Air separation method for supplying gaseous oxygen in accordance with a variable demand pattern
This patent describes a method of supplying gaseous oxygen to meet the requirements of a variable demand pattern. It comprises: rectifying air by a double column low temperature rectification process using operatively associated high and low pressure columns to produce a nitrogen rich vapor and liquid oxygen, respectively; withdrawing a nitrogen rich vapor stream composed of the nitrogen rich vapor and a liquid oxygen stream composed of the liquid oxygen from the high and low pressure columns; respectively; partially heating and engine expanding with the performance of work the nitrogen rich vapor stream and after the engine expansion; when a demand for the gaseous oxygen exists, pumping a product stream formed from the liquid oxygen contained within the liquid oxygen stream to a delivery pressure; flashing liquid nitrogen condensed from at least part of the nitrogen rich vapor stream to produce a two phase flow of nitrogen containing liquid and vapor phases and separating the liquid and vapor phases from one another; adding a vapor phase stream composed of the vapor phase to at least part of the nitrogen rich vapor stream; and storing any excess amounts of liquid phase not introduced to the low pressure column and of the liquid oxygen stream not used in forming the product stream.
- Assignee:
- BOC Group, Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5152149; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-734705
- OSTI ID:
- 6972132
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 23 Jul 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
42 ENGINEERING
EXHAUST GASES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION CYCLE
NITROGEN
TWO-PHASE FLOW
GAS FLOW
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
OXYGEN
ELEMENTS
ENGINES
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
NONMETALS
WASTES
400105* - Separation Procedures
420400 - Engineering- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow