The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 25, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 07, 2000
Wilhelm Rohde, München, DE;
Linde Aktiengesellschaft, Wiesbaden, DE;
Abstract
An method for the recovery of oxygen at hyperbaric pressure by low-temperature air fractionation includes compressing feed air to a first pressure, which is about the same as the operating pressure of the pressure column. At least a first partial flow of the feed air is cooled in a main heat exchanger and passed into the pressure column. An oxygen flow is tapped from the low-pressure column; brought to a delivery pressure that is higher than the operating pressure of the low-pressure column; heated in the main heat exchanger; and discharged as product. The pressure of a process stream from the main heat exchanger is relieved in a work-expanding manner, and the process stream is supplied to the low-pressure column. At least a portion of the mechanical energy generated by the work-expanding is used to drive a cold compressor. The flow of liquid oxygen from the low-pressure column is brought to the delivery pressure, and the oxygen is then evaporated by indirect heat exchange with a second partial flow of feed air, which has been compressed to the first pressure. The second partial flow is brought to a second pressure by the cold compressor upstream of the indirect heat exchange.