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 (V)PSA unit for purifying a gas stream by adsorption is provided. The (V)PSA unit comprises, arranged successively in the direction of flow of the feed gas stream, a rotary-structured adsorbent wheel configured so as to drive the gas stream therethrough in an axial manner and allowing the feed gas to dry to a level corresponding to a dew point below ?30 C., and an adsorber with a centripetal radial configuration, comprising a bed of particulate adsorbent.

Abstract: A composite adsorbent mixture is provided, including at least one adsorbent active principle in the form of microparticles and a non-adsorbent thermal principle in the form of microparticles, where the characteristic mean size Di of the microparticles of the thermal principle is smaller than the characteristic mean size Da of the microparticles of the active principle.

Abstract: Process for producing gaseous oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a portion of the feed air flow is brought to a pressure P1, by means of a first compressor, the suction temperature T0 of which is between 0 and 50° C., the gas at the pressure P1 is cooled, in order to generate an air stream at the pressure P1 and the temperature T1 between 5 and 45° C., a portion of the air compressed in the first compressor undergoes an additional compression step starting from the temperature T1 and pressure P1 to a pressure P2 greater than P1, then is cooled, to the temperature T2 where T2 and T1 differ by less than 10° C.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cryogenic distillation of air. In a system of air separation columns, all the air is taken to a high pressure which is 5 to 10 bar greater than a medium pressure. A portion of air, between 10% and 50% of the high pressure air stream, is boosted in a cold booster. This boosted air is then sent to an exchanger and a portion of it liquefies at the cold end of the exchanger. Part of the air is sent to one column of the column system, and another fraction is partly expanded in a Claude turbine. After expansion in the turbine, the air is sent to a medium pressure column, and a liquid stream is withdrawn for one of the columns of the system. The withdrawn stream is pressurized and vaporizes in the exchange line. The cold booster is coupled to either an expansion turbine, an electric motor, or a combination of the two.

Abstract: A (V)PSA unit for purifying a gas stream by adsorption is provided. The (V)PSA unit comprises, arranged successively in the direction of flow of the feed gas stream, a rotary-structured adsorbent wheel configured so as to drive the gas stream therethrough in an axial manner and allowing the feed gas to dry to a level corresponding to a dew point below ?30 C, and an adsorber with a centripetal radial configuration, comprising a bed of particulate adsorbent.

Abstract: In a method for producing nitrogen by cryogenic distillation, air containing carbon monoxide is sent to a cryogenic distillation column (5), a flow D of nitrogen is taken from the top of the distillation column, with a CO content less than a fixed value S1, and a flow of nitrogen-rich cryogenic liquid coming from an external source (7) is sent to the top of the column, the flow rate of cryogenic liquid sent to the column being less than a value V if the CO content in the air does not exceed a previously defined threshold (S0), and the flow rate of cryogenic liquid sent to the column being greater than a value V if the carbon monoxide content of the air exceeds this previously defined threshold (S0).

Abstract: The invention relates to a gas depleted of carbon dioxide produced by distillation, which is separated such as to produce a gas depleted of hydrogen, the gas depleted of hydrogen being used as a regeneration gas of a system for purification by adsorption upstream from the distillation, the composition of the regeneration gas at the intake of the purification system not being in the range of flammability in air.

Abstract: Process for producing gaseous oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a portion of the feed air flow is brought to a pressure P1, by means of a first compressor, the suction temperature T0 of which is between 0 and 50° C., the gas at the pressure P1 is cooled, in order to generate an air stream at the pressure P1 and the temperature T1 between 5 and 45° C., a portion of the air compressed in the first compressor undergoes an additional compression step starting from the temperature T1 and pressure P1 to a pressure P2 greater than P1, then is cooled, to the temperature T2 where T2 and T1 differ by less than 10° C.

Abstract: The invention relates to equipment for separating air by cryogenic distillation, including: a double air separation column; an exchange line (91); a hot air supercharger (CI) and a cold air supercharger (C2); a first turbine (TI) and a second turbine (T2), each of which is coupled to one of the superchargers; means for bringing all the air to a high pressure that is greater than the mean pressure; means for purifying the air at said high pressure; means for dividing the purified air into two fractions and sending one fraction thereof to the hot air supercharger and one fraction to the cold air supercharger after cooling in the exchange line; means for feeding the second air fraction from the cold air supercharger back into the exchange line; means for sending at least one pressurized liquid from one of the columns into the exchange line; a valve (4, 5); means for sending the non-supercharged air, purified at a high pressure, to the exchange line, so as to be cooled therein, and then to the valve; and means fo

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for air separation by cryogenic distillation in a column system that includes at least a first column operating at a first pressure, and a second column operating at a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure, the head of the first column being thermally connected to the tank of the second column via a vaporizer-condenser, a first portion of a nitrogen-enriched gas is drawn from the head of the first column, compressed in a compressor having an inlet temperature no higher than ?150° C. and condensed in the vaporizer-condenser, an oxygen-rich fluid is drawn from the lower portion of the second column and heated in the exchange line, a nitrogen-rich gas is drawn from the upper portion of the second column and heated in the exchange line, and a second portion of the nitrogen-enriched gas is expanded in a turbine without being compressed.

Abstract: A method of producing at least one air gas using cryogenic distillation is provided. The expanded streams coming from the two turbines are combined and then split into two fractions. The first fraction is sent to the medium-pressure column of the system in gaseous form, whereas the second fraction is returned to the cold end of the heat exchange line. At a temperature T4 below ?100° C. and above T2, the second fraction is sent to a turbine where it expands up to a temperature T5, forming an air stream. This air stream is then warmed in the heat exchange line before being discharged into the atmosphere, so that the distillation is not disturbed. A liquid product is withdrawn from the column system as final product. The sole liquid product from the apparatus is liquid oxygen, but of course other products may be produced.

Abstract: A carbon fuel combustion process, employing an air gas separation unit, a combustion unit operating either with air or with an oxidizer leaner in nitrogen than air, coming from the air gas separation unit, and a unit for compressing and/or purifying the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gas, wherein the power consumed by the air gas separation unit and/or the flow of oxygen produced by the air gas separation unit and/or the capture of the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gas are variable over time is presented.

Abstract: In an air-distillation method, purified air is cooled in an exchange line and then sent to a distillation column of a system of columns, and oxygen- and nitrogen-rich fluids are extracted from a column of the system of columns only during the repressurization phase. A purified airflow, constituting between 3% and 20% of the air compressed in the compressor, is used to at least partially pressurize the adsorber completing the regeneration phase thereof, and the airflow compressed in the compressor during the adsorption phase is substantially equal to the airflow compressed in the compressor during the pressurization of the adsorber. A portion of the purified air is sent to a turbine where it is decompressed and then sent into the atmosphere an as to ensure that it is kept at least partially cold during the entire cycle, and the amount of decompressed airflow sent into the air during the pressurization of an adsorber is less than the amount sent into the air during the adsorption phase of the same adsorber.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for separating air by means of cryogenic distillation in a system of columns, in which two single-stage air superchargers are connected in series and coupled to two turbines, which expand the air that was not supercharged. The superchargers supercharge the cooled high-pressure air in an exchange line in which the oxygen from the system of columns is vaporized.

Abstract: The invention relates to equipment for separating air by cryogenic distillation, including: a double air separation column; an exchange line (91); a hot air supercharger (CI) and a cold air supercharger (C2); a first turbine (TI) and a second turbine (T2), each of which is coupled to one of the superchargers; means for bringing all the air to a high pressure that is greater than the mean pressure; means for purifying the air at said high pressure; means for dividing the purified air into two fractions and sending one fraction thereof to the hot air supercharger and one fraction to the cold air supercharger after cooling in the exchange line; means for feeding the second air fraction from the cold air supercharger back into the exchange line; means for sending at least one pressurized liquid from one of the columns into the exchange line; a valve (4, 5); means for sending the non-supercharged air, purified at a high pressure, to the exchange line, so as to be cooled therein, and then to the valve; and means fo

Abstract: In a method for producing nitrogen by cryogenic distillation, air containing carbon monoxide is sent to a cryogenic distillation column (5), a flow D of nitrogen is taken from the top of the distillation column, with a CO content less than a fixed value S1, and a flow of nitrogen-rich cryogenic liquid coming from an external source (7) is sent to the top of the column, the flow rate of cryogenic liquid sent to the column being less than a value V if the CO content in the air does not exceed a previously defined threshold (S0), and the flow rate of cryogenic liquid sent to the column being greater than a value V if the carbon monoxide content of the air exceeds this previously defined threshold (S0).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of enriching a pressurised gas stream (1) with one of the components (A) thereof. The inventive method comprises the following steps: the stream is separated into at least first and second fractions (2, 3); at least one part of the first fraction (2) is sent to a separation unit (ASU); the separation unit supplies at least two discharges, including a first discharge (10) having a greater A content than that of the fraction (2) supplied to the separation unit; at least one part of the first discharge (10) is mixed with at least one part of the second fraction (3) such as to form a pressurised gas mixture (15); the second fraction (3) is expanded and, subsequently, at least one part of the first discharge (10) is mixed therein.

Abstract: A method of producing at least one air gas using cryogenic distillation is provided. The expanded streams coming from the two turbines are combined and then split into two fractions. The first fraction is sent to the medium-pressure column of the system in gaseous form, whereas the second fraction is returned to the cold end of the heat exchange line. At a temperature T4 below ?100° C. and above T2, the second fraction is sent to a turbine where it expands up to a temperature T5, forming an air stream. This air stream is then warmed in the heat exchange line before being discharged into the atmosphere, so that the distillation is not disturbed. A liquid product is withdrawn from the column system as final product. The sole liquid product from the apparatus is liquid oxygen, but of course other products may be produced.