Abstract: An inerting system comprises an air separating device having an enclosure (40) having at least one air inlet (46) and one outlet (48) for oxygen-depleted air. The air separating device (18) is configured to generate, from an air inlet flow coming from the air inlet (46) of the enclosure (40), an outlet flow of oxygen-depleted air and to discharge the outlet flow of oxygen-depleted air through the outlet (48) for oxygen-depleted air. The inerting system (14) comprises a heating system (20), outside the enclosure (40), configured to heat at least one region of the enclosure (40).

Abstract: A process for recovering valuables from vent gas in polyolefin production is disclosed. The process includes a compression cooling separation step, a heavy hydrocarbon separation step, a light hydrocarbon separation step, a N2 purification step, and a turbo expansion step in sequence. The N2 purification step comprises a membrane separation procedure. The light hydrocarbon separation step comprises at least one gas-liquid separation procedure.

Abstract: A cryogenic air separation method and apparatus in which first and second liquid streams are produced. The first liquid stream has a higher oxygen content than air and can consist of a higher pressure distillation column bottoms and the second liquid stream, for instance, air, has a lower oxygen content than the first liquid stream and an argon content no less than the air. The second liquid stream is subcooled through indirect heat exchange with the first liquid stream and both of such streams are introduced into the lower pressure column. The second liquid stream is introduced into the lower pressure column above that point at which the crude liquid oxygen column bottoms or any portion thereof is introduced into the lower pressure column to increase a liquid to vapor ratio below the introduction of the second liquid stream and therefore, reduce the oxygen present within the column overhead.

Abstract: A fluid is liquefied from a gaseous state to a liquid state, and the liquefied fluid is stored. In one embodiment, the fluid is oxygen. Mechanisms are employed that enhance the durability, longevity, reliability, efficiency, of a system used to liquefy the fluid.

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: In a process for the production of nitrogen and of oxygen enriched liquid by separation of air by cryogenic distillation, a first stream of air is sent to an exchanger to form a first cooled air stream, the first cooled air stream is sent to a bottom reboiler of a column, condensed air is sent from the bottom reboiler to a top condenser of the column, vaporized air is sent from the top condenser to a first compressor, air is sent from the first compressor to the column, air is sent to a second compressor and from the second compressor to the exchanger to produce a cooled second air stream, the cooled second air stream is sent to a first turboexpander and from the turbo expander to the column, bottom liquid is removed from the column and gaseous nitrogen is removed from the top of the column.

Abstract: In a method for producing oxygen through the distillation of air supplied by air at atmospheric pressure so as to produce a first and second compressed air flow, and through a first purification unit (5) and a second purification unit (7), the first and second compressed air flows at different pressures: the first compressed air flow is sent from a first outlet of the compression means to the first purifying unit at the first pressure; the first purified air flow is sent to a column of the column system (15); the second purified air flow is sent, in an at least partially condensed form, from the second purifying unit to the column system; an oxygen-rich liquid is bled off the column system; said oxygen-rich liquid is vaporized through heat exchange with at least the second purified air flow.

Abstract: A hybrid system which utilizes high purity oxygen from a local pipeline, which is blended with low purity oxygen from an on-site or local cryogenic distillation system, thus resulting in a blend of intermediate quality which satisfies the needs of the customer. In order to offset the operating and energy costs associated with this fairly low profit margin intermediate purity oxygen, high purity nitrogen at high pressure is simultaneously exported to the local pipeline, thereby acting as a credit to the overall system.

Abstract: A process for the integration of a cryogenic air separation plant and an oxy-combustion power plant is presented. This process includes producing a pressurized nitrogen stream and a pressurized oxygen stream, burning a fuel stream thereby generating a steam stream from a boiler feed water stream, wherein the stream is used for work expansion within the oxy-combustion power plant. This process also includes heating the pressurized nitrogen stream and the pressurized oxygen stream with a compressed air stream, thereby forming a heated pressurized nitrogen stream and a heated pressurized oxygen stream. This process also includes heating the heated pressurized nitrogen stream to form a hot pressurized nitrogen stream, work expanding the hot pressurized nitrogen stream to a lower pressure thereby forming a hot exhaust nitrogen stream and recovering energy, and heating the boiler feed water stream by indirect heat exchange with the hot exhaust nitrogen stream.

Abstract: In a process for the production of nitrogen and of oxygen enriched liquid by separation of air by cryogenic distillation, a first stream of air is sent to an exchanger to form a first cooled air stream, the first cooled air stream is sent to a bottom reboiler of a column, condensed air is sent from the bottom reboiler to a top condenser of the column, vaporized air is sent from the top condenser to a first compressor, air is sent from the first compressor to the column, air is sent to a second compressor and from the second compressor to the exchanger to produce a cooled second air stream, the cooled second air stream is sent to a first turboexpander and from the turbo expander to the column, bottom liquid is removed from the column and gaseous nitrogen is removed from the top of the column.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing an oxygen product in which air is separated in an installation including one or more air separation units having higher and lower pressure columns. An exhaust stream produced from a turboexpander and optionally an impure oxygen stream such as that derivable from higher pressure column bottoms is rectified within an auxiliary column to produce an oxygen containing stream that is introduced into the lower pressure column of each of the air separation units to increase the capacity of such columns. The pressure within the auxiliary column is set by the pressure of the exhaust stream such that a nitrogen-rich vapor stream extracted from the top of the auxiliary column can be used in regenerating adsorbent within a pre-purification unit utilized in connection with the installation.

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 system and method for reduction of diluent gaseous nitrogen (DGAN) compressor power in combined cycle power plant. A vapor absorption chiller (VAC) may be utilized to generate and transmit cooled fluid, such as water, to one or more heat exchangers located upstream and/or downstream of at least one compressor of the DGAN compressor system. Utilization of these heat exchangers may cool the temperature of the nitrogen, which may allow for less energy to be expended by the DGAN in compression of the nitrogen.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for generating refrigeration in a process operating at sub-ambient temperatures in which the refrigeration is generated by a turboexpander. The turboexpander is coupled to a generator controlled so that its speed is maintained at a setpoint through electromagnetic braking and its power output is maintained at line matching voltage and frequency. The speed control of the generator therefore, also controls the speed of the turboexpander. The setpoint is calculated to be equal to a product of an operational efficiency parameter, U/Co, and a square root of twice the enthalpy drop in the flow passing through the turboexpander divided by a product of pi and a diameter of an impeller employed within the turboexpander.

Abstract: A system for separating air by cryogenic rectification whereby liquid production is increased by employing two separate turboexpanders, one which exhausts at a pressure no higher than that sufficient to feed the lower pressure column, the other which exhausts at a pressure no lower than that sufficient to feed the higher pressure column, and wherein one of the turboexpanders is fed with ambient temperature or modestly cooled feed air and preferably operates intermittently depending upon whether greater or lesser amounts of liquid product are desired.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for highly efficient production of industrial gases by the cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a feed stream of compressed air, is supercharged to high pressure, cooled, and mixed with various recycle streams of supercharged air, to regulate the expander turbine operating temperature. The need for pre-cooling equipment downstream of the supercharger, which is widely employed in industry to manage the temperature of the incoming compressed air stream, is eliminated.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for highly efficient production of industrial gases by the cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a feed stream of compressed air, is supercharged to high pressure, cooled, and mixed with various recycle streams of supercharged air, to regulate the expander turbine operating temperature. The need for pre-cooling equipment downstream of the supercharger, which is widely employed in industry to manage the temperature of the incoming compressed air stream, is eliminated.

Abstract: The method of processing air prior to separation of such air into gaseous components, the steps that include: first compressing a stream of air and cooling the compressed air, to enable water separation and removal from the stream, to provide a dry stream of air; then further compressing the dry air stream and cooling the compressed dry air stream to enable removal of contained remanent water; then expanding the cooled air stream in an expansion stage which extracts work from the expanding stream; then passing the expanded air stream to a separator operating to remove water from the stream, thereby producing dry air passed to a component gas separation stage or stages.

Abstract: Air is separated in a single fractionation column (116) to produce a top nitrogen gaseous fraction (142) and a bottom liquid fraction (120) containing less than (80) mole percent of oxygen. A liquid nitrogen product (136) is also produced. The necessary refrigeration is created by expansion with the performance of external work of firstly a stream of compressed air in an expansion turbine (114) and of secondly a stream of vaporised bottom fraction in an expansion turbine (128). At least part of the feed to the column (116) comes from the turbine (114). The outlet pressure of the turbine (114) is essentially the gaseous nitrogen product pressure. A double fractionation column may be used instead of the single fractionation column (116).

Abstract: A first process stream of the air separation is compressed in a first compressor (2). The first compressor (2) is mechanically coupled (4) to a steam turbine (1) and to an electric motor (3).

Abstract: In an apparatus for the separation of air by cryogenic distillation, all of the air is compressed to a medium pressure. Next, one part of the air is compressed to an intermediate pressure and a fraction of this air is compressed to a high pressure. The high-pressure air is divided into at least two fractions and expanded in two turboexpanders, the cooled stream from the warm turboexpander being at least partially recycled into the warm end of the exchanger at a higher pressure. A liquid coming from the air separation apparatus vaporizes in the exchanger.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating nitrogen within a single column nitrogen generator in which refrigeration is added by waste expansion. Part of the incoming air stream after having been partially cooled is turbo-expanded to increase the refrigeration supplied, thereby to allow the removal of the liquid nitrogen product.

Abstract: A method for directly producing lower purity oxygen with high recovery, employing a non-adiabatic distillation device within a distillation column to provide high purity liquid nitrogen reflux to the upper section of the column. This invention provides for a variety of feed air options to the non-adiabatic distillation device and to the distillation column.

Abstract: A high efficiency oxygen/air separation system uses waste heat produced by an internal combustion engine to produce pure or enriched oxygen for combustion in the internal combustion engine. Nitrogen is eliminated from the combustion process, thus preventing the formation of nitrogen oxides. The formation of other particulates is also reduced as the exhaust gases are repeatedly burned. The separation system includes a manifold heat exchanger, a vane compressor/expander, a spent nitrogen heat exchanger and an insulated container. Air is first compressed in the integrated vane compressor/expander. Compression energy is provided from the expansion of the spent nitrogen after that nitrogen has been heated to exhaust manifold temperatures. High efficiency is achieved through simultaneous expansion and compression. The compressed air is cooled through a spent nitrogen heat exchanger and enters the insulated container, where the oxygen separation takes place.

Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for producing low purity oxygen and high purity nitrogen, preferably at elevated pressure, wherein nitrogen-rich vapor from a higher pressure column is turboexpanded and condensed against lower pressure column intermediate liquid prior to being passed into the lower pressure column and low purity oxygen is produced in an auxiliary side column driven by fluid from the higher pressure column.

Abstract: Air is introduced through an inlet into a higher pressure rectification column. A stream of oxygen-enriched liquid is withdrawn through an outlet from the higher pressure rectification column. A part of this stream is introduced into a low pressure rectification column through an inlet. The stream is separated in the column low pressure rectification into oxygen and nitrogen. In addition, an argon-enriched vapor stream is withdrawn from the low pressure rectification column through an outlet, and is at least partially condensed in a reboiler-condenser which reboils oxygen separated in an argon column. One part of the resulting at least partially condensed argon-enriched oxygen stream is reduced in pressure by passage through a valve and is introduced through an inlet into an intermediate mass exchange region of the argon column in which it is separated into argon and oxygen.

Abstract: Air is compressed in a compressor, purified in a purification unit, cooled by passage through a main heat exchanger and separated in a double rectification column comprising a higher pressure rectification column and a lower pressure rectification column. A stream of argon-enriched oxygen vapour is withdrawn from the lower pressure rectification column through an outlet and an argon product is separated from it in an argon rectification column provided with an argon condenser. Argon is condensed in the condenser by indirect heat exchange with a second stream of air at a pressure between the operating pressures of the columns. The second air stream is partially condensed and passed into a phase separator. A stream of liquid phase is withdrawn from the phase separator, is passed through a throttling valve and the condenser, in sequence. Further cooling for the condenser is thus provided.

Abstract: Ultra-pure nitrogen is produced in a process comprising separating air in an integrated plurality of columns. A nitrogen-enriched stream is elevated in pressure and thereafter contaminants and impurities are removed in an auxiliary column system which allows for the main column to efficiently operate below the required nitrogen product pressure, while including an ability to optionally obtain a normal purity nitrogen and a liquid nitrogen product. The process and installation remains efficient and economical in a relatively small scale installation to produce extremely pure nitrogen product.