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US 5,305,611 AGranted
Cryogenic rectification system with thermally integrated argon column
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorHenry E. Howard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cryogenic rectification system for enhancing the recovery of argon wherein the pressure of the argon column is reduced from that of other columns in the system and a small stripping section is created within the argon column by the use of an additional condenser/reboiler and by the introduction of the argon column feed at an intermediate point of the column.
Claims9
A cryogenic rectification method for producing argon comprising:
- (A) providing a feed comprising argon into a main column system and carrying out cryogenic rectification within the main column system;
- (B) withdrawing argon-containing vapor from the main column system and condensing said argon-containing vapor;
- (C) reducing the pressure of the resulting argon-containing liquid;
- (D) providing reduced pressure argon-containing liquid as feed into an argon column at an intermediate point of the argon column and separating the feed by cryogenic rectification into argon-richer fluid and argon-leaner fluid;
- (E) withdrawing argon-leaner fluid from the argon column, increasing its pressure, and passing increased pressure argon-leaner fluid into the main column system;
- and
- (F) recovering argon-richer fluid as product argon.
4 more elements
A cryogenic rectification apparatus for producing argon comprising:
- (A) a main column system and means for providing feed into the main column system;
- (B) an argon column, a condenser and means for passing fluid from the main column system to the condenser;
- (C) means for passing fluid from the condenser into the argon column at an intermediate point of the argon column;
- (D) means for reducing the pressure of fluid passed from the condenser into the argon column;
- (E) means for withdrawing fluid from the lower portion of the argon column, means for increasing the pressure of the withdrawn fluid, and means for passing the increased pressure withdrawn fluid into the main column system;
- and
- (F) means for recovering fluid taken from the upper portion of the argon column.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.