Praxair Technology, Inc.

Union Carbide Industrial Gases Technology Corporation

Prakair Technology, Inc.

James R Dray

Maulik R Shelat

David R Parsnick

Dante Patrick Bonaquist

Neil Mark Prosser

Michael James Lockett

Harry Cheung

John Fredric Billingham

Paul William Belanger

Nick Joseph Degenstein

Theodore Fringelin Fisher

Hanfei Tuo

John Henri Royal

Cem E Celik

Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan Chakravarthy

Richard A Victor

Mark J Roberts

Robert A Beddome

Scot Eric Jaynes

Michael Robert Couche

Mohamed Hashi

Michael W Wisz

Paul Louis Just

James Brian Mize

Nick J Degenstein

Vijayaraghavan S Chakravarthy

Closed-loop refrigeration cycles for liquid oxygen densification are disclosed. The disclosed refrigeration cycles may be turbine-based refrigeration cycles or a Joule-Thompson (JT) expansion valve based refrigeration cycles and include a refrigerant or working fluid comprising a mixture of neon or helium together with nitrogen and/or oxygen.

Refrigeration cycle for liquid oxygen densification

A system and method for neon recovery in a double column or triple column air separation unit is provided. The neon recovery system comprises a non-condensable stripping column configured to produce a liquid nitrogen-rich liquid column bottoms and a non-condensable gas containing overhead and one or more condensing units arranged to produce a crude neon vapor stream that contains greater than about 50% mole fraction of neon with the overall neon recovery exceeding 95%. In addition, there is minimal liquid nitrogen consumption and since much of the liquid nitrogen is recycled back to the lower pressure column of the air separation unit, there is minimal impact on the recovery of other products from the air separation unit.

System and method for recovery of neon and helium from an air separation unit

A system and method for recovery of rare gases such as neon, helium, xenon, and krypton in an air separation unit is provided. The rare gas recovery system comprises a non-condensable stripping column linked in a heat transfer relationship with a xenon-krypton column via an auxiliary condenser-reboiler. The non-condensable stripping column produces a rare gas containing overhead that is directed to the auxiliary condenser-reboiler where most of the neon is captured in a non-condensable vent stream that is further processed to produce a crude neon vapor stream that contains greater than about 50% mole fraction of neon with the overall neon recovery exceeding 95%. The xenon-krypton column further receives two streams of liquid oxygen from the lower pressure column and the rare gas containing overhead from the non-condensable stripping column and produces a crude xenon and krypton liquid stream and an oxygen-rich overhead.

System and method for recovery of non-condensable gases such as neon, helium, xenon, and krypton from an air separation unit

In a cyclic adsorptive gas purification process, an impurity laden adsorbent is regenerated by exposing it first to an unheated gas for a pre-determined time period to desorb at least some of the impurity, followed by heating the adsorbent using a flowing stream of a heated gas to desorb the remaining impurities over another pre-determined time period, further followed by cooling of the adsorbent using a flowing stream of gas for yet another pre-determined time period to make it ready for repeating the adsorptive cycle. Introducing an unheated purge stream reduces the energy requirements for the regeneration step compared to a traditional TSA process.

Adsorbent regeneration method

A system for producing xenon concentrate suitable for further refining wherein a xenon concentrator column processes liquid from the sump of a lower pressure column and additionally produces oxygen gas for recovery or recycle to the lower pressure column.

Cryogenic system for producing xenon employing a xenon concentrator column

A cryogenic rectification system comprising an upstream krypton/xenon knockout column and a downstream oxygen upgrader column wherein the knockout column processes a crude feed for removal of heavy components including hydrocarbons and the upgrader column produces ultra high purity oxygen.

Cryogenic rectification system for producing ultra high purity oxygen

A cryogenic rectification system comprising a rare gas concentrator column for producing a liquid having an enhanced concentration of krypton and xenon, and which processes atmospheric fluids and also produces gaseous oxygen and liquid nitrogen.

Cryogenic rectification system for processing atmospheric fluids

A system for re-starting an air separation plant after an interruption in operation wherein descending liquid is collected in a non-operating distillation column and passed back to the separation section of that column before or upon re-start. The invention may employ a collection device situated in the column above the sump. Upon interruption in operation, the collection device accumulates descending liquid. From the collection device, liquid may be passed outside of the column and transferred to a holding vessel to re-inventory internal material of the column upon resumption in operation.

Rapid restart system for cryogenic air separation plant

A method is provided for separation of air by cryogenic rectification comprising compressing feed air, passing the compressed feed air through a prepurifier wherein the air is substantially cleaned of impurities, thereafter cooling the cleaned air in a cooled regenerator and then introducing it into a cryogenic air separation facility wherein it is separated into nitrogen-rich and oxygen-rich components.

Cryogenic air separation with combined prepurifier and regenerators

A cryogenic rectification system employing a double column and two auxiliary reboilers associated with one or two auxiliary columns wherein both lower purity oxygen and higher purity oxygen is produced.

Cryogenic rectification system for producing dual purity oxygen

A single column lower pressure cryogenic rectification system wherein nitrogen top vapor is condensed against column bottoms, elevated in pressure, and vaporized against elevated pressure fluid to achieve simultaneously high purity and high pressure nitrogen gas product.

Single column cryogenic rectification system for producing nitrogen gas

A cryogenic air separation system employing a product boiler coupled with a liquid air supply whereby liquid oxygen is effectively vaporized to produce gaseous oxygen product while providing for steady state operation of the cryogenic air separation plant without significant refrigeration loss.

Cryogenic air separation system for producing gaseous oxygen

A cryogenic rectification system wherein refrigeration within crude argon is recovered by heat exchange with feed and is carried with the feed into the main column system to improve the recovery of high purity oxygen product.

Cryogenic rectification system for producing high purity oxygen

A cryogenic air separation system wherein pressurized feed air is at least partially condensed to vaporize elevated pressure liquid nitrogen and elevated pressure liquid oxygen to produce elevated pressure nitrogen and oxygen gas eliminating or reducing the need for product compression.

Growing community of inventors

Kenmore, NY, United States of America

James R Dray