Title:
AIR SEPARATION METHOD AND APPARATUS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2013/085679
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
A method and apparatus to produce oxygen and nitrogen co-products in which a compressed and purified air stream is cooled, fully or partially condensed and then rectified in a main distillation column to form a nitrogen-rich vapor column overhead and crude liquid oxygen. A crude liquid oxygen stream is depressurized and then stripped in an auxiliary distillation column with a stripping gas to produce an oxygen-rich liquid. The nitrogen-rich vapor column overhead from the main distillation column is used to form a nitrogen product and the crude liquid oxygen is partially vaporized to produce the stripping gas, a residual oxygen-rich liquid and liquid nitrogen reflux to the main distillation column. The oxygen product is formed from the residual oxygen-rich liquid by either providing the heat exchange duty in condensing the compressed and purified air stream or by condensing nitrogen-rich vapor used in refluxing the main distillation column.
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Inventors:
HOWARD HENRY EDWARD (US)
WATT MATHEW R (US)
BERGMAN THOMAS J (US)
WATT MATHEW R (US)
BERGMAN THOMAS J (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2012/065001
Publication Date:
March 19, 2015
Filing Date:
November 14, 2012
Export Citation:
Assignee:
PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY INC (US)
International Classes:
F25J3/04
Foreign References:
| US4560397A | 1985-12-24 | |||
| US6079223A | 2000-06-27 | |||
| US5592832A | 1997-01-14 | |||
| US5195324A | 1993-03-23 | |||
| US5901578A | 1999-05-11 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
ROSENBLUM, David, M. (Inc.39 Old Ridgebury Roa, Danbury CT, US)
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