Back to results
US 12,036,584 B2Granted
Method to remove explosive and toxic gases and clean metal surfaces in hydrocarbon equipment
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsAshley Zachariah, Richard M. Kelly, Michael St. James, Joseph E. Gulayets
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of rapidly decontaminating hydrocarbon contaminated equipment by sequencing a cleaning mist or foam, an encapsulating mist or foam and a dry carrier gas.
Claims16
A method for removing hydrocarbon contaminants and toxic gases from a system, comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a dry carrier gas source;
- (ii) providing an encapsulating agent source;
- (iii) providing a surfactant source;
- (iv) mixing the encapsulating agent and the dry carrier gas in a high shear mixing device to create a liquid mist/foam which is introduced into the process system to cap generation of toxic gases from remaining organic residue;
- (v) delivering dry carrier gas from the dry carrier gas source to the system to remove all liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon contaminants out of said process equipment (vi) sequencing or cycling of steps (iv) and (v) until concentration of explosive gases are reduced to a lower explosive limit of less than 10 percent.
2 more elements
A method for removing hydrocarbon contaminants and toxic gases from a process system, comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a dry carrier gas source;
- (ii) providing a surfactant source;
- (iii) providing a cleaning agent with a high solubility index from a cleaning agent source;
- (iv) mixing the cleaning agent and the dry carrier gas in a high shear mixing device to create a liquid mist which is introduced into the process system so as to solubilize the heavy organic residues on metal surfaces;
- (v) delivering dry carrier gas from the dry carrier gas source to the process equipment to remove all liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon contaminants out of said process equipment (vi) sequencing or cycling of steps (iv) and (v) until concentration of explosive gases are reduced to a lower explosive limit of less than 10 percent.
2 more elements
A method for removing hydrocarbon contaminants and toxic gases from a system, comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a dry carrier gas source;
- (ii) providing an encapsulating agent source;
- (iii) providing a cleaning agent with a high solubility index from a cleaning agent source;
- (iv) mixing the cleaning agent and the dry carrier gas in a high shear mixing device to create a liquid mist/foam which is introduced into the system so as to solubilize kheavy organic residues on metal surfaces;
- (v) mixing the encapsulating agent and the dry carrier gas in a high shear mixing device to create a liquid mist/foam which is introduced into the system to cap generation of toxic gases from remaining organic residue;
- (vi) delivering dry carrier gas from the dry carrier gas source to the system to remove all liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon contaminants out of said system (viii) sequencing or cycling of at least two of the following steps (iv), (v) and (vi) until concentration of explosive gases are reduced to a lower explosive limit of less than 10 percent.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.