US2737784A - Apparatus for obtaining liquid oxygen - Google Patents

Apparatus for obtaining liquid oxygen Download PDF

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Publication number
US2737784A
US2737784A US467816A US46781654A US2737784A US 2737784 A US2737784 A US 2737784A US 467816 A US467816 A US 467816A US 46781654 A US46781654 A US 46781654A US 2737784 A US2737784 A US 2737784A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
heat
regenerators
air
exchanger
separating column
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US467816A
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English (en)
Inventor
Becker Rudolf
Hartmann Wilhelm
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Linde GmbH
Original Assignee
Gesellschaft fuer Lindes Eismaschinen AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Gesellschaft fuer Lindes Eismaschinen AG filed Critical Gesellschaft fuer Lindes Eismaschinen AG
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Publication of US2737784A publication Critical patent/US2737784A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • F25J5/00—Arrangements of cold exchangers or cold accumulators in separation or liquefaction plants
    • 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
    • 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
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S62/00—Refrigeration
    • Y10S62/902—Apparatus
    • Y10S62/908—Filter or absorber

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for obtaining liquid oxygen.
  • the cold loss occurring with the removal of oxygen in liquid form according to the former state of the art is compensated in that the air to be decomposed is supplied at high pressure and the cold output obtained in the ex- Pflllsion of the air is used to proceed from the fact that the cold losses are particularly slight if the total quantity of gas to be treated is small.
  • turbo-compressors and turbines exhibit an improved degree of efficiency with increased output, in contrast to piston compressors, whose degree of efiiciency does not rise with increased size.
  • turbo-machines rotary compressors and, more particularly, expansion turbines
  • their degree of efficiency e. g. for expansion turbines, has risen from 70% to over This means that the energy differences will be even less than before, or will disappear completely.
  • a particular advantage is that the liquid oxygen obtained is absolutely oil-free, since the air to be decomposed does not come into contact in the turbo-compres sors and turbines with lubricated surfaces.
  • An apparatus and process for obtaining liquid oxygen from air are illustrated schematically by a flow diagram.
  • the whole of the air to be treated is compressed to a pressure of approximately 6 atmospheres absolute in a turbo-compressor 1, intensively cooled by one of two regenerators 3, 4 (3 in the case shown), partially warmed in a first heat-exchanger 5 in heat-exchange with warmer air, allowed to expand and produce work in a turbine 6 and supplied to a separating column 7.
  • a portion of the air intensively cooled in the regenerator 3 is branched off at 8, passed through a separator 9, and a second heat-exchanger 19, from which condensate can flow back to the separator 9, and partially reheated in a third and fourth heat-exchanger 10 and 11 within the regenerators 3 and 4, which are expediently filled with loose material.
  • the valve 2 serves as a by-pass valve for a part of the air, which can be conveyed parallel to the exchangers 10, 11 and 5 for regulating the air pre-warming before the turbine.
  • the liquid air separated in the exchanger 19 and conveyed back or collected in the separator 9 is removed, cleaned by a filter 15 for the purpose of separating out impurities such as carbon dioxide and ice and, after being allowed to expand in a valve 17, is combined at 13 with the other liquid air from the liquefier 12, which is allowed to expand by means of the valve 16.
  • Nitrogen which still contains approximately 10% of oxygen, is allowed to escape from the top of the column 7, brought into heat-exchange in the exchanger 18 with the liquid air which has been liquefied in the liquefier 12 and taken from the separator 9 and, after passing through the exchanger 19-where it liquefies further quantities of air-is conveyed out through the second of the two regenerators 3, 4 in the case shown and warmed in so doing.
  • Oxygen which is produced in the separating column 7 is removed in the liquid state at 20.
  • the regenerators 3, 4 are switched over at regular intervals, so that the air flows alternately through the regenerators 3 and 4 and the nitrogen alternately through the regenerators 4 and 3.
  • the removal of part of the air after the regenerators, in order to heat it again in the exchangers 10 and 11, is chiefly carried out for the purpose of heating the main quantity of air before the expansion turbine 6 in order to increase its efiiciency and to prevent liquefaction therein.
  • the branched-off part quantity of air, being removed after the regenerator has the same purity from carbon dioxide and water as the non re-warmed quantity of air.
  • tubular heat-exchangers 10 and 11 within the'regenerators can be dispensed with if the air used to heat the turbine air is branched off in a relatively warm region of the regenerators, and purified in a manner known per se by passage through one of two alternately operated adsorbers.
  • a valve 21 serves to regulate the quantity of air passing through the column.
  • An apparatus to obtain liquid oxygen by the rectification of compressed air liquefied at low temperatures comprising a turbo-compressor to compress air to a pressure of between 3 and 15 atmospheres excess pressure, two periodically changed-over regenerators connected at their upper end portions to the turbo-compressor, a separating column to decompose the cold air supply thereto mainly into oxygen and nitrogen, at first and second heatexchanger connected successively in series between the regenerators at the lower end portions thereof and the separating column at the upper end portion thereof, the combination of a third heat-exchanger and an expansion turbine connected successively in series between the regenerators also at the lower end portions thereof and the separating column at a location intermediate the ends thereof, a filter for liquid air connected at its upper end portion to the lower end portions of the regenerators and at its lower end portion to the upper end portion of the separating column through the second heat-exchanger, and a fourth and fifth heat-exchanger located within the regenerators and connected at the top ends thereof successively through the third heat-exchanger, the bottom
  • valve 21 is further provided connected between the conduit from the expansion turbine to the separating column and the conduit from the upper end portion of the separating column to the second heat-exchanger.

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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)
US467816A 1953-12-24 1954-11-09 Apparatus for obtaining liquid oxygen Expired - Lifetime US2737784A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE755814X 1953-12-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2737784A true US2737784A (en) 1956-03-13

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ID=6659704

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US467816A Expired - Lifetime US2737784A (en) 1953-12-24 1954-11-09 Apparatus for obtaining liquid oxygen

Country Status (5)

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US (1) US2737784A (xx)
BE (1) BE531609A (xx)
FR (1) FR1107360A (xx)
GB (1) GB755814A (xx)
NL (1) NL95870C (xx)

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3039274A (en) * 1958-03-28 1962-06-19 Union Carbide Corp Process and apparatus for purifying and separating compressed gas mixtures
US3091941A (en) * 1957-07-04 1963-06-04 Linde Eismasch Ag Process and apparatus for refrigeration by work-producing expansion
US3105360A (en) * 1957-12-11 1963-10-01 Linde Eismasch Ag Process and apparatus for the continuous purification of gases in reservoir heat exchangers
US3143406A (en) * 1957-07-04 1964-08-04 Linde Eismasch Ag System for conducting heat exchange operations in a gas separation apparatus incorporating periodically reversible regenerators
US3196621A (en) * 1959-11-17 1965-07-27 Linde Eismasch Ag Method of separating air by low temperature rectification
US3266259A (en) * 1962-01-26 1966-08-16 Linde Ag Process for producing oxygen by fractionation of air at low temperatures in small installations
US3340695A (en) * 1963-09-17 1967-09-12 Hitachi Ltd Method of separating carbon monoxide from oxygenized converter gas
US3349570A (en) * 1964-02-04 1967-10-31 Dryvent Ltd Adsorptive removal of contaminants from compressed gas mixture
US3699695A (en) * 1965-10-29 1972-10-24 Linde Ag Process of separating air into an oxygen-rich fraction suitable for blast furnace operation
US4378984A (en) * 1978-08-02 1983-04-05 Cheng Chen Yen Distillative freezing process for separating volatile mixtures
US4451273A (en) * 1981-08-25 1984-05-29 Cheng Chen Yen Distillative freezing process for separating volatile mixtures and apparatuses for use therein
US4650507A (en) * 1982-06-24 1987-03-17 Cheng Chen Yen Wet and dry distillative freezing process for separating mixtures and apparatuses for use therein
US5557924A (en) * 1994-09-20 1996-09-24 Vacuum Barrier Corporation Controlled delivery of filtered cryogenic liquid

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2619810A (en) * 1949-05-20 1952-12-02 Union Carbide & Carbon Corp Low-pressure process of and apparatus for separating gas mixtures
US2650481A (en) * 1948-01-27 1953-09-01 Kellogg M W Co Separation of gaseous mixtures
US2664719A (en) * 1950-07-05 1954-01-05 Union Carbide & Carbon Corp Process and apparatus for separating gas mixtures
US2671324A (en) * 1949-01-26 1954-03-09 Kellogg M W Co Method of gas separation, including impurity removing steps

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2650481A (en) * 1948-01-27 1953-09-01 Kellogg M W Co Separation of gaseous mixtures
US2671324A (en) * 1949-01-26 1954-03-09 Kellogg M W Co Method of gas separation, including impurity removing steps
US2619810A (en) * 1949-05-20 1952-12-02 Union Carbide & Carbon Corp Low-pressure process of and apparatus for separating gas mixtures
US2664719A (en) * 1950-07-05 1954-01-05 Union Carbide & Carbon Corp Process and apparatus for separating gas mixtures

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3091941A (en) * 1957-07-04 1963-06-04 Linde Eismasch Ag Process and apparatus for refrigeration by work-producing expansion
US3143406A (en) * 1957-07-04 1964-08-04 Linde Eismasch Ag System for conducting heat exchange operations in a gas separation apparatus incorporating periodically reversible regenerators
US3105360A (en) * 1957-12-11 1963-10-01 Linde Eismasch Ag Process and apparatus for the continuous purification of gases in reservoir heat exchangers
US3039274A (en) * 1958-03-28 1962-06-19 Union Carbide Corp Process and apparatus for purifying and separating compressed gas mixtures
US3196621A (en) * 1959-11-17 1965-07-27 Linde Eismasch Ag Method of separating air by low temperature rectification
US3266259A (en) * 1962-01-26 1966-08-16 Linde Ag Process for producing oxygen by fractionation of air at low temperatures in small installations
US3340695A (en) * 1963-09-17 1967-09-12 Hitachi Ltd Method of separating carbon monoxide from oxygenized converter gas
US3349570A (en) * 1964-02-04 1967-10-31 Dryvent Ltd Adsorptive removal of contaminants from compressed gas mixture
US3699695A (en) * 1965-10-29 1972-10-24 Linde Ag Process of separating air into an oxygen-rich fraction suitable for blast furnace operation
US4378984A (en) * 1978-08-02 1983-04-05 Cheng Chen Yen Distillative freezing process for separating volatile mixtures
US4451273A (en) * 1981-08-25 1984-05-29 Cheng Chen Yen Distillative freezing process for separating volatile mixtures and apparatuses for use therein
US4650507A (en) * 1982-06-24 1987-03-17 Cheng Chen Yen Wet and dry distillative freezing process for separating mixtures and apparatuses for use therein
US5557924A (en) * 1994-09-20 1996-09-24 Vacuum Barrier Corporation Controlled delivery of filtered cryogenic liquid

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE531609A (xx)
FR1107360A (fr) 1955-12-30
GB755814A (en) 1956-08-29
NL95870C (xx)

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