Process and system for purifying gases

• US 8,105,534 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, In Suk
• Assistant Examiner(s): KILPATRICK, BRYAN T
• Application Number:
  US11/483,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20060251545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 422/68.1, 95/12
• US Class Current: 422/62
• 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 configured to receive a first portion of the first impure gas and a second portion of the second purified gas;

e. a plurality of metering devices to regulate the flow of the first impure gas and the second purified gas into combined gases and to direct the combined gases to the sensing device, whereby the sensing device analyzes the combined gases; and

f. a control unit configured to receive information from the sensing device and to control the flow of the first impure gas through the reactor based on the information received.

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 contaminant gases removed from the reactor vessel comprises oxygen.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the reactor vessel comprises a catalyst.

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

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the flow meter devices comprises inline filters to protect critical flow orifices.