Refrigeration – Processes – Circulating external gas
Patent
1987-04-07
1988-03-15
Capossela, Ronald C.
Refrigeration
Processes
Circulating external gas
62 18, 62 39, 62 40, 62 42, F25J 300
Patent
active
047311029
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oxygen gas production apparatus which provides high purity gaseous oxygen in pressurized state.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is customary to produce oxygen gas in an air fractionation plant which separates oxygen from nitrogen by taking advantage of their difference in boiling point. This conventional air fractionation plant is provided with an expansion turbine for generating the refrigeration necessary for the liquefaction and fractionation of air, which utilizes the "cold heat" due to adiabatic expansion.
However, because of its extremely high speed (tens of thousand revolutions per minute), the expansion turbine cannot delicately follow variations in load (variations in the rate of withdrawal of product oxygen gas). Thus, it is technically difficult to vary the rotational speed of the expansion turbine quickly and accurately in response to changes in the amount of withdrawal of product oxygen gas so as to maintain the compressed material air at a constant temperature at all times. As a result, a variation is inevitable in the purity of product oxygen gas, for low purity oxygen is frequently output to depress the overall purity of product oxygen. Furthermore, because it is driven at a very high speed, the expansion turbine demands high mechanical precision and is costly to manufacture. In addition, its complicated structure calls for specially trained maintenance personnel. These problems emanate generally from the high-speed-revolving component of the expansion turbine and there has been a strong demand for elimination of an expansion turbine having such a high-speed revolving element from the oxygen production installation.
While product gaseous oxygen is sent to points of consumption via the product oxygen gas withdrawal line of the air fractionation plant, this transport is smoothly carried out when the pressure of product oxygen gas is high. Moreover, pressurized product oxygen gas is more convenient for consumption.
Accomplished in view of the above state of the art, the present invention is directed to: for compressing air from an outside source, a purification means for removing carbon dioxide gas and water vapor from the air compressed by said air compression means, a heat exchange means for chilling the compressed air from said purification means to a cryogenic temperature, a fractionation column for liquefying and fractionating the compressed air chilled to a cryogenic temperature by said heat exchange means and holding nitrogen in gaseous state and oxygen in liquid state, a liquid oxygen storage means for receiving liquid oxygen from an outside source and storing the same, a line for continuously introducing into said fractionation column the liquid oxygen from said liquid oxygen storage means in lieu of the generated refrigeration from a cold heat generating expansion means, an oxygen gas withdrawal line for guiding the liquid oxygen within said fractionation column as a refrigerant to said heat exchange means and withdrawing the gasified oxygen produced by heat exchange as a product oxygen gas, and a pressurizing means for pressurizing the product oxygen gas withdrawn from said oxygen withdrawal line; and for compressing air from an outside source, a purification means for removing carbon dioxide gas and water vapor from the air compressed by said air compression means, a heat exchange means for chilling the compressed air from said purification means to a cryogenic temperature, a fractionation column for liquefying and fractionating the compressed air chilled to a cryogenic temperature by said heat exchange means and holding nitrogen in gaseous state and oxygen in liquid state, a liquid oxygen storage means for receiving liquid oxygen from an outside source and storing the same, a line for continuously introducing into said fractionation column the liquid oxygen from said liquid oxygen storage means in lieu of the generated refrigeration from a cold heat generating expansion means, a liquid ox
REFERENCES:
patent: 2940269 (1960-06-01), Frainier
patent: 3039274 (1962-06-01), Matsch
patent: 3735599 (1973-05-01), Izumichi et al.
patent: 4526595 (1985-07-01), McNeil
patent: 4529425 (1985-07-01), McNeil
Capossela Ronald C.
Daidousanso Co. Ltd.
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