Low energy consumption method for separating gaseous mixtures and in particular for medium purity oxygen production

Patent · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:866536

Jujasz, Albert J ^[1]; Burkhart, James A ^[2]; Greenberg, Ralph ^[3]

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1. North Olmsted, OH
2. Olmsted Falls, OH
3. New York, NY

A method for the separation of gaseous mixtures such as air and for producing medium purity oxygen, comprising compressing the gaseous mixture in a first compressor to about 3.9-4.1 atmospheres pressure, passing said compressed gaseous mixture in heat exchange relationship with sub-ambient temperature gaseous nitrogen, dividing the cooled, pressurized gaseous mixture into first and second streams, introducing the first stream into the high pressure chamber of a double rectification column, separating the gaseous mixture in the rectification column into a liquid oxygen-enriched stream and a gaseous nitrogen stream and supplying the gaseous nitrogen stream for cooling the compressed gaseous mixture, removing the liquid oxygen-enriched stream from the low pressure chamber of the rectification column and pumping the liquid, oxygen-enriched steam to a predetermined pressure, cooling the second stream, condensing the cooled second stream and evaporating the oxygen-enriched stream in an evaporator-condenser, delivering the condensed second stream to the high pressure chamber of the rectification column, and heating the oxygen-enriched stream and blending the oxygen-enriched stream with a compressed blend-air stream to the desired oxygen concentration.

• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4732597
• OSTI ID: 866536
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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air
air stream
ambient temperature
atmospheres
atmospheres pressure
blend-air
blending
chamber
column
compressed
compressed gas
compressing
compressor
comprising
concentration
condensed
condensing
consumption
cooled
cooling
delivering
desired
dividing
double
energy
energy consumption
evaporating
evaporator-condenser
exchange
exchange relation
exchange relationship
gaseous
gaseous mixture
gaseous mixtures
gaseous nitrogen
heat
heat exchange
heating
introducing
liquid
medium
medium purity
method
mixture
mixtures
nitrogen
oxygen
oxygen concentration
oxygen product
oxygen production
oxygen-enriched
particular
passing
predetermined
predetermined pressure
pressure
pressure chamber
pressurized
pressurized gas
producing
production
pumping
purity
purity oxygen
rectification
relationship
removing
separating
separating gas
separating gaseous
separation
steam
stream
streams
sub-ambient
supplying
temperature
temperature gas