Abstract: In a method for separating air by cryogenic distillation in a system of columns comprising a first column operating at a first pressure and a second column operating at a second pressure which is lower than the first column, the temperature T1 at which an airflow leaves, after cooling, the heat exchanger by rising towards the cold end of said heat exchanger and enters the first column is at least 1° C., preferably at least 2° C., higher than the dew point of the airflow.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for restarting an air separation unit comprising a system of columns including at least a first distillation column and a heat exchanger positioned below the first column with its main axis vertical and with its cold end adjacent to the bottom of the first column, in which, during the restart, air is sent to the exchanger and at least one portion of the cooled air is sent in gaseous form to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A device for separating air by cryogenic distillation, comprising a first module containing a main air compressor, a second module, a third module containing a purification unit, a fourth module containing a heat exchanger and a system of columns comprising at least one distillation column that is or is not contained in the fifth module, the second module containing a connection for connecting the compressor of the first module to the purification unit of the third module in order to send compressed air from the compressor to the purification unit and also containing a connection for connecting the purification unit to the heat exchanger of the fourth module in order to send purified air in the purification unit to the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for indirect heat exchange between a first and a second fluids to be cooled and at least a third fluid to be heated, made up of a plurality of passages, namely a first series of passages for the flow at least of the first and of the second fluids, a second series of passages for the flow of the third fluid to be placed in a heat exchange relationship with the first and second fluids, the exchanger comprising three sections, the second section being between the first and third sections and means for introducing the first fluid into only a portion of the passages of the first series in the second section.

Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing the content of at least one contaminant in a liquid cryogen comprising a cylindrical enclosure, an annular enclosure arranged around the cylindrical enclosure, means for dividing a flow of liquid cryogen in two, means for delivering a first part of the liquid cryogen to the cylindrical enclosure, means for delivering a second part of the liquid cryogen to the annular enclosure, a pipe connected to the cylindrical enclosure to allow vaporized liquid to pass through, a pipe connected to the annular enclosure to allow vaporized liquid to pass through, a heater for heating the cylindrical enclosure vessel and means for stopping the delivery of liquid cryogen to the cylindrical enclosure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for separating air by cryogenic distillation in a column system, comprising a first column operating at a first pressure and a second column operating at a second pressure, in which an argon-enriched flow is sent from an intermediate point of the first column to the tank of the second column and an argon-rich flow is drawn off at the top of the second column, wherein a nitrogen-enriched flow of the first column is compressed in a compressor, the compressed flow is sent to a head condenser of the second column after an expansion step and the vaporized flow is expanded in the condenser in a turbine where it at least partially liquefies.

Abstract: Gas/liquid separation column, containing a device for dispensing a liquid, intended for a gas/liquid separation column, comprising: a plate, in which several orifices are arranged, through which the liquid is able to leave the dispensing device; a plurality of stacks extending from the plate, each stack being configured to be followed by the gas; a plurality of plugging means respectively arranged at one end of one of the stacks, each plugging means having a gutter shape allowing a first portion of the liquid to be collected; a plurality of troughs for directly collecting a second portion of the liquid, at least one part of the orifices being distributed in the base of said troughs, each plugging means comprising a first open longitudinal end and a second closed longitudinal end.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a method and facility for purifying a high-flow gas stream by absorbtion, the purification facility comprising at least one absorber having a parallelepipedal enclosure arranged horizontally and comprising: a gas stream inlet and outlet, two fixed-bed absorbent masses each having a likewise parallelepipedal shape, the surfaces of which are parallel to the surfaces of the enclosure, and a set of volumes allowing the traversing of the two absorbent masses by the gas streams, in parallel but opposite directions, the traversing occurring horizontally over the entire cross-section of each of the absorbent masses and over their entire thicknesses.

Abstract: A plant for separating gases from the air comprises, in the direction of circulation of the stream of air: a compression means for compressing the stream of air to a pressure P1 of between 1.15 bar abs and 2 bar abs, a TSA adsorption unit, and a cryogenic distillation unit, with the adsorption unit comprising at least two adsorbers A1 and A2 each having a parallelepipedal casing arranged horizontally and comprising: an air stream inlet and outlet, two fixed bed adsorbent masses each likewise parallelepipedal with faces parallel to the faces of the casing, and a set of volumes allowing the stream of air to traverse the two adsorbent masses horizontally, in parallel, over the whole cross section of each of the adsorbent masses and throughout their thicknesses.

Abstract: Process for vaporizing purge liquid from a cryogenic liquid vaporizer, the liquid containing at least one impurity, in which the purge liquid is withdrawn from a bath of liquid surrounding the vaporizer or resulting from the vaporizer, all of the purge liquid is vaporized in a heater, characterized in that the content of the at least one impurity in at least one portion, or even all of the heated vaporized liquid is analysed and the flow rate of at least one portion, or even all of the heated vaporized liquid is measured.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating air, comprising a double column, means for sending air to the purification unit at a pressure that is no more than 1 bar higher than atmospheric pressure, a pipe for sending a first air flow, the first air flow having been purified in the purification unit, to the heat exchanger at a fourth pressure that is no more than 1 bar higher than the second pressure, a pipe for sending the first purified air flow, which has been cooled in the heat exchanger, to the second column for separation, and a booster compressor, the apparatus not comprising any means for depressurizing the first flow.

Abstract: An air gas separation plant comprising, in the direction of circulation of the air stream: a compression means that makes it possible to compress the air stream to a pressure P1 of between 1.15 bar abs and 2 bar abs, an adsorption unit of TSA type, and a cryogenic distillation unit, with the adsorption unit comprising at least two adsorbers A and B each having a parallelepipedal casing arranged horizontally and comprising: an air stream inlet and an air stream outlet, a fixed bed adsorbent mass, likewise of parallelepipedal shape, the faces of which are parallel to the faces of the casing; and a set of volumes allowing the air stream to pass through the adsorbent mass horizontally, over the entire cross-section and throughout the entire thickness thereof.

Abstract: A stackable modular element comprises a parallelepipedal caisson, the caisson comprising at least one layer of thermal insulation of thickness less than one-third of the width of the caisson, the layer of insulation covering at least the lateral and frontal faces of the caisson and surrounding at least one chamber having a parallelepipedal volume within the caisson, the chamber containing at least one body of material that permits the exchange of mass and/or of heat, the body being parallelepipedal in shape and filling at least part of the chamber, the chamber having an opening on the upper face and/or an opening on the lower face to allow fluid to be transferred to the body from outside the element and/or from the body to outside the element.

Abstract: In a process for separating a mixture containing carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, the mixture cooled in a heat exchanger is contacted by a stream of liquid methanol at a temperature below ?40° C. to produce carbon dioxide enriched methanol and a carbon dioxide depleted gas relative to the cooled mixture, the carbon dioxide depleted gas is cooled in the heat exchanger and is sent to a separation unit to produce a carbon monoxide enriched stream and a hydrogen enriched stream and the streams enriched in carbon monoxide and hydrogen are heated in the heat exchanger by exchanging heat with the mixture.

Abstract: Gas/liquid separation column, containing a device for dispensing a liquid, intended for a gas/liquid separation column, comprising: a plate, in which several orifices are arranged, through which the liquid is able to leave the dispensing device; a plurality of stacks extending from the plate, each stack being configured to be followed by the gas; a plurality of plugging means respectively arranged at one end of one of the stacks, each plugging means having a gutter shape allowing a first portion of the liquid to be collected; a plurality of troughs for directly collecting a second portion of the liquid, at least one part of the orifices being distributed in the base of said troughs, each plugging means comprising a first open longitudinal end and a second closed longitudinal end.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for separating air by cryogenic distillation in a column system, comprising a first column operating at a first pressure and a second column operating at a second pressure, in which an argon-enriched flow is sent from an intermediate point of the first column to the tank of the second column and an argon-rich flow is drawn off at the top of the second column, wherein a nitrogen-enriched flow of the first column is compressed in a compressor, the compressed flow is sent to a head condenser of the second column after an expansion step and the vaporized flow is expanded in the condenser in a turbine where it at least partially liquefies.

Abstract: Insulated enclosure having at least one surface that is planar, containing at least one piece of equipment intended to operate at a temperature below 0° C., the interior space of the enclosure being intended to be at a pressure below atmospheric pressure and being filled with thermal insulation, and the thermal insulation being made up of a multitude of spherical beads made of thermally insulating material.

Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing the content of at least one contaminant in a liquid cryogen comprising a cylindrical enclosure, an annular enclosure arranged around the cylindrical enclosure, means for dividing a flow of liquid cryogen in two, means for delivering a first part of the liquid cryogen to the cylindrical enclosure, means for delivering a second part of the liquid cryogen to the annular enclosure, a pipe connected to the cylindrical enclosure to allow vaporized liquid to pass through, a pipe connected to the annular enclosure to allow vaporized liquid to pass through, a heater for heating the cylindrical enclosure vessel and means for stopping the delivery of liquid cryogen to the cylindrical enclosure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for analyzing the content of at least one contaminant in a cryogenic liquid, wherein a known amount of liquid L constituting the initial liquid is injected at the pressure P into an enclosure; a predetermined fraction of the liquid present in the enclosure is vaporized by heating same; the vapor thus generated is discharged from the vaporizing enclosure to maintain a pressure no higher than the pressure P during the vaporization phase; the amount of liquid thus vaporized, less than L, is precisely controlled so that the amount of contaminant in the residual liquid present in the enclosure is substantially equal to that of the initial liquid, which implies that the concentration thereof is multiplied by a previously determined factor; a sample of residual liquid is collected; the contaminant content is measured after total vaporization of the residual liquid sample; and the contaminant content in the initial liquid is deduced from the measurement of contaminant in the residual

Abstract: A process comprises a first set of distillation columns and a second set of distillation columns, a low-pressure column of the first set being connected to a column operating at higher pressure of the second set by means of a gas arriving from the top of the column operating at a higher pressure and/or by means of a fluid arriving from the low-pressure column.