US2934909A - System comprising a refrigerator intended for fractionating gas mixtures - Google Patents

System comprising a refrigerator intended for fractionating gas mixtures Download PDF

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Publication number
US2934909A
US2934909A US541783A US54178355A US2934909A US 2934909 A US2934909 A US 2934909A US 541783 A US541783 A US 541783A US 54178355 A US54178355 A US 54178355A US 2934909 A US2934909 A US 2934909A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
gas
refrigerator
dephlegmator
column
heat
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Expired - Lifetime
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US541783A
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English (en)
Inventor
Ijzer Jacobus Albertus Louisa
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US Philips Corp
North American Philips Co Inc
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US Philips Corp
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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
    • 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
    • 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
    • F25B9/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point
    • F25B9/14—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the cycle used, e.g. Stirling cycle
    • 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
    • Y10S62/905—Column
    • Y10S62/906—Packing

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a system for fractionating gas mixtures, this system comprising a cold-gas refrigerator.
  • a known system of this kind comprises a gas fractionating column, the fraction of the lowest boiling point escaping from the column being condensed by means of a cold-gas refrigerator. Part of the condensate is supplied to the column as a washing liquid and a further part is withdrawn from the system as the desired product.
  • cold-gas refrigerator is to be understood to mean herein a refrigerator operating on the reversed hotgas engine principle.
  • Such machines have at least two spaces, the volumes of which are varied by means of piston-like bodies. These spaces of variable volumes communicate with one another via a first heat exchanger, a regenerator and a second heat exchanger.
  • a gas which is always in the same state of aggregation performs a closed, thermodynamic cycle.
  • heatexchanger called the freezer
  • heat heat is supplied to the gas, this heat being withdrawn from the medium to be cooled.
  • the cooler heat is withdrawn from the gas by means of a cooling medium, for example water or air.
  • the gas employed in these machines is often air, hydro gen or helium in accordance with the temperature at which the refrigerator has to' produce cold.
  • refrigerators may be constructed in various ways, for example, as a displacer machine, as a double-acting machine, as a machine, the cylinders of which are at an angle to one another, or as a machine, the working space of which is combined with that of a hot-gas engine.
  • a dephlegmator is to be understood to mean herein a heat exchanger having a wall from which heat is withdrawn so that the gas mixtures condensates partly, the condensate produced being in contact with the gas mixture supplied.
  • a simple construction is obtained, if the freezer of the refrigerator is constructed in the form of a dephlegmator.
  • the heat exchanger is in thermal contact via a heat-conducting intermediate agent with the refrigerator.
  • the heat-conducting intermediate agent may, for example, be nitrogen.
  • the heat is withdrawn from the heat exchanger mainly from the colder side thereof.
  • the heat exchanger is provided with a heat-conducting element, which is connected to the head of the cold-gas refrigerator, the heat may be conducted directly from this element to the cold-gas refrigerator.
  • the system comprises a dephlegmator, in which air is separated into fractions, a liquidwill be obtained which is a mixture of about 50% of oxygen and about 50% of nitrogen, while, moreover, substantially pure nitrogen is left as a gas.
  • the liquid can then be separated into purer fractions in a gas fractionating column. Use may, in this case, be made successfully of a column of very simple construction.
  • the gas fractionating column is constructed as a semi-column.
  • the term semi-column is to be understood to mean herein a column, in which the gas mixture to be fractionated is supplied to the column at the top and one of the fractions is withdrawn from the top.
  • a gas mixture escapes at the top, this mixture containing yet a certain quantity of a component having the higher boiling point.
  • the fraction escaping from the top of the column is supplied again to the dephlegmator.
  • the system according to the invention may be used successfully for fractionating gas mixtures differing from air. It is very important that the boiling points of the components should be comparatively different.
  • Thesysterm may, for example, be used to obtain hydrogen from lighting gas.
  • Fig. 1 shows a system, in which the dephlegmator is in thermal contact directly with the head of the cold-gas refrigerator, the liquid produced being separated into further fractions by means of a half column.
  • the dephlegmator is arranged at a certain distance from the refrigerator as by means of a heat-conducting intermediate agent and heat is withdrawn from the dephlegmator.
  • Fig. 1 shows a system comprising a cold-gas refrigerator 1.
  • This cold-gas refrigerator comprises a cylinder 2, in which a displacer 3 and a piston 4 move up and down with a substantially constant phase difference.
  • the displacer 3 is coupled by way of connecting rod mechanism 5 with a crank of a crank shaft 6, while the piston 4 is coupled via a connecting rod mechanism 7 with a further crank of the same crank shaft.
  • the coldgas refrigerator is driven by means of a motor, for example an electric motor 8.
  • the displacer 3 acts upon the volume of a space 9, which communicates with a space 13 via a first heat exchanger 10, a regenerator 11 and a second heat exchanger 12..
  • the medium may, for example, be air or, if very low temperatures must be attained, hydrogen or helium. In the present case, in which the refrigerator is to operate at about 187, use may be made of hydrogen.
  • the space 9 is the space of low temperature and the first heat ex-' changer 10 has also a low temperature is generally termed the freezer.
  • the heat exchanger 12 is generally termed the cooler and the space 13 is the space of higher temperature.
  • the freezer On the outer side the freezer is provided with vanes 14, located in the condenser space 15.
  • the head of the cold-gas refrigerator comprises an element 16 of a material of good thermal conductivity, which is connected at the top for heat conduction to a cylinder 17, which is provided with vanes 18 extending in a vertical direction.
  • the condenser space has a supply duct 19, which is connected a heat exchanger 20.
  • This heat ex- 3 changer 20 is located in a boiler 21 of a semi-column 22.
  • the heat exchanger 20 communicates with a duct 23, which comprises a heat exchanger 24.
  • the cylinder 17 with the vanes 18 serves as a dephlegmator in which the gas mixture to be fractionated, in this case for example air, is separated into fractions.
  • the liquid produced in the dephlegmator is conducted via a duct 27 at the top into the column 22.
  • This column may be filled up with filling material, for example saddles or Raschig rings.
  • the column may, as an alternative, contain dishes.
  • the liquid rich in oxygen is separated further into fractions, a gas mixture rich in nitrogen being thus collected at the top of the column.
  • This gas mixture rich in nitrogen may be conducted to the heat exchanger 24 via the duct 28, in order to cool the air to be fractionated together with the nitrogen produced in the dephlegmator, or it may be conducted to the coldgas refrigerator via a duct 29 and the duct 19, in order to be fractionated in the dephlegmator.
  • the outlet duct 28 has a ventilator 30, which is capable of sucking the gas mixture out of the column.
  • Fig. 2 shows the outer side of a cold-gas refrigerator 31.
  • This machine as the machine shown in the preceding figure, may be constructed in the form of a displacer machine.
  • a different type of cold-gas refrigerator for example, a double-acting machine, having, consequently, a plurality of cylinders arranged side by side, may be used.
  • the refrigerator com- 4 dephlegmator has an outlet duct 44 with a ventilator 45.
  • the gas mixture supplied to the dephlegmator is separated herein into fractions. If, for example, lighting gas is fractionated to obtain hydrogen, a liquid is produced, which contains mainly COCH this liquid is withdrawn from the dephlegmator at the bottom. At the top hydrogen is collected and conducted away through the duct 44.
  • the duct 33 has a liquid pump 36.
  • a heatconducting intermediate agent for example nitrogen.
  • This nitrogen is condensed in the condenser space 32 and the liquid thus produced is transported by means of the pump 36 to the space 34, in which the liquid evaporates and the gas produced flows back to the refrigerator through the duct 35.
  • the space 34 has, at the bottom, a tube 37, which is provided externally with vanes 38 extending in a vertical direction, the tube being surrounded by a tube 39.
  • a gas fractionating system comprising a column, a cold gas refrigerator, conduit means interconnecting said column and cold gas refrigerator, said cold gas refrigerator being provided with a freezer, regenerator and cooler, and having a medium therein performing a closed thermodynamic cycle through said freezer, regenerator and cooler, and a dephlegmator having a gas mixture therein operatively connected to said freezer whereby heat is withdrawn from said dephlegmator by means of said freezer thereby condensing at least part of said gas mixture, means drawing off the gaseous fraction of said mixture from the top of said dephlegmator, and means for supplying the fraction escaping from the top of said column to said dephlegmator.

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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)
US541783A 1954-11-03 1955-10-20 System comprising a refrigerator intended for fractionating gas mixtures Expired - Lifetime US2934909A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL336421X 1954-11-03

Publications (1)

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US2934909A true US2934909A (en) 1960-05-03

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US (1) US2934909A (en))
BE (1) BE542485A (en))
CH (1) CH336421A (en))
DE (1) DE1003239B (en))
FR (1) FR1143114A (en))
GB (1) GB779184A (en))
NL (2) NL192087A (en))

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3129080A (en) * 1960-09-13 1964-04-14 Philips Corp Equipment for supplying both air compressed to high pressure and liquid oxygen

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE520564A (en)) *
US1730580A (en) * 1926-08-05 1929-10-08 Devon Mfg Company Refrigerating machine
US2113680A (en) * 1938-04-12 Method anx apparatus fob defrost-
US2287137A (en) * 1940-11-15 1942-06-23 Linde Air Prod Co Method of and apparatus for eliminating impurities when separating gas mixtures
US2408710A (en) * 1943-12-17 1946-10-01 Air Reduction Process for separating the constituents of air
US2458894A (en) * 1940-10-14 1949-01-11 Little Inc A Low-temperature refrigeration system
US2525660A (en) * 1944-09-04 1950-10-10 Arthur J Fausek Apparatus for separating the constituents of atmosphere
US2626510A (en) * 1947-06-18 1953-01-27 Air Prod Inc Air fractionating cycle and apparatus
GB699262A (en) * 1950-04-26 1953-11-04 Philips Nv Improvements in or relating to methods of liquefying gases and systems for carrying out such methods
US2734354A (en) * 1951-05-25 1956-02-14 Refrigerator gas liquification device

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE520564A (en)) *
US2113680A (en) * 1938-04-12 Method anx apparatus fob defrost-
US1730580A (en) * 1926-08-05 1929-10-08 Devon Mfg Company Refrigerating machine
US2458894A (en) * 1940-10-14 1949-01-11 Little Inc A Low-temperature refrigeration system
US2287137A (en) * 1940-11-15 1942-06-23 Linde Air Prod Co Method of and apparatus for eliminating impurities when separating gas mixtures
US2408710A (en) * 1943-12-17 1946-10-01 Air Reduction Process for separating the constituents of air
US2525660A (en) * 1944-09-04 1950-10-10 Arthur J Fausek Apparatus for separating the constituents of atmosphere
US2626510A (en) * 1947-06-18 1953-01-27 Air Prod Inc Air fractionating cycle and apparatus
GB699262A (en) * 1950-04-26 1953-11-04 Philips Nv Improvements in or relating to methods of liquefying gases and systems for carrying out such methods
US2734354A (en) * 1951-05-25 1956-02-14 Refrigerator gas liquification device

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3129080A (en) * 1960-09-13 1964-04-14 Philips Corp Equipment for supplying both air compressed to high pressure and liquid oxygen

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL97508C (en))
BE542485A (en))
FR1143114A (fr) 1957-09-26
DE1003239B (de) 1957-02-28
GB779184A (en) 1957-07-17
CH336421A (de) 1959-02-28
NL192087A (en))

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