Argon production
AssigneesAir Liquide Process & Construction, Inc., L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsFrancois De Bussy, Jean-Pierre Tranier
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Abstract
A process and system for producing an argon-enriched stream comprising a multiple column air separation system, a first crude argon column, and a second crude argon column is provided. The improved process involves removing a vapor stream from the upper portion of the first argon column; reducing the pressure of the vapor in a pressure reducing device; and then flowing the reduced pressure vapor to a second argon column which operates at a lower operating pressure relative to the first argon column.
Claims21
In a process for producing an argon-enriched stream utilizing a multiple column air separation system, a first argon column, and a second argon column, the improvement comprising
- (a) removing from the double column a feed stream to said first argon column,
- (b) removing a vapor stream from the upper portion of said first argon column;
- (c) reducing the pressure of the vapor in a pressure reducing device;
- and
- (d) flowing the reduced pressure vapor to said second argon column which operates at a lower operating pressure relative to said first argon column.
A process for the production of an argon product comprising
- (a) removing an argon-containing stream from a column of a multiple column air separation system and flowing said argon-containing stream to a first argon column;
- (b) removing an argon-enriched vapor from an upper portion of said first argon column, and reducing the pressure of said argon-enriched stream in a pressure reducing device to produce a reduced pressure argon-enriched vapor;
- (c) flowing the reduced pressure argon-enriched vapor to a second argon column which operates at a lower pressure relative to said first argon column;
- and
- (d) removing an argon product from an upper portion of said second argon column.
A system for recovering argon from a feed air stream comprising
- (a) a multiple column distillation system comprising a high pressure and a low pressure column;
- (b) a first argon column;
- (c) conduit means for flowing an argon containing stream from an intermediate location of said low pressure column to said first argon column;
- (d) conduit means for removing an argon-enriched vapor from an upper portion of said first argon column;
- (e) pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of said argon-enriched vapor to produce a lower relative pressure argon-enriched vapor;
- (f) conduit means for flowing said lower relative pressure argon-enriched vapor to a lower portion of a second argon column;
- (g) means to remove an argon product from an upper portion of said second argon column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.