System and method for enhanced recovery of argon and oxygen from a nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit

    公开(公告)号:US10663223B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-05-26

    申请号:US15962297

    申请日:2018-04-25

    IPC分类号: F25J3/04

    摘要: A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon, an overall nitrogen recovery of 98% or greater and limited gaseous oxygen production. The air separation is configured to produce a first high purity oxygen enriched stream and a second lower purity oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, one of which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption pre-purifier unit. All or a portion of the first high purity oxygen enriched stream is vaporized in the main heat exchanger to produce the gaseous oxygen products.

    System and method for enhanced recovery of argon and oxygen from a nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit

    公开(公告)号:US10663222B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-05-26

    申请号:US15962245

    申请日:2018-04-25

    IPC分类号: F25J3/04

    摘要: A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon, an overall nitrogen recovery of 98 percent or greater and limited gaseous oxygen production. The air separation is configured to produce a first high purity oxygen enriched stream and a second lower purity oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, one of which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption pre-purifier unit. All or a portion of the first high purity oxygen enriched stream is vaporized in the main heat exchanger to produce the gaseous oxygen products.

    SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED RECOVERY OF ARGON AND OXYGEN FROM A NITROGEN PRODUCING CRYOGENIC AIR SEPARATION UNIT

    公开(公告)号:US20200149807A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-05-14

    申请号:US16742965

    申请日:2020-01-15

    IPC分类号: F25J3/04

    摘要: A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon, an overall nitrogen recovery of 98 percent or greater and limited gaseous oxygen production. The air separation is configured to produce a first high purity oxygen enriched stream and a second lower purity oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, one of which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption pre-purifier unit. All or a portion of the first high purity oxygen enriched stream is vaporized in the main heat exchanger to produce the gaseous oxygen products.

    CRYOGENIC AIR SEPARATION UNIT WITH ARGON CONDENSER VAPOR RECYCLE

    公开(公告)号:US20230052938A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-02-16

    申请号:US17399742

    申请日:2021-08-11

    IPC分类号: F25J3/04 F25J3/02

    摘要: A system and method for improving the performance of an oxygen, nitrogen, and argon producing air separation unit configured to produce a gaseous nitrogen product stream is provided. By recycling the argon condenser boil-off vapor stream to the main air compression train, the argon recovery and oxygen recovery while maintaining the production level of a medium or high pressure gaseous nitrogen product stream. In addition, some operational cost savings in terms of lower power costs can also be realized compared to some prior art oxygen, nitrogen, and argon producing air separation units.

    SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEXIBLE RECOVERY OF ARGON FROM A CRYOGENIC AIR SEPARATION UNIT

    公开(公告)号:US20220146196A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-05-12

    申请号:US17580860

    申请日:2022-01-21

    IPC分类号: F25J3/04

    摘要: A system and method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.