Patent EP0409545A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0409545A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Separation of gas mixtures
Assignee: BOC Group Ltd
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Filing: 1990-07-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-07-17
Abstract
Abstract Air is separated in a vessel 14 housing gas separation membranes. A flow control valve 10 controls the passage of air to an inlet header 12 of the vessel 14. The setting of the valve 10 is adjusted in accordance with the level of oxygen impurity in product nitrogen leaving the vessel 14 for an outlet header 16. A second flow control valve 30 is provided and is of a kind whereby product nitrogen is able to be delivered at a constant flow rate over a range of different pressures upstream thereof. Accordingly, the apparatus is able to deliver nitrogen at a desired purity and flow rate.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael Ernest Garrett
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 12:26
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
Apparatus for separating a gas mixture comprising a vessel housing semi-permeable membranes effective to separate the mixture and having an inlet for the gas mixture to be separated, a first outlet for product gas and a second outlet for a gas stream of different composition from that of the product gas, a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of gas to said inlet, means for adjusting the position of said first flow control valve in response to analysis of the composition of the product gas, and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of product gas from the first outlet, said second control valve capable of delivering product gas at a constant flow rate over a range of different pressures upstream thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
Apparatus for separating a gas mixture comprising a vessel housing semi-permeable membranes effective to separate the mixture and having an inlet for the gas mixture to be separated, a first outlet for product gas and a second outlet for a gas stream of different composition from that of the product gas, a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of gas to said inlet, means for adjusting the position of said first flow control valve in response to analysis of the composition of the product gas, and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of product gas from the first outlet, said second control valve capable of delivering product gas at a constant flow rate over a range of different pressures upstream thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, in which the control means for the first flow control valve includes means for comparing a signal for a gas analyser sensitive to the concentration of a component in the product gas with a reference signal representative of the desired level of that impurity, and for generating a signal to change the position of the first flow control valve in the event that there is a difference between the two signals being compared.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, including means for delivering the non-permeate gas as product.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as claim in any one of the preceding claims, additionally including a compressor of the gas mixture to be separated which is of the constant displacement type.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the second flow control valve is of a kind which has an orifice upstream of a valve member, a pilot gas chamber which is in communication with the upstream side of the orifice and which is bounded by one side of a diaphragm which on its other side is subject to the pressure downstream of the orifice, whereby in use an increasing pressure difference across the diaphragm causes the diaphragm to urge a valve member in a valve closing direction, whereby to maintain substantially constant the flow of gas delivered by the valve.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, additionally including a valve regulating the pressure upstream thereof downstream of the second control valve so as to make it possible to maintain in operating of the apparatus a constant pressure intermediate the second control valve and the pressure regulating valve.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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