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US 10,605,523 B2Granted
Process and apparatus for separating air by cryogenic distillation
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsBenoit Davidian, Richard Dubettier-Grenier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process comprises a first set of distillation columns and a second set of distillation columns, a low-pressure column of the first set being connected to a column operating at higher pressure of the second set by means of a gas arriving from the top of the column operating at a higher pressure and/or by means of a fluid arriving from the low-pressure column.
Claims20
A process for separating air by cryogenic distillation in an apparatus comprising:
- i) a first distillation system comprising a first column operating at a first pressure and a second column operating at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, a top portion of the first column being thermally connected to a bottom portion of the second column by a first reboiler-condenser, wherein the first distillation system further comprises a first purification unit and a first heat exchange line;
- and
- ii) a second distillation system comprising a third column operating at a third pressure lower than the first pressure and a fourth column operating at a fourth pressure lower than the first pressure, the second pressure and the third pressure, wherein a top portion of the third column is thermally connected to a bottom portion of the fourth column by a second reboiler-condenser, wherein the second distillation system further comprises a second purification unit and a second heat exchange line,
- the process comprising:
- sending a first compressed air to the first purification unit to produce a first purified air;
- sending the first purified air from the first purification unit to the first exchange line to produce a first cooled air;
- sending the first cooled air from the first exchange line to the first column for rectification of the first cooled air;
- sending a second compressed air to the second purification unit to produce a second purified air;
- sending the second purified air from the second purification unit to the second exchange line to produce a second cooled air;
- sending the second cooled air from the second exchange line to the third column for rectification of the second cooled air;
- sending a head fluid from the top portion of the third column to the second column or mixing the head fluid from the top portion of the third column with a head gas from the second column;
- and
- sending an intermediate fluid from the second column to the third column.
10 more elements
An air separation apparatus comprising a first air separation unit comprising:
- i) a first distillation system comprising a first column configured to operate at a first pressure and a second column configured to operate at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, a top portion of the first column being thermally connected to a bottom portion of the second column by a reboiler-condenser, wherein the first distillation system further comprises a first purification unit and a first heat exchange line, wherein the first purification unit is in fluid communication with the first heat exchange line, wherein the first heat exchange line is in fluid communication with the first distillation system;
- ii) a second distillation system comprising a third column configured to operate at a third pressure lower than the first pressure and a fourth column configured to operate at a fourth pressure lower than the first pressure, the second pressure, and the third pressure, a top portion of the third column being thermally connected to a bottom portion of the fourth column by a second reboiler-condenser, wherein the second distillation system further comprises a second purification unit and a second heat exchange line, wherein the second purification unit is in fluid communication with the second heat exchange line, wherein the second heat exchange line is in fluid communication with the second distillation system;
- means for sending a head fluid from the top portion of the third column to the second column or to a head gas pipe of the second column;
- and
- means for sending an intermediate fluid from the second column to the third column.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.