Stephen E Cook

US Patent:

6735980, May 18, 2004

Filed:

Jan 4, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/039866

Inventors:

Stephen John Cook - Macungie PA
John Louis Griffiths - Pittsburgh PA

Assignee:

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Allentown PA

International Classification:

F25J 304

US Classification:

62640, 62925, 252372, 423210

Abstract:

A method for recovering krypton and xenon from air comprises (a) separating an air feed stream into oxygen-enriched and nitrogen-enriched product streams; (b) reacting the oxygen-rich product stream with a hydrocarbon feed in a synthesis gas generation process to yield a synthesis gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon oxides, krypton, and xenon, which synthesis gas stream contains essentially no oxygen; (c) introducing the synthesis gas stream into a synthesis gas conversion process and converting the synthesis gas stream into a liquid synthesis product stream and an unreacted synthesis gas stream; (d) recycling at least a portion of the unreacted synthesis gas stream to the synthesis gas generation process; (e) reducing the pressure of the liquid synthesis product stream to yield a two-phase reduced-pressure product stream, and separating the two-phase reduced-pressure product stream into a final liquid synthesis product stream and a gas stream enriched in krypton and xenon; and (f) separating the gas stream enriched in krypton and xenon into a purge gas stream and a gas product stream further enriched in krypton and xenon.

US Patent:

58650415, Feb 2, 1999

Filed:

May 1, 1998

Appl. No.:

/071481

Inventors:

Rakesh Agrawal - Emmaus PA
Donn Michael Herron - Fogelsville PA
Stephen John Cook - Macungie PA

Assignee:

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Allentown PA

International Classification:

F25J 304

US Classification:

62643

Abstract:

A process is set forth for the cryogenic distillation of an air feed to produce at least two oxygen-rich gaseous streams having different oxygen purities. The process uses a mixing column system in addition to a distillation column system. A key to the process is that at least two oxygen-rich liquid streams having different oxygen purities are transferred from the distillation column system to the mixing column system in order to produce the oxygen-rich gaseous streams.

US Patent:

59707437, Oct 26, 1999

Filed:

Jun 10, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/096009

Inventors:

Donn Michael Herron - Fogelsville PA
Stephen John Cook - Macungie PA
Rakesh Agrawal - Emmaus PA

Assignee:

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Allentown PA

International Classification:

F25J 304

US Classification:

62648

Abstract:

The present invention relates to a process for the cryogenic separation of air to recover at least a nitrogen-depleted crude argon product, wherein the process is carried out in a primary distillation system comprising at least a first distillation column, which separates a feed mixture comprising nitrogen, oxygen and argon into a nitrogen-enriched overhead and an oxygen-rich bottoms, and a side-arm column which rectifies an argon-containing feed stream fed from the primary distillation column to produce an essentially-oxygen-depleted argon overhead. The improvement of the present invention is characterized in that: (a) a nitrogen-containing, argon-rich side stream is withdrawn from a location of the side-arm column which is above the location of entry of the argon-containing feed stream; (b) the withdrawn, nitrogen-containing, argon-rich side stream of step (a) is fed to a nitrogen rejection column to remove the contained nitrogen, wherein the nitrogen rejection column contains at least a stripping section which is located below the location of the feed of the nitrogen-lean, argon-rich side stream, and wherein the stripping section of the nitrogen rejection column is provided with vapor boilup; (c) the nitrogen-depleted, crude argon product is recovered and removed from the bottom of the nitrogen rejection column; and (d) at least a portion of upward flowing vapor in the nitrogen rejection column is removed and the removed portion is returned to a suitable location of the side-arm column.