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:
May. 22, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 09, 1999
Oliver Jacob Smith, IV, New Tripoli, PA (US);
Donn Michael Herron, Fogelsville, PA (US);
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA (US);
Abstract
A process delivers oxygen at a variable flow rate from a distillation system. The process uses a higher pressure column and a lower pressure column. The effects of oxygen product rate fluctuations on the distillation system are reduced by maintaining essentially constant flow rates within the columns. The process also utilizes a first storage vessel and a second storage vessel and includes the following features: liquid oxygen is withdrawn at a substantially constant rate from the distillation column system and at least a portion of the withdrawn liquid oxygen is directed to the second storage vessel; liquid oxygen is withdrawn from the second storage vessel at a variable rate and vaporized in a main heat exchanger against an incoming variable flow rate of air which is condensed to form a liquid air stream and then sent directly to the distillation column system; and liquid oxygen is withdrawn from the distillation column system from the same location where at least one of the liquid air streams is fed to the distillation column system, and at least a portion of the liquid air is directed to the first storage vessel during periods of higher than average oxygen delivery rate.