Process and installation for the production of gaseous oxygen under pressure
First Claim
1. In a process for the production of gaseous oxygen under pressure by distillation of air in an installation comprising a heat exchange line (2) and a double distillation column (1) which column comprises a first column (12) operating under a medium pressure and a second column (13) operating under a low pressure, pumping (in 9, 10) liquid oxygen withdrawn from the base of the low pressure column to compress the liquid oxygen, and vaporizing the compressed oxygen by heat exchange with compressed air at a high air pressure;
- the improvement comprising;
compressing all the air to be treated to a first high pressure P1 substantially greater than said medium pressure;
cooling a first portion of this compressed air to a first intermediate temperature T1, expanding a first fraction of this cooled air in a first turbine (7;
8); and
cooling, liquefying, expanding and introducing into medium pressure column (12) the rest of this cooled air;
further compressing the rest of the air at the first high pressure P1 to a second high pressure P2 greater than P1 and cooling this further compressed air to a second intermediate temperature T2;
expanding a first flow of this air at temperature T2 in a second turbine (8;
7); and
liquifying, expanding and introducing into the medium pressure column (12) the rest of this air that was cooled to temperature T2;
withdrawing the major portion of at least the separated oxygen in liquid phase from the low pressure column (13);
compressing the liquid oxygen by pumping to at least one first vaporization pressure at which it vaporizes by heat exchange with air at at least one of said high pressures P1 and P2 thereby to condensate air at said at least one high pressure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Entering air, all of which is compressed to a first high pressure P1, is partly further compressed to a pressure P2. At intermediate temperatures, a portion of each air current is expanded in a turbine (7, 8). One of the turbines can have an output at a pressure P3 comprised between P1 and the medium pressure. The major proportion of the separated oxygen is withdrawn as a liquid from the low pressure column (13), pumped to the production pressure and vaporized in the heat exchange line (2) by condensation or pseudo-condensation of air at one of the pressures P1, P2 and P3, depending on whether the condensation occurs at subcritical or supercritical pressure.
31 Citations
15 Claims
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1. In a process for the production of gaseous oxygen under pressure by distillation of air in an installation comprising a heat exchange line (2) and a double distillation column (1) which column comprises a first column (12) operating under a medium pressure and a second column (13) operating under a low pressure, pumping (in 9, 10) liquid oxygen withdrawn from the base of the low pressure column to compress the liquid oxygen, and vaporizing the compressed oxygen by heat exchange with compressed air at a high air pressure;
- the improvement comprising;
compressing all the air to be treated to a first high pressure P1 substantially greater than said medium pressure; cooling a first portion of this compressed air to a first intermediate temperature T1, expanding a first fraction of this cooled air in a first turbine (7;
8); and
cooling, liquefying, expanding and introducing into medium pressure column (12) the rest of this cooled air;further compressing the rest of the air at the first high pressure P1 to a second high pressure P2 greater than P1 and cooling this further compressed air to a second intermediate temperature T2;
expanding a first flow of this air at temperature T2 in a second turbine (8;
7); and
liquifying, expanding and introducing into the medium pressure column (12) the rest of this air that was cooled to temperature T2;withdrawing the major portion of at least the separated oxygen in liquid phase from the low pressure column (13);
compressing the liquid oxygen by pumping to at least one first vaporization pressure at which it vaporizes by heat exchange with air at at least one of said high pressures P1 and P2 thereby to condensate air at said at least one high pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- the improvement comprising;
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9. In an installation for the production of gaseous oxygen under pressure by the distillation of air in a double air distillation column (1) comprising a column (13) operating under a low pressure and a column (12) operating under a medium pressure, a pump (9, 10) for compressing liquid oxygen withdrawn from the base of the low pressure column (13), compression means (3, 4, 5, 32) to bring the air to be distilled to a high air pressure substantially greater than the medium pressure, and a heat exchange line (2) to place in heat exchange relation the air at the high pressure and the compressed liquid oxygen;
- the improvement wherein the compression means comprise a compressor (3) to bring all the air to be distilled to a first high pressure P1 substantially greater than the medium pressure, and means (4, 5,
32) for further compressing a fraction of the air under this first high pressure to a second high pressure P2, these further compression means comprising at least two blowers in series each coupled to an expansion turbine (7, 8,
30), one said blower (4;
5) being coupled to a said turbine (7;
8) for expanding air under the first high pressure P1 and another said blower (5;
4) being coupled to a second said turbine (8;
7) for expanding a portion of the further compressed air, the heat exchange line (2) comprising cooling passages for air from the said turbine (7) having the higher inlet temperature, and means for passing air from said turbine (7) having the higher inlet temperature through said cooling passages in countercurrent heat exchange relation with said compressed oxygen. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
- the improvement wherein the compression means comprise a compressor (3) to bring all the air to be distilled to a first high pressure P1 substantially greater than the medium pressure, and means (4, 5,
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14. In an installation for the production of gaseous oxygen under pressure by distillation of air in a double air distillation column (1) comprising a column (13) operating under a low pressure and a column (12) operating under a medium pressure, a pump (9, 10) for compressing liquid oxygen withdrawn from the base of the low pressure column (13), compression means (3, 4, 5, 32) to supply air to be distilled at a high air pressure substantially greater than the medium pressure, and a heat exchange line (2) to place in heat exchange relation the air at the high pressure and the compressed liquid oxygen;
- the improvement wherein the compression means comprise a compressor (3) to bring all the air to be distilled to a first high pressure P1 substantially greater than the medium pressure, and means (4, 5,
32) for further compressing a fraction of the air under this first high pressure to a second high pressure P2, these further compression means comprising at least two blowers in series each coupled to an .expansion turbine (7, 8,
32), one said blower (4;
5) being coupled to one turbine (7;
8) for expanding air under the first high pressure P1 and another said blower (5;
4) being coupled to a second turbine (8;
7) for expansion of a portion of the further compressed air, the inlet temperature T1 of one (7) of the two turbines being between about 0°
C. and -60°
C., while the inlet temperature T2 of the other turbine (8) is between about -80°
C. and -130°
C., the outlet pressure of said one turbine (7) being a pressure of said column (1) and means for passing air directly to said column (1) from said one turbine (7). - View Dependent Claims (15)
- the improvement wherein the compression means comprise a compressor (3) to bring all the air to be distilled to a first high pressure P1 substantially greater than the medium pressure, and means (4, 5,
Specification