WO2013052288A3 - Air separation method and apparatus - Google Patents

Air separation method and apparatus Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2013052288A3
WO2013052288A3 PCT/US2012/056503 US2012056503W WO2013052288A3 WO 2013052288 A3 WO2013052288 A3 WO 2013052288A3 US 2012056503 W US2012056503 W US 2012056503W WO 2013052288 A3 WO2013052288 A3 WO 2013052288A3
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
stream
nitrogen
rich
subcooled
oxygen
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2012/056503
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2013052288A2 (en
Inventor
Henry Edward Howard
Original Assignee
Praxair Technology, Inc.
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 Praxair Technology, Inc. filed Critical Praxair Technology, Inc.
Priority to CN201280049443.9A priority Critical patent/CN104685310A/en
Publication of WO2013052288A2 publication Critical patent/WO2013052288A2/en
Publication of WO2013052288A3 publication Critical patent/WO2013052288A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04006—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit
    • F25J3/04078—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit providing pressurized products by liquid compression and vaporisation with cold recovery, i.e. so-called internal compression
    • F25J3/0409—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit providing pressurized products by liquid compression and vaporisation with cold recovery, i.e. so-called internal compression 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
    • F25J3/04151—Purification and (pre-)cooling of the feed air; recuperative heat-exchange with product streams
    • F25J3/04187—Cooling of the purified feed air by recuperative heat-exchange; Heat-exchange with product streams
    • F25J3/0423—Subcooling of liquid process streams
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04248—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion
    • F25J3/04284—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams
    • F25J3/0429—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams of feed air, e.g. used as waste or product air or expanded into an auxiliary column
    • F25J3/04303—Lachmann expansion, i.e. expanded into oxygen producing or low pressure column
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04406—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using a dual pressure main column system
    • F25J3/04412—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using a dual pressure main column system in a classical double column flowsheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04642—Recovering noble gases from air
    • F25J3/04648—Recovering noble gases from air argon
    • F25J3/04654—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column
    • F25J3/04666—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column as a parallel working rectification column of the low pressure column in a dual pressure main column system
    • F25J3/04672—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column as a parallel working rectification column of the low pressure column in a dual pressure main column system having a top condenser
    • F25J3/04678—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column as a parallel working rectification column of the low pressure column in a dual pressure main column system having a top condenser cooled by oxygen enriched liquid from high pressure column bottoms

Landscapes

  • 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)

Abstract

A cryogenic air separation method and apparatus in which a lower pressure distillation column is configured to receive, at successively higher locations of the lower pressure column and at successively lower temperatures, crude oxygen derived from a crude liquid oxygen stream discharged from a higher pressure column, an intermediate reflux stream and a nitrogen-rich reflux stream. All of the streams are subcooled and depressurized. The subcooling is conducted such that the intermediate reflux stream and the nitrogen-rich liquid stream cocurrently, indirectly exchange heat to a nitrogen-rich vapor stream withdrawn from the lower pressure column and the intermediate reflux stream is subcooled to a temperature between the temperatures over which the nitrogen-rich liquid stream is subcooled. Additionally, the crude liquid oxygen stream and the intermediate reflux stream can, cocurrently, indirectly exchange heat to a pressurized liquid stream used in forming an oxygen product and the nitrogen-rich vapor stream.
PCT/US2012/056503 2011-10-07 2012-09-21 Air separation method and apparatus WO2013052288A2 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN201280049443.9A CN104685310A (en) 2011-10-07 2012-09-21 Air separation method and apparatus

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13/268,117 US20130086941A1 (en) 2011-10-07 2011-10-07 Air separation method and apparatus
US13/268,117 2011-10-07

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2013052288A2 WO2013052288A2 (en) 2013-04-11
WO2013052288A3 true WO2013052288A3 (en) 2015-09-17

Family

ID=47018506

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2012/056503 WO2013052288A2 (en) 2011-10-07 2012-09-21 Air separation method and apparatus

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20130086941A1 (en)
CN (1) CN104685310A (en)
WO (1) WO2013052288A2 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN111406191B (en) * 2017-12-25 2021-12-21 乔治洛德方法研究和开发液化空气有限公司 Single package air separation plant with reverse main heat exchanger
CN109084528B (en) * 2018-08-20 2024-04-12 盈德气体工程(浙江)有限公司 Cryogenic air separation system with newly-added nitrogen tower
EP3870914A4 (en) * 2018-10-26 2022-06-15 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Plate fin heat exchanger assembly
CN109323534A (en) * 2018-11-06 2019-02-12 杭州杭氧股份有限公司 It is a kind of that high pressure oxygen method and device is produced by cryogenic rectification method purification air
US11828532B2 (en) * 2020-12-31 2023-11-28 L'air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Method and apparatus for transfer of liquid

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5660059A (en) * 1995-07-06 1997-08-26 The Boc Group Plc Air separation
US5956973A (en) * 1997-02-11 1999-09-28 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Air separation with intermediate pressure vaporization and expansion

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4746342A (en) * 1985-11-27 1988-05-24 Phillips Petroleum Company Recovery of NGL's and rejection of N2 from natural gas
GB2198514B (en) * 1986-11-24 1990-09-19 Boc Group Plc Air separation
GB9326168D0 (en) * 1993-12-22 1994-02-23 Bicc Group The Plc Air separation
FR2721383B1 (en) * 1994-06-20 1996-07-19 Maurice Grenier Process and installation for producing gaseous oxygen under pressure.
US5551258A (en) * 1994-12-15 1996-09-03 The Boc Group Plc Air separation
US6009723A (en) * 1998-01-22 2000-01-04 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Elevated pressure air separation process with use of waste expansion for compression of a process stream
US5878597A (en) * 1998-04-14 1999-03-09 Praxair Technology, Inc. Cryogenic rectification system with serial liquid air feed
US6691532B2 (en) * 2001-11-13 2004-02-17 The Boc Group, Inc. Air separation units

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5660059A (en) * 1995-07-06 1997-08-26 The Boc Group Plc Air separation
US5956973A (en) * 1997-02-11 1999-09-28 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Air separation with intermediate pressure vaporization and expansion

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20130086941A1 (en) 2013-04-11
CN104685310A (en) 2015-06-03
WO2013052288A2 (en) 2013-04-11

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