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US 5,098,457 AGranted
Method and apparatus for producing elevated pressure nitrogen
AssigneeUnion Carbide Industrial Gases Technology Corporation
InventorsHarry Cheung, Dante P. Bonaquist
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing elevated pressure nitrogen with improved recovery comprising a primary column and a lower pressure auxiliary column wherein auxiliary column top vapor is condensed, pressurized and passed into the primary column.
Claims16
A method for producing elevated pressure nitrogen with improved recovery comprising:
- (A) providing compressed feed air into a primary column operating at a pressure within the range of from 80 to 150 pounds per square inch absolute;
- (B) separating the feed air in the primary column into nitrogen-richer component and oxygen-enriched component;
- (C) providing oxygen-enriched component into an auxiliary column operating at a pressure less than that of the primary column;
- (D) separating oxygen-enriched component into nitrogen-enriched vapor and oxygen-richer liquid;
- (E) condensing nitrogen-enriched vapor by indirect heat exchange with oxygen-richer liquid to produce nitrogen-enriched liquid;
- (F) increasing the pressure of the nitrogen-enriched liquid to substantially the operating pressure of the primary column;
- (G) providing pressurized nitrogen-enriched liquid into the primary column for further production of nitrogen-richer component;
- and
- (H) recovering nitrogen-richer component from the primary column as product elevated pressure nitrogen.
6 more elements
Apparatus for producing elevated pressure nitrogen with improved recovery comprising:
- (A) a primary column having a top condenser and means for providing feed into the primary column;
- (B) means for providing fluid from the lower portion of the primary column into the top condenser;
- (C) an auxiliary column having a top condenser;
- (D) means for providing fluid from the primary column top condenser into the auxiliary column;
- (E) means for providing liquid from the auxiliary column top condenser into the primary column including means for increasing the pressure of said liquid;
- and
- (F) means for recovering product from the primary column.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.