Process and device for the preparation of a cry ogenic fluid in the high purity liquid state
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorDaniel Gary
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Abstract
A process and apparatus for the preparation of a cryogenic fluid in the high purity liquid state, such as liquid argon, liquid helium or liquid nitrogen of high purity, substantially free from at least one of the impurities which it contains. The cryogenic fluid in the liquid state to be purified is placed in contact with an adsorbent permitting the adsorption of at least one of the impurities, and the cryogenic fluid is recovered in the high purity liquid state, characterized in that cooling of at least a proportion of the adsorbent is maintained with purified cryogenic fluid in the liquid state during at least a part of the duration of the stoppage stage separating a purification cycle N and a purification cycle N+1, which are successive.
Claims19
Process for the preparation of a cryogenic fluid in the high purity liquid state, substantially free from at least one of the impurities which it contains, the process comprising:
- contacting impure cryogenic fluid in the liquid state with an adsorbent permitting adsorption of at least one of the impurities;
- recovering purified cryogenic fluid in the high purity liquid state;
- and
- maintaining the adsorbent at a low temperature by cooling at least a portion of the adsorbent with the purified cryogenic fluid in the liquid state for at least a portion of the period of a stoppage stage separating a purification cycle N and a subsequent consecutive purification cycle N+1.
Apparatus for the preparation of a cryogenic fluid in the high purity liquid state, substantially free from at least one of the impurities which it contains, the apparatus comprising:
- a source of impure cryogenic fluid containing impurities;
- at least one reactor having an upstream conduit fluidly connected to said source and a downstream conduit, said reactor containing at least one adsorbent for removal of at least one of the impurities;
- at least one storage tank fluidly connected to said downstream conduit for storing purified cryogenic fluid in the high purity liquid state;
- at least one conduit means for keeping cold, said conduit means supplying a flow of purified cryogenic fluid in the high purity liquid state, to cool at least a portion of the adsorbent bed during at least a portion of the period of a stoppage stage separating a purification cycle N and a subsequent consecutive purification cycle N+1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.