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US 9,435,229 B2Granted
Process and device for air separation and steam generation in a combined system
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsAlexander Alekseev, Dimitri Goloubev
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed process and apparatus provide for air separation and steam generation in a combined system that comprises a steam system (10) and an air separation plant (9), wherein a feed air stream (1) is introduced into a multistage air compression system (101, 102, 103) having n stages (n>=3) and compressed to a first high pressure that is equal to the final pressure of the air compression system, and, at this final pressure, is introduced (8) into the air separation plant (9). An intercooler is arranged between an i-th stage (102) (1<=i<n) and an i+1-th stage (103) of the air compression system; there, the feed air stream (4) is cooled in indirect heat exchange with a feed water stream (11).
Claims22
An integrated process for air separation and steam generation in a combined system comprising a steam system (10) and an air separation plant (9), said process comprising:
- introducing a feed air stream (1) into a multistage air compression system (101, 102, 103) having n stages, wherein n is greater than or equal to 3, and at least a first part of the feed air stream is compressed to a first high pressure that is equal to the final pressure of the air compression system, and, at this final pressure, is introduced (8) into the air separation plant (9),
- removing the feed air stream (3) from an i−1-th stage (101) of the air compression system, wherein i is greater than 1 and i is less than n, and introducing the feed stream, without intercooling, into an i-th stage (102) of the air compression system,
- removing the feed air stream (4) at an outlet temperature Tout(i) from the i-th stage (102) of the air compression system and introducing the feed air stream at this temperature into an intercooler (202) which is arranged between said i-th stage (102) and the subsequent i+1-th stage (103) of the air compression system,
- cooling the feed air stream (4) in the intercooler (202) by indirect heat exchange with a heat carrier stream (311),
- coupling heat from the heat carrier stream (312) heated in the intercooler (202) into the steam system (10), wherein the heat carrier stream is used directly as feed water in the steam system or the heat of the heat carrier stream is coupled by indirect heat exchange into the steam system,
- introducing the feed air stream into a further cooler (300) positioned downstream of the intercooler and upstream of the last stage of the air compression system, and
- introducing at least said first part of the feed air stream (7) into an aftercooler (203) downstream of the last stage (103) of the air compression system, and cooling said first part of the feed air stream (7) in said aftercooler (203) by indirect heat exchange with said heat carrier stream (15) before introducing said first part of the feed air stream (8) into the air separation plant (9), and
- wherein said heat carrier stream (316), after being heated in said aftercooler (203), is introduced (311) into said intercooler (202).
5 more elements
An integrated apparatus for air separation and steam generation with a combined system, said apparatus comprising:
- a steam system (10) and an air separation plant (9),
- a multistage air compression system (101, 102, 103) having n stages, wherein n is greater than or equal to 3 for compressing a feed air stream (1) to a first, high pressure that is equal to the final pressure of the air compression system,
- means for introducing (8) the compressed feed air stream at the final pressure into the air separation plant (9),
- means for removing the feed air stream (3) from an i-1-th stage (101) of the air compression system for introduction, without intercooling, into the i-th stage (102) of the air compression system, wherein i is greater than 1 and i is less than n,
- means for removing the feed air stream (4) at an outlet temperature Tout(i) from a stage (102) of the air compression system and means for introducing the feed air stream (4) at outlet temperature Tout(i) into an intercooler (202) which is arranged between said i-th stage (102) i+1-th stage (103) of the air compression system, wherein the intercooler (202) is constructed for cooling the feed air stream (4) by indirect heat exchange with a heat carrier stream (311),
- means for coupling heat from the heat carrier stream (312), heated in the intercooler (202), into the steam system (10), wherein the heat carrier stream is used directly as feed water in the steam system or the heat of the heat carrier stream is coupled by indirect heat exchange into the steam system,
- means for introducing the feed air stream into a further cooler (300) downstream of the intercooler and upstream of the last stage of the air compression system,
- means for introducing at least a first part of the feed air stream (7) into an aftercooler (203) downstream of the last stage (103) of the air compression system and before introduction of the first part of the feed air stream into the air separation plant (8), which aftercooler is constructed for cooling the at least the first part of the feed air stream by indirect heat exchange with the heat carrier stream (15), and
- means for introducing the heat carrier stream (316), after being heated in the aftercooler (203), into the intercooler (202).
6 more elements
An integrated process for air separation and steam generation in a combined system comprising a steam system (10) and an air separation plant (9), said process comprising:
- introducing a feed air stream (1) into a multistage air compression system (101, 102, 103) having n stages, wherein n is greater than or equal to 3, and at least a first part of the feed air stream is compressed to a first high pressure that is equal to the final pressure of the air compression system, and, at this final pressure, is introduced (8) into the air separation plant (9),
- removing the feed air stream (3) from an i−1-th stage (101) of the air compression system, wherein i is greater than 1 and i is less than n, and introducing the feed stream, without intercooling, into an i-th stage (102) of the air compression system,
- removing the feed air stream (4) at an outlet temperature Tout(i) from the i-th stage (102) of the air compression system and introducing the feed air stream at this temperature into an intercooler (202) which is arranged between said i-th stage (102) and the subsequent i+1-th stage (103) of the air compression system,
- cooling the feed air stream (4) in the intercooler (202) by indirect heat exchange with a heat carrier stream (311),
- coupling heat from the heat carrier stream (312) heated in the intercooler (202) into the steam system (10), wherein the heat carrier stream is used directly as feed water in the steam system or the heat of the heat carrier stream is coupled by indirect heat exchange into the steam system,
- introducing the feed air stream into a further cooler (300) positioned downstream of the intercooler and upstream of the last stage of the air compression system, and
- introducing at least said first part of the feed air stream (7) into an aftercooler (203) downstream of the last stage (103) of the air compression system, and cooling said first part of the feed air stream (7) in said aftercooler (203) by indirect heat exchange with at least a part of said heat carrier stream (15) before introducing said first part of the feed air stream (8) into the air separation plant (9), wherein another part of said heat carrier stream (15) does not undergo indirect heat exchange in said aftercooler (203),
- wherein said at least part of said heat carrier stream (316), after being heated in said aftercooler (203), is introduced (311) into said intercooler (202), and
- said another part of said heat carrier stream (15) is combined with said at least a part of said heat carrier stream (316) before said heat carrier stream is introduced (311) into said intercooler (202).
6 more elements
An integrated apparatus for air separation and steam generation with a combined system, said apparatus comprising:
- a steam system (10) and an air separation plant (9),
- a multistage air compression system (101, 102, 103) having n stages, wherein n is greater than or equal to 3 for compressing a feed air stream (1) to a first, high pressure that is equal to the final pressure of the air compression system,
- means for introducing (8) the compressed feed air stream at the final pressure into the air separation plant (9),
- means for removing the feed air stream (3) from an i−1-th stage (101) of the air compression system for introduction, without intercooling, into the i-th stage (102) of the air compression system, wherein i is greater than 1 and i is less than n,
- means for removing the feed air stream (4) at an outlet temperature Tout(i) from a stage (102) of the air compression system and means for introducing the feed air stream (4) at outlet temperature Tout(i) into an intercooler (202) which is arranged between said i-th stage (102) and the subsequent i+1-th stage (103) of the air compression system, wherein the intercooler (202) is constructed for cooling the feed air stream(4) by indirect heat exchange with a first heat carrier stream (311),
- means for coupling heat from a heat carrier stream (312), heated in the intercooler (202), into the steam system (10), wherein the heat carrier stream can be used directly as feed water in the steam system or the heat of the heat carrier stream can be coupled by indirect heat exchange into the steam system,
- means for introducing the feed air stream into a further cooler (300) downstream of the intercooler and upstream of the last stage of the air compression system,
- means for introducing at least a first part of the feed air stream (7) into an aftercooler (203) downstream of the last stage (103) of the air compression system and before introduction of the first part of the feed air stream into the air separation plant (8 , which aftercooler is constructed for cooling at least the first part of the feed air stream by indirect heat exchange with at least a part of the heat carrier stream (15),
- means for directing another part of the heat carrier stream (15) to bypass the indirect heat exchange in said aftercooler (203),
- means for introducing heat carrier stream (316), after being heated in the aftercooler (203), into the intercooler (202), and
- means for combining the another part of the heat carrier stream with the at least a part of the heat carrier stream (316) before the heat carrier stream is introduced (311) into said intercooler (202).
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.