US20120174624A1 - 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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Publication number
US20120174624A1
US20120174624A1 US13/393,858 US201013393858A US2012174624A1 US 20120174624 A1 US20120174624 A1 US 20120174624A1 US 201013393858 A US201013393858 A US 201013393858A US 2012174624 A1 US2012174624 A1 US 2012174624A1
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Prior art keywords
oxygen
operating phase
air separation
air
units
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Abandoned
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US13/393,858
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Inventor
Alain Guillard
Nicolas Allard
Pierre-Etienne Franc
Hadi Moussavi
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LAir Liquide SA pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
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Individual
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Assigned to L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE reassignment L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: GUILLARD, ALAIN, FRANC, PIERRE-ETIENNE, ALLARD, NICOLAS, MOUSSAVI, HADI
Publication of US20120174624A1 publication Critical patent/US20120174624A1/en
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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

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a process for operating at 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.
  • 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 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 penalizing the feeding into the grid of the power produced by the consumer at the times when the energy cost is highest.
  • 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 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 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).
  • 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 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.
  • venting the oxygen to atmosphere after it has been separated represents an amount of lost energy of around 0.2 to 0.35 KWh/Nm 3 , depending on the process schemes used.
  • 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 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:
  • each plant generally comprises at least two air separation units.
  • Each separation unit comprises a water/carbon dioxide 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 the case of two separation units, there are at least two air compressors. These compressors are optionally combined with air boosters.
  • 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 sesd with these air separation units.
  • the air compressors and air boosters may be networked so as to supply in common all of the air separation units.
  • the consumer consumes a substantially constant amount of oxygen.
  • This constant amount is delivered permanently by the air separation unit or units.
  • the electricity cost is above a first price threshold and the oxygen consumption by the consumer is above a first consumption threshold.
  • some of the oxygen is still 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 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 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 system, a storage tank of the cold box or an external source.
  • the combustion unit is shut 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 system, a storage tank of the cold box or an external source.
  • 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 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.
  • FIGURE shows a plant capable of operating according to the process of the invention.
  • the plant comprises a combination 1 of four air 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.
  • 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.
  • Each air separation unit comprises a purifier 5 A, 5 B, 5 C, 5 D and a cold box 7 A, 7 B, 7 C, 7 D, the units being substantially identical.
  • the air separation units may receive air from four air compressors 3 A, 3 B, 3 C, 3 D connected via a common line 9 so that they can supply all the air separation units.
  • the oxygen-rich gas consumer 3 receives this gas from at most three of the air separation units.
  • the electricity cost exceeds a first price threshold and is expensive. It is therefore desirable to reduce as far as possible the electricity consumption during this operating phase.
  • at most three of the air separation units, or even at most two of the air separation units are made 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.
  • 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 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 for low-pressure boiling.
  • liquid oxygen 13 is sent from 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 .
  • no stream of liquid oxygen is sent from the air separation units to the storage system.
  • a flow of liquid oxygen not exceeding 1%, preferably 2% or even 5% of the air may be sent from the air separation units to the storage system.
  • the consumer 3 is 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.
  • the electricity cost is below a second price threshold, the second price threshold being lower than the first price threshold, and the electricity is therefore comparatively inexpensive.
  • the production of 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.
  • the air separation units produce 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 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.
  • 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 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, at least partly, to a column of the separation unit, to a separator pot or to a heat exchanger of the separation unit.

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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)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
  • Oxygen, Ozone, And Oxides In General (AREA)
US13/393,858 2009-09-09 2010-08-24 Method for operating at least one air separation apparatus and oxygen consumption unit Abandoned US20120174624A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0956167A FR2949845B1 (fr) 2009-09-09 2009-09-09 Procede d'operation d'au moins un appareil de separation d'air et d'une unite de combustion de combustibles carbones
FR0956167 2009-09-09
PCT/FR2010/051765 WO2011030035A2 (fr) 2009-09-09 2010-08-24 Procédé d'opération d'au moins un appareil de séparation d'air et d'une unité de consommation d'oxygène

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US20120174624A1 true US20120174624A1 (en) 2012-07-12

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US13/393,858 Abandoned US20120174624A1 (en) 2009-09-09 2010-08-24 Method for operating at least one air separation apparatus and oxygen consumption unit

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US (1) US20120174624A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP2475944A2 (fr)
JP (1) JP2013509557A (fr)
CN (1) CN102483301B (fr)
AU (1) AU2010294078B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2771201C (fr)
FR (1) FR2949845B1 (fr)
IN (1) IN2012DN01485A (fr)
WO (1) WO2011030035A2 (fr)
ZA (1) ZA201201567B (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2703717A1 (fr) * 2012-09-03 2014-03-05 Alstom Technology Ltd Procédé de fonctionnement d'un système de chaudière à combustion d'oxygène
US20150000335A1 (en) * 2011-12-21 2015-01-01 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L"Etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Method and apparatus for separating air by cryogenic distillation

Families Citing this family (1)

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JP2013509557A (ja) 2013-03-14
CA2771201C (fr) 2017-05-16
AU2010294078A1 (en) 2012-03-29
WO2011030035A2 (fr) 2011-03-17
FR2949845A1 (fr) 2011-03-11
CN102483301B (zh) 2015-11-25
CA2771201A1 (fr) 2011-03-17
WO2011030035A3 (fr) 2013-12-19
FR2949845B1 (fr) 2011-12-02
AU2010294078B2 (en) 2014-09-18
CN102483301A (zh) 2012-05-30
EP2475944A2 (fr) 2012-07-18
ZA201201567B (en) 2014-03-26

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