Patent ID: 7076969

Claim:
A system for supplying a carbon dioxide product stream to at least one process tool at a required pressure at at least one application, the system comprising: (a) a carbon dioxide source comprising a bulk storage vessel having a carbon dioxide feed that is selected from a purified carbon dioxide feed or an unpurified carbon dioxide feed wherein the pressure of the carbon dioxide feed within the vessel is at a first pressure which is below a critical pressure of carbon dioxide and is below the required pressure; and (b) at least one application, wherein each of the at least one application comprises: (i) a carbon dioxide delivery system in fluid communication with the carbon dioxide source and the at least one process tool comprising a pressure elevating device that increases the pressure of at least a portion of the carbon dioxide to provide a carbon dioxide product stream at a second pressure that is equal to or greater than the required pressure; (ii) at least one process tool wherein the at least one process tool receives the purified carbon dioxide product stream at the required pressure and converts at least a portion of the purified carbon dioxide product stream to a spent carbon dioxide stream; and (iii) an application-specific purification system in direct fluid communication with the carbon dioxide delivery system and the at least one process tool wherein the application-specific purification system converts at least a portion of the spent carbon dioxide stream to a purified carbon dioxide product stream prior to delivery to the at least one process tool.