Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Air Prodcuts and Chemicals, Inc.

Kenneth William Kovak

Ian Robert Zone

Clive Chalk

Swaminathan Sunder

Rakesh Agrawal

Steven R Auvil

Vladimir Yliy Gershtein

Mohammad Ali Kalbassi

Patrick Alan Houghton

Phillip Andrew Armstrong

Wayne G Stuber

Janice C Peterson

Andrew Weaver

James William Meehan

Jonathan Wilson

Raymond Elliott Sacks

Stephen Graham Sawyer

A liquid distributor and method for distribution of a liquid in a mass transfer column, the distributor includes at least one riser comprising at least one riser wall, the at least one riser wall extends from a first surface of the distributor in a first direction of the mass transfer column; at least one shield, the at least one shield extends from a second surface of the distributor opposite the first surface and extending in a second direction opposite the first direction; and at least one liquid distribution aperture extending from the first surface of the distributor through the second surface of the distributor, the at least one shield has a length extending in the second direction such that a gap is created between the at least one shield and a packing, the height of the gap between the shield and the packing is about 10 mm to 75 mm.

Shielding in a separation column

A divided exchange column includes a shell column having a first longitudinal axis, a cylindrical wall spaced apart from and surrounding the first longitudinal axis and defining a first interior space, a first divided wall column having a second longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis, and a second divided wall column having a third longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the first and the second longitudinal axes, where the first divided wall column and the second divided wall column are positioned in the first interior space of the shell column.

Divided wall columns for smaller sized plants

An apparatus for collecting/redistributing a flow of liquid descending in an exchange column containing a layer of packing that includes: a plurality of horizontally spaced longitudinal members, each member having an inner side and an upper end adjacent a bottom of the layer of packing; at least one plate vertically spaced from the bottom of the layer of packing, each plate adapted to collect a portion of the flow of the descending liquid and having opposing ends connected to the inner sides of a pair of the longitudinal members; and at least one vapor riser in fluid communication with the plate and adapted to receive and transmit at least a portion of a stream of a vapor ascending in the exchange column from below to above the plate, each vapor riser having a cap vertically spaced apart from the bottom of the layer of packing.

Liquid collector and redistributor for packed columns

A divided wall exchange column includes a dividing wall strengthened by stiffening members and/or a double wall design to better withstand pressure differentials and minimize temperature differentials. When a double wall is used, cost of manufacture and installation is minimized by reducing the manufacturing tolerances required while providing a design robust in construction, installation, and operation. When structured packing is used, the stiffening members, combined with positioning the layers of packing at preferred angles relative to the dividing wall, result in minimal interference with the heat and/or mass transfer process while minimizing the complexity of manufacture and construction of the packing. Further, by positioning the top layer of structured packing at other preferred angles relative to the dividing wall, a simplified liquid distributor design may be used in the divided wall exchange column while the layers below may still be orientated as described above with all the associated benefits.

Divided wall exchange column

An assembly of trays in a divided wall column having an inner column wall, a dividing wall, and an interior space includes: a first tray having at least one radial downcomer adjacent the dividing wall and extending radially toward the inner column wall a first substantial distance, and a first liquid receiving area having a radial axis at a first angle to the dividing wall and extending radially toward the inner column wall a second substantial distance; and a second tray below the first tray, the second tray having at least one other downcomer having a radial axis at a second angle to the dividing wall and extending radially toward the inner column wall a third substantial distance, and at least one second liquid receiving area adjacent the dividing wall and extending radially toward the inner column wall a fourth substantial distance.

Radial-crossflow distillation trays for divided wall column applications

An apparatus for distributing a liquid in an exchange column includes a plate and at least one elongated internal baffle. The plate has at least one elongated channel, which has a first longitudinal axis, a bottom, and at least one aperture in the bottom. At least a substantial portion of the internal baffle, which has a second longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis, is disposed in the channel.

Liquid distributor internal baffling

A combined liquid/vapor distributor and method of assembly are disclosed together with a method for collection and distribution of a liquid and a vapor in an exchange column. The combined liquid/vapor distributor is an apparatus for distributing a liquid and a vapor to or from a packing in an exchange column. The apparatus includes a distributor and a deck above and adjacent the distributor. The distributor has at least one vapor riser, which has generally parallel spaced apart upright walls and an open top and an open bottom opposite the open top. The distributor also has at least one liquid trough adjacent the vapor riser. The liquid trough has an open top and a floor having at least one aperture. The floor is opposite the open top of the liquid trough and is attached to at least one wall of the adjacent vapor riser. The deck has a top and a bottom and at least one aperture vertically aligned with the open top of the vapor riser and at least one aperture vertically aligned with the open top of the liquid trough. The distributor is mounted on a support grate.

Combined vapor/liquid distributor for packed columns

This invention relates to an improved process for preparing high purity argon employing a cryogenic adsorptive technique. In the process air is separated into its components and a crude argon feed containing 0.8 mol % oxygen or less and 0.5 mol % nitrogen or less is generated. The crude argon feed is initially subjected to cryogenic adsorption for effecting nitrogen removal and then further subjected to cryogenic adsorption for effecting removal of oxygen. By conducting cryogenic adsorption in this manner, essentially no supplemental refrigeration is required in the cryogenic adsorption steps.

Method of purifying argon through cryogenic adsorption

The present invention relates to an improved process for the reliquefaction of boil-off gas containing up to 10% nitrogen resulting from the evaporation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) contained in a storage vessel. In the process, a closed-loop nitrogen refrigeration cycle is utilized wherein the nitrogen is isenthalpically expanded under conditions for generating a liquid and vapor with the liquid being pressurized by pumping and warmed against an initially cooled boil-off stream. The boil-off LNG stream is initially cooled by indirect heat exchange with an isentropically expanded refrigerant stream.

Reliquefaction of boil-off from liquefied natural gas

A nitrogen generating air separation system is disclosed having dual air feeds to dual, low and high pressure, distillation columns wherein a reboiler-condenser is mounted overhead of the high pressure column and a vaporizer-condenser is mounted overhead of the low pressure column and preferably a portion of the high pressure air feed is expanded and desuperheated before being introduced into the low pressure column.

Growing community of inventors

Macungie, PA, United States of America

Kenneth William Kovak