The Boc Group, Inc.

Christopher John Hine

Ramachandran Krish Krishnamurthy

Denis Henry Lyon

James Linden Trotter

Air is separated by rectification. The air is compressed in a main air compressor to a first pressure. Without further compression a first flow of the compressed air is cooled in a main heat exchanger to a temperature suitable for its separation by rectification. The first flow is introduced into the higher pressure column of a double rectification column comprising, in addition to the higher pressure column, a lower pressure column, in which a bottom oxygen fraction containing from about 50 to about 96 mole percent of oxygen is formed. A condenser-reboiler places the higher pressure column in heat exchange relationship with the lower pressure rectification column. A second flow of the compressed air is expanded with the performance of external work in an expansion turbine without further compression of the second flow upstream of the expansion. The expanded second flow is introduced into the lower pressure rectification column. An impure oxygen product is taken from the said bottom fraction. The external work is the generation of electrical power, and thus the turbine is coupled to an electrical generator.

Separation of air

A liquid distributor tray for a distillation column for distributing a descending liquid phase to be contacted with an ascending vapor phase within the distillation column. A tray is provided for collecting the descending liquid phase and has rows of apertures for downward passage of the descending liquid phase. Rows of vapor risers are located between the rows of apertures for a passage of the ascending vapor phase, and an upward direction through the tray. Rows of elongated liquid collectors are located above the rows of vapor risers and between the rows of apertures for collecting all or part of the descending liquid phase before the descending liquid phase reaches the tray. Rows of elongated liquid collectors provided with slots or openings are provided for collecting and then redistributing the descending liquid phase caught in the liquid collectors over a central region of the tray. Such redistribution prevents replication of maldistribution throughout the column. Vapor risers can be connected to a distributor trough and be given a rectangular cross-section to provide a sufficient structural rigidity to the tray that such tray can be fabricated with the use of sheet metal and riveted construction.

Liquid distributor tray

Air is compressed in a compressor, pre-purified in an unit, and cooled in a heat exchanger. The resulting flow of air is subjected to a first rectification in a double rectification column so as to separate the air into an oxygen-rich fraction and a nitrogen-rich fraction. A further oxygen fraction, enriched in argon, is withdrawn from the double rectification column and is introduced into the bottom of a second rectification column in which relatively pure argon is separated from the oxygen. A stream of relatively impure argon is supplied from an independent source to an intermediate region of the second rectification column through an inlet thereof.

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Guildford, United Kingdom

Christopher John Hine