Process for producing and utilizing an oxygen enriched gas

A method for preparing a gas stream containing nitrogen which contains greater than 21 mole % oxygen, and using said gas stream to prepare a normally non-gaseous carbon compound, said method including using a gas turbine comprising an air compression unit and an energy production unit comprising a combustor unit and a first expander unit mechanically linked to the air compression unit by a shaft carrying a thrust bearing, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) compressing air in the air compression unit of the gas turbine;
• (b) contacting at least a portion of compressed air from the air compression unit with a means which is preferential for the separation of O.sub.2 from pressurized air to produce one gas stream which contains greater than 21 moles % oxygen and which also contains nitrogen and a second gas stream depleted in O.sub.2 relative to nitrogen;
• (c) passing said oxygen depleted gas stream to the combustor unit of said turbine;
• (d) recovering said O.sub.2 enriched gas stream in an amount which exceeds the capacity of the thrust bearing;
• (e) reacting said O.sub.2 enriched gas stream with a source of carbon to produce a gas product stream containing H.sub.2, CO and N.sub.2 ;
• (f) converting at least a portion of the H.sub.2 and CO content of the gas product stream into a normally non-gaseous carbon containing compound;
• (g) separating the normally non-gaseous carbon containing compound from the converted gas product stream to yield a residual gas stream containing N.sub.2 and oxidizable gaseous compounds;
• and
• (h) returning said residual gas stream as fuel to the combustor unit of said turbine thereby returning nitrogen to the energy production unit in a quantity about equal to that amount of nitrogen diverted from the energy production unit in the O.sub.2 enriched gas stream.