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US 5,921,109 AGranted
Method for operating a cryogenic rectification column
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsJohn Frederic Billingham, Daniel Mark Seiler, Michael James Lockett
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Abstract
A method for operating a cryogenic rectification column for the separation of the components of air by cryogenic rectification, whereby the column may be operated above its design capacity without encountering flooding, by passing vapor upward through the column at a flowrate which generates a pressure drop within the column of at least 0.7 inches of water per foot of packing height through a height of defined structured packing sheets having a different structure in their upper and lower portions.
Claims7
A method for operating a cryogenic rectification column comprising:
- (A) passing a mixture comprising a more volatile component of air and a less volatile component of air into a column, said column containing a height of packing comprising packing sheets which have a lower portion which differs in structure from an upper portion of the sheet;
- (B) carrying out cryogenic rectification within the column wherein vapor flows upward through the height of packing sheets and liquid flows downward through the height of packing sheets whereby the said more volatile component concentrates in the upflowing vapor and the said less volatile component concentrates in the downflowing liquid;
- (C) passing the upflowing vapor upward through the height of packing within the column at a flowrate so as to have a pressure drop within the column of at least 0.7 inches of water per foot of packing height;
- and
- (D) withdrawing more volatile component from the upper portion of the column and withdrawing less volatile component from the lower portion of the column.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.