EP1287303A2

EP1287303A2 - Multistoreyed bath condenser

Info

Publication number: EP1287303A2
Application number: EP01957815A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alfred Wanner; Horst Corduan; Dietrich Rottmann; Karl Heinrich Schweigert
Original assignee: Linde GmbH
Current assignee: Linde GmbH
Priority date: 2000-05-31
Filing date: 2001-05-31
Publication date: 2003-03-05
Also published as: JP2003535300A; CN1432122A; KR20030007786A; WO2001092798A2; US20050028554A1; WO2001092798A3; TW531431B; KR100765573B1; DE10027140A1; US7152432B2; EP1160527A1; AU2001279637A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a multistoreyed bath condenser comprising a condenser block (1) provided with evaporation passages (8) for a liquid and condensation passages (2) for a heating medium in addition to possessing at least two vertically superimposed circulation sections (7) . The evaporation passages (8) are respectively provided with at least one inlet (9) for a fluid on the lower end of the circulation section (7) and at least one outlet on the upper end of a circulation section (10). A reservoir for liquid is provided for each circulation section (7). Said reservoir is fluidically connected to the inlet 9) and outlet (10) of the circulation section (7) and is fitted with a gas conduit (18). The inlet to the gas conduit (18) is not located in the region in front of the side (12) of the circulation section (7) where the outlet (10) of the circulation section (7) is arranged.

Description

description

Multi-storey bathroom condenser

The invention relates to a bath condenser with a condenser block, which has evaporation passages for a liquid and liquefaction passages for a heating medium and at least two vertically arranged one above the other

Circulation sections, wherein the evaporation passages each have at least one inlet opening for the liquid at the lower end of a circulation section and at least one outlet opening in each case at the upper end of a circulation section, wherein a liquid storage container is provided for each circulation section, which is in flow connection with the inlet opening and the outlet opening of the circulation section stands and has a gas discharge.

In a cryogenic air separation plant with a pressure column and a low pressure column, liquid oxygen from the low pressure column is vaporized against gaseous nitrogen from the pressure column in indirect heat exchange in a heat exchanger, the nitrogen condensing.

The heat exchanger is essentially realized in two different basic forms. In the case of a falling film evaporator, the liquid to be evaporated is fed into the top via a distribution system which also forms a gas seal

Evaporation passages initiated. The liquid runs down as a film of liquid over the heating surface, partially evaporating. The resulting gas and the unevaporated residual liquid emerge from the bottom of the falling film evaporator. The liquid collects in the collecting space located under the condenser, while the gas portion is passed on.

In the case of a bath condenser, on the other hand, the condenser block is located in the liquid bath from which liquid is to be evaporated. The liquid enters the evaporation passages of the condenser block from below and is partially evaporated against the heating medium flowing through the liquefaction passages. The density of the medium evaporating in the evaporation passages is less than the density of the surrounding liquid bath, which creates a siphon effect, so that liquid from the liquid bath into the evaporation passages nachströmt. The greater the immersion depth of the condenser block in the liquid bath, the higher the mean hydrostatic pressure in the evaporation passages and the worse the liquid evaporates, since the boiling point of the liquid increases in accordance with the vapor pressure curve.

The efficiency of a bath condenser can therefore be increased by dividing the condenser block into several sections arranged one above the other, hereinafter referred to as circulation sections. The advantage of such an arrangement lies in the fact that the immersion depth is smaller in the case of several circulation sections than in the case of a single high capacitor block. This reduces the hydrostatic pressure in the evaporation passages and the liquid can evaporate more easily.

A combined falling film bath condenser is known from US Pat. No. 5,775,129. In the upper area, liquid oxygen that flows downward is partially evaporated in the manner of a falling film evaporator. Below this is a bath condenser, which is divided into two circulation sections. The upper of the two circulation sections is surrounded over its entire circumference by a kind of gallery, which serves as a liquid reservoir for this circulation section. The walls of the gallery are pulled up slightly further than the upper edge of the corresponding circulation section, so that the gas escaping from the circulation section at the upper end does not leave the gallery immediately, but first rises in the gallery which is open at the top. During this phase, liquid that is carried away by the gas is partially separated and collects in the liquid bath at the bottom of the gallery. The gallery shown with separation area can only be realized if there is no further circulation section above the circulation section. Otherwise, the gallery covers the entry openings of the circulation section above it.

The object of the present invention is therefore to develop a multi-storey bath condenser in which as little liquid as possible is entrained with the gas drawn off.

This object is achieved by a bath condenser of the type mentioned in the introduction, in which the inlet into the gas discharge line is not in a semi-open volume next to the condenser block, which is through the side of the Circular section, in which the outlet opening of the circulating section is arranged, and half planes aligned perpendicular to the side and each containing a side edge are delimited.

The term “circulation section” denotes a section of the condenser block in which the function of a bath condenser or circulation evaporator is realized.

According to the invention, the bath condenser consists of at least two circulation sections arranged one above the other, each of which has its own

Liquid storage container can be fed with liquid. The vertical division of the bath condenser allows the liquid level in the liquid storage containers of the respective circulation sections to be significantly reduced compared to the liquid level in the case of a single continuous condenser block.

The liquid enters the evaporation passages via inlet openings located at the lower end of a circulation section, flows upward, partially evaporates and leaves the passages at the upper end of the circulation section via suitable outlet openings. The liquid portion in the liquid-gas mixture emerging from the passages flows on the one hand back to the inlet openings of this circulation section, and on the other hand, depending on the liquid level in the liquid storage container of the circulation section, to the inlet openings of the circulation section below, in order to be knocked over there again via the evaporation passages become.

According to the invention, the inlet into the gas discharge line and the outlet openings from the circulation section are now spatially separated such that the liquid-gas mixture emerging from the circulation section is not led directly into the gas discharge line, but first has to pass through a separation area. The

In its simplest design, the separation area can be a partially shielded volume or it can also be provided with elements which force the gas flow to be deflected several times. According to the invention, the inlet into the gas discharge line should not be arranged in the open half volume in front of the side of the circulation section in which the outlet opening is located. The half-volume is limited by the side with the outlet openings and, as a rule, by two vertical and two horizontal half-planes, each of which contains an edge of the peripheral section. In other words, the inlet into the gas discharge line must not lie in the "shadow" of the circulation section in front of the side with the outlet openings.

This avoids a direct outflow of the liquid-gas mixture from the circulation section into the gas discharge line. The liquid-gas mixture is deflected before entering the gas discharge line, as a result of which the gas velocity and thus the amount of entrained liquid with the vaporized gas are reduced. Before the gas enters the gas discharge line, an effective separation of the liquid entrained in the gas flow is achieved. The liquid level in the liquid storage container remains so high that proper operation of the circulation section is guaranteed. A sufficiently high liquid level is particularly important in order to rule out total evaporation of the liquid in the evaporation passages, which could lead to the evaporation passages being moved by high-boiling components.

The risk of entraining liquid can advantageously be reduced by the fact that the inlet into the gas line is located above the outlet opening of the evaporation passages of the corresponding circulation section. The gas evaporated in the circulation section must be diverted upwards before it enters the gas line and rise a certain distance. The volume between the outlet opening from the circulation section and the inlet into the gas line serves as an additional separation space in which liquid entrained with the gas separates from the gas stream.

The liquid storage container is preferably realized by an obliquely upwardly extending floor which is connected to the lower end of the circulation section and is delimited by suitable side walls, so that a wedge-shaped volume is formed. The sloping upward floor extends beyond the upper end of the circulation section and has above the Circulation section an outlet to a gas discharge. The volume above the circulation section serves as a separation space.

Instead of the sloping floor, it is particularly advantageous to attach a sheet of metal to the lower edge of the peripheral sections, which sheet is bent in a step-like manner. Starting from the lower end of the circulating section, the sheet initially runs horizontally, then vertically upwards, then again horizontally and finally vertically. Two sheets folded in this way form a first pocket which directly adjoins a circulating section and which represents the liquid storage container. The sheets are preferably folded in such a way that the vertical section of the

Sheet metal, which represents a boundary of the liquid storage container, extends to the height of the outlet openings from the circulation section.

The intermediate space between the second "steps" of the stair-folded sheets forms an additional pocket which is displaced upwards against the liquid storage container and which serves as a separation space and is connected to the liquid storage container via a gap-shaped opening.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the inlet into the gas discharge line is not on the side of the condenser block which has the outlet openings from the evaporation passages. It is possible to provide the inlet into the gas discharge line in the area in front of the side opposite the gas outlet side or preferably in the area in front of a side adjacent to the gas outlet side. In these arrangements, too, the liquid-gas mixture is deflected before it enters the gas discharge line, as a result of which the liquid is more easily separated from the gas.

The gas inlet is particularly preferably offset both laterally and upward from the outlet openings.

A maximum of two sides of the capacitor block are preferably provided with inlet and / or outlet openings. In this case, the inlet into the gas discharge line is advantageously arranged above the circulation section. The areas in front of the other two vertical sides of the condenser block can then be separated by piping and other components are kept free, so that the bath condenser can be built relatively compact.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, inlet and outlet openings to the evaporation passages are located on two opposite sides of the condenser block. In this case, it is particularly favorable if the capacitor block is constructed mirror-symmetrically to the central plane between these two sides.

A more compact design of the bath condenser can be achieved by having all inlet and outlet openings on the same side of the heat exchanger. Lines for connecting the inlet and outlet openings with one another and liquid storage containers are only necessary on one outside of the condenser block.

For manufacturing reasons, however, it can also be advantageous if the inlet openings in the evaporation passages of a circulation section and the outlet openings from the evaporation passages of the circulation section arranged underneath are on opposite sides of the condenser block. If in the condenser block the connections of the inlet opening or the outlet opening with the respective evaporation passages are realized by sloping lamellae, then a section of the condenser block can diagonally into the transition zone from the inlet opening to the evaporation passages of the upper circulation section and into the transition zone from the passages to the outlet opening of the lower circulation section. The overall height of the capacitor block can thus be reduced.

If the inlet into the gas discharge line is above the circulation section, it is advantageous if the side of the circulation section, in which there are inlet and / or outlet openings, is provided with a collector which has a

Has liquid supply and gas discharge. A peripheral section usually has rectangular side walls. The collector covers at least the inlet and outlet openings of the side wall of the circulation section, but preferably the entire side wall of the circulation section. Through the walls of the collector and the side wall of the circulation section, a shielded from the environment is except for the supply and discharge lines provided for this, gas and liquid-tight volume is formed.

In this variant, the bath condenser is laterally through the side walls of the condenser block or on the sides on which there is an inlet and / or

Outlet openings are limited by the outer walls of the collector. There is no need for a separate container around the bath condenser, which makes the condenser extremely compact. This saves the material for the container wall and significantly reduces the total length of the welds required for production, which simplifies production. In addition, smaller wall thicknesses can be selected for the collectors than for the otherwise necessary container wall, since the diameters of the collectors do not have to be as large as that of a container around the condenser block. This brings significant cost savings.

When arranging the inlet into the gas discharge line above the circulation section, it has proven particularly advantageous to cover the sides of a plurality of circulation sections, in particular the entire side of the condenser block, in which there are inlet and / or outlet openings, with a collector which is provided with a liquid supply line and gas discharge line. A suitable liquid storage container is provided in this collector for each circulation section.

The capacitor block preferably has a rectangular cross section and is introduced into a round container. The round container contains the liquid storage containers and the lines for guiding liquid from one circulation section to the adjacent circulation section and the necessary ones

Gas derivatives. The gas discharge line or the inlet into the gas discharge line and the liquid lines are preferably arranged around in the ring region between the condenser block and the container wall in front of a side of the condenser block which is adjacent to the block side with the outlet opening. The liquid-gas mixture leaving the circulation section must be directed along the annular space around the condenser block, with liquid separating from the mixture.

Preferably, the collector or the container on the border of two circulation sections are each divided into floors, with two adjacent floors above a liquid and a gas line are connected to one another on the flow side. The collector or container, which extends over the height of several circulation sections, preferably over the entire height of the capacitor block, is divided into floors in accordance with the circulation sections. The delimitation of the floors from each other is preferably done by flat sheets or cranked floors. In particular, it is advantageous if the delimitation of the individual floors from one another is gastight and liquid-tight, except for flow connections provided for this purpose, so that the volume of a floor can serve as a liquid storage container for the adjacent circulation section.

The liquid transport from one floor to the floor below is advantageously ensured via an overflow pipe. The floor of a floor is penetrated by an overflow pipe, the opening of which is above the floor. The liquid flowing into the floor from the circulation section collects at the bottom of the floor and only flows into the floor below when the liquid level has reached the height of the opening of the overflow pipe. If the liquid level is lower, the liquid is only knocked over on the upper of the two levels.

It has also proven convenient to have the gas inlet of the gas line on the

Provide outlet opening on the side facing away from the evaporation passages. The gas emerging from the outlet opening is then redirected again on the floor before it enters the gas line, as a result of which the liquid is more easily separated from the gas flow.

The liquid or gas lines, which connect two floors with one another or derive gas from one floor, preferably run inside the collector or within the container. Both the liquid and the gas line are particularly preferably accommodated within the collector. The bath condenser remains extremely compact.

A gas line is preferably provided which extends through all floors and has a gas inlet on each floor. The bath condenser according to the invention can be used advantageously in particular as the main condenser of a low-temperature air separation plant.

The invention and further details of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Here show:

1 shows a section through a bath condenser according to the invention along the line BB in FIG. 2, FIG. 2 shows a section through the same bath condenser along the line

A - A in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows a section through a further embodiment of the invention,

Figures 4 to 7 different sections through an inventive

Bath condenser with a round container, FIGS. 8 to 11 show an alternative embodiment of the bath condenser with a round container and FIGS. 12 to 14 a further modification of the invention

Bath condenser with round container.

Figures 1 and 2 show two sections through a bath condenser according to the invention, which is used as the main condenser of a double column of an air separation plant. The main condenser can either be arranged in the low pressure column of the double column or, preferably, stand outside the double column. 1 shows a section along the line BB in FIG. 2 and FIG. 2 shows a section along the line AA in FIG. 1. The bath condenser consists of a condenser block 1 which contains a multiplicity of heat exchange passages 2, 8 running in parallel, in which gaseous nitrogen is condensed by heat exchange with liquid oxygen, the oxygen evaporating.

The nitrogen passages 2 extend over the entire height of the condenser block 1. Gaseous nitrogen is fed to the nitrogen passages 2 via a feed line 4 and drawn off as a liquid at the lower end of the block 1 via line 5. The gaseous nitrogen is distributed over the nitrogen passages 2 via a one connected to the condenser block 1 Collector / distributor 6. The liquid nitrogen emerging from the heat exchange passages of the condenser block 1 is brought together in an analogous manner into the exhaust line 5.

In contrast to the nitrogen passages 2, the oxygen passages 8 do not extend over the entire length of the capacitor block 1, but are divided into 5 circulation sections 7a to 7e. Each revolving section 7a-e is constructed mirror-symmetrically to the perpendicular center plane of the capacitor block 1. Each of these two symmetrical halves consists of heat exchange passages 8, which are followed by horizontally extending passages 9, 10 at the upper and lower ends of a circulation section 7, which passages serve to supply and discharge liquid and gas into the oxygen passages 8. The entry and exit passages 9, 10 of the two symmetrical halves of a circulation section 7 each end on the same side of the capacitor block 1.

The circulation sections 7a to 7e are all constructed identically. The condenser block 1 thus has two sides, each closed by an end plate 11 and two opposite sides 12, in which there is an inlet opening 9 for liquid oxygen and an outlet opening 10 for partially evaporated oxygen for each circulation section 7a-e.

With the two sides 12 of the capacitor block 1 provided with inlet and outlet openings 9, 10, half-cylinder shells 13 are connected, which cover the entire side surfaces 12. The half-cylinder shells 13 end with the vertical edges of the rectangular capacitor block 1. The two spaces 14 located on opposite sides of the capacitor block 1 and delimited by the side walls 12 and the half-cylinder shells 13 are not connected to one another over the course of the height of the capacitor block 1. The only connection between the two spaces 14 is above the capacitor block 1, since the half-cylinder shells 13 are higher than the capacitor block 1 and are connected to one another in the area above the capacitor block 1. The bath condenser thus consists of a condenser block 1, to which two half-cylinder shells 13 are connected on both sides 12 and a head part 21a spanning the condenser block 1 and the two half-cylinder shells 13. The rooms 14 delimited by the half-cylinder shells 13 are divided by sheets 16 into a plurality of floors 15 a to 15 e. The sheets 16 extend from the boundary between two circulation sections 7 to the half-cylinder shell 13 arranged on this side of the condenser block 1. In the sheets 16 there are outlet openings 17 through which liquid oxygen flows from one floor, for example 15b, to the floor below , eg 15c, can flow off. Furthermore, 16 gas shafts 18 are connected to the sheets, which extend from a sheet 16 to just below the sheet 16 lying above it.

The gas shafts 18 are arranged in a line and thus practically form a common gas collecting line, but a gap 19 remains between the upper end of each gas shaft 18 and the sheet 16 lying above it, which allows gas to enter the respective gas level 15 from the respective level 15 , The sheets 16 at least partially rise upwards, so that the annular gap 19 lies above the outlet openings 10 of the respective tier 15.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the sheets 16 are folded twice at right angles, so that a floor 15 is formed between two sheets 16, which consists of two interconnected rooms 20, 21. The space 20c is located at the level of the associated circulation section 7c and serves as a liquid storage container. The second space 21c, on the other hand, is almost at the same height as the next higher circulation section 7b and forms a type of additional pocket offset to the side and upward from the liquid storage container 20c.

During operation of the bath condenser, liquid oxygen is introduced into the top two floors 15a via line 22. The oxygen initially collects in the storage container 20a, enters the oxygen passages 8 via the inlet passages 9, is partially evaporated in the indirect heat exchange with nitrogen and leaves the condenser block 1 as a liquid-gas mixture via the outlet passages 10 in order to return to the storage container 20a to collect. When the liquid level in the storage container rises to the level of the outlet channels 10, liquid oxygen can flow through the connecting gap into the second space 21a, which serves as a separation space. The separating space 21a has drain openings 17 in its base through which excess liquid oxygen can flow from the level 15a to the level 15b below. The drain openings 17 of two adjacent floors 15 are arranged offset to one another, so that, for example, oxygen dripping from floor 15b does not flow directly into floor 15 d, but initially remains in floor 15c.

The drain openings 17 are preferably arranged at least as high as the outlet openings 10 of the associated floor 15. It has namely proven to be advantageous to immerse the individual circulation sections 7 of the bath condenser at least as far in the liquid bath that the liquid level in the reservoir 20 is at least slightly below the lower edge of the outlet openings 10. This eliminates total evaporation in the evaporation passages 8 and prevents the passages 8 from being moved by high-boiling components.

The oxygen flowing into the floor 15b collects again in the storage container 20b, is knocked over in the circulation section 7b and partially evaporated. Excess liquid in the storage container 20b then runs through the drain opening 17 to the floor 15c. The oxygen gas generated in the evaporation in the circulation section 7 flows out with the liquid oxygen from the outlet openings 10 and is discharged via the gas shaft 18. These processes are repeated on each floor 15.

Due to the laterally and upwardly offset arrangement of the separating space 21 and the annular-shaped gas inlet 19 in the gas shaft 18, the oxygen gas is deflected several times before it is discharged from a floor 15. With these deflections, the flow rate of the gaseous oxygen is reduced so much that it carries no or hardly any liquid oxygen with it. A very good liquid-gas separation is thus achieved in the separating space 21. The oxygen gas rising through the gas shafts 18 is discharged at the upper end of the bath condenser via an oxygen extraction line which cannot be seen in the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the bath condenser according to the invention, in which the oxygen passages 8 only on one side of the condenser block 1 and have outlet openings 9, 10. The nitrogen passages, not shown, correspond to passages 2 in FIG. 2 and also extend over the entire height of the condenser block. The nitrogen gas to be condensed, which serves as heat transfer medium, is distributed into the nitrogen passages via a collector / distributor 6 and, at the lower end of the condenser block 1, is combined and drawn off as a liquid in a collector 5.

On the oxygen side, the condenser block 1 is divided into five circulation sections 7a-e, each of which has an inlet and an outlet area 9, 10 with horizontally running fins and the actual heat exchange area 8 with vertical channels. All inlet openings 9 and outlet openings 10 lie on the same side of the condenser block 1.

Liquid storage containers 20 and separation spaces 21 are also provided on the open side 12 of the condenser block 1. The

Liquid drain between the floors 15 takes place via overflow pipes 30. The upper edge of the overflow pipes 30 lies at a level with the upper edge of the associated circulation section 7. This has the consequence that the oxygen passages 8 and the corresponding entry and exit passages 9, 10 are always completely in Liquid bath. The evaporation passages 8 are always filled with liquid, which makes it impossible to move the passages 8 through high-boiling components. Investigations have shown that a liquid level just below the outlet openings 9 reliably prevents such a passage of the passages 8.

FIGS. 4 to 7 show a multi-storey bath condenser which is used as the main condenser of a rectification column in an air separation plant. In the bath condenser, gaseous nitrogen from the top of the pressure column and liquid oxygen from the bottom of the low pressure column are brought into indirect heat exchange, the nitrogen being condensed and the oxygen being evaporated.

The bath condenser has a cuboid condenser block 1 which is surrounded by a round container 50. Gaseous nitrogen is fed in at the top of the bath condenser via a feed line 4. A collector / distributor 6 is distributed the nitrogen gas evenly onto the liquefaction passages 2, which extend over the entire height of the condenser block 1. At the lower end of the condenser block 1, the condensed nitrogen is drawn off via line 5.

The liquid oxygen to be evaporated is fed to the bath condenser via line 22. The oxygen passages 8 are divided into several circulation sections 7, in each of which partial evaporation of the oxygen takes place. Excess liquid oxygen is passed via overflow pipes 30 into the next lower circulation section, and the oxygen gas formed is drawn off by means of a gas collecting pipe 18. The structure and mode of operation of the capacitor block 1 correspond exactly to the capacitor block explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Instead of the half-cylinder shells 13, a container 50 is provided around the capacitor block 1 in this embodiment. The container 50 is divided into levels 15 at the interface between two circulation sections 7 by flat metal sheets 51. The middle floors 15b-e each form an annular space around the associated circulation section 7b-e. Only the top floor 15a and the bottom floor 15f can have a somewhat greater height than the respective circulation section 7a, 7f.

In contrast to the bath capacitors of Figures 1 to 3, the

Liquid discharge lines 30 and the gas discharge lines 18 are not arranged on one of the condenser block sides 12, in which the inlet and outlet openings 9, 10 of the evaporation passages 8 are located, but in the annular space 15 opposite the closed block sides 11. The gas collection tubes 18 of the individual floors 15 are in arranged on a line so that the oxygen produced in each floor 15 can be discharged via a common line 18. The gas manifold 18 is admitted via an annular gap opening 19.

The gaseous oxygen can flow downward in the gas manifold 18 and is then removed from the bath condenser via line 52 below. Excess liquid, which is not evaporated in the circulation sections 7, can flow out of the lowest level 15f together with the oxygen gas via the gas manifold 52. However, the gaseous oxygen can also flow upward within the gas manifold 18. This is particularly advantageous if the cylindrical container 50 and the rectification column, which absorbs the vaporized oxygen, form a structural unit. Excess liquid that has not been evaporated in the bath condenser is then preferably withdrawn in quantity as a liquid product from the bottom floor 15f in such a way that the desired liquid level in the bottom floor 15f is kept constant.

The overflow pipes 30 for transferring liquid from one level 15 to the level 15 below are located next to the gas manifold 18, which is arranged in the middle in front of the condenser block side 11. The overflow pipes 30 are offset from one another from floor to floor, i.e. once to the right and once to the left of the gas discharge line 18. Liquid oxygen cannot therefore flow directly from an overflow pipe 30 into the next overflow pipe 30.

FIGS. 8 to 11 show different views of a further embodiment of the bath condenser according to the invention. The evaporation passages are in turn divided into a plurality of circulation sections 7 and on the condenser block 1 at the level of the circulation sections 7a-e each liquid storage container 20 is attached. The separating container 21 is connected to the storage container 20 laterally and upwards. On the liquid side, two adjacent circulation sections 7 are connected by overflow pipes 30. The structure of the bath condenser essentially corresponds to the bath condenser according to FIG. 3, but the inlet and outlet openings 9, 10 of the evaporation passages 8 are located on two opposite sides of the condenser block 1 and not all on the same side of the block 1.

As can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 11, the condenser block 1 forms a hexagon, preferably an essentially equilateral hexagon, with the liquid storage containers 20 and the separating spaces 21 in plan view. The

Condenser block 1 has a rectangular cross section, the side 60, which is parallel to the sheets that separate the evaporation passages 8 from the liquefaction passages, is significantly shorter than the side 61 oriented perpendicular to the sheets. The longer side 61 thus corresponds to the stack height of the sheets. To achieve the required stack height, it can be quite advantageous be designed as a combination of several individual blocks.

A liquid storage container 20 is connected to the condenser block 1 at the level of each circulation section 7. Only the lowest circulation section 7f does not require a storage container, since it is located in the sump bath of the associated separation column or a separate container 50. The liquid storage container 20 is preferably designed as a small cuboid pocket which is attached laterally to the associated circulation section 7 and covers at least the inlet openings 9 of the circulation section 7. Due to the small size of the storage container 20, its weight is kept small when filled, so that no high requirements have to be placed on the stability of the storage container 20. In addition, more space remains available for the separating space 21 in this way.

The separation space 21 is laterally offset from the reservoir 20 and upwards. The cross section of the separating space 21 appears approximately in the top view as an isosceles triangle. The two legs have the length of the above-mentioned equilateral hexagon. An advantage of this embodiment is the good utilization of the circular cross section of the container 50, in which the capacitor block 1 is located, with little construction effort.

The spaces 18 between the hexagonal body formed by the block 1 and the separating spaces 21 and the cylindrical container 50 serve as gas discharge lines 18. The inlet into the gas discharge lines 18 is, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 8, above the outlet openings 10 of the respective one Circulation section 7.

In a further embodiment of the invention, which is explained below with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14, four identical blocks 70 form with the associated ones

Liquid storage containers 20 and the associated separating spaces 21 an octagon almost equilateral in outline. The stack height 61 of the individual blocks 70 is again higher than their width 60. Two blocks are located opposite each other at a distance from the sheet width 60, so that the blocks 70 form a cross in plan view, in the middle of which a square with the side length of the sheet width 60 remains free. Four liquid storage containers 71 with an L-shaped cross section on the outside of the cross each supply the four circulating sections 7 located at the same height with the liquid to be evaporated, each storage container 71 being connected to two blocks 70. The lowest circulation sections 7f, on the other hand, are fed with liquid from the bottom of the column or the container in which the bath condenser is located.

The associated separating space 72 has approximately the shape of a triangle in cross section, the legs of which are from the outside of the L-shaped one

Liquid reservoir 71 are formed and the base of which is formed by one side of the octagon. The advantage of this arrangement is the good utilization of the circular cross section with little construction effort.

The liquid is passed from a circulation section 7 to the circulation section 7 arranged underneath again via an overflow pipe 30. The space between the octagonal body and the cylindrical wall of the container 50, in which the bath condenser is located, serves as a gas discharge line 18.

Claims

claims

1. Bath condenser with a condenser block, which has evaporation passages for a liquid and liquefaction passages for a heating medium and has at least two circulation sections arranged vertically one above the other, the evaporation passages in each case at the lower end of a

Circulation section have at least one inlet opening for the liquid and at least one outlet opening at the upper end of a circulation section, a liquid storage container being provided for each circulation section, which is in flow connection with the inlet opening and the outlet opening of the circulation section and has a gas discharge line, characterized in that the inlet into the gas discharge line (18) is not in a semi-open volume next to the condenser block (1), which passes through the side (12) of the circulation section (7) in which the outlet opening (10) of the circulation section (7) is arranged, and is aligned perpendicular to the side (12), each containing a side edge half-planes.

2. Bath condenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the inlet into the gas discharge line (18) is above the half-open volume.

3. Bath condenser according to claim 2, characterized in that the inlet into the gas discharge line (18) is at the level of the circulation section (7) arranged above it.

4. Bath condenser according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the inlet into the gas discharge line (18) is in a semi-open volume next to the condenser block (1), which through one of the side (12) of the circulation section, in which the Outlet opening of the circulation section is arranged, adjacent side (11) of the capacitor block (1) and two perpendicular to the adjacent side (11) aligned, each containing a vertical edge of the adjacent side (11) is limited.

5. Bath condenser according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the inlet into the gas discharge line (18) is in a semi-open volume next to the condenser block (1), which by the side (12) of the Circulating section (7), in which the outlet opening (10) of the circulating section (7) is arranged, the opposite side of the capacitor block (1) and two perpendicular to the opposite side, each containing a vertical edge of the opposite side is limited.

6. Bath condenser according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at most two sides (12) of the condenser block (1) are provided with inlet (9) and / or outlet openings (10).

7. Bath condenser according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that all inlet (9) and outlet openings (10) are on the same side (12) of the condenser block (1).

8. Bath condenser according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that on the side (12) of the condenser block (1), in which there are inlet (9) and / or outlet openings (10), a collector (13) with a liquid feed line (22) and a gas discharge line (18) is attached, which covers the sides of several circulation sections (7), preferably the entire side (12) of the condenser block (1).

9. Bath condenser according to claim 8, characterized in that the collector (13) along the boundary of two circulation sections (7) is each divided into floors (15), two adjacent floors (15) via a liquid (17, 30) and a gas line (18) is connected to one another on the flow side.

10. Bath condenser according to claim 9, characterized in that two adjacent floors (15) are connected to one another via an overflow pipe (30) for liquid transport.

11. Bath condenser according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the capacitor block has a rectangular cross section and is arranged in a round container.

12. Bath condenser according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that in the top view of the condenser block (1), the liquid storage container

(20) and with the liquid reservoirs (20) connected separation rooms

(21) form a hexagon.

13. Bath condenser according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that in the top view of the condenser block (1), the liquid storage container

(20) and with the liquid reservoirs (20) connected separation rooms

(21) form an octagon.

14. Use of a bath condenser according to one of claims 1 to 13 as the main condenser of a cryogenic air separation plant.