Refrigeration – Processes – Circulating external gas
Patent
1990-02-02
1991-02-19
Capossela, Ronald C.
Refrigeration
Processes
Circulating external gas
55 66, 62 24, F25J 304
Patent
active
049940988
ABSTRACT:
The present invention is an improvement to a method of producing crude argon directly from the cold box of a cryogenic air separation unit. The improvement is the production of crude argon containing greatly decreased concentrations of oxygen, i.e. <0.5% oxygen without any loss in recovery. The improvement is accomplished by using an effective number of theoretical stages in the side arm column so as to produce the desired argon product purity without sacrificing argon recovery; feeding crude liquid oxygen from the bottom of the high pressure column to the reboiler condenser located in the top of the argon side arm column at a rate in the range from about 1.04 to about 1.36 times the theoretical minimum flow of crude liquid oxygen necessary to completely vaporize that minimum flow of crude liquid oxygen to its dew point; and effectuating the intimate contact between the vapor and liquid phases in the argon side arm column by a combination of conventional sieve trays and low pressure drop, structured packings so that the pressure drop across this combination results in a pressure at the top of the argon side arm column such that the flow of crude liquid oxygen to the reboiler/condenser located in the top of the side arm column can be maintained in the appropriate range. Furthermore, the improvement is accomplished without an energy penalty in the cryogenic air separation unit.
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patent: 3729943 (1973-05-01), Petit
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R. E. Latimer, "Distillation of Air", Chem. Engr. Prog. No. 63 (2), pp. 35-59, [1967].
M. Ruhemann, "separation of Gases", Second Edition, p. 223, [1949].
Agrawal Rakesh
Woodward Donald W.
Air Products and Chemicals Inc.
Capossela Ronald C.
Jones II Willard
Marsh William F.
Simmons James C.
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