Praxair Technology, Inc.

A protective shroud for a valve integrated pressure regulator (VIPR) assembly is provided. The protective shroud includes a main body section, a top section extending from the main body section to form a primary handle with one or more connecting arm sections and a grip section, and a bottom section with an annular collar. The connecting sections and grip section of the primary handle are oriented in a parallel orientation to the annular collar. The front face of the main body section includes a recessed portion having a first port or opening configured to expose a pressure gauge/display from the VIPR assembly and a second port or opening configured to expose a gas outlet from the VIPR assembly. The top section of the protective shroud also includes a top opening sized to receive a control knob of the VIPR assembly.

A liquid nitrogen energy storage (LNES) system that includes a liquid charging mode and a power generating mode is provided. The disclosed liquid nitrogen energy storage system comprises a nitrogen liquefier designed to cool or liquefy a first portion of the gaseous nitrogen and a cold recovery heat exchanger designed to cool or liquefy a second portion of the gaseous nitrogen during a liquid charging mode and to warm a liquid nitrogen energy stream during a power generating mode. The liquid nitrogen energy storage system also includes a cold store configured to provide refrigeration for liquefaction of the second portion of the gaseous nitrogen in the cold recovery heat exchanger during the liquid charging mode and to warm a portion of the liquid nitrogen taken as a liquid nitrogen energy stream in the cold recovery heat exchanger during the power generating mode.

A method of operating a reformer furnace is disclosed. The method comprises using a carbon margin in balancing the furnace temperature thereby leading to carbon free formation operation and improved efficiency.

Catalyst beds in refinery reactors require periodic change out due to build-up of contamination and loss of activity. The instant invention mists a liquid chemical solvent in nitrogen carrier gas to solubilize oils and heavy hydrocarbons and to further desorb light hydrocarbons and remove hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), to effect decontamination. This process can be advantageously combined with nitrogen cool-down processes in preparation for catalyst unloading.

Dry ice shippers with unique structural features designed to deliver optimized performance for preserving one or more perishable items in a presence of dry ice during transport are provided. The improved dry ice shippers exhibit superior properties that overcome the performance limitations of conventional dry ice shippers.

An integrated gas turbine cycle and liquid air energy conversion system is provided that utilizes very high pressure air stream(s) produced from vaporization of a supercritical liquid air against a low pressure cryogenic gas. The cooled, low pressure cryogenic gas is then cold compressed to yield a moderate pressure cryogenic gas stream(s). Both the very high pressure air stream(s) and the moderate pressure air stream(s) are warmed in the flue gas heat exchanger associated with the gas turbine cycle. A source of electrical power is produced from the expansion of combustion gas in a gas turbine while auxiliary sources of electrical power are produced from the turbine expansion of the warmed very high pressure air streams and moderate pressure cryogenic gas streams. The combustion gas includes a moderate pressure supplemental stream originating from the supercritical liquid air or from the cold compressed cryogenic gas.

A system for providing a desired amount of cooling to a quantity of non-liquid conveyable product in a vessel within a given length of residence time including: (A) continuously feeding a mass of the product into, through and out of a vessel, at a rate that provides a predetermined length of residence time, wherein the product is moved through the vessel by engagement thereof with an impeller; and (B) feeding cryogen out of a plurality of nozzle openings directly into or onto the product in the vessel while the impeller is moving the product continuously past the nozzle openings, wherein the cryogen is fed into said non-liquid conveyable product from a sufficient number of nozzle openings to provide the desired amount of cooling to the product within the given period of residence time, and wherein the flow of cryogen out of each nozzle opening is continuous or intermittent.

Methods for selectively etching SiGe relative to Si are provided. Some of the methods incorporate formation of a passivation layer on a surface of the Si layer to enhance SiGe etchant selectivity and the use of interhalogen gases that preferentially etch the SiGe as opposed to the Si in the presence of the passivation layer. The methods can occur in a cyclic manner until the desired thickness of the SiGe layer is obtained.

A system and method for high rate liquid hydrogen tank filling is provided. The flexible, pump-based filling system can achieve high fill rate of liquid hydrogen in excess of 100 kg per minute and accommodate maximum delivery pressures. The present system and method further includes recovery and re-liquefaction of displaced and flash generated tank vapors.

Disclosed are methodology and apparatus for freezing the exterior crust of products, such as food products, in a manner that does not cause the exterior of the product to adhere to the surface on which it is placed during or after the freezing.