EP0402045A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Air separation
Assignee: BOC Group Ltd
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Filing: 1990-05-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-05-31
Abstract
Abstract Air is separated into oxygen and nitrogen in rectification columns 28 and 30. A stream of nitrogen is withdrawn from the top of the column 30 through an outlet 54, is warmed to about ambient temperature by passage through heat exchangers 34, 46 and 24, and is then heated at a pressure in the range 2 to 7 atmospheres absolute by heat exchange in heat exchanger 56 with a hot stream of fluid initially at a temperature of less than 600°C without said fluid undergoing a change of phase. The resulting hot nitrogen is then expanded in turbine 58 with the performance of external work, e.g. the generation of electricity.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Rathbone
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 16:28
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25J; F25J3/00; F25J3/02; F25J3/04; F25J3/04521; F25J3/04527; F25J3/04539; F25J3/04248; F25J3/04284; F25J3/0429; F25J3/04303; F25J3/04406; F25J3/04412; F25J3/04545; F25J3/04551; F25J3/04557; F25J3/04563; F25J3/04575; F25J3/04581; F25J3/04612; F25J2200/00; F25J2200/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A process in which air is separated into oxygen and nitrogen; a stream of the nitrogen at a pressure in the range of 2 to 7 atmospheres absolute is heated by heat exchange with a stream of fluid initially at a temperature of less than 600°C without said fluid undergoing a change of phase, and the thus heated nitrogen stream is expanded in a turbine with the performance of external work.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A process in which air is separated into oxygen and nitrogen; a stream of the nitrogen at a pressure in the range of 2 to 7 atmospheres absolute is heated by heat exchange with a stream of fluid initially at a temperature of less than 600°C without said fluid undergoing a change of phase, and the thus heated nitrogen stream is expanded in a turbine with the performance of external work.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the external work is the production of electricity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the stream of fluid is initially at a temperature in the range 200 to 400°C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 3, in which the nitrogen stream is at a pressure from 2 to 5 atmospheres.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the said fluid stream is a waste gas stream from an industrial process.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A processing according to claim 5, in which said oxygen is used in said industrial process.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the said fluid stream is a heat transfer oil which has been heated without change of state by a waste gas stream from an industrial process.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process according to claim 7, in which said oxygen is used in said industrial process.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
A process according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the nitrogen stream is taken directly from a distillation column in which air is separated, and is not compressed intermediate said distillation column and its heat exchange with said fluid stream.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process according to claim 9, in which the nitrogen stream is warmed to about ambient temperature intermediate said distillation column and its heat exchange with said fluid stream.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 9 or claim 10, in which the distillation column is the lower pressure column of a double column arrangement.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
84 words
Apparatus for performing a process as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for separating air into oxygen and nitrogen; a heat exchanger for heat exchanging a stream of nitrogen produced by the air separation means and at a pressure in the range of 2 to 7 atmospheres with a stream of fluid initially at a temperature of less than 600°C without said fluid undergoing a change of phase; and an expansion turbine for expanding the thus heated nitrogen with the performance of external work.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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