Cryogenic Air Separation for Pressurized Oxygen With Lower Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air separation processes are power intensive and inefficient in utilizing cryogenic liquids for reducing power consumption, particularly when they do not produce additional liquid products, as they fail to effectively integrate liquid feeds into the process without producing other liquids or cold gases.
Innovation Solution
A low-temperature air separation process involving a system of distillation columns that includes cooling and cryogenically compressing air streams using multiple compressors, followed by cooling and liquefying the compressed gas streams to efficiently feed them into the columns, utilizing the cryogenic liquid for refrigeration and vaporizing liquid products to produce pressurized gaseous oxygen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a liquid pumped process is used to produce pressurized gaseous oxygen, then safety issues associated with oxygen compressors are avoided, but power consumption increases due to the need for booster compressors and heat exchangers
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes phase transitions of nitrogen and oxygen by feeding cryogenic liquids (liquid nitrogen and/or liquid oxygen) directly into the distillation columns. The liquids vaporize and participate in the distillation process, eliminating the need for booster compressors and reducing power consumption while maintaining safety benefits of the liquid pumped process
Solution Approach 2:
The cryogenic liquid feed serves multiple functions: it provides refrigeration for the distillation columns, acts as feed material for oxygen production, and eliminates the need for separate booster compression systems. This multi-functionality reduces both equipment complexity and power consumption
2Use of energy by moving object
If cryogenic liquids are fed to the air separation plant to reduce power consumption, then power consumption decreases, but additional liquid products must be extracted to maintain cold balance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the operational parameters of the distillation columns by introducing cryogenic liquid feeds at specific temperatures and flow rates. By optimizing these parameters, the process achieves cold balance while minimizing or eliminating the need to extract additional liquid products, thus reducing power consumption without compromising production flexibility
3Productivity
If multiple compressors are used for cryogenic compression of air streams, then pressurized gaseous product is produced efficiently, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for booster compressors by directly feeding cryogenic liquids into the distillation columns. This removes unnecessary compression stages and simplifies the overall system while maintaining or improving production efficiency through the cold compression effect
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process significantly reduces power consumption by eliminating the need for booster compressors and utilizing cryogenic liquids for refrigeration, allowing for efficient production of gaseous oxygen while minimizing the production of additional liquid products, thus optimizing energy use.
Implementation Method 1
cooling a compressed air stream in an exchanger to form a compressed cooled air stream
Implementation Method 2
cryogenically compressing at least a portion of the compressed cooled air stream in a first compressor having a first inlet temperature to form a first pressurized gas stream
Implementation Method 3
cooling at least a portion of the first pressurized gas stream in the exchanger to form a first cooled pressurized gas stream
Implementation Method 4
cryogenically compressing at least a portion of the first cooled pressurized gas stream in a second compressor having a second inlet temperature to form a second pressurized gas stream
Implementation Method 5
cooling and at least partially liquefying the second pressurized gas stream and feeding it to the system of distillation columns
Implementation Method 6
a system of distillation columns that includes cooling and cryogenically compressing air streams using multiple compressors
Implementation Method 7
pressurizing, vaporizing, and warming at least part of the liquid product in the exchanger to yield a pressurized gaseous product
Data Source
AI summary
A compressed air stream is cooled in an exchanger to form a compressed cooled air stream. The stream is then cryogenically compressed in a first compressor to form a first pressurized gas stream. The first pressurized gas stream is further cooled in the exchanger, cryogenically compressed in a second compressor, and then it is cooled and partially liquefied. The cooled and partially liquefied product is then fed to a system of distillation columns. A liquid product is removed from the system of distillation columns. This product is then pressurized, vaporized and warmed in the exchanger to yield pressurized gaseous product.