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
  • 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
  • F25J3/04163—Hot end purification of the feed air
  • F25J3/04169—Hot end purification of the feed air by adsorption of the impurities
• • 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
  • F25J3/04006—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit
  • F25J3/04012—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit by compression of warm gaseous streams; details of intake or interstage cooling
  • F25J3/04018—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit by compression of warm gaseous streams; details of intake or interstage cooling of main feed 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
  • 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
  • F25J3/04006—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit
  • F25J3/04012—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit by compression of warm gaseous streams; details of intake or interstage cooling
  • F25J3/04036—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit by compression of warm gaseous streams; details of intake or interstage cooling of oxygen
• • 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
  • F25J3/04006—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit
  • F25J3/04109—Arrangements of compressors and /or their drivers
  • F25J3/04145—Mechanically coupling of different compressors of the air fractionation process to the same driver(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
  • F25J3/04248—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion
  • F25J3/04254—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using the cold stored in external cryogenic fluids
• • 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
  • F25J3/04309—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 nitrogen
• • 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
  • F25J2200/00—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification
  • F25J2200/04—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification in a dual pressure main column system
  • F25J2200/06—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification in a dual pressure main column system in a classical double column flow-sheet, 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
  • 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
  • F25J2205/00—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means
  • F25J2205/60—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means using adsorption on solid adsorbents, e.g. by temperature-swing adsorption [TSA] at the hot or cold 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
  • F25J2210/00—Processes characterised by the type or other details of the feed stream
  • F25J2210/42—Nitrogen
• • 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
  • F25J2210/50—Oxygen

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an air separation device that can produce oxygen gas with energy saving and that can significantly reduce the size of the device.
• nitrogen gas (GN 2 ), oxygen gas (G ( 2 ), argon (Ar), etc. are obtained by using air as a raw material, compressing it with an air compressor 61, and adsorbing it.
• the waste gas extracted from the cold box 63 is used for regeneration of the adsorption tower 6 (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-261644).
• reference numeral 64 denotes a heater for
• an air compressor 61 having a discharge pressure of about 5 kg / cm 2 G CO. 5 MPag (gauge pressure) is usually used as the air compressor 61.
• adsorption tower 62 For this reason, it is necessary to use an adsorption tower 62, a main heat exchanger, a rectification tower, and the like corresponding to the required air amount, and the entire apparatus becomes large-scale. Moreover, it produces oxygen gas of 10,000 m 3 / h (No rma 1). In this case, the necessary compression power of the air compressor 61 (this compression power is usually a value obtained by multiplying the above required air amount by about 0.09) Power 500 k
• the power of the heater 64 for regeneration and exhaust of the adsorption tower 62 is about 500 kW, so a large power of about 500 kW is required, It requires a lot of energy for manufacturing.
• the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an air separation device that can produce oxygen gas with energy saving and that can greatly reduce the size of a cryogenic separation mechanism (a cold box and its internal equipment). For that purpose. Disclosure of the invention
• an air separation device of the present invention includes an air compression unit that takes in air from the outside and compresses it at a low pressure, and enriches oxygen gas in compressed air compressed by the air compression unit.
• Oxygen condensing means oxygen-air compression means for further compressing the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air X passed through the oxygen concentrating means, and heat exchanger for cooling the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y passed through the oxygen-air compression means
• a rectification column for separating the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y cooled to a low temperature via the heat exchanger by utilizing the boiling point difference of each component gas to take out the oxygen gas.
• the air separation device of the present invention compresses the raw material air to a low pressure by the air compressing means, and provides the oxygen condensing means for concentrating the oxygen gas in the compressed air following the air compressing means.
• the oxygen concentration is increased, and this is supplied to the rectification column via oxygen-air compression means and a heat exchanger. Therefore, when producing the same amount of oxygen gas, etc., it is possible to save a large amount of energy and realize a significant reduction in the flow rate of each means after the oxygen enrichment means, thereby reducing them to more than half that of the conventional method.
• the device can be downsized, and consequently the entire device can be significantly reduced in size.
• the low pressure refers to a pressure lower than the compression pressure of the oxygen-air compression means, and is usually 1/3 or less, preferably 1/5 or less, more preferably 1/3 of the compression pressure of the oxygen-air compression means. Means less than 1/10.
• the oxygen concentrating means is an adsorption tower containing an adsorbent for adsorbing nitrogen gas in the compressed air, and the adsorbent removes impurities such as moisture in the compressed air.
• the oxygen gas in the compressed air can be concentrated by the action of the adsorbent of the adsorption tower and the moisture in the compressed air can also be removed.
• the object to be compressed with is dried and the compression power can be further reduced.
• a removing means for removing impurities in the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y is provided between the oxygen-air compression means and the heat exchanger, a trace amount remains in the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y. It can remove hydrocarbons, minerals, ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ , etc., and can use poor air such as air along the coast (a lot of sodium ions) or air along the road (a lot of exhaust gas from automobiles) as raw material air. Become like
• a part of the compressed air compressed by the air compression means is introduced into the introduction path for introducing the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air X having passed through the oxygen concentration means to the oxygen-air compression means without passing through the oxygen concentration means.
• a part of the compressed air which is directly supplied to the above-mentioned introduction path after passing through the air compressing means and is introduced into the oxygen concentrating means after passing through the air compressing means and contains high-concentration oxygen.
• the remaining portion of the compressed air supplied to the introduction path as the compressed air X is merged in the introduction path, whereby the oxygen concentration in the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air X can be reduced.
• the amount of compressed air supplied directly to the above-mentioned introduction passage can be adjusted to cope with it.
• FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention
• FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention
• Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention
• Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention
• FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention
• FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional example.
• FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention.
• 1 is It is an air compressor (air compression means) that takes in the air and compresses it.
• air compressor air compression means
• Reference numeral 1a denotes a first feed pipe for feeding the compressed air that has passed through the air compressor 1 to the first P connecting towers 2 and 3.
• the first adsorption tower (oxygen concentrating means) 2 and 3 has an upstream side filled with an adsorbent such as silica gel on the upstream side, and a molecular sieve adsorbent (air / air) developed by the applicant on the downstream side.
• AW 02 03 manufactured by War Yuichisha.
• the first adsorption towers 2 and 3 are paired and operated by alternately switching between adsorption and regeneration.
• the component ratio (volume%) of each component gas in the low-pressure compressed air passed through the air compressor 1 is calculated as follows.
• oxygen gas 50%: nitrogen gas 47.5%: argon gas is about 2.5%
• concentration of oxygen gas in compressed air is increased from 20.9% by volume to 50% by volume.
• Reference numeral 4 denotes a vacuum pump for regenerating and exhausting the first adsorption towers 2 and 3
• reference numeral 4a denotes a first discharge pipe for removing waste gas adsorbed by the adsorbents of the first adsorption towers 2 and 3 to the atmosphere.
• the system consisting of the first adsorption towers 2, 3 and the pipe lines with the on-off valves 6a, 6b, 8a, 8b and the vacuum pump 4 is constructed as follows. , VS A (vacuum swing absolute), membrane separation, and when one of the first adsorption towers 2 (3) is performing adsorption operation, the other first adsorption tower 3 (2) is vacuum pumped. It is regenerated by the vacuum suction of the pump 4.
• a water separator (not shown) is provided for cooling the compressed air that has passed through the water separator, if necessary. Is VS A, but PSA (Pressure Swing Absorbed), T
• Reference numerals 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, and 8b denote on-off valves for alternately adsorbing and regenerating the first adsorption towers 2 and 3.
• the oxygen-air compressor 11 is a small-sized oxygen-air compressor (oil-less centrifugal compressor: discharge pressure 5 kg / cm2) that further compresses the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air X.
• An oxygen air compressor of about 2 G [0.5MPaG (gauge pressure)] is used.
• the oxygen-air compressor 11 has an oil-less mechanism or the like in order to prevent explosion when compressing the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air X further.
• Reference numeral 11a denotes a second supply pipe for supplying the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y having passed through the oxygen-air compressor 11 to the second adsorption towers 12, 13. 12 and 13 are filled with an adsorbent such as a commercially available molecular sieve, and alternately adsorb and regenerate.
• an adsorbent such as a commercially available molecular sieve, and alternately adsorb and regenerate.
• a set of two small second adsorption towers (smaller than the conventional ones) a summer in which) the size, action for adsorbing and removing water traces remaining on hyperoxia-containing compressed air Y which further compressed by the oxygen pressure compressor 1 1, carbon dioxide, a C n M ra and NO x, etc. do.
• Reference numeral 14 denotes a second discharge pipe, which discharges waste gas that has been regenerated in the second adsorption towers 12, 13 to the atmosphere.
• the system including the pipe lines with the second adsorption towers 12, 13 and the on-off valves 16a, 16b, 19a, 19b is TSA.
• 1 6 a, 1 6 b , 1 7 a, 1 7 b, 18 a, 18 b, 1 9 a s 19 b is for adsorbing 'regeneration operation alternately second adsorption tower 12, 1 3 It is an on-off valve.
• Reference numeral 22 denotes a supply pipe for sending the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y cooled to an extremely low temperature by the main heat exchanger 21 to the lower part of the high-pressure rectification column 23.
• This high-pressure rectification column (tray or packed column) 23 also requires less than 1/2 the capacity of the gas to be circulated, reducing the capacity to 1/2 or less, and the size is 1 Z 2 or less. .
• the high-concentration oxygen-containing liquid air 24 of the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y fed from the supply pipe 22 accumulates at the bottom of the liquid, and the nitrogen gas rises to the top.
• Part of the nitrogen gas rising to the upper part is introduced into the low-pressure rectification column 28 via the first reflux pipe 31 to the condenser (one condenser) 30 at the bottom, and the remainder is the nitrogen gas extraction pipe 2 It becomes the driving gas for the expansion turbine 37 through 6.
• the nitrogen gas introduced into the condenser 30 is liquefied there to become liquid nitrogen, and returns to the upper part of the high-pressure rectification column 23 through the second reflux pipe 32 as a reflux liquid.
• the gas flows downward in the tower 23 and comes into countercurrent contact with the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y, which rises from below, and the high-boiling component gas (oxygen gas) of the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y is removed. Liquefied and allowed to flow down.
• the liquid oxygen-containing liquid air 24 stored at the bottom further becomes oxygen rich, and the low-boiling component gas (nitrogen gas) rises toward the top of the high-pressure rectification column 23.
• the nitrogen gas extracted from the nitrogen gas extraction pipe 26 is sent to the main heat exchanger 21, and after cooling the compressed air passing through the main heat exchanger 21, passes through the first connection pipe 26 a Then, it is supplied to the expansion tap 37, and as described above, it serves as a driving source of the expansion bin 37 to generate cold.
• Reference numeral 38 denotes a bypass with an on-off valve 38a.
• the nitrogen gas introduced into the expansion turbine 37 via the first connection pipe 26a with the nitrogen gas extraction pipe 26 and the on-off valve 26b expands inside to perform thermodynamic external work.
• the temperature becomes extremely low and the required amount of refrigeration is generated in the device, and in that state, it enters the main heat exchanger 21 via the second connecting pipe 37a, where it exchanges heat with the raw air.
• the generated cold is given to the raw material air, and the temperature itself becomes normal temperature.Most of the air is discharged as waste gas through the discharge pipe 37b, and part of it is discharged through the branch pipe 40 for the second adsorption. It becomes a regeneration gas for the adsorbent in the towers 12 and 13.
• the branch pipe 40 functions to supply the introduced nitrogen gas to the first pipe 42 having the heater 41 or the second pipe 43 without a heater.
• Reference numeral 44 denotes a third pipe which functions to supply the nitrogen gas passed through the first pipe 42 or the second pipe 43 to the first adsorption towers 12 and 13 as adsorbent regeneration gas.
• Reference numeral 28 denotes a low-pressure rectification tower (shelf-type or packed-column type) provided above the high-pressure rectification tower 23. 24 is sent through a feed pipe 29 with an expansion valve 29a.
• the low-pressure rectification column 28 is provided with a condenser 30 at the bottom, and a part of the nitrogen gas extracted from the high-pressure rectification column 23 is supplied to the first reflux pipe 31 1 Introduced via Nitrogen gas This, liquid oxygen accumulated in the bottom of the lower pressure rectification column 2 8 (L 0 2:.
• Purity 9 9 about 7 vol%) 3 4 serve to warming liquid oxygen 3 4 into gas inhibit the And the liquid itself
• a part of the oxygen is liquefied by the cold heat of the body oxygen 34, and a part of the liquid is returned to the upper part of the high-pressure rectification column 23 through the second reflux pipe 32 with the flow control valve 32a. It becomes a reflux liquid.
• the remaining liquid nitrogen 34 is introduced into the upper part of the low-pressure rectification tower 28 through a branch pipe 33 with a flow control valve 33 a and becomes a reflux liquid and flows down the low-pressure rectification tower 28. It acts as a gas-liquid separator.
• Reference numeral 35 denotes a product oxygen gas extraction pipe extending from the lower side of the low-pressure rectification column 28, which is capable of collecting liquid oxygen 34 collected at the bottom of the low-pressure rectification column 28, a high-purity oxygen gas that has been depleted. It is taken out and guided into the main heat exchanger 21 where it exchanges heat with the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y to bring it to room temperature and send it out as oxygen product gas outside the equipment.
• Reference numeral 36 denotes a product nitrogen gas extraction pipe extending from the upper part of the low-pressure rectification tower 28, which takes out the nitrogen gas that has risen to the upper part of the low-pressure rectification tower 28 and sends it to the main heat exchanger 21 to have a high concentration.
• reference numeral 39 denotes a cold box, in which heat insulating material (not shown) such as perlite used for low-temperature heat insulation is packed.
• heat insulating material such as perlite used for low-temperature heat insulation.
• the lines of the first adsorption towers 2 and 3 concentrate oxygen by adsorbing nitrogen gas, but use an adsorbent that adsorbs oxygen gas. The removed oxygen gas may be taken out.
• nitrogen gas and oxygen gas can be produced as follows. That is, first, outside air is taken in from the air compressor (air compression means) 1, where the air is compressed at a low pressure, and the water in the compressed air is removed by a water separator (not shown). in this state fed first adsorption tower (oxygen concentration means) 2, 3, nitrogen gas in the compressed air, 7 minutes, to adsorption removal of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon gas (C n H m) and the like. Thereby, oxygen gas in the compressed air is concentrated. This is the greatest feature of the present invention.
• the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air X that has passed through the first adsorption towers 2 and 3 is introduced into an oxygen-air compressor (oxygen-air compression means) 11, and the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air X is further compressed After the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y fed to the 2 P ⁇ tower 1 2, 1 3, for adsorbing and removing hyperoxia water containing compressed air Y, carbonated gas and NO x etc. .
• the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air ⁇ ⁇ from which water, carbon dioxide, and ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ have been adsorbed and removed is sent into the main heat exchanger 21 and cooled to an extremely low temperature. Introduce at the bottom of 3.
• this high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y is brought into countercurrent contact with the reflux liquid produced in the low-pressure rectification column 28 to rectify the compressed air, and the difference between the boiling points of nitrogen and oxygen ( Atmosphere of oxygen I do.
• This nitrogen gas is taken out from the nitrogen gas extraction pipe 26, sent to the main heat exchanger 21 and then supplied to the expansion turbine 37, where cold is generated, and most of it is discharged outside the device. Part of the gas is used as the regeneration gas for the second adsorption towers 12 and 13.
• the nitrogen gas collected at the upper part of the low-pressure rectification tower 28 is taken out from the product nitrogen gas extraction pipe 36 and sent to the main heat exchanger 21 where it is heated to near normal temperature and then converted to product nitrogen gas. Send out.
• liquid oxygen containing high-concentration oxygen which is a liquid stored at the bottom of the high-pressure rectification column 23, is sent to the low-pressure rectification column 28 via the supply pipe 29, and the liquid oxygen from which nitrogen is vaporized and removed. It is stored at the bottom of the low-pressure rectification tower 28 as 3 4 and is vaporized by heat exchange with nitrogen gas passing through the condenser 30 at the bottom of the low-pressure rectification tower 28.
• the vaporized oxygen gas is taken out of the product oxygen gas extraction pipe 35, sent to the main heat exchanger 21 and heated to near normal temperature, and then sent out of the apparatus as product oxygen gas. And nitrogen gas.
• the concentration of oxygen gas in the compressed air is reduced to about 20.9 vol.
• 0 ⁇ 0.50 0) ⁇ Calculated from 0.97, which is about 20, 60 Om 3 / h (No rma 1), which is about 41% of the conventional one described at the beginning. Has decreased.
• the compression power of the oxygen-air compressor 11 required to produce 100,000 Om 3 / h (No rma 1) oxygen gas is reduced to about 2000 kW, and the oxygen Because it is estimated that the compression power of the air compressor 1 will be about 300 kW, the driving power of the vacuum pump 4 will be about 900 kW, and the electric power of the electric pump 4 will be about 200 kW. 340 kW, which is about 70% of the conventional level. Therefore, energy saving of 30% or more can be realized.
• First adsorption towers 2 and 3 for concentrating oxygen gas in the compressed air are provided to increase the oxygen concentration in the raw material air, which is passed through the oxygen-air compressor 11 and the main heat exchanger 21 to high-pressure purification.
• Distillation tower 23, low-pressure rectification tower 28 Therefore, by realizing a drastic reduction in the flow rate of each device such as the main heat exchanger 21 and the two rectification columns 23 and 28 after the oxygen-air compressor 11, The size of the device can be reduced to less than half, and as a result, the entire device can be significantly reduced in size.
• the diameter of the high-pressure rectification column 23 is 7 m (calculated by our company) with the conventional one, which is It was necessary to assemble on-site because there was no transportation means to assemble and transport it to the site, but in this embodiment, when producing the same amount of oxygen, the gas flowing through the rectification column Is less than 1/2, the diameter of the rectification column can be reduced to about 4.2 m. As a result, it is possible to assemble the products at the factory and transport them to the site, which can save a great deal of labor.
• FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention.
• the second adsorption towers 12 and 13 are omitted. That is, the second adsorption towers 12 and 13, the second discharge pipe 14, the on-off valves 16a, 16b, 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b; 19a, 1
• the pipe line with 9b, the branch pipe 40 and the first to third pipes 42 to 44 are omitted.
• Other parts are the same as those in the above embodiment, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.
• the device by installing the device in a place where clean air is used as raw material air, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained, and the device can be simplified and downsized. .
• FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention.
• a liquid oxygen storage tank (not shown) in which liquid oxygen (L0 2 ) is supplied from outside the apparatus by a tank opening or the like.
• the apparatus is substantially the same as the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, except that the liquid oxygen is used as a cold source.
• reference numeral 47 denotes an introduction pipe for introducing the liquid oxygen from the liquid oxygen storage tank to the lower part of the low-pressure rectification column 28 as a cold source. It flows down to the bottom of the rectification column 28 and joins the liquid oxygen 34 collected at this bottom.
• the supercooler 49 is provided with high-concentration oxygen-containing liquid air 24 in the supply pipe 29, liquid nitrogen (reflux liquid) in the branch pipe 33, and products in the nitrogen gas extraction pipe 36.
• the high-concentration oxygen-containing liquid air 24 in the supply pipe 29 is cooled by passing the product nitrogen gas and the waste nitrogen gas in the discharge pipe 48.
• Reference numeral 50 denotes a liquid oxygen extraction pipe extending from the bottom of the low-pressure rectification tower 28, which takes out the liquid oxygen collected at the bottom of the low-pressure rectification tower 28 and guides it into the main heat exchanger 21 to produce high-concentration oxygen. While cooling the contained compressed air Y, it acts to raise itself to room temperature and introduce it into the product oxygen gas extraction pipe 35 as product oxygen gas.
• Reference numeral 51 denotes a product nitrogen gas compressor provided in the product nitrogen gas extraction pipe 36, which acts to increase the product nitrogen gas passing through the product nitrogen gas extraction pipe 36 to a predetermined pressure.
• Reference numeral 2 denotes a first product oxygen gas compressor provided in the product oxygen gas extraction pipe 35, and the product oxygen gas passing through the product oxygen gas extraction pipe 35 is pressurized to a predetermined pressure to obtain a low-pressure product oxygen gas extraction pipe. It acts to supply 5 3.
• 5 4 is a second oxygen product gas compressor, first, to the effect supplied to the high pressure product oxygen gas takeout pipe 5 5 further boost the product oxygen gas through the oxygen product gas compressor 5 2.
• the ceiling surface of 23 and the bottom surface of the low-pressure rectification tower 28 provided above the high-pressure rectification tower 23 are integrated and formed of the same material.
• 36a is the product nitrogen gas extraction pipe
• 39 A is a cold box, which is filled with a heat insulating material such as pearlite and has a vacuum suction.
• Other parts are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.
• nitrogen gas and oxygen gas can be produced as follows. That is, in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, external air is taken in from an air compressor (air compression means) 1, where the air is compressed at a low pressure and compressed by a zK separator (not shown). The moisture in the compressed air is removed and sent to the first adsorption tower (oxygen concentrating means) 2 and 3 in that state, and the nitrogen gas, moisture, carbon dioxide gas and carbonized gas in the compressed air are removed. Hydrogen gas (C n H m) and the like are adsorbed and removed. This enriches the oxygen gas in the compressed air.
• the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air X that has passed through the first P and the landing towers 2 and 3 is introduced into an oxygen-air compressor (oxygen-air compression means) 11, and the oxygen-air compressor 11 generates high-concentration oxygen-containing air.
• Compressed air X is further compressed to obtain high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y.
• the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y is sent into the main heat exchanger 21 to be cooled to an extremely low temperature, and then introduced into the lower part of the high-pressure rectification column 23 in that state.
• the high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y and the reflux liquid produced in the low-pressure rectification column 28 are brought into countercurrent contact to rectify the compressed air, thereby obtaining nitrogen and oxygen.
• Liquefaction of oxygen which is a high-boiling component in high-concentration oxygen-containing compressed air Y, due to the difference in boiling point of oxygen (boiling point of oxygen at atmospheric pressure-18 ° C, also boiling point of nitrogen-196 ° C) To make nitrogen gas.
• the nitrogen gas collected at the top of the low-pressure rectification column 28 is taken out from the product nitrogen gas extraction pipe 36, sent to the supercooler (heat exchanger) 49, and introduced into the main heat exchanger 21. After the temperature is raised to near normal temperature in the heat exchanger 21, it is sent out of the equipment as product nitrogen gas.
• the high-concentration oxygen-containing liquid air 24 collected at the bottom of the high-pressure rectification column 23 is sent to the supercooler 49 via the supply pipe 29, where the high-concentration oxygen containing the cooled gas-liquid mixture is contained.
• the liquid air 24 is sent to the low-pressure rectification tower 28, and the nitrogen is vaporized and removed.
• the liquid oxygen 34 is stored at the bottom of the low-pressure rectification tower 28, and the nitrogen passes through the condenser 30 at the bottom of the low-pressure rectification tower 28. It is vaporized by heat exchange with gas.
• the vaporized oxygen gas is taken out from the product oxygen gas extraction pipe 35, sent to the main heat exchanger 21 and heated to near normal temperature, and then the product oxygen gas passed through the first product oxygen compressor 52 is reduced in pressure.
• the product oxygen gas is sent out of the device by the product oxygen gas extraction pipe 53, and the product oxygen gas that has passed through the second product oxygen compressor 54 is sent out of the device by the high-pressure product oxygen gas extraction pipe 55. In this way, product oxygen gas and nitrogen gas are obtained.
• FIG. 4 shows still another embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention.
• a liquid nitrogen storage tank (not shown) in which liquid nitrogen (LN 2 ) is supplied from outside the apparatus by a tank trolley or the like instead of the expansion bottle 37 Except that the liquid nitrogen is used as the cold source.
• 47a is an introduction pipe for introducing the liquid nitrogen from the liquid nitrogen storage tank into the upper part of the high-pressure rectification column 23 as a cold source.
• Part of the liquid nitrogen liquefied in the condenser 30 at the lower part of the low-pressure rectification tower 28 is introduced into the upper part of the high-pressure rectification tower 23.
• Other parts are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.
• FIG. 5 shows still another embodiment of the air separation device of the present invention.
• a first feed pipe 1a for feeding compressed air passed through an air compressor 1 to first adsorption towers 2 and 3;
• the introduction pipe 57 for introducing the highly concentrated oxygen-containing compressed air X passed through 3 into the oxygen-air compressor 11 (not denoted by 57 in FIG. 1) is connected to an on-off valve (or a flow control valve).
• an on-off valve or a flow control valve
• Communication pipe 58 communicates. Then, the on-off valve 58a is opened, and a part of the compressed air that has passed through the air compressor 1 and the water separator (not shown) is directly passed through the communication pipe 58 (that is, the first adsorbent).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Emergency Medicine (AREA)
• Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
• Separation Of Gases By Adsorption (AREA)
• Oxygen, Ozone, And Oxides In General (AREA)
• Drying Of Gases (AREA)

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• 2004
  • 2004-01-08 JP JP2004002877A patent/JP4782380B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-03-25 WO PCT/JP2004/004145 patent/WO2004085941A1/ja active Application Filing
  • 2004-03-25 BR BRPI0408715-1A patent/BRPI0408715A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2004-03-25 EP EP04723340.8A patent/EP1612496B1/en not_active Revoked
  • 2004-03-25 US US10/550,627 patent/US20060272352A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-03-25 CN CNB2004800080462A patent/CN100390481C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-03-25 KR KR1020057017678A patent/KR101099855B1/ko active IP Right Grant

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