Refrigeration – Vortex tube – e.g. – ranque
Patent
1984-10-12
1985-07-30
Capossela, Ronald C.
Refrigeration
Vortex tube, e.g., ranque
62 11, 62 23, 62 27, 62 36, F25B 902
Patent
active
045313717
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE ART
The present invention relates to the art of refrigeration engineering and, more specifically, to a process and apparatus for producing nitrogen and oxygen.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Known in the art and widely employed for the production of nitrogen and oxygen is a process of a low-temperature rectification comprising cooling of compressed air liquefaction thereof and separation in a rectification column (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 2,548,377 Cl. 62-123, 1951).
A great mass of the rectification column, a long running-in time in operation thereof, impossibility of changing working conditions has made it urgent to find new ways of air separation.
For example, known in the art are centrifugal rectifiers having lesser mass, though a lower reliability, since they incorporate movable assemblies (cf. A. M. Arkharov et al., "Low-Temperature Engineering", Energija Publishing House, Moscow, 1975, pp. 283-285).
Also known is a Rank vortex tube consisting of an inlet nozzle for acceleration and curling of the air stream, a diaphragm for discharge of a cooled stream and an outlet diffuser for discharging a heated stream (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 1,952,281 Cl. 62-5, 1934). In particular, vortex tubes are employed for separation of liquid hydrocarbons from gaseous ones (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,988 Cl. 62-5, 1973).
Known in the art is a process for separation of air into oxygen and nitrogen and an apparatus therefor, wherein a vortex tube is mounted before the rectification column and is used as a throttling step (cf. USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 246537, Cl. F 25 j. 1968). In this apparatus the vortex tube serves to separate vapour from the liquid and is unsuitable for air rectification.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus for producing nitrogen and oxygen which features a high operation reliability, a low mass and a short running-in time.
This object is accomplished by a process for producing nitrogen and oxygen from a preliminary compressed cooled air wherein, according to the present invention, air is compressed to a pressure of 0.3 to 0.6 MPa, the compressed air is cooled to a saturated state with a partial liquefaction at a temperature of from 90.degree. to 100.degree. K. and the cooled air is delivered for separation into at least one vortex pipe.
To lower power consumption in air separation in more than one tube, it is advisable to carry out air separation in at least one vortex tube under adiabatic conditions and to cool the compressed air to the saturated state with a liquid content of from 20 to 40% by mass.
To obtain more pure products, it is desirable that the separation of air in a vortex tube be conducted in a thermal contact with the ambient medium and the compressed air be cooled to the saturated state with a content of liquid of from 45 to 65% by mass.
To simultaneously produce nitrogen and oxygen upon air separation in more than one vortex tube, in at least one vortex tube the separation should be conducted under adiabatic conditions while supplying, into this vortex tube, compressed air cooled to the saturated state with a content of liquid of from 20 to 40% by mass.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for producing nitrogen and oxygen from air which comprises a compressor and heat-exchangers positioned along the path of compressed air and having a high-pressure cavity and a low-pressure cavity and a means for air separation, wherein as the air separation means use is made of a known vortex tube having, at one end thereof, an inlet nozzle and a diaphragm for discharging nitrogen and, at the other end, a diffuser for discharging oxygen; the inlet nozzle of said vortex tube is connected with the high-pressure cavity of the heat-exchanger, while the diaphragm of said vortex tube is connected to the low-pressure cavity of the heat-exchanger.
It is advisable that the apparatus also incorporate at least one more vortex tube; the diffuser of a preceding vortex tube should be preferably connected with the inlet nozzl
REFERENCES:
patent: 1952281 (1934-03-01), Ranque
patent: 2548377 (1951-04-01), Kapitza
patent: 3775988 (1973-12-01), Fekete
Chizhikov Jury V.
Ivanov Sergei V.
Suslov Alexandr D.
Voronin Grigory I.
Voronin Valentin G.
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