Air separation method and apparatus

a technology of air separation and air stream, which is applied in the direction of lighting and heating equipment, solidification, refrigeration and liquid storage, etc. it can solve the problems of increasing the energy cost of inline barrel compressors, and reducing the pressure of boosted air streams. , to achieve the effect of lessening the pressure, reducing the pressure of boosted air streams, and reducing the flow rate of such streams
US20120036891A1Inactive Publication Date: 2012-02-16PRAXAIR TECH INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
PRAXAIR TECH INC
Publication Date
2012-02-16
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

An air separation method and apparatus in which a supercritical oxygen product is produced by heating a pumped liquid oxygen stream having a supercritical pressure, through indirect heat exchange with a boosted pressure air stream. The indirect heat exchange is conducted within a heat exchanger and a liquid nitrogen stream is vaporized in the heat exchanger to depress the pressure that would otherwise be required of the boosted pressure air stream to heat the pumped liquid oxygen stream. The pumped liquid oxygen stream constitutes 90 percent of the oxygen-rich liquid removed from an air separation unit in which the air is rectified, the liquid nitrogen constitutes at least 90 percent of the liquid nitrogen that is not used as reflux and a flow-rate ratio between the liquid nitrogen stream and the oxygen-rich liquid is between about 0.3 and 0.90.
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Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for separating air in which oxygen-rich liquid is pumped to produce a pumped liquid oxygen stream having a supercritical pressure that is in turn warmed to a supercritical temperature through indirect heat exchange with a boosted pressure air stream to produce an oxygen product as a supercritical fluid. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a method and apparatus in which a liquid nitrogen stream is simultaneously vaporized while the pressurized liquid stream is heated, so as to depress the pressure that would otherwise be required of the boosted pressure air stream to heat the pumped liquid oxygen stream alone.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There exists an emerging market for very high pressure supercritical oxygen that is being driven primarily by requirements of gasifiers for such oxygen. Typically, the oxygen is produced from the cryogenic separation of air. Although oxygen p...

Claims

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