Plate-fin heat exchanger with mitered distributor design for improved fluid flow distribution through the plate-fin heat exchanger resulting in improved heat exchanger efficiency. Sections of the distributor have different fin types that provide improved distribution of the fluid through the heat exchanger. The fin types for the different sections of the distributor are selected based on a friction factor parameter ratio and a j-factor parameter ratio for the different fin types.

An apparatus and method of separation of LOX and other commercially valuable components, such as LAr from liquefied air, which consists primarily of LN2. Strong magnetic field gradient and gravity are used to separate LOX from liquefied air, based upon the different magnetic properties of LOX and LN2. The apparatus and method employ a magnetic field gradient to levitate the LN2 and LAr diamagnetic components of liquid air while accelerating the paramagnetic LOX component toward the bottom to achieve oxygen separation. In other embodiments, a leak valve system can be used.

In a process for separating a mixture containing hydrogen and carbon dioxide, the following steps are present: a) cooling of the mixture in a heat exchanger by sending the mixture to the heat exchanger, resulting in the partial condensation of the mixture into a liquid phase enriched in carbon dioxide and a gas phase depleted in carbon dioxide, a gaseous fluid which is heated in the heat exchanger by indirect heat exchange, b) separating the liquid phase from the gas phase in a separator vessel, c) heating of the gas phase originating from at least one of the separator vessels in the heat exchanger, d) sending of the at least one heated part from step c) to a membrane separation unit, generating a residue depleted in hydrogen and carbon dioxide and e) expansion of the at least one residue in a turbine producing an expanded fluid, f) the expanded fluid constituting the gaseous fluid of step a) which is heated in the heat exchanger by indirect heat exchange.

Device and method for purifying a gas mixture to produce a concentrated gas, notably neon, starting from a mixture comprising neon, said device including, in a cold box housing a cryogenic purification circuit comprising, in series, at least one unit for purifying the mixture by cryogenic adsorption at a temperature between 65K and 100K and notably 65K, then a unit for cooling the mixture to a temperature between 25 and 65 K and then a unit for cryogenic distillation of the mixture to produce the concentrated liquid at the outlet of the cryogenic distillation unit, characterized in that the unit for cooling the mixture to a temperature between 25 and 65 K comprises at least one cryocooler that extracts thermal power from the mixture via a heat exchanger.

An ultra-high-purity oxygen production method and apparatus are provide, in which the method can include a step in which feed oxygen comprising low-boiling-point components as impurities is introduced from a warm end of a main heat exchanger and cooled, then introduced into an oxygen rectification column, and product ultra-high-purity oxygen from which the low-boiling-point components have been removed is drawn as a gas or a liquid from a lower portion of the oxygen rectification column.

This heat exchanger can include parallel plates which define liquid-refrigerant passages following a longitudinal direction, andfins extending in each passage in a lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, each fin having orifices for the flow of the liquid refrigerant. At least one lower portion of at least one fin defines, with the plate secured to this lower portion, a distribution channel for channeling the liquid refrigerant in the lateral direction. The orifices in said at least one fin are formed by overflow openings in the upper portion. The liquid refrigerant flows through the overflow openings when the or each distribution channel is full of liquid refrigerant.

Magnetic systems and methods for oxygen separation and purification from fluids utilizing the paramagnetic properties of oxygen. A magnetic field gradient is established in a tube having a first end in flow communication with a source of a fluid containing oxygen. The fluid is flowed through the tube. The magnetic field gradient causes oxygen to be enriched in the fluid on a first interior side of the tube as compared to a second interior side of the tube. For a fluid like air having oxygen, a paramagnetic substance, and other, e.g., diamagnetic, components like nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide and water vapor, the technology of the disclosure effectively separates oxygen molecules from the other components in magnetic field gradients of sufficient magnitude.

A system for extracting oxygen from a liquid includes a separator allowing a liquid to pass lengthwise through the separator to produce a liquid mixture with the liquid having at least a portion of oxygen removed from the liquid. The separator includes a wall surrounding an interior portion of a tube. The wall has at least one aperture formed in the wall. The separator also includes at least one magnet positioned adjacently to the at least one aperture. The magnet has a north pole end and a south pole end. A magnetic field gradient is formed between the north pole end and the south pole end, and extends into an interior portion of the tube. The system also includes a storage tank fluidly coupled to the at least one aperture for storing the at least a portion of the oxygen removed from the liquid via the separator.

A system and method for supplying an energy grid with energy from an intermittent renewable energy source having a production unit for producing Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Oxygen. The production unit is operated by using energy provided by the renewable energy source. An Oxygen storage receives and stores Oxygen produced by the production unit, a mixing unit receives and mixes the Hydrogen and the Nitrogen produced by the production unit to form a Hydrogen-Nitrogen-mixture, an Ammonia source receives and processes the Hydrogen-Nitrogen-mixture for generating a gas mixture containing Ammonia, an Ammonia power generator generates energy for the energy grid. The Ammonia power generator is fluidly connected to the Ammonia storage vessel, is configured to combust the received Ammonia in a combustion chamber to generate the energy, and is fluidly connected to the Oxygen storage to introduce Oxygen into the combustion chamber for combustion of Ammonia.

Disclosed is a packing made up of a stack of plates, having been shaped to form corrugations in the plate and assembled to form a cross-corrugated packing block for a mass and/or heat transfer application, wherein the material of the packing plates is an open-pore metal foam, and in that the specific surface area of the packing is greater than 500 m2/m3 and in that the thickness (e) of the plate is less than 2 mm before the shaping operation.