US4399659A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vaporization of small amounts of liquefied gases
Assignee: Linde GmbH
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Filing: 1981-08-27
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Granted: 1983-08-23
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Expires: 2001-08-27
Abstract
Abstract In a process for the vaporization of liquefied gases, e.g., oxygen, argon, nitrogen, in a sufficiently small quantity to have been vaporized heretofore without use of the cold content therein, the improvement of vaporizing said liquefied gas in indirect heat exchange with a gaseous medium being a process gas, e.g., hydrogen, or fuel gas, e.g., natural gas, and using the resultant cooled gaseous medium for industrial or domestic purposes in either the gaseous or liquid form, e.g., reaction gas, inert environment, heating. The gaseous medium may be fractionally condensed simultaneously to remove impurities therefrom, e.g., moisture from technical grade hydrogen, or a heavy fraction from natural gas.
Inventors
- 👤 Reinhard Strigl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 22:40
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25J; F25J1/00; F25J1/02; F25J1/0243; F25J1/0244; F25J1/0245; F25J1/0251; F17; F17C; F17C9/00; F17C9/02; F17C9/04; F25J1/0002; F25J1/0005; F25J1/001; F25J1/0022; F25J1/0221; F17C2221/00; F17C2221/03; F17C2221/032; F17C2221/033; F17C2223/00; F17C2223/01; F17C2223/0146; F17C2223/0153; F17C2223/0161; F17C2227/00; F17C2227/03; F17C2227/0302; F17C2227/0367; F17C2227/0388; F17C2227/0393; F25J2210/00; F25J2210/42; F25J2210/50; F25J2210/58; F25J2220/00; F25J2220/02; F25J2220/60; F25J2220/64; F25J2220/66; F25J2260/00; F25J2260/42; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A process for the vaporization of a liquefied gas having a normal boiling point below 100° K., in a sufficiently small quantity to have been vaporized heretofore without use of the cold content therein, comprising vaporizing said liquefied gas in indirect heat exchange with a gaseous medium being a process gas or fuel gas, and using the resultant cooled gaseous medium for industrial or domestic purposes in either the gaseous or liquid form, wherein the gaseous medium contains components having different volatilities and at least one of the components is condensible during the heat exchange step, further comprising condensing said condensible component in at least a first heat exchange stage of said indirect heat exchange stage, separating resultant condensed component from the remaining gaseous medium, and subjecting said condensed component to direct heat exchange with a stream of combustion products of the gaseous medium, or a partial stream of the gaseous medium or of resultant vaporized liquefied gas, to revaporize said condensed component to form an admixture therewith.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
A process for the vaporization of a liquefied gas having a normal boiling point below 100° K., in a sufficiently small quantity to have been vaporized heretofore without use of the cold content therein, comprising vaporizing said liquefied gas in indirect heat exchange with a gaseous medium being a process gas or fuel gas, and using the resultant cooled gaseous medium for industrial or domestic purposes in either the gaseous or liquid form, wherein the gaseous medium contains components having different volatilities and at least one of the components is condensible during the heat exchange step, further comprising condensing said condensible component in at least a first heat exchange stage of said indirect heat exchange stage, separating resultant condensed component from the remaining gaseous medium, and subjecting said condensed component to direct heat exchange with a stream of combustion products of the gaseous medium, or a partial stream of the gaseous medium or of resultant vaporized liquefied gas, to revaporize said condensed component to form an admixture therewith.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous medium is a gas to be liquified.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein the gaseous medium is natural gas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous medium is a gas to be purified.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process according to claim 4, wherein the gaseous medium is technical purity hydrogen and the hydrogen is cooled to condense out moisture, and separating the resultant hydrogen from the condensed moisture.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process according to claim 5 wherein the hydrogen is cooled from a dewpoint of about -35° C. to about -70° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the liquefied gas is vaporized at a rate of not more than 1000 Nm 3 per hour.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process according to claim 7, wherein the liquefied gas is oxygen, nitrogen or argon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the liquefied gas is vaporized at a rate of not more than 500 Nm 3 per hour.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process according to claim 9, wherein the liquefied gas is nitrogen or argon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
141 words
Apparatus for conducting a process for the vaporization of liquefied gases having a normal boiling point below 100° K., in a sufficiently small quantity to have been vaporized heretofore without use of the cold content therein, comprising vaporizing said liquefied gas in indirect heat exchange with a gaseous medium being a process gas or fuel gas, and using the resultant cooled gaseous medium for industrial or domestic purposes in either the gaseous or liquid form, said apparatus comprising indirect heat exchanger means for the indirect heat exchange between the liquid gas to be vaporized and the gaseous medium, the improvement wherein at least a part of the indirect heat exchanger is provided in at least dual design, wherein the dual-designed heat exchangers are connected in parallel with each other by valve-equipped conduits, and are respectively in communication with a condensate separator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
141 words
Apparatus for conducting a process for the vaporization of liquefied gases having a normal boiling point below 100° K., in a sufficiently small quantity to have been vaporized heretofore without use of the cold content therein, comprising vaporizing said liquefied gas in indirect heat exchange with a gaseous medium being a process gas or fuel gas, and using the resultant cooled gaseous medium for industrial or domestic purposes in either the gaseous or liquid form, said apparatus comprising indirect heat exchanger means for the indirect heat exchange between the liquid gas to be vaporized and the gaseous medium, the improvement wherein at least a part of the indirect heat exchanger is provided in at least dual design, wherein the dual-designed heat exchangers are connected in parallel with each other by valve-equipped conduits, and are respectively in communication with a condensate separator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the condensate separator is arranged within a flow cross section of the heat exchangers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the flow cross section of the heat exchangers equipped with the condensate separator is connected, via valve-equipped conduits, with a conduit for the gaseous medium to be cooled and to be withdrawn for further usage, and with a conduit carrying a purge gas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
90 words
In a process for the vaporization of a liquefied gas at rate of not more than 1000 m 3 /hour, the resultant vaporized gas being either dispensed into storage bottles or used as a gas without storage, said liquefied gas being either nitrogen, argon or oxygen, comprising vaporizing said liquefied gas in indirect heat exchange with technical purity hydrogen to lower the dewpoint thereof from about -35° C. to about -70° C., thereby condensing out moisture from said hydrogen, and separating the resultant purified gaseous hydrogen from the condensed moisture.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
90 words
In a process for the vaporization of a liquefied gas at rate of not more than 1000 m 3 /hour, the resultant vaporized gas being either dispensed into storage bottles or used as a gas without storage, said liquefied gas being either nitrogen, argon or oxygen, comprising vaporizing said liquefied gas in indirect heat exchange with technical purity hydrogen to lower the dewpoint thereof from about -35° C. to about -70° C., thereby condensing out moisture from said hydrogen, and separating the resultant purified gaseous hydrogen from the condensed moisture.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 14, further comprising utilizing said purified gaseous hydrogen as a shielding gas in the heat treatment of high alloy steels.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 15, wherein the liquefied gas is vaporized at a rate of not more than 500 Nm 3 per hour.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 14, wherein the liquefied gas is vaporized at a rate of not more than 500 Nm 3 per hour.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process according to claim 14, wherein the liquefied gas is oxygen.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process according to claim 14, wherein the liquefied gas is nitrogen.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process according to claim 14, wherein the liquefied gas is argon.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-08-22 | 1987-02-21 | 1987-08-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-08-22 | 1991-02-21 | 1991-08-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-08-22 | 1995-02-21 | 1995-08-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |