Method for recovery and reuse of gas
AssigneeAeronex, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey J. Spiegelman, Peter K. Shogren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas recovery and reuse/recycle method is disclosed which can readily and economically recover valuable and/or environmentally hazardous gases from a manufacturing or chemical process and then return the gas to the process for reuse, and repeat this many times without significant contamination or degradation of the gas or the produced products. All gas transport, compression and storage equipment is designed and maintained so that it is non-contaminating to the process gas. Commonly the process gas will be a Group VIII gas, preferably He, Ne, Kr or Xe, or a gas which comprises a hazard to the ambient environment or beings therein, such as a carbon oxide gas, a halocarbon gas, an acid-precursor gas, a biologically hazardous gas, or a radioactive gas.
Claims18
A method for the recovery of process gas from a chamber after a first operation in said chamber involving presence or use of said gas, and recirculation of said gas to said chamber for use in a subsequent operation involving presence or use of said gas, which comprises:
- a. withdrawing substantially all of said process gas from said chamber through a non-contaminating vacuum pump following completion of said first operation;
- b. passing said process gas to a storage vessel prior to or following compression of said process gas through a non-contaminating compressor;
- c. relieving a vacuum created in said chamber by withdrawal of said process gas by insertion of a purge gas into said chamber, such that access may be had to said chamber;
- d. evacuating said chamber by withdrawal of said purge gas;
- e. recovering said process gas from said storage vessel and if uncompressed, compressing said process gas;
- and
- f. returning said compressed process gas to said evacuated chamber;
- such that said returned process gas may be reused therein in said subsequent operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.