Cryogenic distillation system for air separation
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorBao Ha
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Abstract
In a process for production of oxygen enriched fluid and argon enriched fluid by cryogenic distillation of air, a feed stream (1) containing nitrogen, oxygen and argon is sent to a main column system wherein it is separated by cryogenic distillation, an argon containing gaseous stream (33) is removed from a column (103) of the main column system, said column operating at a pressure of at least 2 bar abs., and the argon containing gaseous stream is at least partially condensed, at least part of the at least partially condensed argon containing gaseous stream is sent to an intermediate point of an argon column (104) and an argon enriched product stream (80) is removed from the top of the argon column and a first oxygen enriched product stream (36) is removed from the bottom of the argon columnn.
Claims13
A process for production of oxygen enriched fluid and argon enriched fluid by cryogenic distillation of air comprising the steps of:
- a) sending a feed stream containing nitrogen, oxygen and argon to a main column system wherein it in separated by cryogenic distillaton;
- b) removing an argon containing gaseous stream from a column of the main column system, said column operating at a pressure of at least 2 bar abs., and at least partially condensing the argon containing gaseous stream;
- c) sending at least part of the at least partially condensed argon containing gaseous stream to an intermediate point of an argon column;
- and
- d) removing an argon enriched product stream from the top of the argon column and a first oxygen enriched product stream from the bottom of the argon column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.