The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 01, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 30, 1997
Robert A Mostello, Somerville, NJ (US);
The BOC Group, Inc., New Providence, NJ (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method involving the use of a multi-column system in which higher and lower pressure columns are operatively associated with one another by a condenser-reboiler. A pump is provided for pumping a stream of sump liquid of the lower pressure column to produce a pressurized product. The condenser-reboiler is a falling film type of heat exchanger in which liquid is vaporized to produce boilup in the lower pressure column against vaporizing tower overhead in the higher pressure column to reflux both of the columns. Liquid is recirculated back to the condenser-reboiler by an ejector that uses part of a pumped stream as the motive fluid to draw liquid for recirculation. In such manner, less energy is consumed in the recirculation than had all of the recirculated liquid been pumped. Furthermore, an ejector, unlike a second pump used for recirculation purposes, is a solid state device with no moving parts.