Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Facility and method for producing liquid helium
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Application No.: US15567152Application Date: 2016-04-13
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Publication No.: US10753682B2Publication Date: 2020-08-25
- Inventor: Bertrand Demolliens , Jean-Marc Bernhardt , Rawia Ali Said , Delphine Pichot , Antoine Hernandez , Jean-Marc Tsevery , Jean-Marc Peyron
- Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour I'Etude et I'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
- Applicant Address: FR Paris
- Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
- Current Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
- Current Assignee Address: FR Paris
- Agent Christopher J. Cronin
- Priority: com.zzzhc.datahub.patent.etl.us.BibliographicData$PriorityClaim@15a2313d
- International Application: PCT/FR2016/050846 WO 20160413
- International Announcement: WO2016/166468 WO 20161020
- Main IPC: F25J3/06
- IPC: F25J3/06 ; F25J1/00 ; F25J1/02

Abstract:
The invention relates to a facility for producing liquid helium from a source gas mixture substantially comprising nitrogen and helium. The facility includes a cryogenic purifier including a system for separating the nitrogen from the source gas mixture with a view to producing helium at a temperature lower than the temperature of the source gas. The facility also includes a helium liquefier that subjects the helium to a work cycle including, in series: compressing the helium, cooling and decompressing the compressed helium, and reheating the cooled, decompressed helium. The facility includes a helium transfer pipe connecting an outlet of the purifier to an inlet of the liquefier in order to transfer helium produced by the purifier into the work cycle of the liquefier. The facility is characterized in that the cryogenic purifier includes a decompression system that includes an inlet to be connected to a source of pressurized nitrogen gas. Said system for decompressing the nitrogen gas exchanges heat with the separation system in order to transfer cold from the decompressed nitrogen gas to said separation system.
Public/Granted literature
- US20180100696A1 FACILITY AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING LIQUID HELIUM Public/Granted day:2018-04-12
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