Gas quenching method using a recycling facility

US7632453B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme à Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Étude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude · FR

Inventors

• Florent Chaffotte · Châtillon, FR
• Nicolas Blanchard · Boulogne, FR
• Olivier Delobel · Paris, FR
• Linda Lefevre · Versailles, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 10, 2004
• Grant date: Dec 15, 2009
• Expiry date: Jun 11, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/20
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a gas quenching method of the type that makes use of (i) a quenching cell (V1) which is intended to receive objects to be quenched with a quenching gas and (ii) a buffer capacity (V2) which is designed to contain the quenching gas. The invention is characterised in that following a quenching operation, all or part of the gas contained in the cell (V1) is recycled in the following manner consisting in: obtaining a first intermediate storage balloon (V3) which can receive the quenching gas from the cell; after a quenching operation, performing one or more operations comprising the partial emptying of the contents of the cell (V1) into the first intermediate storage balloon (V3), by means of partial or total pressure balancing between the two volumes of the cell (V1) and the first intermediate storage balloon; transferring the gas stored in the first intermediate storage balloon (V3) to the buffer capacity (V2); and, if necessary, releasing part of the contents of the cell (V1) into the atmosphere.