Praxair Technology, Inc.

Michael John Stanko

John Henri Royal

Carl L Schwarz

Dante Patrick Bonaquist

Nancy Jean Lynch

Ahmed F Abdelwahab

Robert Leroy Baker

Victor Emmanuel Bergsten

Jeremiah James Rauch

James Eric White

William J Owens

Jalal Hunain Zia

Gerald Thomas O'Connor

Murali Chinta

William Timothy Gleisle

Gerald T O'CONNOR

A coupling to attach an impeller of a compressor to a shaft of an electric motor. The coupling has a coupling body that is attached at a first of the ends thereof to the impeller and at the opposite second end, to the motor shaft. The coupling body has a deformable section between the first and second ends of the coupling body. The deformable section is configured such that under an unbalanced loading exerted against the coupling body upon a failure of the impeller, the deformable section will permanently deform without the ultimate strength of a material forming the coupling body being exceeded and prior to a permanent deformation of the shaft. In such manner, the electric motor is protected from damage upon a failure of the impeller.

Coupling for directly driven compressor

A method and apparatus for producing and controlling flow rate of a compressed gas produced by a compression system having one or more stages of compression formed by a centrifugal compressor or compressors, inlet guide vanes to control flow through the compression stage or stages and an electric motor directly coupled to the stage or stages having a restricted speed zone within which vibrational modes can damage the electric motor. A desired flow rate is obtained by speed adjustment alone and with the inlet guide vanes positioned at 0&#xb0; when the speed will lie above or below the restricted speed zone. Where a desired flow rate would require extended operation of the electric motor at a speed within the restricted speed zone, the speed is set to the uppermost level of the restricted speed zone and the desired flow rate is obtained through appropriate positioning of the inlet guide vanes.

Gas compressor control system preventing vibration damage

The present invention provides a method and apparatus of inhibiting a thrust bearing capacity of a compression system from being exceeded during a surge event in which a thrust bearing is biased with a biasing force to increase the thrust bearing overload margin between the capacity of thrust bearing to absorb axial forces and the greatest force produced during the surge event. This biasing force can be produced by appropriately sizing the high pressure seal on the side of the impeller opposite to the inlet of a compressor of the compression system so that the back disk force produced in the high pressure region of the high pressure seal and the low pressure region located inwardly of the high pressure region creates the desired bias force value and direction.

Compressor thrust bearing surge protection

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for generating refrigeration in a process operating at sub-ambient temperatures in which the refrigeration is generated by a turboexpander. The turboexpander is coupled to a generator controlled so that its speed is maintained at a setpoint through electromagnetic braking and its power output is maintained at line matching voltage and frequency. The speed control of the generator therefore, also controls the speed of the turboexpander. The setpoint is calculated to be equal to a product of an operational efficiency parameter, U/C, and a square root of twice the enthalpy drop in the flow passing through the turboexpander divided by a product of pi and a diameter of an impeller employed within the turboexpander.

Refrigeration generation method and system

A joint to connect a tubular ceramic element to a tubesheet. The joint has an internal seal housing to retain the tubular ceramic element and an external seal housing connected to the tubesheet to retain the internal seal housing. A ceramic-to-metal seal is located within the internal seal housing and a metal-to-metal seal is located between the internal seal housing and an external seal housing. The external seal housing is connected to the tubesheet. The internal seal housing is assembled in sections to allow assembly of the ceramic-to-metal seal to be assembled and tested prior to joining the tubular ceramic element to the tubesheet. After perfection of such seal, the internal seal housing and tubular ceramic element is inserted into the external seal housing and sealed within the external seal housing by the metal-to-metal seal.

Joint for connecting ceramic element to a tubesheet

A system for generating low temperature refrigeration for use such as cooling superconducting cable wherein a neon based refrigerant fluid is work expanded by a sealed turboexpander/loader to generate refrigeration which is used to cool heat transfer fluid for provision to the use point.

Cryogenic neon refrigeration system

A fluid impeller blade with lowered stress and increased useful life has an edge extending from the hub of the blade and forming, in part, a boundary for axial fluid flow. The edge, at least at its extremity, is spaced axially into the blade, at an angle of about 0.5.degree. to about 20.degree. from the radial line through the edge at the hub of the blade, whereby the mass of blade material exerting centrifugal force on the edge at the blade hub during rotation of the impeller is reduced.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Island, NY, United States of America

Michael John Stanko