Method for the cryogenic fractionation of air and air fractionation plant
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorMatthias Meilinger
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Abstract
A method for the cryogenic fractionation of air, in which a liquid volume present in a vaporization chamber in a distillation column system of an air fractionation plant is fed by means of a cryogenic liquid and in which a proportion of the liquid volume is continuously transferred into the gas phase by vaporization, wherein, in addition to oxygen, the cryogenic liquid contains components, including xenon, which are higher-boiling than oxygen. The content of xenon in the cryogenic liquid is determined and used as a measure of any enrichment of the components which are higher-boiling than oxygen in the cryogenic liquid. A corresponding air fractionation plant is also described.
Claims16
Method for the cryogenic fractionation of air, in which a liquid volume present in a vaporization chamber in a distillation column system of an air fractionation plant is fed by means of a cryogenic liquid and a proportion of the liquid volume is continuously transferred into the gas phase by vaporization, wherein, in addition to oxygen, the cryogenic liquid contains components, including xenon, which are higher-boiling than oxygen, characterized in that the content of xenon in the liquid volume is determined and used as a measure of an enrichment of the components which are higher-boiling than oxygen in the liquid volume.
Air fractionation plant which is configured for the cryogenic fractionation of air in a distillation column system with means which are configured for feeding a liquid volume present in a vaporization chamber of the distillation column system by means of a cryogenic liquid and for continuously transferring a proportion of the liquid volume into the gas phase by vaporization, wherein, in addition to oxygen, the cryogenic liquid contains components, including xenon, which are higher-boiling than oxygen, characterized in that means are provided which are configured to determine a content of xenon in the liquid volume and to use it as a measure of an enrichment of the components which are higher-boiling than oxygen in the liquid volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.