Vent ice prevention method
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsBruce M. Ellis, Minh Huy Pham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved vent ice prevention apparatus including a first conduit, a second conduit, and a third conduit, wherein the second conduit concentrically surrounds the first conduit thereby forming an annular region between the two conduits. The third conduit is in fluid communication with said annular region. The first conduit is configured to receive a cold vent stream, and the third conduit is configured to receive a dry purge stream and introduce the dry purge stream into the annular region in order to prevent ice formation.
Claims21
An improved vent ice prevention apparatus comprising:
- a first conduit configured to receive a cold vent stream, the first conduit having an inlet and an outlet, wherein said cold vent stream comprises a cold stream originating from a cold compressor;
- a second conduit surrounding at least a portion of the first conduit thereby creating an annular region between the second conduit and the first conduit, the first conduit having an inlet and an outlet;
- and
- a third conduit in fluid communication with the annular region, wherein the third conduit is configured to receive a dry purge stream and introduce the dry purge stream to the annular region, thereby preventing said first conduit or said second conduit from forming condensation and/or ice, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are configured to expel the cold vent stream and the warm vent stream to the atmosphere at a direction that is substantially along the axis of the first conduit.
A method for reducing ice formation of a cryogenic vent, the method comprising the steps of:
- introducing a cold vent stream into a first conduit, wherein a second conduit surrounds at least a portion of the first conduit thereby creating an annular region between the second conduit and the first conduit, wherein the first conduit has an inlet and an outlet, wherein the second conduit has an inlet and an outlet;
- expelling the cold vent stream to the atmosphere at a direction that is substantially along the axis of the first conduit;
- expelling the cold vent stream and the warm vent stream to the atmosphere at substantially the same location:
- and
- displacing wet air from the annular region by feeding a dry purge stream into the annular region through a third conduit, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are configured to expel the warm vent stream to the atmosphere at a direction that is substantially along the axis of the first conduit, thereby preventing said first conduit or said second conduit from forming condensation and/or ice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.