EP4356052B1 - Procédé et installation de fourniture d'un produit gazeux dérivé de l'air, sous pression et riche en oxygène - Google Patents

Procédé et installation de fourniture d'un produit gazeux dérivé de l'air, sous pression et riche en oxygène

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Publication number
EP4356052B1
EP4356052B1 EP22729038.4A EP22729038A EP4356052B1 EP 4356052 B1 EP4356052 B1 EP 4356052B1 EP 22729038 A EP22729038 A EP 22729038A EP 4356052 B1 EP4356052 B1 EP 4356052B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pressure
range
temperature
air
pressure range
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP22729038.4A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP4356052A1 (fr
EP4356052C0 (fr
Inventor
Dimitri GOLUBEV
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Linde GmbH
Original Assignee
Linde GmbH
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Publication date
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Publication of EP4356052A1 publication Critical patent/EP4356052A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP4356052B1 publication Critical patent/EP4356052B1/fr
Publication of EP4356052C0 publication Critical patent/EP4356052C0/fr
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04006—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit
    • F25J3/04048—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit by compression of cold gaseous streams, e.g. intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste) streams
    • F25J3/04054—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit by compression of cold gaseous streams, e.g. intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste) streams of air
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04006—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit
    • F25J3/04078—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit providing pressurized products by liquid compression and vaporisation with cold recovery, i.e. so-called internal compression
    • F25J3/0409—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit providing pressurized products by liquid compression and vaporisation with cold recovery, i.e. so-called internal compression of oxygen
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04151—Purification and (pre-)cooling of the feed air; recuperative heat-exchange with product streams
    • F25J3/04163—Hot end purification of the feed air
    • F25J3/04169—Hot end purification of the feed air by adsorption of the impurities
    • F25J3/04175—Hot end purification of the feed air by adsorption of the impurities at a pressure of substantially more than the highest pressure column
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04248—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion
    • F25J3/04284—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams
    • F25J3/0429—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams of feed air, e.g. used as waste or product air or expanded into an auxiliary column
    • F25J3/04296—Claude expansion, i.e. expanded into the main or high pressure column
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04248—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion
    • F25J3/04284—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams
    • F25J3/0429—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams of feed air, e.g. used as waste or product air or expanded into an auxiliary column
    • F25J3/04303—Lachmann expansion, i.e. expanded into oxygen producing or low pressure column
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04248—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion
    • F25J3/04375—Details relating to the work expansion, e.g. process parameter etc.
    • F25J3/04393—Details relating to the work expansion, e.g. process parameter etc. using multiple or multistage gas work expansion
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04406—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using a dual pressure main column system
    • F25J3/04412—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using a dual pressure main column system in a classical double column flowsheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2205/00—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means
    • F25J2205/02—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means using simple phase separation in a vessel or drum
    • F25J2205/04—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means using simple phase separation in a vessel or drum in the feed line, i.e. upstream of the fractionation step
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2215/00—Processes characterised by the type or other details of the product stream
    • F25J2215/50—Oxygen or special cases, e.g. isotope-mixtures or low purity O2
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2240/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for expanding of process streams
    • F25J2240/02—Expansion of a process fluid in a work-extracting turbine (i.e. isentropic expansion), e.g. of the feed stream
    • F25J2240/04—Multiple expansion turbines in parallel
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2240/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for expanding of process streams
    • F25J2240/02—Expansion of a process fluid in a work-extracting turbine (i.e. isentropic expansion), e.g. of the feed stream
    • F25J2240/10—Expansion of a process fluid in a work-extracting turbine (i.e. isentropic expansion), e.g. of the feed stream the fluid being air
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2240/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for expanding of process streams
    • F25J2240/40—Expansion without extracting work, i.e. isenthalpic throttling, e.g. JT valve, regulating valve or venturi, or isentropic nozzle, e.g. Laval
    • F25J2240/46—Expansion without extracting work, i.e. isenthalpic throttling, e.g. JT valve, regulating valve or venturi, or isentropic nozzle, e.g. Laval the fluid being oxygen
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2270/00—Refrigeration techniques used
    • F25J2270/04—Internal refrigeration with work-producing gas expansion loop
    • F25J2270/06—Internal refrigeration with work-producing gas expansion loop with multiple gas expansion loops
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2290/00—Other details not covered by groups F25J2200/00 - F25J2280/00
    • F25J2290/12—Particular process parameters like pressure, temperature, ratios
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04151—Purification and (pre-)cooling of the feed air; recuperative heat-exchange with product streams
    • F25J3/04163—Hot end purification of the feed air
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04642—Recovering noble gases from air
    • F25J3/04648—Recovering noble gases from air argon
    • F25J3/04654—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column
    • F25J3/04666—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column as a parallel working rectification column of the low pressure column in a dual pressure main column system
    • F25J3/04672—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column as a parallel working rectification column of the low pressure column in a dual pressure main column system having a top condenser
    • F25J3/04678—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column as a parallel working rectification column of the low pressure column in a dual pressure main column system having a top condenser cooled by oxygen enriched liquid from high pressure column bottoms

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for providing a pressurized, oxygen-rich, gaseous air product and a corresponding system according to the preambles of the independent patent claims.
  • a method and such a system are known from the publication EP-A-3 696 486 known.
  • air product here refers to a fluid that is at least partially produced by cryogenic decomposition of atmospheric air.
  • An air product as understood here, comprises one or more air gases contained in atmospheric air with a different composition than that of atmospheric air.
  • An air product can, in principle, be present or provided in a gaseous, liquid, or supercritical state and can be converted from one of these states of matter to another.
  • a liquid air product can be converted into a gaseous state (“evaporated”) or into a supercritical state (“pseudo-evaporated”) by heating to a certain pressure, depending on whether the pressure during heating is below or above the critical pressure.
  • evaporation in the following shall also include corresponding pseudo-evaporation.
  • Air separation plants have rectification column systems, which are conventionally designed as two-column systems, in particular as classic Linde double-column systems, but can also be designed as three- or multi-column systems.
  • rectification columns for the recovery of nitrogen and/or oxygen in liquid and/or gaseous
  • rectification columns can be used to extract other air components, particularly the noble gases krypton, xenon, and/or argon.
  • the terms "rectification” and “distillation,” as well as “column” and "pillar,” or combinations thereof, are used synonymously.
  • the rectification columns of the aforementioned rectification column systems are operated at different pressures.
  • Known double-column systems comprise a so-called high-pressure column (also referred to as a pressure column, medium-pressure column, or lower column) and a so-called low-pressure column (also referred to as the upper column).
  • the high-pressure column is typically operated at a pressure of 4 to 7 bar, in particular approximately 5.3 bar.
  • the low-pressure column is typically operated at a pressure of 1 to 2 bar, in particular approximately 1.4 bar. In certain cases, higher pressures can also be used in both rectification columns.
  • the pressures specified here are absolute pressures at the top of the respective columns.
  • main air compressor/booster air compressor MAC-BAC
  • HAP high air pressure
  • Main air compressor/booster air compressor processes are the more conventional processes, and high air pressure processes have recently been increasingly used as alternatives to main air compressor/booster air compressor processes.
  • the present invention is used in conjunction with high air pressure processes, so the following explanations in this regard apply generally and also to the present invention. Due to significantly lower costs—the main air compressor and booster air compressor are, in a sense, integrated into one machine—and fundamentally comparable efficiency, high air pressure processes can represent an advantageous alternative to main air compressor/booster air compressor processes.
  • Main compressor/post-compressor processes are characterized by the fact that only a portion of the total feed air quantity supplied to the rectification column system is compressed to a pressure that is significantly higher, i.e. by at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 bar, than the pressure at which the high-pressure column is operated. A further portion of the feed air quantity is compressed only to this pressure or a The gas is compressed to a pressure that differs from this by no more than 1 to 2 bar, and fed into the high-pressure column at this lower pressure, particularly without additional expansion.
  • a main compressor/post-compressor process is shown, for example, by Häring (see above) in Figure 2.3A.
  • the total amount of feed air supplied to the rectification column system is compressed to a pressure that is significantly higher, i.e. at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 bar, and for example up to 14, 16, 18 or 20 bar, than the pressure at which the high-pressure column is operated.
  • High-pressure processes are known, for example, from the EP 2 980 514 A1 and the EP 2 963 367 A1 known.
  • High-pressure air processes typically use internal compression (IV, IC).
  • internal compression at least one gaseous, pressurized air product, provided by the air separation plant, is formed by withdrawing a cryogenic, liquid air product from the rectification column system, subjecting it to a pressure increase to a product pressure, and then heating it to the gaseous or supercritical state at that pressure.
  • internal compression can be used to produce gaseous, pressurized oxygen (GOX IV, GOX IC), gaseous, pressurized nitrogen (GAN IV, GAN IC), and/or gaseous, pressurized argon (GAR IV, GAR IC).
  • Internal compression offers several advantages over external compression, which is also an alternative, and is explained, for example, in Häring (see above) in Section 2.2.5.2, "Internal Compression.”
  • High-pressure air processes can be used in various configurations. These are often classified and differentiated according to the system's liquid output, i.e., the amount of liquid air products supplied and removed from the system, or the ratio of internally compressed air products to liquid products. If the liquid output is not too high, a cold booster or cold compressor of the type described below is used in high-pressure processes, for example, to increase the efficiency of the process by converting the excess cooling capacity into higher air pressure.
  • Lachmann or upper column expander also described below.
  • the air expanded in the Lachmann turbine is fed into the low-pressure column.
  • the Lachmann turbine can be provided as an additional turbine unit alongside a turbine unit used to expand gaseous compressed air into the high-pressure column, i.e., a so-called Claude turbine.
  • the invention aims to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of high-pressure processes, particularly for such typical gas plants.
  • the present invention proposes a method for providing one or more oxygen-rich, gaseous air products and a corresponding system having the respective features of the independent patent claims.
  • Embodiments of the invention are the subject of the respective dependent patent claims and the following description.
  • feed air quantity or "feed air” for short is understood here to mean the total air supplied ("used") to the rectification column system of an air separation plant.
  • feed air quantity or "feed air” for short is understood here to mean the total air supplied ("used") to the rectification column system of an air separation plant.
  • feed air quantity or "feed air” for short is understood here to mean the total air supplied ("used") to the rectification column system of an air separation plant.
  • feed air quantity or feed air for short is understood here to mean the total air supplied (“used") to the rectification column system of an air separation plant.
  • cryogenic liquid is defined here as a liquid medium whose boiling point is significantly below the ambient temperature, e.g., at -50 °C or below, especially at -100 °C or below.
  • cryogenic liquids include liquid air, liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen, liquid argon, or liquids rich in these compounds.
  • turbocompressors In air separation plants, multi-stage turbocompressors, referred to here as "main air compressors," are used to compress the feed air.
  • the mechanical design of turbocompressors is generally familiar to those skilled in the art.
  • the medium to be compressed is compressed by means of turbine blades arranged on a turbine wheel or directly on a shaft.
  • a turbocompressor forms a structural unit, which, however, in a multi-stage turbocompressor, can have several compressor stages.
  • a compressor stage usually comprises a turbine wheel or a corresponding arrangement of turbine blades. All of these compressor stages can be driven by a common shaft. However, it is also possible to drive the compressor stages in groups with different shafts, whereby the shafts can also be connected to each other via gears.
  • the main air compressor is further characterized by the fact that it compresses the entire air volume fed into the distillation column system and used to produce air products, i.e., the entire feed air volume. Accordingly, a "post-compressor" can also be provided, in which, however, only a portion of the feed air volume compressed in the main air compressor is brought to an even higher pressure. This can also be designed as a turbo compressor. For the compression of partial air volumes, additional turbo compressors, also referred to as boosters, are typically provided.
  • a booster compressor can also be present in a high-pressure air process, but this compresses a portion of the feed air volume starting at a higher pressure.
  • a “cold compressor” or “cold booster” is understood here to mean a compressor or booster to which fluid is supplied at a temperature in a temperature range significantly below the ambient temperature of the air separation plant, in particular at a temperature of less than 0 °C, -50 °C or -100 °C and in particular more than -150 °C or -200 °C.
  • Air can also be expanded at several points in air separation plants, for which expansion machines in the form of turboexpanders, also referred to here as “expansion turbines,” can be used.
  • Turboexpanders can also be coupled to and drive turbocompressors. If one or more turbocompressors are driven without externally supplied energy, i.e., only via one or more turboexpanders, the term “turbine booster” is also used for such an arrangement.
  • the turboexpander (the expansion turbine) and the turbocompressor (the booster) are mechanically coupled, whereby the coupling can occur at the same speed (for example, via a common shaft) or at different speeds (for example, via an intermediate gear).
  • a turbine unit this should be understood in particular to an arrangement with at least one expansion turbine.
  • expansion turbines are installed at various locations for the refrigeration and liquefaction of material streams.
  • These include, in particular, the aforementioned Claude turbines and the also mentioned Lachmann turbines, as well as, in some cases, so-called Joule-Thomson turbines.
  • Joule-Thomson turbines For the function and purpose of such turbines, reference is made to the relevant literature, for example, FG Kerry, Industrial Gas Handbook: Gas Separation and Purification, CRC Press, 2006, especially sections 2.4, "Contemporary Liquefaction Cycles", 2.6, “Theoretical Analysis of the Claude Cycle” and 3.8.1, "The Lachmann Principle le”.
  • a "throttle flow” or “Joule-Thomson flow” refers to a quantity of air that is at least predominantly liquefied under pressure in the main heat exchanger of an air separation plant and then fed, particularly via a throttle valve, into the high-pressure column.
  • a Joule-Thomson turbine can also be used instead of a throttle valve.
  • fluids can be rich or poor in one or more components, where "rich” can mean a content of at least 75%, 90%, 95%, 99%, 99.5%, 99.9%, or 99.99%, and “poor” can mean a content of at most 25%, 10%, 5%, 1%, 0.1%, or 0.01% on a molar, weight, or volume basis.
  • “predominantly” can correspond to the definition of "rich” just given, but specifically refers to a content of more than 90%.
  • nitrogen or oxygen can refer to a pure gas, but also to a gas rich in nitrogen or oxygen.
  • pressures or temperatures in specific pressure or temperature ranges. This is intended to express that pressures and temperatures do not have to be used in the form of exact pressure or temperature values in order to implement an inventive concept. However, such pressures and temperatures typically lie in corresponding ranges which, for example, lie within ⁇ 1%, 5% or 10% of a mean value. Different pressure or temperature ranges can represent disjoint ranges or ranges which overlap one another. In particular, the specification of pressure ranges includes unavoidable or expected pressure losses, for example due to line resistances and the like. The same applies to pressure ranges. Pressures or pressure range limits specified here in bar are absolute pressures unless otherwise stated.
  • liquid output refers to The quantity of air products that are discharged in liquid form from the plant or a corresponding process, i.e., where no evaporation or pseudo-evaporation occurs. Such products cannot be used to cool feed streams into the plant or process through evaporation. Therefore, if smaller quantities of air products are discharged in liquid form from the plant or a corresponding process, but are evaporated or pseudo-evaporated, there is, to a certain extent, excess cooling available.
  • a so-called cold booster can be used, for example, to increase process efficiency by converting this excess cold into higher air pressure.
  • the heat input from the cold booster partially “destroys" the excess cold, but in return, the cold booster compresses part of the feed air, so that, for example, the output of the main air compressor can be reduced accordingly.
  • the intake temperature of a cold booster is below the ambient temperature, so that the power consumption is reduced, assuming ideal gas behavior for simplification.
  • the invention is used in a high-pressure air process in which, as mentioned, gaseous oxygen is to be produced without (significant) liquid production, and in which an injection turbine (Lachmann turbine) is provided as a second turbine unit next to a first turbine unit which expands air into the high-pressure column in the manner of a Claude turbine.
  • an injection turbine Loachmann turbine
  • the present invention achieves the above-mentioned object in particular by supplying air to the Lachmann turbine at a significantly lower air inlet temperature than in known processes. This results in strong pre-liquefaction at the turbine outlet of the Lachmann turbine. Accordingly, the air volumes to be liquefied in the main heat exchanger as throttle flow or throttle flows are significantly reduced, resulting in a noticeable increase in efficiency. The amount of heat to be transferred in the lower area of the main heat exchanger, i.e., at the location where the condensation of air flows occurs, is thus lower, and the performance of the cold compressor is reduced.
  • the present invention proposes a process for producing a pressurized, oxygen-rich, gaseous air product using an air separation plant which has a rectification column system with a high-pressure column and a low-pressure column as well as a main heat exchanger, a first turbine unit and a second turbine unit.
  • the high-pressure column is operated in a first pressure range of 4 to 7 bar, in particular approximately 5.3 bar
  • the low-pressure column is operated in a second pressure range of 1 to 2 bar, in particular approximately 1.4 bar
  • at least a predominant portion of the total feed air quantity supplied to the rectification column system in particular the entire feed air quantity as is customary in a high-air pressure process, is compressed to a pressure in a third pressure range that is more than 3 bar above the first pressure range.
  • a first portion of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range is fed to the first turbine unit at the pressure in the third pressure range or at a pressure in a fourth pressure range above the third pressure range and at a temperature in a first temperature range, expanded to a pressure in the first pressure range using the first turbine unit, and fed into the high-pressure column.
  • the main heat exchanger of the air separation plant is used in particular in the manner explained below, and the pressure in the fourth pressure range is optionally achieved using a corresponding booster unit in the manner explained below.
  • the first turbine unit is in particular a typical Claude turbine as explained above, or the first turbine unit comprises such a turbine.
  • a second subset of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range is compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range or to a pressure in a fifth pressure range above the third pressure range and to a Temperature in a second temperature range is fed to the second turbine unit, expanded using the second turbine unit to a pressure in the second pressure range, and fed into the low-pressure column.
  • the main heat exchanger of the air separation plant is used in particular in the manner explained below, and the pressure in the fifth pressure range is optionally achieved using a corresponding booster unit in the manner explained below.
  • the second turbine unit is in particular a typical Lachmann turbine as explained above, or the second turbine unit comprises such a turbine.
  • the invention comprises withdrawing oxygen-rich liquid from the rectification column system to provide the gaseous, pressurized, oxygen-rich air product, bringing it in the liquid state to a pressure in a sixth pressure range of 16 to 50 bar or 25 to 50 bar, in particular 40 to 50 bar, for example approximately 43 bar, while heating it to a temperature in a third temperature range, feeding it to the main heat exchanger, evaporating it therein at the temperature in the third temperature range, and discharging it from the air separation plant.
  • the pressurized, oxygen-rich air product is thus provided as an internal compression product.
  • the third temperature range i.e. the temperature range in which the temperature lies at which the oxygen-rich liquid is evaporated in the liquid state in the main heat exchanger after pressurization, lies according to the invention both above the first temperature range and above the second temperature range.
  • the second temperature range is selected such that a two-phase mixture with a liquid fraction of 5 to 15%, in particular of 8 to 13%, is formed at the outlet of the second turbine unit, these percentages expressing in particular a molar fraction of the liquid fraction, based on a molar fraction of the total two-phase mixture.
  • the temperature in the first temperature range and the temperature in the second temperature range differ from each other by no more than 10 K.
  • the air separation plant is operated such that a proportion of less than 5%, in particular less than 2%, of all air products removed from the air separation plant are removed unevaporated and in the liquid state.
  • air product which includes not only essentially pure products such as oxygen or nitrogen, but also impure streams (so-called waste gas), reference is made to the above explanations.
  • the proportion is less than 10%, in particular less than 5% or less than 2%.
  • the "essentially pure" products include, in particular, nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, or fluids rich in each of the components mentioned.
  • the first and second temperature ranges are each 110 to 140 K, in particular 120 to 135 K.
  • the third temperature range is above the first temperature range and the second temperature range, and in particular by more than 10 K and up to 40 K above the first temperature range and the second temperature range.
  • the first partial quantity of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range is advantageously provided at the pressure in the fourth pressure range and is brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range using a booster unit.
  • the booster unit used here will be used to drive the first turbine unit.
  • the first subset of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range can be cooled in a first cooling step in the main heat exchanger before it is brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range using the booster unit, and the first subset of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range can be cooled in a second cooling step in the main heat exchanger after it has been brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range using the booster unit, wherein the second cooling step comprises cooling to the aforementioned temperature in the first temperature range.
  • a third portion of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range can, in particular, be subjected to the first cooling step together with the first portion of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range and brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range using the booster unit, wherein the third portion of the feed air quantity further compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range and then to the pressure in the fourth pressure range is liquefied at the pressure in the fourth pressure range in the main heat exchanger, subsequently expanded, and fed into the high-pressure column.
  • the first portion is withdrawn from the main heat exchanger, in particular, at a withdrawal point corresponding to the temperature in the first temperature range, whereas the third portion is passed through the main heat exchanger to the cold end. In this way, the third portion forms a throttle flow.
  • the second subset of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range can be provided, in particular, at the pressure in the fifth pressure range and, in the process, brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range using an additional booster unit.
  • the additional booster unit can, in particular, drive the second turbine unit, thus being designed to be "self-boosted.”
  • a fourth subset of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range can be stored together with the second subset of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range in the
  • the second portion can be discharged from the main heat exchanger at a point corresponding to the temperature in the second temperature range, while the fourth portion can be further cooled and liquefied.
  • the fourth portion can be removed from the cold side of the main heat exchanger and fed into the high-pressure column as an additional throttle stream.
  • the two-phase mixture forming at the outlet of the second turbine unit is advantageously subjected to phase separation in a suitable phase separator and then fed into the low-pressure column in separate phases, i.e. in the form of a gas stream and a liquid stream.
  • the two-phase mixture forming at the outlet of the second turbine unit is fed into the low-pressure column in two phases.
  • a pump can be dispensed with, since liquid droplets are entrained due to the relatively high flow velocity.
  • the present invention further relates to an air separation plant for providing a pressurized, oxygen-rich, gaseous air product.
  • an air separation plant for providing a pressurized, oxygen-rich, gaseous air product.
  • a corresponding air separation plant benefits from the advantages previously explained with regard to the process according to the invention and its preferred embodiments, to which reference is therefore expressly made.
  • such an air separation plant is configured to carry out a process according to one of the previously explained embodiments and has means configured for this purpose.
  • FIGS 1 to 5 illustrate air separation plants according to preferred embodiments of the invention.
  • the Figures 6 and 7 show temperature-enthalpy diagrams.
  • FIG. 1 An air separation plant, designated 100, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
  • the air separation plant 100 comprises a rectification column system 10 with a high-pressure column 11 and a low-pressure column 12, which are interconnected in a known manner.
  • Air separation plants of the type shown have been described in many other places, for example by Häring (see above), and particularly in Section 2.2.5, "Cryogenic Rectification.” For detailed explanations of their design and operation, please refer to the relevant specialist literature.
  • An air separation plant for use with the present invention can be designed in a variety of ways.
  • the high-pressure column 11 is operated in a first pressure range
  • the low-pressure column 12 is operated in a second pressure range
  • at least a predominant portion of a total feed air quantity supplied to the rectification column system 10, here in the form of a compressed air stream a is compressed to a pressure in a third pressure range which is significantly above the first pressure range.
  • feed air is sucked in by means of a main air compressor 1, compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range, cooled in a direct contact cooler (also not separately designated) and freed in particular from water and carbon dioxide in a pre-cleaning unit 2.
  • the feed air provided in this way as the mentioned compressed air flow a at the pressure in the third pressure range is then divided into two partial flows b and c, which are both fed on the warm side to a main heat exchanger 3 and cooled therein.
  • further partial flows are formed, which represent partial quantities of the feed air of the compressed air flow a, referred to here as "first" to "fourth” partial quantities, and are indicated by a1 to a4.
  • the first subset of the total feed air quantity of the compressed air stream a compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range is fed to a first turbine unit 5 in the form of the subset a1 at a pressure in a fourth pressure range above the third pressure range and at a temperature in a first temperature range, expanded to a pressure in the first pressure range using the first turbine unit 5, and fed into the high-pressure column 11.
  • the first subset i.e., substream a1 is brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range as part of substream b using a booster unit 4, wherein the booster unit 4 is driven by the first turbine unit 5.
  • the first subset, i.e., substream a1 is cooled in a first cooling step in the main heat exchanger 3 before being brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range using the booster unit 4, and the first subset, i.e., stream a1, is cooled in a second cooling step in the main heat exchanger 3 after being brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range using the booster unit 4.
  • the second cooling step comprises cooling to the temperature in the aforementioned first temperature range.
  • the second subset of the feed air quantity of the compressed air stream a compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range is fed as part of the subset c at the pressure in the third pressure range and at a temperature in a second temperature range in the form of the subset a2 to a second turbine unit 6, which in the embodiment illustrated here is coupled to a generator G, expanded to a pressure in the second pressure range using the second turbine unit 6, and then fed into the low-pressure column 12.
  • the second temperature range is selected in such a way that a two-phase mixture with the previously repeatedly specified liquid fraction.
  • the two-phase mixture forming at the outlet of the second turbine unit 6 is, in the embodiment illustrated here, subjected to phase separation in a phase separator 7 and then fed into the low-pressure column 12 in separate phases in the form of a liquid stream a2I and a gas stream a2g.
  • the third subset of the feed air quantity of the compressed air stream a, compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range, is subjected to the first cooling step in the form of the aforementioned subset a3 together with the first subset, i.e. subset a1, and thus as part of subset b, and is also brought to the pressure in the fourth pressure range using the booster unit 4, wherein the third subset, i.e. subset a3, is liquefied, expanded, but at the pressure in the fourth pressure range in the main heat exchanger 3 and fed into the high-pressure column 11.
  • the fourth subset of the feed air quantity of the compressed air stream a, compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range, is fed in the form of the aforementioned subset a4 together with the second subset, i.e. subset a2, and thus as part of subset c, to the main heat exchanger 3, but is not removed therefrom at the temperature in the second temperature range, but is also liquefied in the main heat exchanger, then expanded, and fed into the high-pressure column 11.
  • the partial streams a3 and a4 used as throttle streams are combined to form a total stream k before being fed into the high-pressure column 11.
  • oxygen-rich liquid is withdrawn in the form of a stream I from the rectification column system 10, more precisely from a bottom of the low-pressure column 11, brought to a pressure in a sixth pressure range in the liquid state by heating to a temperature in a third temperature range by means of an internal compression pump 8, evaporated at the temperature in the third temperature range in the main heat exchanger 3 and discharged from the air separation plant 100.
  • the air separation unit 200 according to Figure 2 differs from the air separation plant 100 according to Figure 1 essentially due to the absence of the phase separator 7, whereby the two-phase stream a2 is fed into the low-pressure column 12 in two phases.
  • the air separation unit 300 according to Figure 3 differs from the air separation units 100 and 200 according to Figures 1 and 2 essentially by providing the pressurized, oxygen-rich air product in the form of two fractions or partial streams I1 and I2, which are formed from the partial stream I and evaporated in the main heat exchanger 3 at different pressures.
  • the air separation unit 400 according to Figure 4 differs from the air separation plants 100 to 300 according to Figures 1 to 4 Essentially, the second subset a2 (and the fourth subset a4) of the feed air quantity compressed to the pressure in the third pressure range is provided at a pressure in a fifth pressure range and is thereby brought to the pressure in the fifth pressure range using a further booster unit 41, which is driven in particular by the turbine 6 (i.e., is "self-boosted").
  • the further booster unit 41 is formed by a warm booster for air, i.e., by a booster with an inlet temperature above 273 K.
  • the air separation unit 500 according to Figure 5 differs from the air separation plants 100 to 400 according to Figures 1 to 4 essentially by using an argon discharge column 51 of a known type, such as that used in EP 3 067 649 A1
  • a gaseous stream s enriched in argon is withdrawn from the argon discharge column 51 and heated in the main heat exchanger 3.
  • the argon discharge column 51 is fed from the low-pressure column 12 and bottoms liquid (each without separate designation) is returned to the low-pressure column 12 after depletion of argon.
  • bottoms liquid from the high-pressure column 11 is used, which is fed into the low-pressure column 12 after partial evaporation.
  • argon discharge column refers here to a separation column for argon-oxygen separation. Its design differs only slightly from that of a conventional crude argon column, although it contains significantly fewer theoretical plates, namely fewer than 40, and particularly between 35 and 15. Like a crude argon column, the bottom section of an argon discharge column is connected to an intermediate point in the low-pressure column, and the argon discharge column is cooled by a top condenser, on whose evaporation side expanded bottom liquid from the high-pressure column is introduced. An argon discharge column does not have a bottom evaporator.
  • FIGs 6 and 7 are temperature-enthalpy diagrams of the main heat exchanger 3 of an air separation plant according to an embodiment of the invention, for example an air separation plant 100 to 500 according to the Figures 1 to 5 , where a temperature on the vertical axis in K is plotted against an enthalpy sum in kW on the horizontal axis and the diagram is plotted according to Figure 7 an enlarged view of the diagram according to Figure 6
  • the temperature points Ta1 and Ta2 correspond to the extraction temperature levels of the partial streams a1 and a2, respectively.
  • the air separation plants according to Figures 1 to 5 can, of course, also be adapted to produce low-pressure nitrogen product (LPGAN) as a by-product of air separation. This can be achieved by using a corresponding separation section in the low-pressure column 12.
  • LPGAN low-pressure nitrogen product

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Claims (11)

  1. Procédé de fabrication d'un produit formé à partir d'air, gazeux, riche en oxygène et sous pression à l'aide d'une installation de séparation d'air (100) qui présente un système à colonnes de rectification (10) comportant une colonne haute pression (11) et une colonne basse pression (12) ainsi qu'un échangeur de chaleur principal (3), une première unité formant turbine (4) et une seconde unité formant turbine (4), dans lequel
    - la colonne haute pression (11) fonctionne dans une première plage de pression allant de 4 à 7 bar, la colonne basse pression (12) fonctionne dans une deuxième plage de pression allant de 1 à 2 bar et au moins une fraction principale d'une quantité d'air de charge guidée globalement dans le système à colonnes de rectification (10) est comprimée à une pression dans une troisième plage de pression qui est supérieure de plus de 3 bar à la première plage de pression,
    - une première quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est guidée dans la première unité formant turbine (5) à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression ou à une pression dans une quatrième plage de pression supérieure à la troisième plage de pression et à une température dans une première plage de température, est détendue à une pression dans la première plage de pression à l'aide de la première unité formant turbine (5), et est injectée dans la colonne haute pression (11),
    - une deuxième quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est guidée dans la seconde unité formant turbine (6) à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression ou à une pression dans une cinquième plage de pression supérieure à la troisième plage de pression et à une température dans une deuxième plage de température, est détendue à une pression dans la deuxième plage de pression à l'aide de la seconde unité formant turbine (6), et est injectée dans la colonne basse pression (12),
    - un liquide riche en oxygène est prélevé du système à colonnes de rectification (10) pour la mise à disposition du produit formé à partir d'air riche en oxygène, sous pression et gazeux, est amené à l'état liquide à une pression dans une sixième plage de pression allant de 16 à 50 bar, est guidé dans l'échangeur de chaleur principal (3), est vaporisé dans celui-ci à la température dans une troisième plage de température et est évacué de l'installation de séparation d'air (100), dans lequel
    - la première quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est mise à disposition à la pression dans la quatrième plage de pression et est alors amenée à la pression dans la quatrième plage de pression à l'aide d'une unité de suralimentation (4),
    - la première unité formant turbine (5) est utilisée pour l'entraînement de l'unité de suralimentation (4),
    - la seconde unité formant turbine (6) est accouplée à un générateur (G) ou à un surpresseur chaud (41) pour l'air, et
    - une fraction de moins de 5 % de tous les produits formés à partir d'air prélevés de l'installation de séparation d'air (100) est prélevée de l'installation de séparation d'air (100) sans être vaporisée et à l'état liquide,
    caractérisé en ce que
    - la deuxième plage de température est choisie de telle sorte qu'un mélange diphasique comportant une fraction de liquide allant de 5 à 15 % se forme à la sortie de la seconde unité formant turbine (6),
    - la troisième plage de température est supérieure à la première plage de température et à la deuxième plage de température, et
    - la température dans la première plage de température et la température dans la deuxième plage de température ne diffèrent pas de plus de 10 K l'une de l'autre.
  2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, dans lequel la première et la deuxième plage de température vont de 110 à 140 K.
  3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel la troisième plage de température est supérieure de plus de 10 K à la deuxième plage de température.
  4. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel l'unité de suralimentation (4) est formée par un compresseur froid.
  5. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel la première quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est refroidie dans une première étape de refroidissement dans l'échangeur de chaleur principal (3) avant d'être amenée à la pression dans la quatrième plage de pression à l'aide de l'unité de suralimentation (4), et dans lequel la première quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est refroidie dans une seconde étape de refroidissement dans l'échangeur de chaleur principal (3) après avoir été amenée à la pression dans la quatrième plage de pression à l'aide de l'unité de suralimentation (4), dans lequel la seconde étape de refroidissement comprend un refroidissement à la température dans la première plage de température.
  6. Procédé selon la revendication 5, dans lequel une troisième quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est soumise à la première étape de refroidissement conjointement avec la première quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression, et est amenée à la pression dans la quatrième plage de pression à l'aide de l'unité de suralimentation (4), dans lequel la troisième quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est liquéfiée à la pression dans la quatrième plage de pression dans l'échangeur de chaleur principal, puis détendue et injectée dans la colonne haute pression (11).
  7. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel la deuxième quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est mise à disposition à la pression dans la cinquième plage de pression et est alors amenée à la pression dans la cinquième plage de pression à l'aide d'une autre unité de suralimentation (41).
  8. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le mélange diphasique qui se forme à la sortie de la seconde unité formant turbine (6) est guidé dans une séparation de phases, puis est injecté en phase séparée dans la colonne basse pression (12).
  9. Procédé selon l'une des revendications 1 à 7, dans lequel le mélange diphasique formé à la sortie de la seconde unité formant turbine (6) est injecté en deux phases dans la colonne basse pression (12).
  10. Installation de séparation d'air (100) qui est configurée pour la fabrication d'un produit formé à partir d'air, gazeux, riche en oxygène et sous pression et qui présente un système à colonnes de rectification (10) comportant une colonne haute pression (11) et une colonne basse pression (12) ainsi qu'un échangeur de chaleur principal (3), une première unité formant turbine (4) et une seconde unité formant turbine (4), une unité de suralimentation (4) et un générateur (G) ou un surpresseur chaud (41) pour l'air et dans laquelle l'installation de séparation d'air (100) est configurée pour
    - faire fonctionner la colonne haute pression (11) dans une première plage de pression allant de 4 à 7 bar, faire fonctionner la colonne basse pression (12) dans une deuxième plage de pression allant de 1 à 2 bar et comprimer au moins une fraction principale d'une quantité d'air de charge guidée globalement dans le système à colonnes de rectification (10) à une pression dans une troisième plage de pression qui est supérieure de plus de 3 bar à la première plage de pression,
    - guider une première quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression dans la première unité formant turbine (5) à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression ou à une pression dans une quatrième plage de pression supérieure à la troisième plage de pression et à une température dans une première plage de température, la détendre à une pression dans la première plage de pression à l'aide de la première unité formant turbine (5), et l'injecter dans la colonne haute pression (111),
    - guider une deuxième quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression dans la seconde unité formant turbine (6) à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression ou à une pression dans une cinquième plage de pression supérieure à la troisième plage de pression et à une température dans une deuxième plage de température, la détendre à une pression dans la deuxième plage de pression à l'aide de la seconde unité formant turbine (6), et l'injecter dans la colonne basse pression (12),
    - prélever du liquide riche en oxygène du système à colonnes de rectification (10) pour la mise à disposition du produit formé à partir d'air, riche en oxygène, sous pression et gazeux, l'amener à l'état liquide en le chauffant à une température dans une troisième plage de température à une pression dans une sixième plage de pression allant de 16 à 50 bar, le vaporiser à la température dans la troisième plage de température dans l'échangeur de chaleur principal (3) et l'évacuer de l'installation de séparation d'air (100), et
    - prélever de l'installation de séparation d'air (100) une fraction de moins de 5 % de tous les produits formés à partir d'air prélevés de l'installation de séparation d'air (100) sans être vaporisée et à l'état liquide, dans laquelle l'installation de séparation d'air (100) est configurée de telle sorte que
    - la première quantité partielle de la quantité d'air de charge comprimée à la pression dans la troisième plage de pression est mise à disposition à la pression dans la quatrième plage de pression et est alors amenée à la pression dans la quatrième plage de pression à l'aide de l'unité de suralimentation (4),
    - la première unité formant turbine (5) est utilisée pour l'entraînement de l'unité de suralimentation (4), et
    - la seconde unité formant turbine (6) est accouplée au générateur (G) ou au surpresseur chaud (41) pour l'air,
    caractérisée en ce que
    - la deuxième plage de température peut être réglée de telle sorte qu'un mélange diphasique comportant une fraction de liquide allant de 5 à 15 % se forme à la sortie de la seconde unité formant turbine (6),
    - l'installation de séparation d'air (100) est configurée de telle sorte que la troisième plage de température est supérieure à la première plage de température et à la deuxième plage de température par un prélèvement dans l'échangeur de chaleur principal (3) à des positions appropriées, et
    - l'installation de séparation d'air (100) est configurée de telle sorte que
    la température dans la première plage de température et la température dans la deuxième plage de température ne diffèrent pas de plus de 10 K l'une de l'autre.
  11. Installation de séparation d'air (100) selon la revendication 10, dans laquelle l'unité de suralimentation (4) est formée par un compresseur froid.
EP22729038.4A 2021-06-17 2022-05-17 Procédé et installation de fourniture d'un produit gazeux dérivé de l'air, sous pression et riche en oxygène Active EP4356052B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP21020325 2021-06-17
PCT/EP2022/025230 WO2022263013A1 (fr) 2021-06-17 2022-05-17 Procédé et installation permettant de fournir un produit à base d'air gazeux sous pression riche en oxygène

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EP4356052A1 EP4356052A1 (fr) 2024-04-24
EP4356052B1 true EP4356052B1 (fr) 2025-08-06
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US (1) US20240384928A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP4356052B1 (fr)
CN (1) CN117501057A (fr)
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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3306516B2 (ja) * 1992-02-14 2002-07-24 日本酸素株式会社 空気液化分離装置用精留塔
FR2895068B1 (fr) * 2005-12-15 2014-01-31 Air Liquide Procede de separation d'air par distillation cryogenique
EP2634517B1 (fr) * 2012-02-29 2018-04-04 L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude Procédé et appareil pour la séparation d'air par distillation cryogénique
US20130255313A1 (en) * 2012-03-29 2013-10-03 Bao Ha Process for the separation of air by cryogenic distillation
EP2963367A1 (fr) 2014-07-05 2016-01-06 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Procédé et dispositif cryogéniques de séparation d'air avec consommation d'énergie variable
EP2980514A1 (fr) 2014-07-31 2016-02-03 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Procédé de séparation cryogénique de l'air et installation de séparation d'air
EP3067649A1 (fr) 2015-03-13 2016-09-14 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Système de colonnes de distillation et procédé de production d'oxygène par séparation cryogénique de l'air
EP3133361B1 (fr) * 2015-08-20 2018-06-13 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Systeme de colonnes de distillation et installation de production d'oxygene par separation cryogenique de l'air
EP3394536A1 (fr) * 2015-12-23 2018-10-31 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Procédé et dispositif de production d'azote pur et d'oxygène pur par séparation cryogénique d'air
EP3696486A1 (fr) * 2019-02-13 2020-08-19 Linde GmbH Procédé et installation de fourniture d'un ou d'une pluralité de produits dérivés de l'air gazeux, riches en oxygène

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CN117501057A (zh) 2024-02-02
EP4356052A1 (fr) 2024-04-24
US20240384928A1 (en) 2024-11-21
TW202300843A (zh) 2023-01-01
EP4356052C0 (fr) 2025-08-06

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