Linde Aktiengesellschaft

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Linde Akitengesellschaft

Horst Corduan

Dietrich Rottmann

Wilhelm Rohde

Christian Kunz

Stefan Lochner

Alfred Wanner

Werner Skolaude

Karl Heinrich Schweigert

Gunnar Eggendorfer

Karl Leibl

Juergen Voit

Wolfgang Haag

Hartwin Lindner

Horst Altmeyer

A plate heat exchanger for indirect heat exchange of several fluid flows () with a heat transfer medium/cooling medium () in a heat exchanger core () has a plurality of heat exchange passages within the core for the heat transfer medium/cooling medium (), a first fluid flow () and a second fluid flow (). All heat exchange passages for the first fluid flow () are located In a first component area, and all heat exchange passages for the second fluid flow () are located in a second component area. The first and the second component areas do not intersect and each extend over the entire height of the heat exchanger core (). The heat exchanger is particularly suitable for use in air-separation processes.

Plate heat exchanger

The invention relates to a bath condenser with a condenser block () that has evaporation passages () for a liquid and liquefaction passages () for a heating medium and at least two circulation sections () that are located vertically on top of one another. The evaporation passages () each have on the lower end of a circulation section () at least one entry opening () for the liquid and on the upper end of a circulation section () at least one exit opening (), for each circulation section () there being a liquid storage tank () that is flow-connected to the entry opening () and the exit opening () of the circulation section () and that has a gas offtake (). The inlet into the gas offtake () is not located in the area in front of the side () of the circulation section () in which the exit opening () of the circulation section () is located.

Multistory bath condenser

The invention relates to a process for the low-temperature fractionation of air in a rectification unit, which comprises a pressure column () a low-pressure column () and a condenser-evaporator system having at least two falling-film evaporators (). Oxygen-rich liquid from the low-pressure column () is introduced into the evaporation passages of the first and second falling-film evaporators () and is partially evaporated. Unevaporated oxygen-rich liquid from the first falling-film evaporator () is transferred into the evaporation passages of the second falling-film evaporator ().

Low-temperature air fractionation process

The process and device are used to obtain a compressed product by low temperature separation of air in a rectification system which has a pressure column and a low pressure column. A first flow of compressed and purified feedstock air is cooled in a main heat exchanger system and is fed into the pressure column. At least one fraction from the pressure column is expanded and fed into the low pressure column. An oxygen-rich fraction from the low pressure column is liquid-pressurized and delivered to a mixing column. A heat exchange medium is fed into the lower area of the mixing column and is brought into countercurrent contact with the oxygen-rich fraction. A gaseous top product is removed from the upper area of the mixing column. A product fraction is removed from the rectification system, liquid-pressurized, vaporized in indirect heat exchange with the gaseous top product of the mixing column and is withdrawn as the compressed product. Indirect heat exchange is carried out for vaporization of the liquid-pressurized product fraction in the main heat exchanger system.

Process and device for obtaining a compressed product by low temperature separation of air

For the indirect heat-exchange of a plurality of gas streams ( ) with a heat-cold carrier ( ) in heat-exchange blocks ( ) in which the gas streams ( ) are passed through a multiplicity of heat-exchange passages, only one of the gas streams ( ) is passed in this case through at least one heat-exchange block ( ). The heat-exchange passages of the heat-exchange block ( ), through which this gas stream ( ) flows end at two end surfaces of the heat-exchange block ( ). The gas stream ( ) is fed to an taken off from these heat-exchange passages via in each case a collector/distributor ( ) connected to the heat-exchange block ( ), which collector/distributor extends in each case over the entire end surface of the heat-exchange block ( ).

Process and apparatus for heat exchange

For adjusting the capacity of a low-temperature rectification unit having a high pressure column and a low pressure column in which a fluid is introduced into the high pressure column ( ) and in which liquid from the bottom of the high pressure column is directed into the low pressure column ( ), the amount of liquid that is removed from the bottom of high pressure and fed to the low pressure column ( ) is controlled via flow adjustment ( ), wherein a nominal value for flow adjustment ( ) is set to a desired amount of flow, and the liquid level of the liquid at the bottom of column ( ) that operates at higher pressure is fixed without a set nominal value corresponding to the amount of liquid that is removed.

Adjustment process for a low-temperature rectification unit

The method and the device are used for the cryogenic separation of air. Compressed and purified application air ( ) is cooled in a main heat exchanger ( ) and is at least partially fed ( ) to a rectifying column ( ). A first partial flow ( ) of the application air is fed to the main heat exchanger ( ), is at least partially withdrawn at a first intermediate temperature from the main heat exchanger ( ), and is fed to a cold compression ( ). The first partial flow ( ) is warmed up ( ) upstream of its withdrawal ( ) at the first intermediate temperature in the main heat exchanger ( ).

Process and apparatus for low temperature fractionation of air

The process and the apparatus serve to produce pressurized nitrogen by low-temperature fractionation of air in a rectification system which has a pressure column (,) and a low-pressure column (,). Feed air (,) is passed into the pressure column (,). An oxygen-containing liquid fraction (,) is taken off from the pressure column (,) and fed into the low-pressure column (,). Gaseous nitrogen (,) from the low-pressure column (,) is at least partially condensed in a top condenser (,) by indirect heat exchange with an evaporating liquid (,). Nitrogen from the low-pressure column is produced as gaseous pressurized nitrogen product (,) at a pressure which is higher than the operating pressure of the low-pressure column (,). Liquid nitrogen (,) withdrawn from the low-pressure column is brought (,) in the liquid state to a pressure which exceeds the pressure of the low-pressure column (,). The pressurized liquid (,) is evaporated in a product evaporator (,) by indirect heat exchange with a heat-transfer medium (,) and is subsequently produced as gaseous pressurized nitrogen product (,). (FIG.,)

Method and device for producing compressed nitrogen

A process and a system for the low-temperature separation of air by rectification is provided. A liquid fraction is obtained in a rectifying system, stored in a tank and at least a portion of the liquid fraction taken out of the tank and brought to an increased pressure. During normal operation, the liquid fraction, which was brought to an increased pressure, is heated in a preheat exchanger and evaporated in the main heat exchanger. During an operating disturbance, at least a portion of the liquid product is removed from the tank, evaporated and used for an emergency supply.

Air separation process

Process and apparatus for the variable production of a gaseous

A process and apparatus for recovery of pure argon from air utilize a rectification system comprising at least one air separating column (9) and a pure argon column (25). An argon-enriched mixture (24) of air gases is introduced into the pure argon column (25) in the lower region of which an essentially nitrogen-free argon product (26) is recovered. The head fraction (28) of the pure argon column (25), is liquefied at least partly by indirect heat exchange (29) using the evaporating cooling medium (11, 30). The condensate (28a) formed thereby is returned into the pure argon column. The indirect heat exchange (29) is carried out by means of a cooling medium (11, 30) which has an oxygen content of at least 10%. Independently thereof, the lower region of the pure argon column (25) is heated by indirect heat exchange (27) by means of a heating medium (11) in a liquid state, for example, with sump liquid from a pressure column (8).

Process and apparatus for recovery of pure argon

For extracting argon, air is separated in a rectifying system comprising at least one air separating column and one crude argon column. An argon-containing oxygen fraction is taken from the air separating column and is introduced into a crude argon column. In the upper area of the crude argon column, a crude argon fraction is removed and a first reflux liquid is charged. A first residual fraction is taken from the lower area of the crude argon column. The crude argon fraction is introduced into the lower area of a semipure column. In the upper area of the semipure column, an argon fraction is taken which has reduced oxygen, and a second reflux liquid is charged. From the lower area of the semipure column, a second residual fraction is taken which forms the first reflux liquid for the crude argon column.

Process and an apparatus for recovering argon

A process and apparatus for air separation by low temperature rectification are described in which argon is obtained exclusively by rectification. A crude argon column (24) is equipped with at least 150 theoretical plates in the form of low pressure drop packing so that, in it, a substantially complete separation of the oxygen is possible, e.g., less than about 10 ppm, preferably less than 1 ppm oxygen.

Argon purification

In a system for air fractionation by low-temperature rectification, refrigeration is produced in a cooling stage by compression and expansion of the feed air or of nitrogen from rectification. By using the work gained during expansion for compressing only a partial stream of the gas passed through the cooling stage, the system according to this invention operates with increased efficiency and lower operating costs.

Process for air fractionation by low-temperature rectification

In a process and apparatus for air separation by rectification air 1 is preliminarily separated in a first rectification stage 2 of a two-stage rectification column to obtain a nitrogen-rich fraction 4 and an oxygen-rich fraction 8. These two fractions are fed to the second rectification stage 6 and separated into oxygen and nitrogen fractions. An argon-enriched fraction, containing essentially oxygen and argon, is removed from the second rectification stage at an intermediate point and is separated in a raw argon column 10 by rectification into an argon-rich fraction 18 and a liquid fraction 19 containing essentially oxygen. The liquid fraction 19 is fed back into the second rectification stage. Another fraction 22 is removed from the raw argon column above the bottom thereof and is separated in a high-purity oxygen column 23 to produce a high-purity oxygen fraction 25, 26 and a lighter residual fraction 24. An additional nitrogen-rich fraction is removed from the head of the first rectification stage and separated in a high-purity nitrogen column 31 producing a bottom liquid fraction 29, which is fed back to the head of the first rectification stage, and a residual gas fraction 33. A high-purity nitrogen fraction 34 is removed at a point several plates below the head of the first rectification stage.

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Puchheim, Germany

Horst Corduan