Union Carbide Corporation

Walter J Olszewski

John H Ziemer

Ravindra F Pahade

A process to efficiently produce large quantities of elevated pressure nitrogen at a high recovery by the cryogenic separation of air employing two separate columns each of which is equipped with a top condenser and wherein the second column processes a feed stream obtained from the first column.

Dual column high pressure nitrogen process

A process and apparatus to economically produce argon in conjunction with an air separation plant designed originally to produce only oxygen wherein an auxiliary argon column is fed with a small stream from the main oxygen plant and is driven by an independent heat pump circuit.

Process to recover argon from oxygen-only air separation plant

Low purity oxygen is produced by factional distillation of liquefied air in a double distillation column and an auxiliary distillation column. Feed air is supplied at two different pressures. The disclosed methods of handling intermediate oxygen-enriched liquid produced by the two columns and removing nitrogen-rich gas from the auxiliary distillation column permit the system to operate with lower energy requirements and smaller column diameter than conventional systems.

Cryogenic system for producing low-purity oxygen

Low-purity oxygen is produced by fractional distillation of liquefied air. A gas turbine, powered in part by waste nitrogen from the distillation, supplies energy to compress the feed air. Compressing the waste nitrogen prior to turbine expansion provides an increase in energy efficiency.

Growing community of inventors

Tonawanda, NY, United States of America

Walter J Olszewski