Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for separating nitrogen gas from methanol liquid in a furnace hardening system. The furnace is housed in a building and connected by a piping system to a methanol storage tank located outside the building. The tank is capped with nitrogen to pressurize the system at high pressure and a pressure regulator reduces the pressure at the furnace. A flowmeter unit controls the flow rate. The gas separating apparatus includes a vessel having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet in the lower end. The methanol containing nitrogen is introduced under pressure into the inlet and is discharged from the outlet at a lesser flow rate to provide an accumulation of the liquid in the vessel, while the nitrogen gas is released from the liquid and collects in the headspace of the vessel. A float is disposed in the vessel and floats on the accumulated liquid in the lower end of the vessel. A switch mechanism is associated with the float and when accumulated gas lowers in liquid and float to a predetermined position, the switch mechanism acts to open a valve in a gas outlet to vent the nitrogen from the vessel to the atmosphere.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim