Classifications

• • 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
  • F25J3/04636—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 a hybrid air separation unit, e.g. combined process by cryogenic separation and non-cryogenic separation techniques
• • 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
  • F25J3/04406—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 a dual pressure main column system
  • F25J3/04412—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 a dual pressure main column system in a classical double column flowsheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column
• • 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
  • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
  • F25B30/00—Heat pumps
  • F25B30/06—Heat pumps characterised by the source of low potential heat
• • 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
  • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
  • F25B21/00—Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects
• • 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
  • F25J3/04151—Purification and (pre-)cooling of the feed air; recuperative heat-exchange with product streams
  • F25J3/04187—Cooling of the purified feed air by recuperative heat-exchange; Heat-exchange with product streams
  • F25J3/04193—Division of the main heat exchange line in consecutive sections having different functions
• • 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
  • F25J3/04248—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion
  • F25J3/04278—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using external refrigeration units, e.g. closed mechanical or regenerative refrigeration units
• • 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
  • F25J3/04248—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion
  • F25J3/04284—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams
  • F25J3/0429—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams of feed air, e.g. used as waste or product air or expanded into an auxiliary column
  • F25J3/04303—Lachmann expansion, i.e. expanded into oxygen producing or low pressure column
• • 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
  • F25J3/044—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 a single pressure main column system only
• • 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
  • F25J3/04642—Recovering noble gases from air
  • F25J3/04648—Recovering noble gases from air argon
  • F25J3/04654—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column
  • F25J3/0466—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column as a parallel working rectification column or auxiliary column system in a single pressure main column system
• • 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
  • F25J3/04872—Vertical layout of cold equipments within in the cold box, e.g. columns, heat exchangers etc.
  • F25J3/04884—Arrangement of reboiler-condensers
• • 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
  • F25J2200/00—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification
  • F25J2200/40—Features relating to the provision of boil-up in the bottom of a column
• • 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
  • F25J2200/00—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification
  • F25J2200/50—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification using multiple (re-)boiler-condensers at different heights of the column
• • 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
  • F25J2200/00—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification
  • F25J2200/74—Refluxing the column with at least a part of the partially condensed overhead gas
• • 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
  • F25J2210/00—Processes characterised by the type or other details of the feed stream
  • F25J2210/06—Splitting of the feed stream, e.g. for treating or cooling in different ways
• • 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
  • F25J2250/00—Details related to the use of reboiler-condensers
  • F25J2250/20—Boiler-condenser with multiple exchanger cores in parallel or with multiple re-boiling or condensing streams
• • 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
  • F25J2270/00—Refrigeration techniques used
  • F25J2270/90—External refrigeration, e.g. conventional closed-loop mechanical refrigeration unit using Freon or NH3, unspecified external refrigeration
  • F25J2270/908—External refrigeration, e.g. conventional closed-loop mechanical refrigeration unit using Freon or NH3, unspecified external refrigeration by regenerative chillers, i.e. oscillating or dynamic systems, e.g. Stirling refrigerator, thermoelectric ("Peltier") or magnetic refrigeration
• • 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
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B30/00—Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for separation by separation at subambient temperature, or even cryogenic.
• the separation may be separation by distillation and / or dephlegmation and / or absorption.
• the equipment used for this separation will be called "column".
• a column may for example be a distillation or absorption column. Reduced to its simplest expression, it can be a phase separator. Otherwise a column can also be a device where a dephlegmation takes place.
• Magnetic refrigeration is based on the use of magnetic materials having a magnetocaloric effect. Reversible, this effect results in a variation of their temperature when they are subjected to the application of an external magnetic field.
• the optimal ranges of use of these materials are in the vicinity of their Curie temperature (Te).
• Te Curie temperature
• the magnetocaloric effect is said to be direct when the temperature of the material increases when it is put in a magnetic field, indirect when it cools when it is put in a magnetic field.
• the rest of the description will be made for the direct case, but the transposition to the indirect case is obvious to those skilled in the art. There are several thermodynamic cycles based on this principle.
• a typical magnetic refrigeration cycle consists of i) magnetizing the material to increase its temperature, ii) cooling the constant magnetic field material to reject heat, iii) demagnetizing the material to cool it, and iv) heating the material. constant magnetic field material (usually zero) to capture heat.
• a magnetic refrigeration device uses elements of magnetocaloric material, which generate heat when they are magnetized and absorb heat when demagnetized. It can implement a regenerator magnetocaloric material to amplify the temperature difference between the "hot source” and the “cold source”: it is called active regenerative magnetic refrigeration.
• US-A-6502404 describes the use of the magnetocaloric effect to provide cold (necessary to ensure the cooling of the process) to a cryogenic process for separating gas from air, the separation energy being conventionally provided by the pressurized air which makes it possible to operate the vaporizer-condenser of the double column (the low pressure column can be reduced to a simple vaporizer in the case of a nitrogen generator).
• the present invention addresses the problem of heat transfer from one place of a separation apparatus by distillation and / or dephlegmation and / or subambient absorption considered as a cold source to another location of said apparatus considered a hot spring.
• a heat pump is a thermodynamic device for transferring a quantity of heat from a medium considered as “transmitter” said “cold source” from which the heat is extracted to a medium considered as “receiver” said "hot source Where the heat is supplied, the cold source being at a colder temperature than the hot source.
• the conventional cycle used in the state of the art for this type of application is a thermodynamic cycle of compression - cooling (condensation) - relaxation - heating (vaporization) of a refrigerant.
• Figure 12 of the document "ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES - Magnetic Refrigeration 2005” shows a gain of a factor 2 on the coefficient of performance of a refrigeration system using a magnetic cycle compared to the conventional cycle.
• An ambient temperature is the temperature of the ambient air in which the process is located, or a temperature of a cooling water circuit related to the air temperature.
• a subambient temperature is at least 10 ° C below room temperature.
• US-A-4987744 discloses a cryogenic distillation process in which a heat pump transfers heat from a point in a column, at a cryogenic temperature to another point in the column, also at a temperature cryogenic.
• the heat pump comprises two closed circuits of refrigerant fluid, thermally connected to each other, each circuit comprising a compression step and a cooling step using a fluid at ambient temperature (air, water).
• a subambient or even cryogenic temperature separation process in which a subambient or even cryogenic fluid mixture is sent to a separation column system comprising at least one separation column. , a fluid enriched in a lighter component of the mixture exits the head of a column of the system and a fluid enriched in a heavier component is withdrawn from the tank of a column of the system, wherein the cold source of a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect is thermally connected, directly or indirectly, to a first zone of a column of the system and the heat source of the same heat pump is thermally connected, directly or indirectly, to a second zone of the same or another column of the system, the minimum temperature of the first zone being lower than the maximum temperature of the second zone.
• a gas of the first zone condenses at least partially and is optionally returned to the first zone
• a liquid of the second zone is vaporized at least partially and is optionally returned to the second zone; at least one fluid from the first or second zone in direct contact with a magnetocaloric material of a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect;
• the heat exchange is at least partly carried out between a fluid from the first or second zone and a heat transfer fluid having been in contact with a magnetocaloric material of a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect through an exchanger;
• the heat exchange is at least partly carried out between a fluid from the first or second zone and a heat transfer fluid having been in contact with a magnetocaloric material of a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect through an intermediate heat transfer circuit;
• the coolant is a liquid
• the coolant does not change phase during the process the heat transfer fluid remains at a constant pressure during the process - the coolant is not compressed by a compressor
• the heat pump does not transfer heat to the outside of the separation device
• the heat pump transfers heat only from the hot source to the cold source
• the heat pump operates entirely at cryogenic temperatures the heat pump is arranged in the same cold box as the column system
• the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect condenses in the first zone a gas enriched in nitrogen and vaporizes in the second zone an oxygen-enriched liquid;
• a plurality of heat pumps is implemented, heat being supplied to a plurality of heat pumps from a first zone and / or heat from a plurality of heat pumps being sent to a second zone;
• the mixture has as main components carbon monoxide and / or carbon dioxide and / or hydrogen and / or methane and / or nitrogen;
• argon is removed from the liquid withdrawn in the bottom of the column by separating an intermediate gas from the argon-enriched column in a distillation column to produce a richer flow of argon;
• a separating apparatus at subambient or even cryogenic temperature comprising a system of separation columns comprising at least one separation column in which a mixture of subambient or even cryogenic fluid is sent, a conduit for withdrawing a fluid enriched in a lighter component of the mixture of the head of a column of the system, and a conduit for withdrawing a fluid enriched in a heavier component of the tank of a column of the system, in wherein the cold source of a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect is thermally connected, directly or indirectly, to a first zone of a column of the system and the heat source of the same heat pump being thermally connected directly or indirectly , at a second zone of the same or another column of the system, the arrangement of the first and second zones in the column or the
• the apparatus comprises:
• the heat exchange is at least partly carried out between a fluid from the first or second zone and a heat transfer fluid having been in contact with a magnetocaloric material of a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect through an exchanger;
• the heat exchange is at least partly carried out between a fluid from the first or second zone and a heat transfer fluid having been in contact with a magnetocaloric material of a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect through an intermediate heat transport circuit ;
• the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect is capable of condensing a gas enriched in nitrogen in the first zone and vaporizes in the second zone an oxygen-enriched liquid;
• a plurality of heat pumps means for supplying heat to a plurality of heat pumps from a first zone and / or means for sending heat from a plurality of heat pumps to a second zone;
• a distillation column for removing argon from the liquid withdrawn in the bottom of the column, separating an intermediate gas from the column enriched with argon to produce a richer flow of argon;
• a mixture containing at least components A, B cooled to a subambient temperature, or even a cryogenic temperature separates in a column 3 to form a fluid, possibly gaseous, rich in volatile components A and a fluid, possibly a liquid, rich in less volatile components B.
• first zone 1 is thermally connected, directly or indirectly to the heat pump source MC using the magnetocaloric effect
• second zone 2 is thermally connected, directly or indirectly, to the heat source of the same heat pump MC using the magnetocaloric effect.
• a mixture containing at least components A, B cooled to a subambient or even cryogenic temperature separates in a column 3 to form a fluid, possibly gaseous, rich in volatile components A and a fluid, possibly a liquid, rich in a less volatile component B.
• a mixture containing at least one C, D cooled to a subambient temperature or even cryogenic separates in a column 5 to form a fluid, possibly gaseous, rich in volatile components C and a fluid, possibly liquid, rich in less volatile components D.
• first zone 1 between the second and first gas-liquid contactor sections of column 3 to a second zone 2 between the second and third sections of gas contactors -liquides of column 5
• this can be done using a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC.
• the first zone 1 is connected thermally, directly or indirectly to the heat pump's heat pump source using the magnetocaloric effect MC
• the second zone 2 is connected thermally, directly or indirectly, to the hot source of the same heat pump MC using the magnetocaloric effect.
• a compressor 7 compresses a flow A, B (for example air considered as a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen mainly).
• the compressed flow rate is cooled in a cooler 9 and purified in a purification unit 1 1 to remove impurities (if present).
• the purified flow rate is cooled in a heat exchanger 13 to a cryogenic temperature and is divided into two flow rates 23, 25.
• a flow 23 is sent to column 3 in gaseous form and the remainder 25 is cooled or at least partially liquefied. in an exchanger 27.
• the cooled or at least partially liquefied flow is sent to column 3.
• Column 3 has a head condenser 15 and a bottom reboiler 17.
• the condenser 15 is considered as the first zone 1 and the reboiler 17 as the second zone 2, the heat being transferred from the first zone 1 to the second zone 2 by means of a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC1.
• the cooling or liquefaction at least in part of the flow 25, which partially compensates for the electrical or mechanical energy introduced by the heat pump operation using the magnetocaloric effect MC1 can be achieved directly or indirectly by means of a pump.
• heat using the magnetocaloric effect MC4 using a cooling fluid 51, typically ambient air or cooling water or any other refrigeration system, for example with a thermodynamic compression / expansion cycle.
• FIGs 4 and 5 heat is transferred from the head of the medium pressure column of a double air separation column to the vessel of the low pressure column thereof.
• a compressor 7 compresses a flow A, B (for example, air as a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen mainly).
• the compressed flow rate is cooled in a cooler 9 and purified in a purification unit 1 1 to remove impurities (if present).
• the purified flow is divided in two.
• a portion 23 cooled in a heat exchanger 13 at a cryogenic temperature is sent to the bottom of the medium pressure column 3.
• the remainder 123 is supercharged in a booster 41, partially cooled in the heat exchanger 13, and then expanded in a turbine insufflation 43, resulting the blower 41.
• the expanded air is sent to the low pressure column 5, thermally connected directly or indirectly to the medium pressure column 3 through a heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC.
• Other means of producing cold, other than the blowing turbine can be envisaged.
• a B-enriched liquid flow (oxygen) and an A-enriched liquid flow (nitrogen) are withdrawn from the medium-pressure column 3 and sent to the low-pressure column 5.
• column 3 has no overhead condenser in the column and column 5 has no bottom reboiler in the column.
• Nitrogen gas 47 is withdrawn from column 3 and divided into two. A portion 49 is heated in the exchanger 13. The remainder 51 is sent to the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC where it condenses (possibly partially) and the condensed nitrogen is returned to the top of the column 3. From the liquid oxygen of the column 5 tank is also sent to the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC where it vaporizes (possibly partially) before being returned to the column 5.
• the heat pump using the The magnetocaloric effect MC replaces both the head condenser and the bottom reboiler, allowing in particular to reduce the total height of the column system 3.5.
• Gaseous oxygen 53 is withdrawn from column 5 as product, warms up in exchanger 13 and is compressed in compressor 55. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that liquid oxygen can be drawn off of the column either as a liquid product, or to be pumped, and then vaporized in the exchange line 13 against overpressed air.
• Nitrogen 57 is withdrawn from the head of the low pressure column 5, heated in the subcooler 45 and in the exchanger 13 before serving at least partly to the regeneration of the unit 1 1.
• Figure 5 shows a more conventional variant where the column 3 has a top condenser 15 and the column 5 a bottom reboiler 17.
• the heat transfer between the two is done indirectly by means of a heat pump using the effect magnetocaloric MC, a coolant, for example a liquid, from the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC feeding the condenser, a heat transfer fluid, for example a liquid, from the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC supplying the vaporizer, the two heat transfer fluids can be the same.
• Figure 6 shows an apparatus similar to that of Figure 3 except that it comprises an argon producing column 103 fed from column 3.
• This argon column 103 can actually produce an argon-enriched fluid or otherwise, pour the argon-enriched fluid into a residual flow.
• the condenser of the argon column 103 is fed with a liquid from the column 3, withdrawn on "equivalent distillation trays" around the introduction of liquid air, above the introduction of air 23. Said liquid is vaporized (at least partially) in the condenser of the argon column 103 to ensure refrigeration of the argon column 103, and then reintroduced in the column 3 under the air supply 23.
• the column of Argon 103 is connected to column 3 under the reintroduction of said vaporized liquid.
• the oxygen 29 withdrawn from the bottom of the column 3 can have a purity of more than 97 mol%.
• Figure 7 shows an apparatus similar to that of Figure 6 where heat pumps using the magnetocaloric effect MC2, MC3 replace the argon producing column 103 and the overhead condenser thereof. Part of the heat exchanged at the condenser 15 of the column 3 is transferred directly or indirectly to the heat pump's heat source using the magnetocaloric effect MC3.
• the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC3 has as a hot source a liquid withdrawn between the liquid air inlet and the gaseous air inlet 23, which is at least partially vaporized and re-introduced in the column 3 under 23.
• the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC2 has a source cold gas withdrawn below the level of said re-introduction, which is at least partially condensed and re-introduced at the level of said re-introduction.
• Part of the heat exchanged at the vaporizer 17 of the column 3 comes directly or indirectly from the heat source of the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC2.
• the complement of the heat exchanged at the condenser 15 of the column 3 is transferred directly or indirectly to the cold source of the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC1.
• the complement of the heat exchanged at the vaporizer 17 of the column 3 comes directly or indirectly from the heat source of the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC1.
• Heat pumps using the magnetocaloric effect MC1, MC2 and / or MC3 can be wholly or partly combined in one device.
• the method of FIG. 7 has an identical energetic performance in FIG. 6, in the case where the fluid enriched in argon is rejected in a residual flow. It allows an energy saving of about 7% compared to FIG. 3.
• the oxygen 29 withdrawn from the bottom of the column 3 can have a purity of more than 97 mol%.
• Figure 8 shows an apparatus similar to that of Figure 3 but including an intermediate reboiler.
• heat is transferred indirectly from the condenser 15 to both reboilers 17, 71, through two heat pumps using the magnetocaloric effect MC1, MC2.
• Part of the heat exchanged at the condenser 15 of column 3 is transferred directly or indirectly to the heat pump's heat pump source using magnetocaloric effect MC2.
• the heat exchanged at the intermediate reboiler 71 situated under the gaseous air inlet 23 comes directly or indirectly from the heat source of the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC2.
• the complement of the heat exchanged at the condenser 15 of the column 3 is transferred directly or indirectly to the cold source of the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC1.
• the heat exchanged at the vaporizer 17 of the column 3 comes directly or indirectly from the heat pump using the magnetocaloric effect MC1.
• the oxygen 29 withdrawn from the bottom of the column 3 can have a purity of less than 96.5 mol%.
• Heat pumps using the effect magnetocaloric MC1 and MC2 can be wholly or partly combined in one device.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)

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• 2014
  • 2014-09-10 EP EP14784274.4A patent/EP3044522A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-09-10 CN CN201480061009.1A patent/CN105705884B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2014-09-10 EP EP14784278.5A patent/EP3071910A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-09-10 US US15/021,031 patent/US20160216013A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2014-09-10 CN CN201480061010.4A patent/CN105705893A/zh active Pending
  • 2014-09-10 US US15/021,035 patent/US20160223253A1/en not_active Abandoned

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