Reporting on the business and technologies
driving today's global industrial gas industry

AIR LIQUIDE CRYOGENICS IN SPACE

2009.07

Air Liquide (www.airliquide.com) developed innovative technology at the heart of two recently launched scientific satellites, Planck and Herschel. For the Planck mission, Air Liquide developed a unique dilution cooler that enables extremely low temperatures, close to absolute zero (-273.15°C), to be reached in a highly restrictive space environment. The Planck satellite, with its cooler, will be able to map the cosmic radiation from the edge of the universe during the one and a half years it will operate. This is the first time that this technology has been used in space. In orbit, Planck will be the coldest point in space, at 0.1 K. For the astronomy satellite Herschel, Air Liquide designed and built a huge 2,400-liter cryogenic tank that had to be perfectly sealed. This tank stores superfluid helium at a temperature of 1.6 K, and is designed to cool the telescope and its three observation instruments. This is the largest space telescope ever installed in space and will provide astronauts with the means to observe the universe and explore zones where stars, the centers of galaxies, and planetary systems are born.

CHART INNOVATES WITH MVIP AND WEBSITE

2009.07

Chart’s (www.chart-ind.com) newest innovation, Modular Vacuum Insulated Pipe (MVIP™), is a prefabricated interlocking system for cryogenic liquid service. Piping modules are connected with vacuum insulated bayonets for a simple and flexible system installation. Standard modules allow for quick delivery and are reusable during equipment upgrades or facility layout changes. On June 1, 2009, Chart launched its MVIP Modulator Website — www. chart-ind.com/mvipmodulator. This site allows customers to design vacuum insulated piping systems using Chart’s modular MVIP piping components. Customers can build an MVIP system in 3D with standard components. The site automatically calculates pressure drop in pipe to optimize pipe size and provides accurate drawings that show layout dimensions that can be used as an installation guide. The website also has a full parts list with a complete proposal that simplifies the ordering process. Projects can be managed and designed on-line for access from any computer, and videos are available that demonstrate MVIP Modulator’s many features. Customers can receive a 20 percent discount on any MVIP system ordered from quotations obtained through the MVIP Modulator website on purchases made by September 1, 2009.

COLD JET PARTNERS WITH ARAMSCO

2009.07

Cold Jet (www.coldjet.com), a world leader in dry ice blast cleaning and production technology, has an exclusive partnership with Aramsco, one of the largest environmental supply companies in the US. Cold Jet is now the exclusive provider of dry ice blast cleaning systems for Aramsco, which supplies remediation and decontamination products to contractors in the remediation and restoration, environmental abatement/cleanup, and homeland security markets. Aramsco operates 13 state-of-the-art distribution facilities across the US. Cold Jet’s dry ice blasting systems will be available to purchase or rent on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis through Aramsco’s product catalogs. Cold Jet will also help market the cleaning system by co-hosting product demonstrations at Aramsco open houses and trade shows.

LINDE INTRODUCES PORTION CONTROL

2009.07

Linde North America (www.linde.com), a member of The Linde Group, is introducing cryogenic freezing technology to the North American food market. Mark DiMaggio, Head of Food and Beverage Markets for Linde North America, says, “This is the only cryogenic freezing technology available that can make frozen pellets, discs, cubes, squares, or a combination of shapes for a variety of liquid food products. The freezer has met with great success in Europe and has also been successfully tested and adopted by processors in the US. It has proven to give food processors a competitive advantage because it produces IQF formed product of uniform size with repeatability, allowing their customers to easily portion and defrost as much or as little of the product as required.” The patented CRYOLINE® PE freezer works by simply filling the cavities in a proprietary conveyer pre-cooled by liquid nitrogen. The extremely low temperature of the conveyer rapidly freezes the liquid into the shape of the cavity, thereby stabilizing the product before it is released. DiMaggio reports that the new freezer precisely controls portions, eliminates the need for extra bags in ready-to-eat meals, and allows exact measuring of sauce to food products minimizing waste ratios. The CRYOLINE ® PE freezer is currently operational for product testing and customer demonstrations in Linde’s food lab, located in Cleveland, OH.

LINDE EXTENDS SPEC GAS SHELF LIFE

2009.07

Linde Gases (www.linde.com) has launched its HiQ® 60 calibration gases range that has gases with an extended 60-month (5-year) shelf life and flat-line guarantee, allowing for greater reliability in the accuracy of instrument measurement and longer term usability of gas. HiQ® 60 pure gases include argon, carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, and synthetic air, with calibration mixtures available with multiple non-reactive components. According to the Company, an extended 60-month shelf life is a significant leap forward in the supply of calibration gases. Previous gas suppliers offered product expiration guarantees generally limited to 36 months, with many products available with only 12 or 24 months of shelf life. Gas products with a more limited shelf life can impact measurement accuracy, as gas stability in terms of consistency and quality can change over time. Where consistency or purity of the gas has been compromised, this can result in expensive system re-calibration procedures, additional cylinder change-overs, and wasted human resource time. “The most important requirement of any gas used for calibration purposes is that it can accurately and repeatedly report values of the instrument being measured. HiQ® 60 gas products alleviate concerns associated with quality or reliability issues for a period of up to five years and give customers peace of mind,” says Steve Harrison, Head of Specialty Gases and Specialty Equipment, Linde.

LEAK DETECTION FOR TUBING

2009.07

Optinova (www.optinova.com) has installed seven tube leak test systems from Adixen, one for each tube production line, into their production process for catheter tube manufacturing. Optinova’s new thin wall tubing is used for nutrition and blood transfusion delivery systems. Optinova worked with Adixen Scandinavia (www.adixen-usa.com), which specializes in leak detection, on the equipment design. The new tubing, which is formed in a cloud of diluted hydrogen tracer gas, is passed through an accumulation chamber at line speed. Here, defects and pinholes in the tube can be identified by a detector that continuously monitors the chamber for the presence of hydrogen leaking from the tube into the chamber. If a leak is detected, the line is stopped, and the faulty section cut and removed.

PRAXAIR AND SORG PROMOTE GLASS-MELTING EFFICIENCY

2009.07

Praxair, Inc. (www.praxair.com) has signed a joint marketing agreement with Nikolaus Sorg GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of The Sorg Group (www.sorg.de) of Lohr am Main, Germany, to promote high-efficiency oxyfuel technology for glass melting in the United States and Canada. Their portfolio of offerings includes the Sorg Oxy LoNOx furnace design as well as Praxair’s advanced combustion systems, heat recovery applications such as cullet preheating, and worldclass oxygen-delivery systems. As part of this alliance, Praxair and Sorg will utilize their combined technologies and services to deliver enhanced energy efficiency and lower emissions to the glass-melting industry. “Sorg’s experience and reputation as a state-of-the-art leader in glass melting complement Praxair’s technologies and on-site industrial gas supply capabilities in the North American glass industry,” said Scott Sanderude, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Praxair’s North American Industrial Gases business unit.

PRECISION INTRODUCES NEON PURIFIER

2009.07

Precision Gas Products (www.precision gasproducts.com) has introduced a neon purifier. Precision’s Neon Purifier, the only commercially available purifier for neon on the market today, is a skid-mounted, turn-key unit that makes it easy and economical to purify industrial grade neon into 6.0 grade or better, and compresses it into cylinders at the customer’s site. The purifier comes with a skid base, heat exchanger, control panel, 12-cylinder ultrahigh integrity charging manifold, and a regenerative heater. Customers never need to return purifier media to Precision for regeneration. Approximately 30,000 SCF of neon can be purified before regeneration (Note: The 30,000 SCF could be higher or lower based on the purity of the supply neon. The more contaminated or lower purity the supply of neon is, the more frequent the purifier will need to be regenerated.) The maximum flow rate is approximately 350 SCFM.

SERVOMEX BOOSTS POWER-PLANT EFFICIENCY

2009.07

Drax Power Limited has ordered the installation of Servomex (www.servomex.com) gas analyzers to the UK’s cleanest and most coalefficient power station. Eight SERVOTOUGH Fluegas (2700) units, optimized to measure both O2 and CO2, have been installed to monitor the oxygen burn mix for the combustion boilers at Drax Power Station in Selby, England. By monitoring combustion processes more closely, Drax engineers will be able to control the optimum burn mix more accurately, thus saving fuel, enabling considerable cost savings, and further improving emissions quality. According to Servomex, its SERVOTOUGH Fluegas combustion gas analyzer is ideal for monitoring combustion processes and for monitoring the combustion process at Selby or other coal-fired power stations. Servomex will also provide full service and support — including installation and commissioning — for the SERVOTOUGH Fluegas analyzers.

THE WELD PURGE GUYS

2009.07

At the American Welding Society Exhibition held in Las Vegas last October, the lead engineer for the Bechtel/Bioku Island LNG project in Equatorial Guinea walked into the stand of Cob Industries, Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Limited’s (HFT) (www. huntingtonfusion.com) exclusive US distributor, and presented a $95,000 order, which included a large number of ArgweldR Quick- Purge Systems (see story on Huntington’s argon application in “The US Argon Market,” CGI, March 2009, p. 40). Bechtel engineers refer to HFT as “the weld purge guys” and Bechtel (www.betchel.com) is one of HFT’s largest and most regular customers. Bechtel has used ArgweldR Quick Purge systems on the Texas Sabine Pass LNG contract and many other stainless steel pipe work related projects. Huntington Fusion reports that the LNG industry has become one of its major focuses over the last couple of years. The Company’s Managing Director Darren Sewell recently returned from Thailand where he trained three major operators that were constructing an LNG Train in that country. In May Sewell was in Dubai working with other Huntington Fusion customers on LNG installations.

WORTHINGTON’S NEW TORCH

2009.07

Worthington Cylinders (www.worthington cylinders.com) has added three new Worthington Pro Grade hand torch products. The Worthington Pro Grade Universal Hand Torch Extension Hose gives users up to 59 inches of freedom. The fiber-reinforced hose allows separation between the fuel cylinder and the existing hand torch. The Worthington Pro Grade Universal Hand Torch Extension Hose includes a belt hook and handle adaptor. Fueled by the industry-preferred hand torch cylinder, the Worthington Pro-Grade Oxy- Fuel Kit allows users to weld, cut, and braze using both oxygen and MAP//Pro™ gas for maximum flame temperature. The Worthington Pro Grade 360º Swivel Hand Torch allows for full range of motion in awkward working environments while producing a consistently precise flame for brazing and soft soldering.