Abstract:
A cryogenic air separation process is set forth wherein, in order to provide the refrigeration necessary when at least a portion of the oxygen product is desired as liquid oxygen, LNG-derived refrigeration is used to liquefy a nitrogen stream in the process. A key to the present invention is that, instead of feeding the liquefied nitrogen to the distillation column, the liquefied nitrogen is heat exchanged against the air feed to the distillation column system.
Abstract:
A low temperature air separation process and apparatus for producing pressurized gaseous product in an air separation unit using a system of distillation columns which include cooling a compressed air stream in a heat exchange line to form a compressed cooled air stream, sending at least part of the compressed, cooled air stream to a column of the system, liquefying a process stream to form a first liquid product, storing at least part of the first liquid product in a storage tank, sending at least part of the above first liquid product from the storage tank to the air separation unit as one of the feeds, extracting at least one second liquid product stream from a column of the column system and pressurizing the at least one second liquid product stream, vaporizing the above pressurized second liquid product stream to form pressurized gaseous product in the heat exchange line and extracting a cold gas without warming it completely in the heat exchange line.
Abstract:
In an integrated process for separation of air, an air separation unit produces a stream enriched in oxygen and a stream enriched in nitrogen, the stream enriched in nitrogen is used to liquefy vaporized natural gas by indirect heat exchange and the stream enriched in oxygen is sent to a natural gas treatment unit.
Abstract:
In a process for separating air in a system comprising a gas turbine, including a compressor (1), a combustor (5) and an expander (17), said expander being coupled to the compressor, a natural gas conversion unit (23) and an air separation unit (20), air is compressed in the compressor, a first part (3) of the air is sent to the combustor and a second part (7) of the air is sent to the air separation unit, oxygen enriched gas (21) is sent from the air separation unit to the natural gas conversion unit, compressed nitrogen enriched gas (16) is sent upstream of the expander, a first stream (33) of natural gas is sent to the natural gas conversion unit, a second stream of natural gas (35) is sent to a natural gas liquefaction unit and work produced by the expander is used to operate a cycle compressor of a refrigeration cycle of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
Abstract:
The method and the device are used for the cryogenic separation of air. Compressed and purified application air (9, 10, 20) is cooled in a main heat exchanger (30) and is at least partially fed (12, 33) to a rectifying column (50). A first partial flow (26) of the application air is fed to the main heat exchanger (30), is at least partially withdrawn at a first intermediate temperature from the main heat exchanger (28), and is fed to a cold compression (29). The first partial flow (26) is warmed up (27) upstream of its withdrawal (28) at the first intermediate temperature in the main heat exchanger (30).
Abstract:
A method for generating electric power comprises the S cycle, an air separation unit and a Rankine cycle. Steam, oxygen and coal are introduced into a reaction chamber to form fuel gas. The fuel gas flows through heat exchangers and a compressor-turbine group to three combustors. Three combustors are operated at different pressure levels. The combustion gases of the first combustor go to the first gas turbine. The exhaust of the first gas turbine is employed as working medium for the succeeding combustors and gas turbines. The combustion gases of the second combustor flow to the second gas turbine, and the combustion gases of the third combustor go to the third gas turbine. The exhaust of the third gas turbine is utilized to heat compressed air and to produce steam for coal gasification and Rankine cycle. An integrated air separation unit, including a pressure temperature swing process, produces pure oxygen on site and generates electricity through a turbine compressor group.
Abstract:
The S cycle electric power system embodies a separation condensation unit, a Rankine cycle and the S cycle including coal gasification. Coal, oxygen and steam are converted into high temperature and pressure fuel gas in a coal gasifier. The fuel gas is first utilized to heat recycled carbon dioxide and steam, then to drive a compressor turbine group to produce power. In a main gas turbine group, the fuel gas is burned in the recycled carbon dioxide. Three main turbines are operated at three different pressure levels. The exhaust of the third turbine is employed to heat the recycled carbon dioxide from a 6-stage compressor with intercooling, and to produce steam. Part of the steam goes to coal gasification. The rest of the steam generates power by expansion in a steam turbine. An integrated separation condensation unit produces pure oxygen on site, and captures carbon dioxide formed in fuel combustion. The system has high energy efficiency and zero pollutant emissions including carbon dioxide.
Abstract:
Compressed air, feeding a unit for the separation of gases present in air, releases calories to a refrigerating unit which operates by absorption while cooling a flow of liquid in heat exchange relationship with a gas of the apparatus to cool the latter so as to ensure a reduction of the global energy consumption of the apparatus.
Abstract:
A method of liquefying a low-boiling gas, in which gas is compressed to a high pressure, is cooled in heat exchange structure and is isenthalpically expanded to condense a portion of the same to liquid. The liquid being separated from residual gas and the residual gas is used to cool the heat exchange structure and is then recycled. A portion of the gas is compressed to an intermediate pressure between the high and low pressures, is isentropically expanded at a first temperature and is used to cool a relatively warm portion of heat exchange structure and is then recycled. A portion of the high pressure gas is isentropically expanded at a second temperature and used to cool a relatively cool portion of the heat exchange structure and then again isentropically expanded at a third temperature to that low pressure and returned through the heat exchange structure to cool the same and is then recycled. That first temperature is higher than the second temperature and that second temperature is higher than the third temperature. The gas is preferably nitrogen. The cycle can be part of an air separation unit, whose low pressure nitrogen product is make-up for the liquefaction cycle and whose high pressure nitrogen product is merged with the low pressure cycle gas.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a process for the liquefaction of a nitrogen stream produced by separating air components using the combination of cryogenic distillation with improved refrigeration. Very cold liquid natural gas (LNG) is employed as refrigerant, with the LNG concurrently being revaporized for transportation. The requisite circulating liquid is produced by compressing the nitrogen feed streams in a multi-stage compressor, wherein the interstage cooling is provided by heat exchange against the part of the recirculating nitrogen stream yielding a high pressure nitrogen stream. The resulting nitrogen, having a pressure greater than that of the LNG refrigerant, is then used as the circulating fluid to transfer refrigeration from the LNG to other low pressure nitrogen feed streams prior to their cold compression. Also, high pressure nitrogen is used as circulating fluid to transfer refrigeration to precool feed air to cryogenic temperatures prior to its compression in an air separation unit. A portion of the high pressure nitrogen is condensed against vaporizing LNG, followed by reducing the pressure of the condensed, high pressure nitrogen stream, producing a two phase nitrogen stream, which is phase separated into a liquid nitrogen product.