Centrifugal fan assembly for road sweeping machines

A centrifugal fan assembly 19 for the debris collection arrangement of a road cleaning machine. In a first aspect the assembly comprises a casing 101, an impeller 103 and a wall 107. The casing comprises a volute potion 30 connected to an outlet passageway 31, a corner 106 being formed there between. The impeller comprises a plurality of blades 25 and is located in the volute portion proximate the corner. The wall separates the outlet passageway into first and second passageways 36, 37, and extends to an inner end 102 proximate the impeller. When a blade passes the inner end a second pressure wave is formed that destructively interferes with a first pressure formed by a blade passing the corner. In a second aspect the impeller comprises first and second plates mounted around a hub, and a plurality of blades extending between the plates. The spacing between each blade and a first adjacent blade is different from the spacing between the blade and a second opposing adjacent blade.

A road cleaning vehicle comprising a debris collection arrangement

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR TREATING NATURAL GAS

A process is described for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons including the steps of: 1. A process for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons comprising the steps of:(i) mixing at least a portion of the natural gas stream with steam at a steam:carbon ratio in the range 0.2:1 to 3:1 based on the one or more higher hydrocarbons carbon, and hydrogen at a concentration up to 5% vol,(ii) passing the mixture adiabatically over a supported precious metal reforming catalyst at an inlet temperature in the range 130-300° C. to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen,(iii) cooling the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and removing the condensate to provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and(iv) passing the de-watered reformed gas mixture through an acid gas recovery unit to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream.2. A process according to wherein the natural gas stream is processed in an offshore processing facility selected from a fixed off-shore facility or a floating off-shore facility.3. A process according to wherein the amount of methane in the natural gas stream is in the range 50 to 95% by volume.4. A process according to wherein the natural gas stream is selected from the group consisting of an associated gas claim 1 , shale gas claim 1 , tight sand gas claim 1 , coal bed methane claim 1 , or a synthetic natural gas mixture comprising methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons.5. A process according to further comprising a step of liquefying the methane stream in a LNG liquefaction unit wherein the natural gas stream is a natural gas containing one or more higher hydrocarbons which is fed to the reforming stage so that the natural gas liquefaction step processes only methane to LNG and no liquefied ...

Centrifugal Fan Assembly For Road Sweeping Machines

The present invention is directed to a centrifugal fan assembly () for the debris collection arrangement () of a road cleaning machine (). The assembly () comprises a casing (), a rotatable impeller () and a wall (). The casing () comprises a volute potion () connected to an outlet passageway (), a corner () being formed therebetween. The impeller () comprises a plurality of blades () and is located in the volute portion () proximate the corner (). The wall () separates the outlet passageway () into a first and second passageway () and extends to an inner end () proximate the impeller (). The inner end () is positioned, and the impeller () is arranged, such that when a blade () passes the inner end () a second pressure wave is formed that destructively interferes with a first pressure wave formed by a blade () passing the corner (). The distance W between the inner end () and impeller () is greater than the distance Z between the corner () and impeller (). 2. A centrifugal fan assembly as claimed in wherein W is in the range of from 1.1Z to and including 1.5Z.3. A centrifugal fan assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the angle about the centre of rotation of the impeller between the inner end and corner is the sum of:the angle between at least two of the plurality of blades; andan angle, which is less than the angle between two adjacent blades, resulting in the second pressure wave being out of phase by approximately 180° to the first pressure wave.4. A centrifugal fan assembly as claimed in wherein the angle about the centre of rotation of the impeller between the inner end and corner is the sum of:the angle between three of the plurality of blades; andan angle, which is less than the angle between two adjacent blades, resulting in the second pressure wave being out of phase by approximately 180° to the first pressure wave.5. A centrifugal fan assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the number of blades is a multiple ...

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR TREATING NATURAL GAS

A process is described for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons including the steps of mixing at least a portion of the natural gas stream with steam; passing the mixture adiabatically over a supported precious metal reforming catalyst to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen; cooling the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and removing the condensate to provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and passing the de-watered reformed gas mixture through an acid gas recovery unit to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream. The methane stream may be used to adjust the composition of a natural gas stream, including a vapourised LNG stream, to meet pipeline specifications. 1. An apparatus for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons comprising:(i) means for adding steam and hydrogen to a natural gas stream,(ii) a reformer vessel operatively connected to the means for adding steam and hydrogen, said reformer vessel containing a supported precious metal reforming catalyst, configured such that the natural gas stream and steam are passed over the catalyst to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen,(iii) heat exchange means operatively connected to the reformer vessel to cool the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point and separation equipment operatively connected to the heat exchange means to recover process condensate and provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and(iv) an acid gas recovery unit operatively connected to the separation equipment to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream.2. The apparatus according to further comprising a natural gas liquefaction unit ...

GETTER COMPOSITION

A getter composition for gettering hydrogen and water at temperatures greater than 80° C. includes at least one alkaline earth metal oxide or a precursor thereof and at least one transition metal oxide selected from the group consisting of copper oxide, nickel oxide and cobalt oxide or a precursor of the transition metal oxide. 1. A getter composition comprising at least one alkaline earth metal oxide or a precursor thereof and at least one transition metal oxide selected from the group consisting of copper oxide , nickel oxide and cobalt oxide , or a precursor of said transition metal oxide.2. A getter composition according to claim 1 , wherein said alkaline earth metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide claim 1 , barium oxide and magnesium oxide.3. A getter composition according to claim 2 , wherein said alkaline earth metal oxide comprises calcium oxide.4. A getter composition according to claim 3 , wherein said precursor of calcium oxide is selected from the group consisting of calcium hydroxide claim 3 , hydroxide claim 3 , calcium carbonate and a mixture of calcium hydroxide and calcium carbonate.5. A getter composition according to claim 1 , wherein said transition metal oxide comprises copper oxide.6. A getter composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of Pd present claim 1 , as Pd metal or as a compound of Pd claim 1 , is less than 0.2% by weight.7. A getter composition according to claim 1 , further comprising an organics sorbent.8. A getter composition according to claim 7 , wherein said organics sorbent is selected from the group consisting of a zeolite having a silica:alumina ratio>10 and a mesoporous silica.9. A getter composition according to claim 1 , wherein the getter composition consists essentially of particles of calcium oxide or a precursor thereof claim 1 , particles of copper oxide or a precursor thereof and optionally one or more components selected from the group consisting of a pore-forming compound ...

Centrifugal fan assembly for road sweeping machines

The invention is directed to a centrifugal fan (19) for the debris collection arrangement (100) of a road cleaning machine (10). The assembly (19) comprises a casing (101), a rotatable impeller (103) and a wall (107). The casing (101) comprises a volute potion (30) connected to an outlet passageway (31), a corner (106) being formed therebetween. The impeller (103) comprises a plurality of blades (25) and is located in the volute portion (30) proximate the corner (106). The wall (107) separates the outlet passageway (31) into a first and second passageway (36, 37) and extends to an inner end (102) proximate the impeller (103). The inner end (102) is positioned, and the impeller (103) is arranged, such that when a blade (25) passes the inner end (102) a second pressure wave is formed that destructively interferes with a first pressure wave formed by a blade (25) passing the corner (106).

Hydrogen process

A process is described for producing hydrogen comprising the steps of: (i) passing a hydrocarbon feed though one or more purification sorbents to generate a purified hydrocarbon stream, (ii) combining steam with the purified hydrocarbon and passing the hydrocarbon/steam mixture adiabatically through a bed of steam reforming catalyst disposed in a pre-reformer vessel to generate a pre-reformed gas mixture, (iii) passing the pre-reformed gas mixture through externally-heated catalyst filled tubes in a fired steam reformer to generate a crude synthesis gas mixture comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and steam, (iv) passing the crude synthesis gas mixture through one or more beds of water-gas shift catalyst in one or more shift vessels to generate a shifted synthesis gas mixture, (v) passing the shifted synthesis gas mixture to a membrane shift reactor containing a bed of water-gas shift catalyst and a CO2-selective membrane, in which the shifted synthesis gas mixture is subjected to the water-gas shift reaction over the water- gas shift catalyst, and carbon dioxide is separated from the shifted gas mixture by the membrane, thereby generating a hydrogen-enriched gas mixture, (vi) cooling the hydrogen-enriched gas mixture to below the dew point and separating off the condensate to generate a de-watered hydrogen-enriched gas mixture, (vii) passing the de-watered hydrogen-enriched gas mixture to one or more stages of CO2 separation in pressure-swing absorption apparatus, to generate a pure hydrogen stream and a purge gas stream, and (viii) recycling at least a portion of the purge gas stream as fuel to the fired steam reformer or to the hydrocarbon feed or purified hydrocarbon feed streams.

Getter composition

Oxygen getter and method for forming it

An oxygen getter for use in electronic apparatus and the like comprises a readily oxidisable metal or metal compound such as copper, cobalt or nickel supported on a solid support such as alumina, silica, titania, zirconia or a zeolite. The getter is realized by depositing a metal compound in a gaseous stream.

Oxygen getter and method for forming it

Oxigen getter and method for forming it

An oxygen getter for use in electronic apparatus and the like comprises a readily oxidisable metal or metal compound such as copper, cobalt or nickel supported on a solid support such as alumina, silica, titania, zirconia or a zeolite. The getter is realized by depositing a metal compound in a gaseous stream.

Oxygen getter and method for forming it

An oxygen getter for use in electronic apparatus and the like comprises a readily oxidisable metal or metal compound such as copper, cobalt or nickel supported on a solid support such as alumina, silica, titania, zirconia or a zeolite. The getter is realized by depositing a metal compound in a gaseous stream.