# US 2013/0152629 A1 · "Air cooling and purification apparatus intended for a cryogenic air distillation unit" > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152629 A1 - Document ID: US20130152629A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/808,931 - Filed: 2011-06-22 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-07-09 - Assignees: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude - Inventors: Patrice Cavagne - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152629A1 ## CPC - F25J 3/04: for air - F25J 3/04157: {Afterstage cooling and so-called "pre-cooling" of the feed air upstream the air purification unit and main heat exchange line (F25J3/04618 takes precedence)} - F25J 3/04169: {by adsorption of the impurities (adsorption in general B01D53/02)} - F25J 3/0489: {Modularity and arrangement of parts of the air fractionation unit, in particular of the cold box, e.g. pre-fabrication, assembling and erection, dimensions, horizontal layout "plot" (F25J3/04872 takes precedence)} - F25J 2205/32: as direct contact cooling tower to produce a cooled gas stream, e.g. direct contact after cooler [DCAC] - F25J 2205/60: using adsorption on solid adsorbents, e.g. by temperature-swing adsorption [TSA] at the hot or cold end - 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 (cryogenic pumps F04B37/08; gas storage vessels, gas holders F17; filing vessels with, or discharging from vessels, compressed, liquefied or solidified gases F17C; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B)} ## Abstract An apparatus for cooling and purifying a stream of air comprises a building, a cooling tower, for cooling by direct contact with water, two purification bottles, each of vertical axis, a pipe for sending water to the cooling tower, a pipe for sending air to the cooling tower, a pipe for sending cooled air from the tower to the purification bottles and a system of valves and piping for connecting the two bottles to the cooling tower, this assembly being located inside the building, and the two bottles and the tower being outside the building, the two bottles and the assembly being placed on either side of a wall of the building, the bottles being placed along the wall and the tower being positioned between the two bottles. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-14. (canceled) ### Claim 15 An apparatus for cooling and purifying a stream of air comprising: a cooling tower that cools by direct contact with water; two purification cylinders, each of vertical axis; a pipe for conveying water to the cooling tower, the tower being located between the two cylinders; a pipe for conveying air to the cooling tower; a pipe for conveying cooled air from the tower to the purification cylinders; a set of valves and piping connecting the two cylinders to the cooling tower; and a building, wherein the set of valves and piping are disposed inside the building, wherein the two purification cylinders and the cooling tower are disposed outside the building, wherein the two cylinders and the set of valves and piping are positioned on either side of a wall of the building, with the purification cylinders positioned along the wall. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, in which the center of the tower viewed from above is situated on the mid line between the centers of the two cylinders, viewed from above. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the centers of the two cylinders and of the tower when viewed from above form a straight line. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the centers of the two cylinders and of the tower when viewed from above form an obtuse angled triangle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, in which the building further comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a compressor, a turbine, a distillation column, and combinations thereof ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, in which the ratio between the dimension of the set of valves and piping in the vertical direction and the dimension in the horizontal direction is less than 1. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, in which the wall constitutes the longest wall of the building, the building being of rectangular section. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus as claimed in claim 21, in which the ratio between the length of the wall and the width of the building is greater than 2. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, in which the tower is closer to the wall than the two cylinders. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, in which the tower is further away from the wall than the two cylinders. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the apparatus is used to provide cooling and purification of air for an air separation apparatus. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the apparatus is used to provide cooling and purification of air for an air separation apparatus, wherein the compressor is an air compressor connected to the cooling tower. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the apparatus is used to provide cooling and purification of air for an air separation apparatus, wherein the turbine is an air turbine connected to the purification cylinders. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the apparatus is used to provide cooling and purification of air for an air separation apparatus, wherein the distillation column is an air distillation column connected to the purification cylinders.