Abstract: The invention concerns a method which consists in: intake (through 18) of air into said separation unit (16); extracting from said separation unit at least a gas stream (through 20, 26), essentially consisting of an air gas, in particular oxygen or nitrogen, and in directing the or each gas stream towards a combustion chamber (8) of the gas turbine (2); controlling at least one parameter related to the or each gas stream, by acting on a compressor (22, 28) of said gas stream arranged downstream of said air separating unit (16); assigning to the or each parameter a variable setpoint value, based on a value representing the load of the gas turbine (2).

Abstract: A system for preparing feed air for processing in a cryogenic air separation plant wherein nitrogen vapor from the plant is interacted with water to cool the water by heat exchange and also by evaporative cooling to produce chilled water, and the chilled water is contacted with the feed air to cool the feed air and to scrub particulate matter out from the feed air.

Abstract: In order to boost production of a product (A) of an existing separation plant (X, 1), an additional plant (Y) is integrated with the original plant so as to enable the original plant (X) to produce more of that product (A+B), whilst the additional plant may or may not necessarily itself produce the same product directly. For example, air is separated in a first unit, which is an existing double column distillation plant, to produce an oxygen rich fluid. So as to increase the production of the oxygen rich fluid, a second unit, which is a wash column (15), is integrated with the first unit. Air (41) is separated in the single nitrogen wash column (15) to remove oxygen and gaseous nirogen (42) is produced at the top of the column. The wash column is fed with liquid nitrogen (39) from the high pressure column (25) of an existing air separation unit.

Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system having a main heat exchanger for processing feed air, said heat exchanger having a reversing heat exchanger function in an upward feed airflow countercurrent section and having a desuperheating function in a downward feed air flow cocurrent section.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the production of low pressure gaseous oxygen (“GOX”) in which compressed and purified feed air (1) is cooled and at least partially condensed in heat exchange means (E1) having a warm end and a cold end and the cooled and at least partially condensed feed air (2) is then distilled in a cryogenic distillation column system (C1, C2). A liquid oxygen (“LOX”) product stream (8) is removed from the column system (C1, C2) and vaporized and warmed by heat exchange (E1) to produce GOX. LOX refrigerant (10) from an external source is used to provide a portion of the refrigeration duty required for the cooling and at least partial condensation of the feed air stream (1).

Abstract: A binderless X-type zeolite is used in a process for the reduction of the level of carbon dioxide and/or N2O in a gaseous mixture, the zeolite being obtained by converting the binder in a bound zeolite to zeolite such that the ratio of the adsorption capacity for carbon dioxide of the binderless zeolite to the adsorption capacity of the bound zeolite is greater than the weight ratio of the level of zeolite in the binderless zeolite to the level in the bound zeolite.

Abstract: This apparatus (3A, 3B) is for heat exchange between at least one first fluid available at a temperature at about ambient and at least one second fluid available at a cryogenic temperature below −20° C. It comprises structure alternately to circulate the first fluid through heat exchange material in an overall centripetal manner relative to a general central axis (X-X) of the apparatus (3), from a radially external inlet (17) of the apparatus, and structure to circulate the second fluid through the heat exchange material in an overall centrifugal manner relative to said central axis, from a radially internal inlet (18) of the apparatus. Use in cooling regenerators and exchangers, and if desired for simultaneous purification, of atmospheric air to be distilled.

Abstract: A plant and a process for the purification and cryogenic separation of air containing impurities, which process is carried out according to the steps of (a) compressing the air; (b) introducing the air compressed in step (a) into one or more adsorption vessels containing particles of adsorbent without, beforehand, precooling the air; (c) adsorbing the impurities (CO2, H2O, NOx, SOx, etc) contained in the air on the particles of adsorbent at room temperature and at a pressure of at least 11.4 bar, preferably ranging from 20.1 to 40 bar; (d) cooling the air purified in step (c) down to a cryogenic temperature; and (e) cryogenically distilling the cooled air in order to produce nitrogen, oxygen, argon or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Air is separated in a main rectification column comprising a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column and a condenser-reboiler replacing the higher pressure column in heat exchange relationship with the lower pressure column. A first liquid oxygen fraction concentrated in krypton and xenon is formed at the bottom of the lower pressure column and is withdrawn through outlet. Argon-oxygen separation takes place in the column and a vaporous argon-oxygen stream depleted of krypton and xenon is taken from the outlet as it is subjected to further rectification in a column, a second liquid oxygen fraction containing argon impurity being obtained. A stream of the second liquid oxygen fraction is withdrawn from the column through the outlet and is purified in the column so as to obtain a purified oxygen product.

Abstract: There is provided an air separation apparatus comprising, in fluid flow communication, a compressor having at least two stages in senes, a first outlet from a stage upstream of the final stage, an air purifier in fluid flow communication with the outlet and producing purified air in two parallel flow paths. One of the flow paths is in fluid flow communication, through a heat exchanger, to a rectification column that produces a purified nitrogen product. The second flow path in fluid flow communication with an inlet of the compressor downstream of the chosen stage and provides a purified air product via the compressor through a second outlet thereof also downstream of the chosen stage.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a cryogenic air separation process which intermittently diverts a portion of the air feed as repressurization gas for a front-end two bed pressure swing adsorption adsorption system which system is used to remove impurities from the air feed. In particular, the present invention is an improvement to said process for at least partially eliminating reductions in the purity of the product streams from the air separation unit caused by the intermittent diversions of the air feed as repressurization gas. The improvement comprises reducing the flow of both the nitrogen-enriched waste stream and the crude liquid oxygen stream from the air separation unit during those intermittent periods when repressurization gas is required in the pressure swing adsorption system.

Abstract: An air stream is compressed and divided into a first partial stream (4) used as the feed air stream for a low-temperature air rectification system (16), and a second partial stream (5) used as an oxidation agent in a chemical reaction (6). The waste gas from the chemical reaction is work expanded (9). The first partial stream (4) is introduced into one of rectifying columns (17, 18). A liquid product stream is withdrawn from one (18) of the rectification columns, compressed (28) and vaporized against a further compressed (31, 33) process stream (15) from the low-temperature rectification. At least a portion of the mechanical energy resulting from the work expansion (9) of the waste gas of chemical reaction (6) is used for further compression (31, 33) of the process stream.

Abstract: A high purity nitrogen generator unit which is excellent in the energy efficiency and the recovery of high purity nitrogen gas, is provided. In a rectification column 1, feed air is separated to oxygen-rich liquid air and nitrogen gas. The oxygen-rich liquid air in its bottom is reduced in pressure by a first expansion valve 21 and sent to a composition regulation column 3. The nitrogen gas in its top is condensed in a nitrogen condenser 2, the resulting liquid nitrogen is returned as a reflux liquid to the rectification column 1 and non-condensed gas is released. After oxygen-rich waste gas in the lower part of the composition regulation column 3 is reduced in pressure by an expansion turbine 6, it is released by way of a first heat exchanger 4. Mixed gas in the top of the composition regulation column 3 is introduced for re-circulation into a first compressor 5.

Abstract: A method is provided for separation of air by cryogenic rectification comprising compressing feed air, passing the compressed feed air through a prepurifier wherein the air is substantially cleaned of impurities, thereafter cooling the cleaned air in a cooled regenerator and then introducing it into a cryogenic air separation facility wherein it is separated into nitrogen-rich and oxygen-rich components.

Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for producing nitrogen, especially at low production flowrates, wherein incoming feed air is cooled by a regenerator without need for cold end imbalance and wherein exogenous cryogenic liquid is added to the rectification column.

Abstract: A hybrid system for producing both low purity oxygen and high purity nitrogen at high product recovery rates wherein desorption effluent from an adsorbent system feeds a cryogenic rectification column and, preferably, bottom fluid from the column provides additional feed for the adsorbent system.

Abstract: The present invention offers a pre-purification method and apparatus for an air cryogenic separation plant for removing water vapor and carbon dioxide from feed air, which is able to operate at high air temperatures without the use of special installations such as pre-cooling equipment or demoisturizers to replace freon refrigerators or water spray cooling columns. One aspect of the present invention is a pre-purification method for an air cryogenic separation plant which continuously purifies feed air using a plurality of reciprocally-used adsorption columns 5a, 5b filled with adsorbents for adsorption removal of water vapor and carbon dioxide from the feed air. The method includes an adsorption step, a depressurization step, a heating step, a cooling step, and a repressurization step, whereof the adsorption step for adsorption removal of impurities is performed by feeding pressurized feed air at a temperature of 10.degree..about.45.degree. C.

Abstract: A method for producing low purity oxygen and high purity oxygen using a cryogenic rectification column wherein feed air is enriched in oxygen in an upstream adsorbent bed system prior to passage into the column and refrigeration is generated by turboexpansion of adsorbent bed effluent or column top vapor.

Abstract: Apparatus and a process for producing nitrogen or air containing not more than 0.5 ppm by volume of carbon monoxide. A nitrogen stream or air stream containing up to about 100 ppm by volume of carbon monoxide is subjected to cryogenic temperature swing adsorption in an adsorption bed containing calcium-exchanged type X zeolite, type 5A zeolite or 13X zeolite, which removes substantially all of the carbon monoxide from the nitrogen stream or air stream.