Praxair Technology, Inc.

Linde Gmbh

Neil Mark Prosser

James R Handley

Brian R Kromer

Yang Luo

Raymond Francis Drnevich

Henry Edward Howard

Neil Andrew Stephenson

Maulik R Shelat

Mark J Roberts

Hai Du

Minish Mahendra Shah

Joseph Alfred Weber

Paul William Belanger

James R Dray

David R Parsnick

John Frederic Billingham

Gerald A Paolino

Peter James Rankin

Dante Patrick Bonaquist

Bayram Arman

Richard M Kelly

Richard John Jibb

Kenneth Kai Wong

Ravindra F Pahade

M Mushtaq Ahmed

Dimitri Golubev

Kirk Frederick Larson

Jeremiah James Rauch

Richard D Lenz

Robert A Beddome

Wei Zhang

Karl K Kibler

Todd Alan Skare

Kevin J Saboda

Zhengrong Xu

M Abdul-Aziz Rashad

John Bernard Saunders

Jeremy Michael Cabral

Craig Steven LaForce

Aditya Vaze

Ihuaku Ihejirika

Brien Scott Wierzchowski

Michael Douglas Monteith

Dalar Nazarian

Jeremy M Cabral

An air separation unit and associated method for separating air by cryogenic distillation using a distillation column system including a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column, an intermediate pressure kettle column, and an argon column arrangement is provided. The present air separation unit and associated method employs a once-through kettle column reboiler, a once-through kettle column condenser, and a once-through argon condenser. The once through argon condenser is disposed within the lower pressure column where an argon-rich vapor stream is condensed against the descending liquid in the lower pressure column.

Air separation unit and method for cryogenic separation of air using a distillation column system including an intermediate pressure kettle column

A nitrogen liquefier configured to be integrated with an argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit and method of nitrogen liquefaction are provided. The integrated nitrogen liquefier and associated methods may be operated in at least three distinct modes including: (i) a nil liquid nitrogen mode; (ii) a low liquid nitrogen mode; and (iii) a high liquid nitrogen mode. The present systems and methods are further characterized in an oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column of the air separation unit is an oxygen enriched condensing medium used in the argon condenser.

Integrated nitrogen liquefier for a nitrogen and argon producing cryogenic air separation unit

A system and method for separating air by cryogenic distillation using a four column arrangement including a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column, an intermediate pressure column, and an argon column is provided. The disclosed system and method is particularly suited for production of normal purity oxygen and employs a once-through kettle column reboiler, a once-through kettle column condenser, and a once-through argon condenser. The once through argon condenser is disposed within the lower pressure column where an argon-rich vapor stream is condensed against the descending liquid in the lower pressure column.

System and method for cryogenic air separation using four distillation columns including an intermediate pressure column

An air separation unit and associated method for separating air by cryogenic distillation using a distillation column system including a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column, an intermediate pressure kettle column, and an argon column arrangement is provided. The disclosed air separation unit and method is particularly suited for production of an argon product as well as several nitrogen products wherein a portion of the nitrogen overhead intermediate pressure kettle column is taken as an intermediate or elevated pressure nitrogen product. The present air separation unit and associated method employs a once-through kettle column reboiler, a once-through kettle column condenser while the argon condenser condenses an argon-rich vapor stream against a pumped oxygen stream from the bottom of the lower pressure column.

Air separation unit and method for production of nitrogen and argon using a distillation column system with an intermediate pressure kettle column

An air separation unit and associated method for separating air by cryogenic distillation using a distillation column system including a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column, an intermediate pressure kettle column, and an argon column arrangement is provided. The disclosed air separation unit and method is particularly suited for production of high purity nitrogen for electronics applications and includes nitrogen recycle circuit necessary to attain the higher purity nitrogen products. In addition to the intermediate pressure kettle column, the present air separation unit and associated method employs a once-through argon condenser, preferably disposed within the lower pressure column as well as a once-through kettle column reboiler, a once-through kettle column condenser.

Air separation unit and method for production of high purity nitrogen product using a distillation column system with an intermediate pressure kettle column

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.

Cryogenic air separation unit with argon condenser vapor recycle

A moderate pressure nitrogen and argon producing cryogenic air separation unit is provided that includes a three distillation column system and turbine air stream bypass arrangement or circuit. The turbine air stream bypass arrangement or circuit is configured to improve argon and nitrogen recoveries in select operating modes by optionally diverting a portion of the turbine air stream to a nitrogen waste stream circuit drawn from the lower pressure column of the cryogenic air separation unit such that the diverted portion of the turbine air stream bypasses the distillation column system.

System and method for recovery of nitrogen, argon, and oxygen in moderate pressure cryogenic air separation unit

Liquefier arrangements configured for flexible co-production of both liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid nitrogen (LIN) are provided. Each liquefier arrangement comprises separate and independent nitrogen recycle circuits or loops, including a warm recycle circuit and a cold recycle circuit with a means for diverting nitrogen refrigerant between the two recycle circuits or loops. The warm recycle circuit includes a booster loaded warm turbine, a warm booster compressor and warm recycle compression whereas the cold recycle circuit includes a booster loaded cold turbine, a cold booster compressor and a separate cold recycle compression.

System and method for natural gas and nitrogen liquefaction with independent nitrogen recycle loops

A dual-mode LNG liquefier arrangement that is configurable to operate in a first mode broadly characterized as a low pressure, liquid nitrogen add LNG liquefier without turbo-expansion or a second mode broadly characterized as a low pressure, liquid nitrogen add LNG liquefier with turbo-expansion.

Dual mode Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) liquefier

Liquefier arrangements configured for co-production of both liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid nitrogen (LIN) configured to operate in two distinct operating modes are provided.

System and method for natural gas and nitrogen liquefaction with dual operating modes

Closed-loop refrigeration cycles for liquid oxygen densification are disclosed. The disclosed refrigeration cycles may be turbine-based refrigeration cycles or a Joule-Thompson (JT) expansion valve based refrigeration cycles and include a refrigerant or working fluid comprising a mixture of neon or helium together with nitrogen and/or oxygen.

Refrigeration cycle for liquid oxygen densification

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

A moderate pressure, argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit and air separation cycle having a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column and an argon column arrangement is disclosed. The moderate pressure, argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit is configured to take a first portion of an oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, which together with an external source of liquid nitrogen is used as the boiling side refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser. Use of the external source of liquid nitrogen in the argon condenser allows a second portion of the oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column to be taken as a liquid oxygen product stream.

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

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

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Lockport, NY, United States of America

Neil Mark Prosser