Praxair Technology, Inc.

Kevin J Saboda

Richard D Lenz

Paul William Belanger

Guang X Chen

Steven C Brown

John P Ricotta

Kirk Frederick Larson

Jeremy D Faust

Neil Mark Prosser

Yang Luo

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 &#x2018;high-argon&#x2019; 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 &#x2018;no-argon&#x2019; or &#x2018;low-argon&#x2019; mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.

System and method for flexible recovery of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

Annular divided wall column

Annular divided wall column with ring shaped collectors and distributers

Annular divided wall column for an air separation unit

Annular divided wall column for an air separation unit having a ring shaped support grid

Annular divided wall column with ring shaped collectors and distributers for an air separation unit

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Long Bech, CA, United States of America

Kevin J Saboda