Porcess and apparatus for the production of high pressure nitrogen and oxygen
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsYves Koeberle, Jean-Pierre Tranier
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Abstract
According to the process of the invention, after heating, nitrogen which exits from a pressure column is compressed under elevated pressure by means of a single nitrogen compressor, and the low pressure column is operated at a pressure of about P.sub.N /.rho..sub.N, where P.sub.N represents the elevated pressure of nitrogen and .rho..sub.N the compression ratio of the nitrogen compressor. Application to the simultaneous production on the one hand of high purity nitrogen at a pressure between 50 and 60 bars, and on the other hand, of oxygen at 65 bars, so as to supply a unit for the production of ammonia.
Claims11
Process for the simultaneous production on the one hand of pure nitrogen at an elevated pressure which is higher than about 25 bars absolute, and on the other hand of oxygen, by air distillation in a double distillation column, comprising a mean pressure column and a low pressure column providing pure nitrogen at the top of said low pressure column, comprising the steps of withdrawing nitrogen from the low pressure column, heating the withdrawn nitrogen, compressing the heated nitrogen at elevated pressure by means of a single nitrogen compressor of the centrifugal type having at most six compression wheels, and operating the low pressure column at a pressure of the order of P.sub.N /.rho..sub.N, where P.sub.N represents the elevated pressure of said nitrogen and .rho..sub.N the compression ratio of said nitrogen compressor.
Apparatus for the simultaneous production on the one hand of pure nitrogen at an elevated pressure which is higher than about 25 bars absolute, and on the other hand oxygen, by air distillation in a double distillation column comprising a mean pressure column and a low pressure column to produce pure nitrogen at the top of said low pressure column, which comprises an air compressor adapted to bring air to be treated to a mean pressure which is higher than 6 bars absolute, and a single nitrogen compressor of the centrifugal type having at most six compression wheels, to compress nitrogen to an elevated pressure, the first wheel having a suction side connected to the top of the low pressure column, said low pressure column operating at a low pressure of the order of P.sub.N /.rho..sub.N, where P.sub.N represents the elevated pressure of said nitrogen and .rho..sub.N, the compression ratio of said nitrogen compressor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.