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US 2011/0259194 A1Published application
System for preventing contaminants from reaching a gas purifier
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsThomas Robert Schulte, Michael Henry Hawke, Keith Randall Pace, Thomas John Bergman, JR., Brian Donald Warrick, Sandro Di Santo, Rick Boyer
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to the prevention of an exothermic reaction in the gas purifier of an ultra-high purity gas system.
Claims20
A contaminant gas detection apparatus for protecting a downstream gas purifier from damage, comprising:
- a gas analyzer configured to detect a contaminant concentration in a conventional purity gas stream, the gas analyzer comprising a detection response time for detecting the contaminant concentration;
- and
- a buffer vessel downstream and in fluid communication with the gas analyzer, the buffer vessel comprising a buffer volume sufficient to hold up a predetermined volume of a conventional purity gas stream prior to routing the conventional purity gas stream to the gas purifier, the buffer vessel configured for holding up the predetermined volume of the conventional purity gas stream for at least a time equal to the detection response time of the analyzer.
A continuous ultra-high gas purification supply apparatus, comprising:
- a back-up conventional purity gas supply unit;
- a gas purifier disposed downstream of the back-up conventional purity gas supply unit, the purifier configured to produce a continuous stream of ultra-high purity gas;
- and
- a buffer vessel disposed upstream of the purifier, the buffer vessel sized to hold up a predetermined volume of a conventional purity gas stream prior to routing the conventional purity gas stream to the gas purifier, whereby if a contaminant concentration in the conventional purity gas stream exceeds a predetermined level, the buffer vessel is configured to switch from on-line to off-line to prevent the contaminated conventional purity gas stream in the buffer vessel from reaching the gas purifier, and the back-up conventional purity gas stream is configured to switch from off-line to on-line to provide a back-up supply of conventional purity gas into the gas purifier.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.