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US 5,076,837 AGranted
Air separation in combination with a chemical process
AssigneeThe BOC Group, Inc.
InventorsThomas Rathbone, John T. Lavin
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for recovering work from a nitrogen stream, wherein the nitrogen is preheated via heat exchange with hot fluid from a chemical process, which process utilizes the oxygen product of the air separation. Preferably at least a part of the expanded nitrogen is utilized to preheat at least one fluid reactant of the chemical process. The chemical process may be gasification or direct reduction of iron oxide, as well as the conversion of natural gas into synthesis gas.
Claims10
A combined process comprising:
- separating air into oxygen and nitrogen;
- supplying a stream of the oxygen to a chemical process that takes place at elevated temperature and that produces as product or waste a hot gaseous stream;
- heating a stream of the nitrogen at a pressure of at least 5 atmospheres to a temperature of at least 700.degree. C. by heat exchange with the hot gaseous stream;
- and expanding the thus heated nitrogen stream in a turbine with the performance of external work.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.