Abstract: An air separation apparatus is provided, including an air separation unit including a low-pressure column, a mixing column, and a pure nitrogen column, wherein the low-pressure column has a first nominal diameter, the pure nitrogen column has a second nominal diameter which is smaller than the first nominal diameter, wherein the mixing column has an open cylindrical shape, with the inner diameter nominally greater than the second nominal diameter, with the pure nitrogen column located within the mixing column interior.

Abstract: A cryogenic air separation setup in a cold box, wherein gaseous oxygen under elevated pressure is produced through hydraulic force caused by the geodetic distance between where liquid oxygen is drawn from the distillation column and where liquid oxygen is vaporized to form gaseous oxygen, such as in an auxiliary evaporator. To increase the vertical distance between the above-mentioned two location, the components are arranged directly below one another in the following sequence: the lower-pressure column, the main condenser evaporator, the higher-pressure column, the subcooler, the main heat exchanger and the auxiliary evaporator). In particular, the main heat-exchanger is positioned with the cold-end on the top to optimize piping expenditure.

Abstract: An air separation apparatus and process, which produces gaseous oxygen and/or nitrogen products at an elevated pressure through internal compression of respective liquid products, are disclosed. Split-core main heat exchangers are employed to warm up product streams generated in an air rectification unit against 1) a main feed air stream in the low-pressure heat exchanger and 2) at least one boosted pressure air stream in the high-pressure exchanger. Because the boosted pressure air stream is at a higher pressure and temperature than the main feed air stream, after separate heat exchange in the split main heat exchangers, the subsidiary waste nitrogen stream exiting the high-pressure heat exchanger is also warmer than the subsidiary waste nitrogen stream exiting the low-pressure heat exchanger. The warmer waste nitrogen stream is fed into the air purification unit for regeneration purposes and the cooler waste nitrogen stream is introduced into the nitrogen water tower to perform cooling duty.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for cryogenic air separation. In the method, part (b2) of the air (b) is compressed in warm booster (7), cooled in heat exchanger (2) and then divided in two, one part (c1) being compressed in a cold booster(9) driven by one turboexpander (11) in which the other part (c2) of air (c) is expanded, and another part of the feed air is not boosted but is expanded in another turboexpander (6) which drives the warm booster (7). The present disclosure also provides an apparatus for cryogenic air separation.

Abstract: A method and a device for producing an air product based on cryogenic rectification; after being cooled by a main heat exchanger, raw material air and nitrogen compressed by means of a compressor are sent to a rectification system for low temperature separation. In the rectification system, products such as oxygen and nitrogen are obtained by means of low temperature separation, and oxygen-enriched liquid air is obtained at or near the bottom of a rectification tower. The oxygen-enriched liquid air or liquid-state air in the rectification system is sent out after being raised to a target pressure by means of a low temperature liquid air pump; air products of various pressures can be produced by means of selecting low temperature liquid air pumps with different lifts or by connecting in series different amounts of low temperature liquid air pumps.

Abstract: A device for preparing high-purity hydrogen and/or oxygen by electrolyzing water, including an electrolyzer and a degasser for degassing desalted water. The degasser is located at the upstream of the electrolyzer. After desalted water is heated and degassed in the degasser, the content of gaseous impurities, particularly argon, can be reduced to several ppb (weight ratio). The hydrogen and oxygen generated after the desalted and degassed water is electrolyzed in the electrolyzer also contain an extremely small amount of argon, so that the requirements in semiconductor industry are met. Also involved is a method of preparing high-purity hydrogen and/or oxygen by using the device.

Abstract: Plant for the production of argon by cryogenic distillation, comprising an argon separation column, means for sending a gas containing argon and oxygen to the argon separation column, means for extracting a fluid enriched in argon at the top of the argon separation column, means for extracting a liquid enriched in oxygen at the bottom of the argon separation column and at least two storage tanks, positioned one above the other, each storage tank being connected to two different intermediate levels of the argon separation column by two pipes, the two storage tanks being contiguous.

Abstract: An apparatus for the separation of air by cryogenic distillation comprises a column system, a heat exchanger, a turbine, means for sending compressed and purified air at a first pressure to be cooled at the first pressure in the heat exchanger, means for sending a first gaseous stream having a nitrogen content at least that of air to be cooled and liquefied or pseudo liquefied in the heat exchanger to form a liquefied stream, means for sending at least part of the liquefied stream to be warmed and vaporized in the heat exchanger to a first intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger to form a vaporized stream, means for removing the vaporized stream from an intermediate section of the heat exchanger, a conduit for sending the vaporized stream to be expanded, in the turbine to form an expanded stream, a conduit for sending at least part of the expanded stream to the column system, a conduit for sending a second gaseous stream having the same nitrogen content as the first stream to be cooled in the heat exch

Abstract: An enclosure suitable for thermally insulating at least one distillation column comprising an elongate parallelepipedal framework and at least one part of a distillation column inside the framework, the enclosure or at least the lower part of the enclosure serving as support for the lifting means for installing elements in the column or for adding another part of the section of the column to that part of the column that is present in the enclosure or for adding another part of the enclosure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing high-purity nitrogen and low-purity oxygen using three-column rectification are provided, in which: nitrogen and oxygen undergo rectification in different columns, with high-purity nitrogen and low-purity oxygen being separated out of air simultaneously, thereby overcoming the shortcomings of conventional low-purity oxygen production equipment, and also reducing equipment investment, lowering energy consumption, increasing product added value, and realizing a circular economy effect.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and a system for supplying a backup gas at a higher pressure from a source gas at a lower pressure. The backup gas at the lower pressure is at least partially condensed against a backup liquid at a higher pressure in a reprocessing heat exchanger and as a result, the backup liquid is at least partially vaporized. The backup liquid at the higher pressure is formed from boosting liquefied backup gas at the lower pressure. A backup vaporizer is disposed downstream of the reprocessing heat exchanger to completely vaporize the backup liquid at a higher pressure before it was delivered to the customer. The present invention eliminates the use of costly gas compressor and mitigates associated safety risks, in particular when the backup gas is oxygen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a skid-mounted cold box and its prefabricated structure and assembly method. Each prefabricated structure includes a framework and a first panel that is used to enclose sides of the framework. Ring beams of two adjacent prefabricated structures are connected through bolts on site. A second panel connected through bolts encloses the gap between ring beams of the two adjacent prefabricated structures from sides. The present invention cancels all field welding seams and omits the field welding and nondestructive testing operations. The crane can be dismissed after the upper prefabricated structure of the cold box is lifted into place and bolts corresponding to columns on ring beams are connected. The present invention guarantees the connection strength of steel structures relying on bolt-based connection between ring beams and the second panel connected through bolts guarantees the airtightness of the cold box. This effectively reduces field assembly work and saves time and cost.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a cryogenic rectification process-based method for producing an air product, and an air separation system. By adding an air product outlet line and a liquid air booster pump to an existing cryogenic rectification process apparatus, the existing rectification apparatus is used to prepare oxygen-enriched liquid air by pressurizing, cooling and liquefying feed air; and moreover, a high-pressure or ultra-high-pressure air product can be prepared according to customer requirements by adjusting the ratio of the feed air to the oxygen-enriched liquid air, and pressurizing the mixture to a target pressure by the liquid air booster pump before being vaporized via heat exchange with a gas or liquid product produced by rectification through a heat exchange apparatus.

Abstract: A method and a device for producing an air product based on cryogenic rectification; after being cooled by a main heat exchanger, raw material air and nitrogen compressed by means of a compressor are sent to a rectification system for low temperature separation. In the rectification system, products such as oxygen and nitrogen are obtained by means of low temperature separation, and oxygen-enriched liquid air is obtained at or near the bottom of a rectification tower. The oxygen-enriched liquid air or liquid-state air in the rectification system is sent out after being raised to a target pressure by means of a low temperature liquid air pump; air products of various pressures can be produced by means of selecting low temperature liquid air pumps with different lifts or by connecting in series different amounts of low temperature liquid air pumps.

Abstract: A cryogenic air separation setup in a cold box, wherein gaseous oxygen under elevated pressure is produced through hydraulic force caused by the geodetic distance between where liquid oxygen is drawn from the distillation column and where liquid oxygen is vaporized to form gaseous oxygen, such as in an auxiliary evaporator. To increase the vertical distance between the above-mentioned two location, the components are arranged directly below one another in the following sequence: the lower-pressure column, the main condenser evaporator, the higher-pressure column, the subcooler, the main heat exchanger and the auxiliary evaporator).

Abstract: An air separation apparatus and process, which produces gaseous oxygen and/or nitrogen products at an elevated pressure through internal compression of respective liquid products, are disclosed. Split-core main heat exchangers are employed to warm up product streams generated in an air rectification unit against 1) a main feed air stream in the low-pressure heat exchanger and 2) at least one boosted pressure air stream in the high-pressure exchanger. Because the boosted pressure air stream is at a higher pressure and temperature than the main feed air stream, after separate heat exchange in the split main heat exchangers, the subsidiary waste nitrogen stream exiting the high-pressure heat exchanger is also warmer than the subsidiary waste nitrogen stream exiting the low-pressure heat exchanger. The warmer waste nitrogen stream is fed into the air purification unit for regeneration purposes and the cooler waste nitrogen stream is introduced into the nitrogen water tower to perform cooling duty.

Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for producing nitrogen and oxygen by means of cryogenic distillation of air. Nitrogen products are extracted only from the top of a tower. If a customer needs nitrogen with lower pressure, part of pure nitrogen that is partially located at a first nitrogen product pressure is reheated in a main heat exchanger, then decompressed to a second nitrogen product pressure by means of a nitrogen expander, further reheated by means of the main heat exchanger, and output as a low-pressure nitrogen product. The nitrogen expander can be braked by an expander booster for compressing air. By means of the method, nitrogen with different pressures can be suitably produced, and the energy consumption for producing the pressurized air can be reduced by utilizing the expansion work of nitrogen.

Abstract: A process for establishing vacuum insulation under cryogenic condition and an apparatus compatible with such process are described. When an insulation enclosure filled with high purity CO2 is evacuated to around 100 absolute Pa at ambient temperature, hard vacuum of below 1 absolute Pa may be automatically obtained within the insulation enclosure when temperature drops to around or below ?170° C. This process can be employed to provide vacuum insulation for cold box housing air separation units operated under cryogenic condition.

Abstract: An in situ retrofit assembly for a top entry valve includes an annular conduit (100) configured to conform with a seat support (106) at the distal end (207) and a valve body extension (208) with an interior annular region (301). The valve body extension (208) comprises an inlet port (209) fluidically connected to the annular area (301). A gland packing push plate (211) is configured to allow the annular conduit (100) to pass through thereby forming an outlet port (212). This allows the removal of a portion of the fluid from the cold box for downstream processing or manipulation as desired.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigeration method, during which a user is supplied with frigories by means of a working gas, such as helium, that is cooled by having the same flow into a cold box that comprises, in series, at least one first aluminum heat exchanger having brazed plates and flanges, one second heat exchanger having welded plates, and one third aluminum heat exchanger having brazed plates and flanges in such a way that the flow of said working gas is at least partially caused to pass, consecutively, through the first exchanger, then through the second exchanger, and finally through the third exchanger before said working gas flow is directed to the user in order to supply the user with frigories.