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US 5,291,751 AGranted
Cryo-mechanical vapor recovery apparatus
AssigneeLiquid Carbonic Corporation
InventorsLouis Perez, Glenn T. Sameshima, Robert J. Spencer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Hybrid cryo-mechanical apparatus is provided to collect condensable vapors from an incoming gas flow. The gas flow is refrigerated in a series of upstream mechanical refrigeration stages, and fed to an indirect contact heat exchanger suitable for operation with a cryogen refrigerant. Temperature of the cryogen leaving the heat exchanger is monitored, and is used to operate a control valve which throttles the heat exchanger output.
Claims22
Hybrid cryo-mechanical apparatus for collecting a condensable vapor from an incoming flow of a gas mixture including the vapor and a carrier gas, comprising:
- a thermally insulated vessel for confining the gas mixture flow, the thermally insulated vessel defining a plurality of flow paths, separate from one another;
- a flow input means for inputting the incoming flow into the vessel;
- a plurality of mechanically refrigerated cooling stages within the vessel arranged in series in the direction of the gas mixture flow, and cooperating to produce a refrigerated intermediate flow;
- a cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage downstream of the mechanically refrigerated cooling stages, comprising indirect contact heat exchanger means having a first input for receiving the intermediate flow, a cryogen input means for inputting a cryogen refrigerant and barrier means for preventing physical contact between the intermediate flow and the cryogen refrigerant while permitting heat flow therebetween so as to condense vapor from the intermediate flow, condensation output means for outputting condensed vapor extracted from the intermediate flow, and a flow output means for outputting from the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage, a modified gas flow from which the condensed vapor has been extracted;
- and
- directing means for directing the flow along the flow paths through said plurality of mechanically refrigerated cooling stages and said cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage.
3 more elements
Apparatus for collecting a condensable vapor from an incoming flow of a gas mixture including the vapor and a carrier gas, the incoming flow refrigerated below ambient temperature, comprising:
- a thermally insulated vessel for confining the incoming flow along first and second separate flow paths;
- gas mixture input means for inputting the incoming flow of gas mixture into the vessel;
- first and second cryogenically-cooled refrigeration stages downstream of the flow directing means, one for each flow path, each stage comprising indirect contact heat exchanger means having a gas mixture input for receiving gas mixture flowing along one of the first and second flow paths, a cryogen input means for receiving a cryogen refrigerant flow and barrier means for preventing physical contact between the gas mixture and the cryogen refrigerant while permitting heat flow therebetween so as to condense vapor from the flow portions, condensation output means for collecting condensed vapor extracted from the flow portions, modified flow output means for outputting a modified gas flow from which the condensed vapor has been extracted and a cryogen output means for outputting the cryogen refrigerant;
- cryogen combining means for combining the cryogen refrigerants outputted from the first and second cryogenically-cooled refrigeration stages to form a combined cryogen output flow;
- means for sensing the temperature of the combined cryogen output flow and for generating a temperature signal in response thereto;
- cryogen control valve means for controlling the combined cryogen output flow in response to the temperature signal;
- and
- means for coupling said temperature signal to said flow control valve means;
- whereby, in response to the temperature signal, flow of cryogen refrigerant into the indirect contact heat exchanger is controlled.
6 more elements
Apparatus for collecting a vapor including methylene chloride vapor and methanol vapor from an incoming flow of gas mixture including the vapor and a carrier gas, comprising:
- a thermally insulated vessel for confining the gas mixture flow;
- a first input means for inputting the incoming flow into the vessel;
- a plurality of mechanically refrigerated cooling stages within the vessel for refrigerating said incoming flow to a temperature no higher than a preselected minimum temperature, said mechanically refrigerated cooling stages arranged in series in the direction of the incoming flow and cooperating to produce a refrigerated output flow of refrigerated gas mixture;
- and
- a cryogenically-cooled refrigeration stage downstream of the mechanically refrigerated cooling stages, comprising indirect contact heat exchanger means having a first input for receiving the refrigerated output flow, a cryogen input means for inputting a cryogen refrigerant and barrier means for preventing physical contact between the refrigerated output flow and the cryogen refrigerant while permitting heat flow therebetween so as to condense the vapor from the refrigerated output flow, condensation output means for outputting condensed vapor extracted from the refrigerated output flow, modified flow output means for outputting a modified gas flow portion from which the condensed vapor has been extracted and a cryogen output means for outputting a cryogen output flow from the cryogenically-cooled refrigeration stage.
2 more elements
Hybrid cryo-mechanical apparatus for collecting a condensable vapor from an incoming flow of a gas mixture including the vapor and a carrier gas, comprising:
- a thermally insulated vessel for confining the gas mixture flow;
- a flow input means for inputting the incoming flow into the vessel;
- a plurality of mechanically refrigerated cooling stages within the vessel arranged in series in the direction of the gas mixture flow, and cooperating to produce a refrigerated intermediate flow;
- a cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage downstream of the mechanically refrigerated cooling stages, comprising indirect contact heat exchanger means having a first input for receiving the intermediate flow, a cryogen input means for inputting a cryogen refrigerant and barrier means for preventing physical contact between the intermediate flow and the cryogen refrigerant while permitting heat flow therebetween so as to condense vapor from the intermediate flow, condensation output means for outputting condensed vapor extracted from the intermediate flow, and a flow output means for outputting from the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage, a modified gas flow from which the condensed vapor has been extracted;
- and
- said cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage further comprises cryogen output means for exhausting a cryogen output flow from the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage, cryogen control means donwstream of the cryogen output means, for controlling cryogen refrigerant flow through the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage in response to a temperature signal and temperature sensing means coupled to the cryogen control means for sensing the temperature of the cryogen output flow, and for producing a temperature signal to which the cryogen control means responds.
3 more elements
Hybrid cryo-mechanical apparatus for collecting a condensable vapor from an incoming flow of a gas mixture including the vapor and a carrier gas, comprising:
- a thermally insulated vessel for confining the gas mixture flow;
- a flow input means for inputting the incoming flow into the vessel;
- a plurality of mechanically refrigerated cooling stages within the vessel arranged in series in the direction of the gas mixture flow, and cooperating to produce a refrigerated intermediate flow;
- and
- a cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage downstream of the mechanically refrigerated cooling stages, comprising indirect contact heat exchanger means having a first input for receiving the intermediate flow, a cryogen input means for inputting a cryogen refrigerant and barrier means for preventing physical contact between the intermediate flow and the cryogen refrigerant while permitting heat flow therebetween so as to condense vapor from the intermediate flow, condensation output means for outputting condensed vapor extracted from the intermediate flow, and a flow output means for outputting from the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage, a modified gas flow from which the condensed vapor has been extracted;
- and
- temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of gas mixture flow into the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage of at least a first flow path and for producing a cryogen control signal in response to sensing a preselected temperature, cryogen input control means responsive to said cryogen control signal for reducing the flow of cryogen refrigerant into the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage.
4 more elements
Hybrid cryo-mechanical apparatus for collecting a condensable vapor from an incoming flow of a gas mixture including the vapor and a carrier gas, comprising:
- a thermally insulated vessel for confining the gas mixture flow;
- a flow input means for inputting the incoming flow into the vessel;
- a plurality of mechanically refrigerated cooling stages within the vessel arranged in series in the direction of the gas mixture flow, and cooperating to produce a refrigerated intermediate flow;
- a cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage donwstream of the mechanically refrigerated cooling stages, comprising indirect contact heat exchanger means having a first input for receiving the intermediate flow, a cryogen input means for inputting a cryogen refrigerant and barrier means for preventing physical contact between the intermediate flow and the cryogen refrigerant while permitting heat flow therebetween so as to condense vapor from the intermediate flow, condensation output means for outputting condensed vapor extracted from the intermediate flow, and a flow output means for outputting from the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage, a modified gas flow from which the condensed vapor has been extracted;
- and
- flow sensing means for sensing the amount of gas mixture flow into the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage of at least a first flow path and for producing a cryogen control signal in response to sensing a preselected flow level, and cryogen input control means responsive to said cryogen control signal for reducing the flow of cryogen refrigerant into the cryogen-cooled refrigeration stage.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.