Condensation process and condenser
OwnerJames Robinsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A condenser and a containment vessel adapted to efficiently condense a gas out of a mixture of condensing and non-condensing gases. In condensers, the fraction of gas within a condenser made up of non-condensing gases can be significantly reduced by withdrawing gas from localised regions of relatively low temperature where the mass fraction of non-condensing gases will be relatively high. In containment vessels, pressures can be reduced by providing a large surface area of the liquid into which the condensing gas condenses in a relatively cool region of the containment vessel. Both these effects result from an appreciation of the manner in which non-condensing gases tend to accumulate in regions which are relatively cold.
Claims36
A method for removing non-condensing gas from a mixture of condensing and non-condensing gases in a condenser, wherein gas is withdrawn from at least one location within the condenser, the location being selected to correspond to a region within the condenser in which the gas is at a temperature which is lower than the temperature of gas in other regions within the condenser and adjacent to condensate formed from the condensing gas.
A condenser for condensing gas in which gas is condensed to liquid on a heat exchanging surface, comprising means for withdrawing gas from within the condenser to remove non-condensing gas, the gas withdrawing means being positioned to withdraw gas from at least one location in which the gas temperature is lower than in other regions within the condenser and adjacent to condensate formed from the condensing gas.
A method for establishing favourable temperature differences between heat exchanger conduits within a condenser and a process fluid which flows through the condenser, wherein coolant is pumped through an array of parallel heat exchanger conduits spaced apart in the direction of process fluid flow, at least two of the conduits being connected in series such that coolant flows sequentially through first and second conduits, the second conduit being located upstream of the first conduit in the direction of process fluid flow.
A condenser comprising an array of parallel heat exchanger conduits spaced apart in the direction of flow of a process fluid flow including a gas to be condensed, wherein at least two conduits that are spaced apart in the direction of fluid flow are connected in series such that coolant flows sequentially through first and second conduits, the second conduit being located upstream of the first conduit in the direction of process fluid flow.
A method for minimizing the pressure within a containment vessel resulting from the release into the vessel of a pressurized gas which will condense to a liquid at the temperatures and pressures assumed to prevail within the containment vessel, wherein a body of the liquid of large surface area relative to the area of the vessel is established in a lower portion of the vessel.
A containment vessel intended to contain a release into the vessel of pressurized gas which will condense to a liquid at the temperatures and pressures assumed to prevail within the containment vessel, the containment vessel initially being filled with a gas or gases which will not condense at the temperatures and pressures assumed to prevail within the containment vessel, and the containment vessel including means for establishing in a lower portion of the vessel a body of the liquid of large surface area relative to the area of the vessel.
32-37. (canceled)
A method for reducing the concentration of non-condensing gas from a mixture of condensing and non-condensing gases in a condenser, comprising:
- providing a condenser to cool a mixture which includes a condensing gas and a non-condensing gas;
- flowing the mixture within the condenser;
- cooling the flowing mixture in the condenser;
- providing at least one region of relative low mixture temperature within the condenser, the region having relative high concentration of the non-condensing gas;
- forming condensate in the condenser proximate to said region;
- and
- withdrawing gas from said region to reduce the overall concentration of the non-condensing gas in the condenser.
An apparatus for condensing gas to liquid, comprising:
- a condenser for removing heat from a gas, said condenser having an interior with at least one region of relative low temperature during operation of said condenser, said region being proximate formed condensate during operation of said condenser;
- and
- means for withdrawing gas from said region of said condenser to reduce the concentration of a non-condensing gas in the condenser.
A method of removing heat from a condensable process fluid, comprising:
- providing a condenser through which the process fluid flows in a direction;
- placing a plurality of parallel heat exchanger conduits in the condenser spaced apart in the direction of flow of the process fluid, the conduits accepting a flow of coolant;
- connecting the flowpath of a first conduit and the flowpath of a second conduit in series;
- flowing coolant from the first conduit through the second conduit;
- and
- locating the second conduit upstream of the first conduit relative to the direction of flow of the condensable process fluid.
A method for enhancing the loss of heat from a mixture of gases to a surrounding containment vessel to condense liquid from the gas to limit its pressure, comprising:
- providing a containment vessel having an interior and an internal surface area, the containment vessel containing a non-condensing gas and surrounding an apparatus containing a heated and pressurized process fluid;
- after a portion of the process fluid is released into the interior of the containment vessel to produce a mixture of condensing and non-condensing gas in the containment vessel, enhancing the loss of heat to the containment vessel to promote cooling of the condensing gas to produce a quantity of condensate and limit the pressure within the containment vessel;
- and
- collecting the condensate in one or more pools within a lower portion of the containment vessel, the collected condensate having a surface area, the surface area of the condensate being large relative to the internal surface area of the containment vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.