Apparatus for the separation or liquefaction of a gas operating at cryogenic temperatures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415256-B2
Application number	US-201916712279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2019
Priority date	Dec 12, 2019
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus for the separation or liquefaction of a gas at cryogenic temperatures which comprises an isolated chamber comprises at least one front distillation column operating at cryogenic temperatures and also a pipe for transferring fluid coming from or going to the column, the pipe having a diameter D comprising a bend for changing the direction of flow of the fluid, with profiled deflector vanes placed inside the bend, with their concavity towards the centre of the bend forming a plurality of ducts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for the separation or liquefaction of a gas at cryogenic temperatures, the apparatus comprising:
an isolated chamber having at least one element operating at cryogenic temperatures, the element being a distillation column, and
a pipe configured to transfer fluid coming from or going to the at least one element, the pipe having a diameter D comprising a bend for changing the direction of flow of the fluid, wherein:
a. the bend does not comprise a curvature and forms a right angle, or alternatively comprises a curvature for which the ratio of the radius of curvature R to the diameter D of the pipe is less than (0.5 D+x)/D where x is equal to 0 or greater than 0 and less than 0.5 D,
b. profiled deflector vanes are placed inside the bend, with their concavity towards the centre of the bend forming a plurality of parallel curved ducts,
wherein at least one vane extends out of the pipe.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising at least two vanes aligned parallel to one another along the bisector of the bend.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bend forms a right angle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the fluid is gaseous air to be separated which is sent via the pipe to the distillation column.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the fluid is gaseous nitrogen which comes from the distillation column.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the diameter D of the pipe is greater than 101.6 cm.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the bend is located between the element and a wall of the chamber.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bend comprises a curvature and the ratio of the radius of curvature R to the diameter D of the pipe is less than 0.7.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which a footprint of the bend is less than 1.5 D.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which a footprint of the bend is less than 1.2 D.

Assignees

• Air Liquide

Inventors

• Lemaire Yann-Pierrick
• Le Bot Patrick

Classifications

• B01D3/008

  Liquid distribution · CPC title

• F25J3/04866 Primary

  Construction and layout of air fractionation equipments, e.g. valves, machines (F25J5/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F9/0268

  in the form of multiple deflectors for channeling the heat exchange medium · CPC title

• F16L43/002 Primary

  and formed from sheet having a circular passage · CPC title

• F25J3/04896

  Details of columns, e.g. internals, inlet/outlet devices · CPC title