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US 4,027,993 AGranted
Method and apparatus for compressing vaporous or gaseous fluids isothermally
AssigneePolaroid Corporation
InventorOtto E. Wolff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gaseous fluid is combined with a liquid to form a transient foam for processing the fluid as by compression, expansion, condensation, heat exchange or chemical reaction.
Claims11
A process for substantially isothermally compressing a gas comprising the steps of:
- mixing said gas with a foamable liquid to form a foam thereof having a discontinuous, substantially closed cell distribution of said gas contained within a thin wall continuous distribution of said liquid;
- compressing said foam to increase the pressure thereof from a first pressure level to a second, significantly higher pressure level thereby substantially isothermally compressing the gas contained in said foam from said first to said second pressure level;
- separating said gas from said liquid portion of said foam within a separation chamber while maintaining the separated gas and the separated liquid at said second pressure level;
- and
- independently withdrawing said separated gas and said separated liquid from said separation chamber and introducing said withdrawn gas to an outlet conduit while maintaining said withdrawn gas at said second pressure level.
2 more elements
Apparatus for substantially isothermally compressing a gas, said apparatus comprising:
- an inlet arrangement having a first inlet conduit for introducing said gas and a second inlet conduit for introducing a foamable liquid to said apparatus;
- a foaming unit coupled to said inlet arrangement for mixing said gas with said liquid to produce a fine bubble form therefore having a discontinuous substantially closed cell distribution of said gas in a thin wall substantially continuous distribution of liquid;
- a compressor coupled to the outlet of said foaming unit so as to receive and compress said foam from a first pressure level to a second, significantly higher pressure level thereby substantially isothermally compressing the gas contained in said foam from said first pressure level to said second pressure level;
- a separation unit including a separation chamber having an inlet coupled to the outlet of said compressor for separating said gas from said liquid of said foam while maintaining said separated gas and liquid at said second pressure level, said separation chamber being coupled to said compressor outlet and adapted to collect separated gas in one portion of said separation chamber and separated liquid in another portion of said separation chamber, said separation chamber having a gas exit port located in said one portion of said separation chamber and a liquid exit port located in said other portion thereof;
- and
- means coupled to said exit ports of said separation chamber for independently withdrawing the separated gas and liquid therefrom and for introducing said withdrawn gas to the outlet of said apparatus while maintaining said withdrawal gas at said second pressure level.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.