Union Carbide Corporation

Praxair Technology, Inc.

In-x Corporation

Leslie Charles Kun

Neno T Nenov

James Smolarek

Elias G Ragi

Thomas C Hanson

John J Crowe

Tommy M Tetreault

Ivan A Arkharov

Kit F Burr

George E Nies

Alexey M Arkharov

The invention comprises a rotary valve having first and second inlet/outlet flow passages, as well as one or more (preferably between 6 and 8) flow ports. The valve has a plurality of positions simultaneously interconnecting the first and second flow passage to selected flow ports. In a preferred embodiment, the valve has a housing and the flow ports are disposed on outer peripheral walls of the housing. The valve may further include an internal rotary plug that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis to move between the positions, and containing openings to connect the flow passages to the flow ports. The plug may be divided into two chambers in the valve which may or may not be moved independently of each other. The valve may further include a movable seal between the housing and the internal plug member which is retractable to permit freer movement of the plug.

Rotary valve

An apparatus for liquefying and storing a gas is provided. The apparatus is adapted to liquify relatively small quantities of gas, and to do so in a residence or place of business. The apparatus generally includes a cryocooler, a heat transfer assembly, and an insulated subsystem. Liquid condensate produced by the apparatus is stored in an insulated dewar. The method of the present invention includes the liquification of air or an enriched gas on a small scale in a residence or place of business. The method and apparatus of the invention are particularly well suited for providing liquified oxygen for use by a patient on oxygen therapy in the patient's residence.

Liquid oxygen production

A dual-chambered, four-ported rotary valve with a rotatable drum having peripheral openings is used to selectively connect vacuum and/or air sources and a vent to absorption chambers in a two-bed VPSA (vacuum presssure swing absorption) system to replace separate valves and produce low cost enriched oxygen, via reduced power, increased reliability, and reduced complexity and cost.

Rotary valve for two bed vacuum pressure swing absorption system

An improved helical dry screw expander particularly suited for cryogenic service and its use in a cryogenic rectification system. The improved helical dry screw expander is particularly advantageous in a cryogenic waste expansion cycle particularly for nitrogen production.

Helical dry screw expander with sealing gas to the shaft seal system

Cryogenic rectification system with helical dry screw expander

Turbomachine and method of operation wherein shroud seal fluid is channelled from the turbomachine at or proximate to the seal and preferably recycled back to the turbomachine.

Turbomachine with seal fluid recovery channel

A method and apparatus for work expanding a cryogenic liquid wherein the liquid is expanded in a manner to avoid a transient pressure drop below the flash point thus reducing the potential for cavitation and consequent operating inefficiencies.

Method and apparatus for cryogenic liquid expansion

A bearing support system providing axial thrust load control of bearing supporting a rotating element, by retaining the bearings with a slotted inner ring and supporting the inner ring with a radially spaced outer ring by means of a plurality of circumferentially spaced supports which are radially stiff but axially flexible.

Bearing support system

A process to produce liquid cryogen wherein subcooled supercritical liquid is expanded without vaporization and a portion thereof is used to carry out the subcooling by vaporization under reduced pressure.

Process to produce liquid cryogen

A bearing system for high-speed rotary machinery wherein shaft support, flexible support and viscous damping are provided by separate and distinct mechanisms each of which can be adjusted independently of the other two.

Integral bearing system

A system for enhancing the performance of the external condensing surfaces of the vertical tubes of a film condensation heat exchanger comprising a network of enhancement elements adjacent the tube surface to collect the condensate into rivulets and connecting elements wrapped around and bonded to the enhancement elements to maintain the latter in their proper positions. In a preferred embodiment, both the enhancement and connecting elements are made of a wettable plastic polymeric material in the form of a sleeve to slip over the condenser tube as a prefabricated unit.

Enhancement for film condensation apparatus

A method of forming an isostress-contoured die from a metal workpiece by discreet, sequential machining steps. A plurality of spaced-apart truncated conoidal projections, arranged in repetitive diamond-shaped patterns, are formed from the workpiece. Depressions are machined in the workpiece portions associated with each diamond pattern and the ridges between adjacent depressions are reduced by machining to form isostress-contoured surface portions between and surrounding the projections.

Direct machining method of manufacture of isostress contoured dies

Headering arrangement for heat exchanger including an array of flattened tube-like heat exchange channel elements wherein comb-shaped members extend into the end sections of the channel element array from opposite sides such that the corresponding teeth of the respective combs sealingly overlap one another and serve as spacers between adjacent channel elements. A header tank is leak-tightly secured to the periphery of the comb members, for introduction of fluid to or withdrawal of fluid from the stacked array.

Improved heat exchanger headering arrangement

Method for making isostress contoured dies by providing a cavity containing multiple vertical supports. A flexible material is tensionally secured across the top of the cavity to contact the supports and pneumatically deformed to assume an isostress contour. A form setting material is deposited and cured against the isostress contoured flexible material. The cured material may then be used directly as a die or as a die-forming master pattern.

Manufacture of isostress contoured dies

A heat exchanger assembly comprising a stacked array of thin-walled heat exchange channel elements, having first fluid entrance and exit faces at opposite ends of the array. The improved headering arrangement includes a resilient gasket disposed around the perimeter of each face against the wall portion ends thereof and header tank means enclosing each face of the array, arranged to bear compressively against the resilient gasket and form a fluid-tight seal between the header tank and the stacked array.

Growing community of inventors

Williamsville, NY, United States of America

Leslie Charles Kun