Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification

FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING LIGHTING HEATING WEAPONS BLASTING ENGINES OR PUMPS F25Refrigeration F25JLIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE

F25J3/00Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification

F25J3/02by rectification F25J3/0204characterised by the feed stream F25J3/0209Natural gas or substitute natural gas F25J3/0214Liquefied natural gas F25J3/0219Refinery gas, cracking gas, coke oven gas, gaseous mixtures containing aliphatic unsaturated CnHm or gaseous mixtures of undefined nature F25J3/0223H2/CO mixtures F25J3/0228characterised by the separated product stream F25J3/0233separation of CnHm with 1 carbon atom or more F25J3/0238separation of CnHm with 2 carbon atoms or more F25J3/0242separation of CnHm with 3 carbon atoms or more F25J3/0247separation of CnHm with 4 carbon atoms or more F25J3/0252separation of hydrogen F25J3/0257separation of nitrogen F25J3/0261separation of carbon monoxide F25J3/0266separation of carbon dioxide F25J3/0271separation of H2/CO mixtures F25J3/0276separation of H2/N2 mixtures F25J3/028separation of noble gases F25J3/0285of argon F25J3/029of helium F25J3/0295Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used F25J3/04for air F25J3/04006Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit F25J3/04012by compression of warm gaseous streams; details of intake or interstage cooling F25J3/04018of main feed air F25J3/04024of purified feed air, so-called boosted air F25J3/0403of nitrogen F25J3/04036of oxygen F25J3/04042of argon or argon enriched stream F25J3/04048by compression of cold gaseous streams F25J3/04054of air F25J3/0406of nitrogen F25J3/04066of oxygen F25J3/04072of argon or argon enriched stream F25J3/04078providing pressurized products by liquid compression and vaporisation with cold recovery F25J3/04084of nitrogen F25J3/0409of oxygen F25J3/04096of argon or argon enriched stream F25J3/04103using solely hydrostatic liquid head F25J3/04109Arrangements of compressors and /or their drivers F25J3/04115characterised by the type of prime driver F25J3/04121Steam turbine as the prime mechanical driver F25J3/04127Gas turbine as the prime mechanical driver F25J3/04133Electrical motor as the prime mechanical driver F25J3/04139Combination of different types of drivers mechanically coupled to the same compressor, possibly split on multiple compressor casings F25J3/04145Mechanically coupling of different compressors of the air fractionation process to the same driver(s) F25J3/04151Purification and (pre-)cooling of the feed air; recuperative heat-exchange with product streams F25J3/04157Afterstage cooling and so-called "pre-cooling" of the feed air upstream the air purification unit and main heat exchange line F25J3/04163Hot end purification of the feed air F25J3/04169by adsorption of the impurities F25J3/04175at a pressure of substantially more than the highest pressure column F25J3/04181Regenerating the adsorbents F25J3/04187Cooling of the purified feed air by recuperative heat-exchange; Heat-exchange with product streams F25J3/04193Division of the main heat exchange line in consecutive sections having different functions F25J3/042having an intermediate feed connection F25J3/04206including a so-called "auxiliary vaporiser" for vaporising and producing a gaseous product F25J3/04212and simultaneously condensing vapor from a column serving as reflux within the or another column F25J3/04218Parallel arrangement of the main heat exchange line in cores having different functions F25J3/04224Cores associated with a liquefaction or refrigeration cycle F25J3/0423Subcooling of liquid process streams F25J3/04236Integration of different exchangers in a single core, so-called integrated cores F25J3/04242Cold end purification of the feed air F25J3/04248Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production F25J3/04254using the cold stored in external cryogenic fluids F25J3/0426The cryogenic component does not participate in the fractionation F25J3/04266and being liquefied hydrocarbons F25J3/04272and comprising means for reducing the risk of pollution of hydrocarbons into the air fractionation F25J3/04278using external refrigeration units F25J3/04284using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion F25J3/0429of feed air F25J3/04296Claude expansion F25J3/04303Lachmann expansion F25J3/04309of nitrogen F25J3/04315Lowest pressure or impure nitrogen, so-called waste nitrogen expansion F25J3/04321of oxygen F25J3/04327of argon or argon enriched stream F25J3/04333using quasi-closed loop internal vapor compression refrigeration cycles F25J3/04339of air F25J3/04345and comprising a gas work expansion loop F25J3/04351of nitrogen F25J3/04357and comprising a gas work expansion loop F25J3/04363of oxygen F25J3/04369of argon or argon enriched stream F25J3/04375Details relating to the work expansion F25J3/04381using work extraction by mechanical coupling of compression and expansion so-called companders F25J3/04387using liquid or hydraulic turbine expansion F25J3/04393using multiple or multistage gas work expansion F25J3/044using a single pressure main column system only F25J3/04406using a dual pressure main column system F25J3/04412in a classical double column flowsheet F25J3/04418with thermally overlapping high and low pressure columns F25J3/04424without thermally coupled high and low pressure columns F25J3/0443A main column system not otherwise provided F25J3/04436using at least a triple pressure main column system F25J3/04442in a double column flowsheet with a high pressure pre-rectifier F25J3/04448in a double column flowsheet with an intermediate pressure column F25J3/04454a main column system not otherwise provided F25J3/0446using the heat generated by mixing two different phases F25J3/04466for producing oxygen as a mixing column overhead gas by mixing gaseous air feed and liquid oxygen F25J3/04472using the cold from cryogenic liquids produced within the air fractionation unit and stored in internal or intermediate storages F25J3/04478for controlling purposes F25J3/04484for purity control during steady state operation F25J3/0449for rapid load change of the air fractionation unit F25J3/04496for compensating variable air feed or variable product demand by alternating between periods of liquid storage and liquid assist F25J3/04503by exchanging "cold" between at least two different cryogenic liquids F25J3/04509within the cold part of the air fractionation F25J3/04515Simultaneously changing air feed and products output F25J3/04521Coupling of the air fractionation unit to an air gas-consuming unit, so-called integrated processes F25J3/04527Integration with an oxygen consuming unit F25J3/04533for the direct combustion of fuels in a power plant, so-called "oxyfuel combustion" F25J3/04539for the H2/CO synthesis by partial oxidation or oxygen consuming reforming processes of fuels F25J3/04545for the gasification of solid or heavy liquid fuels F25J3/04551for the metal production F25J3/04557for pig iron or steel making F25J3/04563Integration with an nitrogen consuming unit F25J3/04569for enhanced or tertiary oil recovery F25J3/04575for a gas expansion plant F25J3/04581Hot gas expansion of indirect heated nitrogen F25J3/04587for the NH3 synthesis F25J3/04593The air gas consuming unit is also fed by an air stream F25J3/046Completely integrated air feed compression F25J3/04606Partially integrated air feed compression F25J3/04612Heat exchange integration with process streams F25J3/04618for cooling an air stream fed to the air fractionation unit F25J3/04624using integrated mass and heat exchange, so-called non-adiabatic rectification F25J3/0463Simultaneously between rectifying and stripping sections F25J3/04636using a hybrid air separation unit F25J3/04642Recovering noble gases from air F25J3/04648argon F25J3/04654Producing crude argon in a crude argon column F25J3/0466as a parallel working rectification column or auxiliary column system in a single pressure main column system F25J3/04666as a parallel working rectification column of the low pressure column in a dual pressure main column system F25J3/04672having a top condenser F25J3/04678cooled by oxygen enriched liquid from high pressure column bottoms F25J3/04684and a bottom re-boiler F25J3/0469and an intermediate re-boiler/condenser F25J3/04696a bottom re-boiler and an intermediate re-boiler/condenser F25J3/04703being arranged in more than one vessel F25J3/04709as an auxiliary column system in at least a dual pressure main column system F25J3/04715The auxiliary column system simultaneously produces oxygen F25J3/04721Producing pure argon F25J3/04727using an auxiliary pure argon column for nitrogen rejection F25J3/04733using a hybrid system F25J3/04739in combination with an auxiliary pure argon column F25J3/04745Krypton and/or Xenon F25J3/04751Producing pure krypton and/or xenon recovered from a crude krypton/xenon mixture F25J3/04757using a hybrid system F25J3/04763Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used F25J3/04769Operation, control and regulation of the process; Instrumentation within the process F25J3/04775Air purification and pre-cooling F25J3/04781Pressure changing devices F25J3/04787Heat exchange F25J3/04793Rectification F25J3/048Argon recovery F25J3/04806High purity argon purification F25J3/04812Different modes F25J3/04818Start-up of the process F25J3/04824Stopping of the process F25J3/0483Rapid load change of the air fractionation unit F25J3/04836Variable air feed, i.e. "load" or product demand during specified periods F25J3/04842Intermittent process, so-called batch process F25J3/04848Control strategy F25J3/04854Safety aspects of operation F25J3/0486of vaporisers for oxygen enriched liquids F25J3/04866Construction and layout of air fractionation equipments F25J3/04872Vertical layout of cold equipments within in the cold box F25J3/04878Side by side arrangement of multiple vessels in a main column system, wherein the vessels are normally mounted one upon the other or forming different sections of the same column F25J3/04884Arrangement of reboiler-condensers F25J3/0489Modularity and arrangement of parts of the air fractionation unit, in particular of the cold box F25J3/04896Details of columns F25J3/04903Plates or trays F25J3/04909Structured packings F25J3/04915Combinations of different material exchange elements F25J3/04921within the same column F25J3/04927Liquid or gas distribution devices F25J3/04933Partitioning walls or sheets F25J3/04939Vertical F25J3/04945Details of internal structure; insulation and housing of the cold box F25J3/04951Arrangements of multiple air fractionation units or multiple equipments fulfilling the same process step F25J3/04957and inter-connecting equipments upstream of the fractionation unit (s) F25J3/04963and inter-connecting equipment within or downstream of the fractionation unit(s) F25J3/04969Retrofitting or revamping of an existing air fractionation unit F25J3/04975adapted for special use of the air fractionation unit F25J3/04981for portable medical or home use F25J3/04987for offshore use F25J3/04993for space applications F25J3/06by partial condensation F25J3/0605characterised by the feed stream F25J3/061Natural gas or substitute natural gas F25J3/0615Liquefied natural gas F25J3/062Refinery gas, cracking gas, coke oven gas, gaseous mixtures containing aliphatic unsaturated CnHm or gaseous mixtures of undefined nature F25J3/0625H2/CO mixtures F25J3/063characterised by the separated product stream F25J3/0635separation of CnHm with 1 carbon atom or more F25J3/064separation of CnHm with 2 carbon atoms or more F25J3/0645separation of CnHm with 3 carbon atoms or more F25J3/065separation of CnHm with 4 carbon atoms or more F25J3/0655separation of hydrogen F25J3/066separation of nitrogen F25J3/0665separation of carbon monoxide F25J3/067separation of carbon dioxide F25J3/0675separation of H2/CO mixtures F25J3/068separation of H2/N2 mixtures F25J3/0685separation of noble gases F25J3/069of helium F25J3/0695Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used F25J3/08Separating gaseous impurities from gases or gaseous mixtures or from liquefied gases or liquefied gaseous mixtures