Process and system for purifying gases

• US 20060251545A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Praxair Technology Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Praxair Technology Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Billingham, John Fredric, Mahl, Jerry Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,105,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/110
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/34 Purifying; Cleaning processes or apparatus for extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0022 using a number of analysing channels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/117497 with a continuously flowing sample or carrier stream
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/20 Oxygen containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/207497 Molecular oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25875 Gaseous sample or with change of physical state

Abstract

A process and system for purifying an impure gas to produce a purified gas in a gas purification system and protecting the system from damage by a) passing a portion of a first gas stream into a reactor vessel, which exits as a second purified gas stream; b) combining a portion of the second purified gas stream with another portion of the first gas stream to form a combined gas stream; and c) passing the combined gas stream into a sensing device to regulate the flow of the first and second gas streams into the reactor vessel.

Claims

1. A system for purifying a gas to produce a purified gas and protecting a reactor vessel in the system from damage comprising:

a. a reactor vessel;

b. a first impure gas passing through the reactor vessel;

c. a second purified gas which emerges from the reactor vessel as a product;

d. a sensing device which passes information to a control unit; and

e. a plurality of metering devices to combine and regulate the flow of the first impure gas and second purified gas and to direct the combined gases to the sensing device so that the control unit can control the flow of the first impure gas through the reactor vessel.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of flow controlling devices to control the flow of the first impure gas and the second purified gas.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprises a plurality of pressure gauges for measuring the flow of the first impure gas and the second purified gas.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the reactor vessel comprises a getter bed for purifying gases.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensing device comprises an impurity monitor to measure the impurity in the first impure gas.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensing device comprises a control device to regulate the flow of the first stream gas.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the reactor vessel comprises a getter bed to remove contaminant gases.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the contaminant gases comprises oxygen.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactor vessel comprises a catalyst.

10. The process of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of flow meter devices to monitor the flow of gases.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the flow meter devices comprises inline filters to protect critical flow orifices.