Abstract: In an integrated process for separation of air, an air separation unit produces a stream enriched in oxygen and a stream enriched in nitrogen, the stream enriched in nitrogen is used to liquefy vaporized natural gas by indirect heat exchange and the stream enriched in oxygen is sent to a natural gas treatment unit.

Abstract: Air is compressed in an air compressor to produce a stream of compressed air, wherein at least part of the stream of compressed air is sent from the compressor to an air separation unit. The air separation unit produces a fluid enriched in a component of air, wherein the fluid is sent to a first unit in which an exothermic process takes place. The heat generated by the exothermic process is used to produce steam. At least part of this steam is sent to a steam turbine, where the work generated by the steam turbine is used to power at least the air compressor, and a product of the air separation unit is sent to a further unit in which at least one additional process takes place.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for separating air by cryogenic distillation. The apparatus has a medium pressure column thermally coupled to a low pressure column. Compressed and purified air is cooled to cryogenic temperature in an exchanger, and sent at least partly to the medium pressure column. Streams enriched in oxygen and nitrogen are sent from the medium pressure column to the low pressure column and, streams enriched in nitrogen and oxygen are removed from the low pressure.

Abstract: An integrated process and air separation process including the steps of: Work expanding at least one first pressurized gas 39 derived from a first process at a first site 1, using work generated by the expansion of the at least one pressurized gas to drive a first air compressor 5 at the first site and removing compressed air from the first air compressor, sending at least part of the compressed air 19 from the first air compressor to an air separation unit 21, located at a second site 2 remote by at least 1 km from the first site, separating at least part of the compressed air sent from the first site to the second site in the air separation unit and removing at least one fluid 37 enriched in a component of air from the air separation unit and sending at least part of the fluid enriched in a component of air to the first site.

Abstract: Production plants for treating gas mixtures and methods of their operation. The plant's treatment unit is operated in periods when the cost of electricity is either above a first level or below a second level. At some point when the cost is below the second level, part of the fluid is stored in a storage tank. This stored liquid is supplied to the customer when the cost is above the first level. When the cost is below the second level, a fluid with predefined properties is produced by the treatment unit. When the cost is above the first level, the power consumption of the treatment unit is reduced and a less ideal fluid is produced.

Abstract: In a process for separating air in a system comprising a gas turbine, including a compressor (1), a combustor (5) and an expander (17), said expander being coupled to the compressor, a natural gas conversion unit (23) and an air separation unit (20), air is compressed in the compressor, a first part (3) of the air is sent to the combustor and a second part (7) of the air is sent to the air separation unit, oxygen enriched gas (21) is sent from the air separation unit to the natural gas conversion unit, compressed nitrogen enriched gas (16) is sent upstream of the expander, a first stream (33) of natural gas is sent to the natural gas conversion unit, a second stream of natural gas (35) is sent to a natural gas liquefaction unit and work produced by the expander is used to operate a cycle compressor of a refrigeration cycle of the natural gas liquefaction unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a strip, made from a sheet material, for a packing module for treatment of liquids, comprising corrugations, which are mainly oriented at an inclination to the direction of flow of said liquid, when the strip is in an approximately vertical plane with the edges thereof approximately horizontal. The strip comprises openings (44) with extended edges. The direction of the edges on the lower section of the openings and the natural direction of flow (S) of the liquid on at least 75% of the length of the edges of said lower section form an included angle of between 0° and 20°. The above finds application in air distillation columns.

Abstract: In a process for separating air in a system comprising a gas turbine, including a compressor (1), a combustor (5) and an expander (17), said expander being coupled to the compressor, a natural gas conversion unit (23) and an air separation unit (20), air is compressed in the compressor, a first part (3) of the air is sent to the combustor and a second part (7) of the air is sent to the air separation unit, oxygen enriched gas (21) is sent from the air separation unit to the natural gas conversion unit, compressed nitrogen enriched gas (16) is sent upstream of the expander, a first stream (33) of natural gas is sent to the natural gas conversion unit, a second stream of natural gas (35) is sent to a natural gas liquefaction unit and work produced by the expander is used to operate a cycle compressor of a refrigeration cycle of the natural gas liquefaction unit.

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 first air stream is expanded in a first turbine (D1) before being mixed with a second air stream (104) in order to form a third stream (105). At least part of the third stream is sent to a second turbine (D2) and then to the double column. The stream expanded in the first turbine is smaller than the stream expanded in the second turbine.

Abstract: The regeneration phase of the adsorption cycle includes a depressurization step, a heating/elution step, during which the bed is purged with a hot heating/elution gas, and a cooling/elution step, during which the bed is purged with a cold cooling/elution gas. The cooling/elution step is terminated while the cooling/elution gas leaving the bed is at a temperature markedly higher than the temperature of the gas to be treated and the adsorption phase comprises an initial adsorption step during which the bed is cooled down to the low adsorption temperature due to the effect of the gas to be treated.

Abstract: In this process for purifying a gas by adsorption of a first impurity and of a second impurity, at least two main adsorbers (5A, 5B) and at least one auxiliary adsorber (6A, 6B) are used, the main adsorbers comprising a packing (8A, 8B, 9A, 9B) for adsorbing the first and second impurities. During at least a first step, the gas is purified by adsorbing the two impurities by passing through at least a first (5A, 5B) of the main adsorbers without passing through a first auxiliary adsorbers (6A, 6B), and simultaneously the second main adsorber (5A, 5B) and the or each auxiliary adsorbers (6A, 6B, 6) is regenerated in parallel, then, during a second step, at least some of the gas flow is purified by adsorption of the two impurities by passing in series through the first main adsorber (5A, 5B) and through the first auxiliary adsorber (6A, 6B). Application, for example, to the purification of air for the purpose of its distillation.

Abstract: In a process for separating air in a plant comprising at least two columns (1, 3), some of the air (100) at an intermediate pressure is cooled in at least one passage of a heat-exchange system which is or are regenerated by a gas from the plant (17, 21) which may contain at least 50% oxygen. The rest of the air at the medium pressure (200) is either purified outside the heat-exchange system or sent to a passage which is purified in the same way.

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: The plant (1) comprises at least three assemblies (10, 11, 12) arranged one beside the other, namely a first assembly (10) comprising a medium-pressure column (2), a second assembly (11) comprising a low-pressure column (3), and a third assembly (12) comprising a heat-exchange line (5). The plant further comprises a liquid pump (6) for making a liquid flow between one of the columns (3) and the vaporizer-condenser (4). Application to the distilling of air using columns with structured interior packing.

Abstract: Up to a certain value (D1) of the demanded flow rate (D), this flow rate is brought to the working pressure and is sent to the consumer pipe. When the demanded flow rate is less than the value (D1), the complement to (D1) is brought to a high pressure, greater than the working pressure, and is sent into a buffer tank. Above the value (D1), the flow rate is supplemented by a flow rate which is drawn from the buffer tank and expanded to the working pressure. The method is useful in supplying oxygen to steel works with electric arc furnaces or to copper refineries.