Air separation method and apparatus
AssigneeThe BOC Group, Inc.
InventorsJoseph P. Naumovitz, Charles M. Brooks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method an apparatus for separating air in which an oxygen containing vapor stream is removed from a single column nitrogen generator and then divided into two subsidiary streams. The two subsidiary streams are condensed and then combined for stripping within a stripping column to produce ultra-high purity liquid oxygen as a column bottoms. One of the two subsidiary streams is condensed in a reboiler and a bottom region of the stripping column. The other of the two subsidiary streams is condensed within a head condenser used in connection with the nitrogen stripping column.
Claims10
An air separation method comprising:
- cooling compressed and purified air stream to a temperature suitable for its rectification;
- rectifying said air stream to produce an oxygen containing vapor fraction lean in heavy components;
- dividing an oxygen-rich stream composed of the oxygen containing vapor fraction into two subsidiary streams;
- and
- separately condensing said two subsidiary streams and stripping said two subsidiary streams in a stripping column of light components of said air stream so that ultra-high purity liquid oxygen is produced as column bottoms within said stripping column;
- one of said two subsidiary streams being condensed through indirect heat exchange with said column bottoms of said stripping column, thereby to produce boil-up within said stripping column.
An air separation apparatus comprising:
- means for cooling a compressed and purified air stream to a temperature suitable for its rectification;
- means for rectifying said air stream to produce an oxygen containing vapor fraction lean in heavy impurities;
- a stripping colttrnn having a reboiler in a bottom region thereof to provide boil-up within said stripping column;
- said reboiler connected to said rectifying means so that one of two subsidiary streams composed of said oxygen containing vapor fraction condenses within said reboiler;
- means also connected to said rectifying means for condensing the other of said two subsidiary streams;
- the condensing means and said reboiler connected to a top region of said stripping column so that said two subsidiary streams are stripped within said stripping column of light impurities and ultra-high purity liquid oxygen is thereby produced as column bottoms within said stripping column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.