Method for obtaining an air product in an air separating system with temporary storage, and air separating system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air separating plants with internal compression struggle to produce air products of high purity, particularly compressed oxygen, due to difficulties in controlling phase transitions and contamination during compression processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving temporary storage of liquid fractions in multiple tanks, allowing for alternating injection and withdrawal to ensure composition verification and vaporization only when purity standards are met, thereby preventing contamination and optimizing energy use through pressurization vaporization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If internal compression is used to produce compressed oxygen, then energy efficiency is improved, but product purity control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by determining the composition of the liquid fraction before vaporization. A control device analyzes the liquid fraction's composition (particularly oxygen purity) prior to the vaporization process, allowing predictive control of the final gas product purity. This prevents contamination issues after compression by ensuring only合格 liquid fractions are vaporized.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by continuously monitoring liquid fraction composition with a control device and using this information to control the vaporization process. The control device provides feedback signals that adjust vaporization parameters to maintain product purity, creating a closed-loop control system that resolves the purity control difficulty while maintaining energy efficiency.
2Productivity
If continuous vaporization is performed without temporary storage, then productivity is improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by temporarily storing liquid fractions in tanks before vaporization. This storage step allows composition determination and quality verification to occur beforehand, ensuring only pure liquid fractions are vaporized. The preliminary storage and analysis prevent contamination of the final product while maintaining production continuity through the buffering capacity of the storage tanks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the temporary storage tank - between the liquid fraction source and the vaporization process. This intermediary allows for composition analysis, quality control, and buffering, separating the continuous production requirement from the quality verification requirement. The tank acts as a mediator that enables both continuous operation and contamination prevention.
3Manufacturing precision
If additional compressor units are added to improve product purity, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the purity control function from the compression system itself and places it in the liquid phase control system. Instead of adding compressors to improve purity, the invention extracts the quality control to the liquid fraction analysis and vaporization control stages. This separates purity control from mechanical compression, avoiding additional compressor units and their associated complexity and maintenance needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical purification methods (additional compressors) with a control-based approach. Instead of using mechanical means to achieve purity, the invention uses composition determination devices and controlled vaporization processes. This substitutes mechanical complexity with analytical and control system simplicity, achieving the same purity goal without additional compressor units.
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 approach ensures the production of air products with defined purity and reduced contamination, achieving energy savings and lower maintenance by eliminating the need for additional compressor units and minimizing contamination risks.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid fraction, in particular liquid oxygen, which is pressurized in the liquid state is vaporized against a heat transfer medium and is finally discharged as a pressurized gas product
Implementation Method 2
The (pseudo-)vaporizing liquid fraction liquefies the heat transfer medium which is at high pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A method for obtaining an air product in an air separating system in which a liquid fraction is obtained from feed air and used to provide the air product and in which the liquid fraction is temporarily stored in a tank arrangement. A tank arrangement with at least two tanks is used, and the liquid fraction is fed to at least one of the tanks and/or is removed from at least one of the tanks in order to provide the air product. In the process, the liquid fraction is not fed to and removed from any one of the tanks at the same time, and the composition of the liquid fraction in a tank is ascertained prior to each removal of the liquid fraction from the tank. An air separating system is also described.