectral sensitizing dyes for silver halide emulsions and as intermediates for synthesizing chain-substituted methine dyes.