Method and apparatus for cooling an aqueous liquid
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsJeremy Paul Miller, Mark Sherman Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of cooling an aqueous liquid, which method comprises the steps of: a) placing said aqueous liquid in a vessel; b) reducing the pressure in said vessel to cause said aqueous liquid to boil; c) condensing at least some of the liquid in the vapour created as said aqueous liquid boils by heat exchange with a liquid cryogen; and d) using vapour from said liquid cryogen to at least assist in step (b).
Claims16
A method of cooling an aqueous liquid, which method comprises the steps of:
- a) placing said aqueous liquid in a vessel;
- b) reducing the pressure in said vessel to cause said aqueous liquid to boil;
- c) condensing at least some of the liquid in the vapour created as said aqueous liquid boils by heat exchange with a liquid cryogen;
- and
- d) using vapour from said liquid cryogen to at least assist in step (b).
An apparatus for cooling an aqueous liquid, which apparatus comprises:
- a) a vessel to hold said aqueous liquid;
- b) pressure reducing means to reduce the pressure in said vessel;
- c) a heat exchanger for bringing, in use, a coolant into indirect heat exchange with the vapour created as said aqueous liquid boils in said vessel to condense at least part thereof;
- (d) means to introduce a liquid cryogen into said heat exchanger;
- and
- (e) means which, in use, will enable vapour from said liquid cryogen to at least assist in operating said pressure reducing means.
An apparatus for cooling an aqueous liquid, which apparatus comprises:
- a) a vessel to hold said aqueous liquid;
- b) pressure reducing means to reduce the pressure in said vessel;
- c) a heat exchanger for bringing, in use, a coolant into indirect heat exchange with the vapour created as said aqueous liquid boils in said vessel to condense at least part thereof;
- (d) means to introduce a liquid cryogen into said heat exchanger;
- (e) means which, in use, will enable vapour from said liquid cryogen to at least assist in operating said pressure reducing means;
- (f) a first temperature sensor adapted to generate a signal indicative of the temperature of aqueous liquid in said vessel;
- (g) a second temperature sensor adapted to generate a signal indicative of the temperature of gaseous cryogen leaving said heat exchanger;
- (h) a control valve adapted to control the flow of cryogenic liquid to said heat exchanger;
- and
- (i) control means responsive to the difference between the signals from said first and second temperature sensors to open and close said control valve whereby the temperature difference between the aqueous liquid in said vessel and the cryogenic vapour leaving said heat exchanger is substantially constant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.