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US 4,904,158 AGranted
Method and apparatus for cryogenic liquid expansion
AssigneeUnion Carbide Corporation
InventorLeslie C. Kun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for work expanding a cryogenic liquid wherein the liquid is expanded in a manner to avoid a transient pressure drop below the flash point thus reducing the potential for cavitation and consequent operating inefficiencies.
Claims17
A method for expanding a cryogenic liquid with reduced cavitation comprising:
- (a) providing the cryogenic liquid into a turbine comprising a shaft, an impeller mounted on the shaft, and a plurality N of turbine blades mounted on the impeller, N being within the range of from 0.8 to 1.2 times 20 D.sup.0.25 where D is the outside diameter of the impeller in inches forming N flow channels between the blades;
- (b) expanding the cryogenic liquid by passing it through the N flow channels between the said plurality of blades thus imparting pressure onto the blades and developing pressure difference across each blade so as to cause rotation of the impeller and shaft;
- and
- (c) removing the cryogenic liquid the turbine at a pressure less than its pressure when it entered the turbine.
1 more element
An expansion turbine for work expanding a cryogenic liquid with reduced cavitation comprising:
- a shaft, an impeller mounted on the shaft, and a plurality N of turbine blades mounted on the impeller, N being within the range of from 0.8 to 1.2 times 20 D.sup.0.25 where D is the outside diameter of the impeller in inches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.