Element for construction of a mass- and/or heat-exchange device, assembly of two elements and exchange method using an assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11215395-B2
Application number	US-201716307330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2017
Priority date	Jun 6, 2016
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A stackable modular element comprises a parallelepipedal caisson, the caisson comprising at least one layer of thermal insulation of thickness less than one-third of the width of the caisson, the layer of insulation covering at least the lateral and frontal faces of the caisson and surrounding at least one chamber having a parallelepipedal volume within the caisson, the chamber containing at least one body of material that permits the exchange of mass and/or of heat, the body being parallelepipedal in shape and filling at least part of the chamber, the chamber having an opening on the upper face and/or an opening on the lower face to allow fluid to be transferred to the body from outside the element and/or from the body to outside the element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular stackable element for construction of a device for exchange of mass and/or heat comprising:
a parallelepipedal box having a length, a width and a height;
the box comprising opposite horizontal upper and lower faces, two opposite vertical end faces and two opposite vertical lateral faces;
the upper and lower faces of the box being defined by the length and the width of the box,
the two opposite vertical end faces of the box being defined by the length and the height of the box, and
the two opposite vertical lateral faces of the box being defined by the width and the height of the box;

the box containing at least one layer of thermal insulation with a thickness less than one third of the width of the box;
the layer of insulation disposed within the box and covering at least the lateral and end faces of the box,
the layer of insulation surrounding at least one chamber of parallelepipedal volume inside the box such that the layer of insulation is configured to reduce heat transfer between the box and the at least one chamber, and
the at least one chamber having a length, a width and a height,
the at least one chamber having opposite horizontal upper and lower faces,
the upper face and/or the lower face of the at least one chamber being at least partially open,
two opposite vertical end faces and two opposite vertical lateral faces, the upper and lower faces of the at least one chamber being defined by the length and the width of the chamber,
the two end faces of the at least one chamber by the length and the height of the at least one chamber and the two lateral faces of the chamber by the width and the height of the at least one chamber;

the at least one chamber containing at least one body of material enabling the exchange of at least one of mass and of heat,
the body of material being of parallelepipedal shape and filling at least a first part of the at least one chamber,

the at least one chamber extending to an upper opening on the upper face of the box and a lower opening on the lower face of the box, wherein the height of the at least one chamber is substantially equal to the height of the box such that the at least one chamber is configured to fluidly connect the upper opening on the upper face of the box with the lower opening on the lower face of the box.

2. The modular stackable element of claim 1 , in which the at least one body fills a part of the at least one chamber inside the box, and
i) a second body enabling the exchange of at least one of mass and of heat fills a second partof the at least one chamber or a second chamber,
ii) at least one material transfer conduit passes through the second chamber, or the second part of the at least one chamber, to enable the material to pass through the box, or
iii) of the second part of the at least one chamber or the second chamber constitutes a means for enabling the transfer of material vertically through the box.

3. The modular stackable element of claim 1 , in which the at least one body comprises adsorbent material.

4. The element of claim 1 , in which the at least one body comprises a stack of vertically oriented metal plates, the plates being separated by fins.

5. The element of claim 1 , in which the at least one body comprises a stack of vertically oriented corrugated plates, the corrugations being oriented at an angle between 10° and 80° to the horizontal.

6. The modular stackable element of claim 1 , wherein the lower face of the at least one chamber has substantially the same dimensions as the lower opening on the lower face of the box.

7. The modular stackable element of claim 1 , which does not comprise insulation in a space between the lower face of the at least one chamber and the lower opening on the lower face of the box.

8. The modular stackable element of claim 7 , which has an empty space in the space between the communicating openings in the face of the at least one chamber and in the face of the box.

9. The modular stackable element of claim 1 , in which the opening in at least one of the lower face and the upper face of the box occupies at least 20% of the surface of the respective face of the box.

10. The modular stackable element of claim 1 , in which the opening in at least one of the lower face and the upper face of the chamber occupies at least 20% of the surface of the respective face of the chamber.

11. The element of claim 1 , wherein the box comprises ISO corners such that the modular stackable element is configured for multimodal transport.

12. A stackable assembly comprising:
a bottom stackable element;
a plurality of intermediate stackable elements, the plurality of intermediate stackable elements comprising an upper intermediate stackable element and a lower intermediate stackable element; wherein each of the plurality of intermediate stackable elements comprise the modular stackable element as claimed in claim 1 , and
a top stackable element,
wherein the plurality of intermediate stackable elements are stacked on top of the bottom stackable element, and the top stackable element is stacked on the plurality of intermediate stackable elements.

13. The stackable assembly of claim 12 , in which the bottom stackable element and the lower intermediate stackable element are affixed together by connecting the lower edges of the four lateral and end walls of the box of the lower intermediate stackable element to upper edges of four lateral and end walls of a box of the bottom stackable element.

14. The stackable assembly of claim 12 , wherein the stackable assembly combines to form an air purification unit, wherein at least one body of the plurality of intermediate stackable elements comprises adsorbent material and is configured to remove water and carbon dioxide from an air stream.

15. The stackable assembly of claim 12 , wherein the stackable assembly combines to form a heat exchanger, wherein at least one body of the pluraility of intermediate stackable elements comprises a stack of vertically oriented metal plates, the plates being separated by fins.

16. The stackable assembly of claim 12 , wherein the stackable assembly combines to form a distillation column, wherein at least one body of the pluraility of intermediate stackable elements comprises a stack of vertically oriented corrugated plates, the corrugations being oriented at an angle between 10 and 80 to the horizontal, and wherein the plurality of intermediate stackable elements all have the same length and width as the bottom stackable element and the top stackable element.

Assignees

• Air Liquide

Inventors

• Cavagne Patrice
• Davidian Benoit
• Saulnier Bernard

Classifications

• F25J2290/42

  Modularity, pre-fabrication of modules, assembling and erection, horizontal layout, i.e. plot plan, and vertical arrangement of parts of the cryogenic unit, e.g. of the cold box · CPC title

• F25J2290/30

  Details about heat insulation or cold insulation · CPC title

• F25J3/04969

  Retrofitting or revamping of an existing air fractionation unit · CPC title

• F25J3/0295

  Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used, e.g. sieve plates, packings · CPC title

• F25J3/04945

  Details of internal structure; insulation and housing of the cold box · CPC title