Pressurized liquid cryogen process
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorArthur Ramsden Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cryogenic air separation process wherein one or more pressurized product streams enriched in oxygen, nitrogen and argon are produced by cryogenic distillation. One or more of the product streams are pressurized above the operating pressure of the distillation column by introducing a pressurizing fluid into a vessel containing a lower pressure product liquid. In the design of the system the pressurizing fluid can be air or streams enriched in oxygen, nitrogen or argon. Product stream pressurization is accomplished without the use of mechanical pumping devices.
Claims20
A method for the separation of air to provide at least one pressurized product enriched in a component of air, which method comprises:
- (a) providing a pressurized, substantially contaminant-free air feed stream;
- (b) cooling at least a portion of the contaminant-free air feed stream to provide a cooled air feed stream, and separating the cooled air feed stream in a cryogenic air separation system to provide an intermediate liquid product stream enriched in at least one of the components of air;
- (c) introducing at least a portion of the intermediate liquid product stream into a vessel;
- (d) pressurizing the vessel by introducing a pressurized fluid into the vessel;
- (e) withdrawing from the vessel a pressurized liquid product enriched in one of the components of air;
- and
- (f) repeating (c), (d), and (e) in a cyclic manner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.