Process for low-temperature air fractionation
First Claim
1. A process for the low temperature fractionation of air in a two-stage rectification column (6) having a high pressure stage (7) and a low pressure stage (8), comprising:
- compressing raw feed air (1) in a first compressor stage (2) to approximately high-pressure stage pressure;
purifying the compressed raw feed air by adsorption in a purification sage (4) to obtain compressed, purified feed air;
dividing the compressed, purified feed air into a first component stream (101) and a second component stream (102);
heating the second component stream in indirect heat exchange (3, 3'"'"') against the compressed raw feed air or the compressed, purified feed air so as to cool the compressed raw and compressed, purified feed air;
engine-expanding (13, 13'"'"') the heated second component stream so as to cool the second component stream and to provide work for the compression (2,
16) of a process stream;
conducting the resultant engine-expanded second component stream to the low pressure stage (8); and
conducting the first component stream to a feedpoint in the high pressure stage.
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Abstract
For the low-temperature fractionation of air, especially for the production of medium purity oxygen, the entire feed air (1) is compressed in a first compressor stage (2) and purified by adsorption (4). A first component stream (101) of the air is introduced into the high-pressure stage (7) of a two-stage rectifying column (6). A second component stream is passed to the low-pressure stage (8), and this stream is separated, after adsorption (4), from the remaining feed air, heated against compressed feed air (3), and engine-expanded (13). The thus-produced work is utilized at least in part for the compression (2) of feed air.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A process for the low temperature fractionation of air in a two-stage rectification column (6) having a high pressure stage (7) and a low pressure stage (8), comprising:
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compressing raw feed air (1) in a first compressor stage (2) to approximately high-pressure stage pressure; purifying the compressed raw feed air by adsorption in a purification sage (4) to obtain compressed, purified feed air; dividing the compressed, purified feed air into a first component stream (101) and a second component stream (102); heating the second component stream in indirect heat exchange (3, 3'"'"') against the compressed raw feed air or the compressed, purified feed air so as to cool the compressed raw and compressed, purified feed air; engine-expanding (13, 13'"'"') the heated second component stream so as to cool the second component stream and to provide work for the compression (2,
16) of a process stream;conducting the resultant engine-expanded second component stream to the low pressure stage (8); and conducting the first component stream to a feedpoint in the high pressure stage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification