AU2010294078B2 - Method for operating at least one air separation apparatus and oxygen consumption unit - Google Patents

Method for operating at least one air separation apparatus and oxygen consumption unit Download PDF

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AU2010294078B2
AU2010294078B2 AU2010294078A AU2010294078A AU2010294078B2 AU 2010294078 B2 AU2010294078 B2 AU 2010294078B2 AU 2010294078 A AU2010294078 A AU 2010294078A AU 2010294078 A AU2010294078 A AU 2010294078A AU 2010294078 B2 AU2010294078 B2 AU 2010294078B2
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Australia
Prior art keywords
oxygen
operating phase
air separation
during
air
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AU2010294078A1 (en
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Nicolas Allard
Pierre-Etienne Franc
Alain Guillard
Hadi Moussavi
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LAir Liquide SA pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
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Air Liquide SA
LAir Liquide SA pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04763—Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used
    • F25J3/04866—Construction and layout of air fractionation equipments, e.g. valves, machines
    • F25J3/04951—Arrangements of multiple air fractionation units or multiple equipments fulfilling the same process step, e.g. multiple trains in a network
    • F25J3/04963—Arrangements of multiple air fractionation units or multiple equipments fulfilling the same process step, e.g. multiple trains in a network and inter-connecting equipment within or downstream of the fractionation unit(s)
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04472—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using the cold from cryogenic liquids produced within the air fractionation unit and stored in internal or intermediate storages
    • F25J3/04496—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using the cold from cryogenic liquids produced within the air fractionation unit and stored in internal or intermediate storages for compensating variable air feed or variable product demand by alternating between periods of liquid storage and liquid assist
    • F25J3/04503—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using the cold from cryogenic liquids produced within the air fractionation unit and stored in internal or intermediate storages for compensating variable air feed or variable product demand by alternating between periods of liquid storage and liquid assist by exchanging "cold" between at least two different cryogenic liquids, e.g. independently from the main heat exchange line of the air fractionation and/or by using external alternating storage systems
    • F25J3/04509—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using the cold from cryogenic liquids produced within the air fractionation unit and stored in internal or intermediate storages for compensating variable air feed or variable product demand by alternating between periods of liquid storage and liquid assist by exchanging "cold" between at least two different cryogenic liquids, e.g. independently from the main heat exchange line of the air fractionation and/or by using external alternating storage systems within the cold part of the air fractionation, i.e. exchanging "cold" within the fractionation and/or main heat exchange line
    • F25J3/04515—Simultaneously changing air feed and products output
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04521—Coupling of the air fractionation unit to an air gas-consuming unit, so-called integrated processes
    • F25J3/04527—Integration with an oxygen consuming unit, e.g. glass facility, waste incineration or oxygen based processes in general
    • F25J3/04533—Integration with an oxygen consuming unit, e.g. glass facility, waste incineration or oxygen based processes in general for the direct combustion of fuels in a power plant, so-called "oxyfuel combustion"
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04521—Coupling of the air fractionation unit to an air gas-consuming unit, so-called integrated processes
    • F25J3/04527—Integration with an oxygen consuming unit, e.g. glass facility, waste incineration or oxygen based processes in general
    • F25J3/04539—Integration with an oxygen consuming unit, e.g. glass facility, waste incineration or oxygen based processes in general for the H2/CO synthesis by partial oxidation or oxygen consuming reforming processes of fuels
    • F25J3/04545—Integration with an oxygen consuming unit, e.g. glass facility, waste incineration or oxygen based processes in general for the H2/CO synthesis by partial oxidation or oxygen consuming reforming processes of fuels for the gasification of solid or heavy liquid fuels, e.g. integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC]
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04763—Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used
    • F25J3/04769—Operation, control and regulation of the process; Instrumentation within the process
    • F25J3/04812—Different modes, i.e. "runs" of operation
    • F25J3/04836—Variable air feed, i.e. "load" or product demand during specified periods, e.g. during periods with high respectively low power costs
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04763—Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used
    • F25J3/04769—Operation, control and regulation of the process; Instrumentation within the process
    • F25J3/04812—Different modes, i.e. "runs" of operation
    • F25J3/04842—Intermittent process, so-called batch process
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04763—Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used
    • F25J3/04866—Construction and layout of air fractionation equipments, e.g. valves, machines
    • F25J3/04951—Arrangements of multiple air fractionation units or multiple equipments fulfilling the same process step, e.g. multiple trains in a network
    • F25J3/04957—Arrangements of multiple air fractionation units or multiple equipments fulfilling the same process step, e.g. multiple trains in a network and inter-connecting equipments upstream of the fractionation unit (s), i.e. at the "front-end"
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2230/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for increasing the pressure of gaseous process streams
    • F25J2230/24—Multiple compressors or compressor stages in parallel
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2230/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for increasing the pressure of gaseous process streams
    • F25J2230/40—Processes or apparatus involving steps for increasing the pressure of gaseous process streams the fluid being air
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2245/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for recycling of process streams
    • F25J2245/40—Processes or apparatus involving steps for recycling of process streams the recycled stream being air
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2290/00—Other details not covered by groups F25J2200/00 - F25J2280/00
    • F25J2290/62—Details of storing a fluid in a tank
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E20/00—Combustion technologies with mitigation potential
    • Y02E20/34—Indirect CO2mitigation, i.e. by acting on non CO2directly related matters of the process, e.g. pre-heating or heat recovery

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
  • Gas Separation By Absorption (AREA)
  • Oxygen, Ozone, And Oxides In General (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

Abstract

In a method for operating a facility including at least two air separation apparatuses (1), a storage system (2), and a unit (3) consuming an oxygen-rich gas, the gas-consuming unit being capable of generating electricity according to the first step during which the cost of the electricity is greater than a first pricing threshold, the gas-consuming unit receives an amount of oxygen-rich gas, greater than a first consumption threshold, from the or at least some of the air separation apparatuses, the oxygen-rich gas partially consisting of the oxygen stored in the storage system, which is supplied by the air separation apparatus(es) during a second step, and partially consisting of the oxygen produced through distillation during the first step and according to the second step, during which the cost of the electricity is lower than the first pricing threshold, the second pricing threshold being less than the first pricing threshold. The gas-consuming unit consumes an amount of oxygen-rich gas below a second consumption threshold, air is separated in the or in at least one of apparatuses, and an oxygen-rich liquid is sent from at least two separation apparatuses to the storage system.

Description

Method for operating at least one air separation apparatus and oxygen consumption unit The present invention relates to a process for operating at 5 least one air separation unit and an oxygen-rich gas consumer, comprising a carbon fuel combustion unit or a gasification unit, the oxygen-rich gas consumer being capable of generating electricity. The consumer is supplied with an oxygen-rich gas coming from the air separation unit or units. 10 One of the CO 2 capture technologies for carbon fuel combustion units, for producing energy, called oxy-fuel combustion, will require very large amounts of oxygen (from 10 000 M tonnes per day to 20 000 M tonnes per day, depending on the site) produced 15 by a series of air separation units associated with units for separating the waste gases from combustion units for producing
CO
2 at the outlet of one or more combustion units before the transportation and sequestration thereof. These air separation units are very large consumers of electrical energy, thereby 20 penalizing the feeding into the grid of the power produced by the consumer at the times when the energy cost is highest. Switching systems are disclosed that allow the power consumed by them during periods of peak demand to be limited (US-A 25 20080115531 or WO-A-09/071833). It is also conceivable to shut down and restart air separation units in order to save energy and thus switch to air mode for the consumer, not capturing the CO 2 except during these periods 30 of relatively short duration, but the time for restarting is not necessarily compatible with several operations of this type each day.
WO 2011/030035 - 2 - PCT/FR2010/051765 Some combustion units are designed to operate in base mode, that is to say in continuous stable operation for the entire or almost entire year (high season, intermediate season and low season), and to do so 5 generally close to their nominal consumption, so as to feed the electrical energy continuously into the grid, while other combustion units are designed to operate more erratically and to meet the requirements above a certain level of electrical energy consumption (high 10 and intermediate seasons), while yet others are designed to respond solely to peak demands (for a few hundred, or even a little more than one thousand, hours per year, high season). 15 In the case of combustion units operating in a relatively erratic manner, the air separation units that deliver the oxygen for oxy-fuel combustion are designed to deliver, to their nominal level, all the requirements of the consumer when it is operating 20 normally, and are obliged to vent to atmosphere or to shut down when the combustion unit stops for a few hours each day or for a few days per week when the demand is low,. the overall consequence of which is a considerable loss of energy. 25 This is because venting the oxygen to atmosphere af ter it has been separated, even if it may be carried out at low pressure, represents an amount of lost energy of around 0.2 to 0.35 KWh/Nm3, depending on the process 30 schemes used. As for restarting an air separation unit after a shutdown of short duration, apart from its complexity, this will take in the region of one hour before 35 obtaining the required purities and pressures, also corresponding to a not insignificant energy loss.
-3 A reference herein to a patent document or other matter which is given as prior art is not to be taken as an admission that that document or matter was known or that the information it contains was part of the common general knowledge as at the 5 priority date of any of the claims. Throughout the description and claims of the specification, the word "comprise" and variations of the word, such as "comprising" and "comprises", is not intended to exclude other 10 additives, components, integers or steps. According to one aspect, the invention provides a process for operating a plant comprising at least two air separation units, a storage system and an oxygen-rich gas consumer comprising a 15 carbon fuel combustion unit or a gasification unit, the consumer being capable of generating electricity at least in a first operating phase, in which process the plant operates in a plurality of operating phases: a) in the first operating phase, during which the cost of 20 the electricity is above a first price threshold, the consumer receives an amount of oxygen-rich gas above a first consumption threshold, coming from at least one of the air separation units, and the oxygen-rich gas consists partly of oxygen stored in the storage system, which is supplied by the air separation 25 units during a second operating phase, and partly by oxygen produced by distillation in at least one air separation unit during the first operating phase; and b) in the second operating phase, during which the cost of the electricity is below a second price threshold, the second 30 price threshold being below the first price threshold, the consumer consumes an amount of oxygen-rich gas below a second consumption threshold, the second threshold being below the first threshold, the amount possibly being zero, air is - 3a separated in at least certain of the air separation units, and an oxygen-rich liquid is sent from the separation unit or from the at least one separation unit to the storage system; and c) the number of separation units in operation during the 5 first operating phase is fewer than the number of units that are in operation during the second operating phase. According to other optional aspects: - the number of moles of oxygen in the oxygen-rich liquid 10 stored throughout the duration of the second operating phase is fewer than the number of moles of WO 2011/030035 - 4 - PCT/FR2010/051765 oxygen sent as oxygen-rich gas to the consumer during the first operating phase; - the oxygen-rich gas consumption during the first operating phase is substantially constant; 5 - the amount of air sent to at least one of the air separation units, being the unit or units in operation during the first operating phase, corresponds to an oxygen production at least 15% less, preferably at least 25% less or even at least 40% less than the 10 production of gaseous oxygen sent to the consumer; - the difference between the production of oxygen rich gas corresponding to the amount of air sent to the at least one separation unit in operation during the first operating phase and the consumption of oxygen 15 rich gas sent to the consumer corresponds to at least part of the amount of liquid oxygen stored during the second operating phase; - the number of separation units in operation during the first operating phase is at least two fewer 20 than the number of units in operation during the second operating phase; - the number of air compressors supplying an air separation unit and in operation during the first operating phase is preferably at least two fewer than 25 the number of air compressors supplying an air separation unit in operation during the second operating phase; - the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the air separation unit or units to the storage system during 30 the first operating phase does not exceed 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s); - the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the storage system to the air separation unit or units 35 during the second operating phase does not exceed 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s); WO 2011/030035 - 5 - PCT/FR2010/051765 - the amount of gaseous oxygen withdrawn from the air separation units (1) during the second operating phase does not exceed 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation units; 5 - during the second operating phase and preferably not during the first operating phase, liquid nitrogen and/or liquid air is sent to the air separation units, the liquid nitrogen and/or the liquid air being produced during the first operating phase, and 10 preferably not during the second operating phase, by the air separation unit or units; - there are n air separation units, n preferably being at least 2, and at least one of the air separation units or the air separation unit has a 15 nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity lower than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n; - n is at least equal to three and at least two of the air separation units have a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity lower than the nominal oxygen-rich gas 20 capacity of the consumer divided by n; - there are n air separation units, n preferably being at least 2, and at least one of the air separation units or the air separation unit has a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity higher than the 25 nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n; and - n is at least equal to three and at least two of the air separation units have a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity higher than the nominal oxygen-rich gas 30 capacity of the consumer divided by n. For feasibility and/or reliability reasons, each plant generally comprises at least two air separation units. Each separation unit comprises a water/carbon dioxide 35 purifier, for purifying the air, and also a cold box in which the distillation columns are placed. To compress the air, at least as many air compressors as there are air separation units are provided, and therefore, in WO 2011/030035 - 6 - PCT/FR2010/051765 the case of two separation units, there are at least two air compressors. These compressors are optionally combined with air boosters. 5 The plant also includes a system for storing liquid products (liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen and possibly liquid air) consisting of one or more storage tanks per product. This storage system may be communed with these air separation units. 10 The air compressors and air boosters may be networked so as to supply in . common all of the air separation units. 15 During certain, or even all, operating periods of the consumer (first operating phase), the consumer consumes a substantially constant amount of oxygen. This constant amount is delivered permanently by the 20 air separation unit or units. During this operating phase, the electricity cost is above a first price threshold and the oxygen consumption by the consumer is above a first consumption threshold. Throughout the first operating phase, some of the oxygen is still 25 produced from oxygen stored and produced during the second operating phase. The oxygen coming from the storage tank may be boiled off in a reboiler external to the air separation units, but it is more energetically beneficial for the air separation units 30 to be refrigerated via the latent heat of the oxygen coming from the storage tanks. Liquid nitrogen and/or liquid air may be produced in periods of high electrical energy demand (tariff above 35 the first price threshold) on the grid by supplying an element of the separation unit(s) with liquid oxygen, while the air separation units are supplied with liquid oxygen coming from a storage tank of the storage WO 2011/030035 - 7 - PCT/FR2010/051765 system, a storage tank of the cold box or an external source. During periods in which the combustion unit is shut 5 down, at least one of the air separation units continues to operate and produces large amounts of liquid oxygen, one column of the air separation unit being optionally supplied with liquid nitrogen and/or liquid air coming from a storage tank of the storage 10 system, a storage tank of the cold box or an external source. Preferably, the number of air separation units operating while the consumer is shut down is larger than the number of air separation units operating when the consumer is in operation. In this way, the user 15 benefits from the low electricity tariff during the second operating phase for making liquid oxygen that will serve for supplying the consumer during the first operating phase when electricity is expensive. 20 The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the figure, which shows a plant capable of operating according to the process of the invention. The plant comprises a combination 1 of four air 25 separation units, a storage system 2 and an oxygen-rich gas consumer 3, which may be a carbon fuel combustion unit or a gasifier. If it is a combustion unit, the consumer may also be supplied with air instead of oxygen. 30 Each air separation unit comprises a purifier 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D and a cold box 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, the units being substantially identical. 35 The air separation units may receive air from four air compressors 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D connected via a common line 9 so that they can supply all the air separation units.
WO 2011/030035 - 8 - PCT/FR2010/051765 In a first operating phase, the oxygen-rich gas consumer 3 receives this gas from at most three of the air separation units. During this first operating phase, the electricity cost exceeds a first price 5 threshold and is expensive. It is therefore desirable to reduce as far as possible the electricity consumption during this operating phase. For this purpose, at most three of the air separation units, or even at most two of the air separation units, are made 10 to operate or preferably only at most three air compressors, or even at most two air compressors, are made to operate, the cold boxes operating in reduced operating mode. 15 Air from the two or tree operating compressors is sent to the two or three air separation units and is distilled in the columns placed in the cold boxes in order to form an oxygen-rich gas at low pressure. This pressure rarely exceeds 5 bar abs. The oxygen may be 20 withdrawn in gaseous form from the low-pressure column of a double column. The double columns may be units having two condensers in the low-pressure column, as is known. It is also possible to boil off a liquid withdrawn from the column, taking the usual precautions 25 for low-pressure boiling. To compensate for the difference between the gaseous oxygen distilled in the columns and the consumption of oxygen by the consumer 3, liquid oxygen 13 is sent from 30 the storage system 2 to the operating air separation units so that the refrigeration thereof is used intelligently in the separation units. The gaseous oxygen thus formed becomes a portion of the oxygen-rich gas 17 sent to the consumer 3. Preferably, during this 35 first operating phase, no stream of liquid oxygen is sent from the air separation units to the storage system. Optionally, a flow of liquid oxygen not exceeding 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the air may WO 2011/030035 - 9 - PCT/FR2010/051765 be sent from the air separation units to the storage system. During the second operating phase, the consumer 3 is 5 not operating and therefore no flow of oxygen-rich gas is sent to this unit or the flow sent to the unit does not exceed 2% of the air sent to the air separation units. In this case, the electricity cost is below a second price threshold, the second price threshold 10 being lower than the first price threshold, and the electricity is therefore comparatively inexpensive. Here it is useful to operate more air separation units and/or more air compressors than during the first 15 operating phase. Thus, if two separation units were in operation during the first operating phase, during the second operating phase three or four separation units are in operation, and if three separation units were in operation during the first operating phase, during the 20 second operating phase four separation units are in operation. Likewise in respect of the compressors, if two compressors were in operation during the first operating phase, during the second operating phase three or four compressors are in operation, and if 25 three compressors were in operation during the first operating phase, during the second operating phase four compressors are in operation. In the second operating phase, the production of 30 gaseous oxygen by the separation units becomes marginal, or even nonexistent. The production of gaseous oxygen may represent up to 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the supply air, this oxygen being vented to atmosphere. However, the air separation units produce 35 all the liquid oxygen 11 which is sent to the storage system 2. The storage system 2 is filled with liquid oxygen during the second operating phase but not during the first operating phase, and is drained of liquid WO 2011/030035 - 10 - PCT/FR2010/051765 oxygen during the first operating phase but not during the first operating phase. However, it is possible to drain off very small amounts of liquid from the storage tank during the second operating phase. 5 The refrigeration of the separation unit is maintained during the second operating phase partially by sending liquid nitrogen and/or liquefied air to the air separation unit or units. This supply of liquid 10 nitrogen and/or liquefied air does not take place during the first operating phase, and preferably liquid nitrogen and/or liquefied air is produced during the first operating phase and sent to the storage system 2. The liquid nitrogen and/or the liquid air may be sent, 15 at least partly, to a column of the separation unit, to a separator pot or to a heat exchanger of the separation unit.

Claims (16)

1. A process for operating a plant comprising at least two air separation units, a storage system and an oxygen-rich gas consumer comprising a carbon fuel combustion unit or a gasification unit, the consumer being capable of generating electricity at least in a first operating phase, in which process the plant operates in a plurality of operating phases: a) in the first operating phase, during which the cost of the electricity is above a first price threshold, the consumer receives an amount of oxygen-rich gas above a first consumption threshold, coming from at least one of the air separation units, and the oxygen-rich gas consists partly of oxygen stored in the storage system, which is supplied by the air separation units during a second operating phase, and partly by oxygen produced by distillation in at least one air separation unit during the first operating phase; and b) in the second operating phase, during which the cost of the electricity is below a second price threshold, the second price threshold being below the first price threshold, the consumer consumes an amount of oxygen-rich gas below a second consumption threshold, the second threshold being below the first threshold, the amount possibly being zero, air is separated in at least certain of the air separation units, and an oxygen-rich liquid is sent from the separation unit or from the at least one separation unit to the storage system; and c) the number of separation units in operation during the first operating phase is fewer than the number of units that are in operation during the second operating phase.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the number of moles of oxygen in the oxygen-rich liquid stored throughout the duration of the second operating phase is fewer than the number -12 of moles of oxygen sent as oxygen-rich gas to the consumer during the first operating phase.
3. The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the oxygen rich gas consumption during the first operating phase is substantially constant.
4. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the amount of air sent to at least one of the air separation units, being the unit or units in operation during the first operating phase, corresponds to an oxygen production at least 15% less, preferably at least 25% less or even at least 40% less than the production of gaseous oxygen sent to the consumer.
5. The process as claimed in claim 4, in which the difference between the production of oxygen-rich gas corresponding to the amount of air sent to the at least one separation unit in operation during the first operating phase and the consumption of oxygen-rich gas sent to the consumer corresponds to at least part of the amount of liquid oxygen stored during the second operating phase.
6. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the number of separation units in operation during the first operating phase is at least two fewer than the number of units in operation during the second operating phase.
7. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the number of air compressors supplying an air separation unit and in operation during the first operating phase is preferably at least two fewer than the number of air compressors supplying an air separation unit in operation during the second operating phase. -13
8. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the air separation unit or units to the storage system during the first operating phase does not exceed 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s).
9. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the storage system to the air separation unit or units during the second operating phase does not exceed 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s).
10. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the amount of gaseous oxygen withdrawn from the air separation units during the second operating phase does not exceed 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation units.
11. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which, during the second operating phase and preferably not during the first operating phase, liquid nitrogen and/or liquid air is sent to the air separation units, the liquid nitrogen and/or the liquid air being produced during the first operating phase, and preferably not during the second operating phase, by the air separation unit or units.
12. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there are n air separation units, n being at least 2, and at least one of the air separation units has a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity lower than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n. -14
13. The process as claimed in claim 12, in which n is at least equal to three and at least two of the air separation units have a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity lower than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n.
14. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there are n air separation units, n being at least 2, and at least one of the air separation units has a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity higher than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n.
15. The process as claimed in claim 14, in which n is at least equal to three and at least two of the air separation units have a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity higher than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n.
16. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 15 substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the the Examples and/or accompanying Figures.
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FR2949845B1 (en) 2011-12-02
EP2475944A2 (en) 2012-07-18

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