Patent EP0503900A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0503900A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air separation
Assignee: BOC Group Ltd
•
Filing: 1992-03-10
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2012-03-10
Abstract
Abstract Air is taken from the air compressor 4 of a gas turbine 2 including in addition to the compressor 4 a combustion chamber 6 and an expansion turbine 8. The gas turbine 2 drives an alternator 10. The air taken from the compressor 4 is cooled in heat exchanger 12 to remove heat of compression therefrom. The air is separated in an air separation plant 14 into oxygen and nitrogen. A stream of oxygen is withdrawn from the plant 14 and used in a blast furnace 20 in which iron is made. The off-gas from the blast furnace 20 is a low grade gaseous fuel. It is compressed in compressor 24 which has interstage cooling to remove at least some of the heat of compression. The compressed fuel gas is passed through the heat exchanger 12 countercurrently to the air stream. The resulting pre-heated fuel gas flows into the combustion chamber 6 of the gas turbine 2 and is burned therein to generate gaseous combustion products that are expanded in the turbine 8. A nitrogen stream is withdrawn in the air separation plant 14. A part of the nitrogen stream is introduced into the combustion chamber 6 and is expanded with the aforesaid gaseous combustion products, while another part is expanded in a separate expansion turbine 34.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Rathbone
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 04:56
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25J; F25J3/00; F25J3/02; F25J3/04; C; C21; C21B; C21B13/00; C21B13/14; F25J3/04248; F25J3/04284; F25J3/0429; F25J3/04303; F25J3/04406; F25J3/04412; F25J3/04521; F25J3/04527; F25J3/04551; F25J3/04557; F25J3/04563; F25J3/04575; F25J3/04581; F25J3/04593; F25J3/046; F25J3/04612; F25J3/04618; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S75/00; Y10S75/958
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
175 words
A method of generating power comprising: a) compressing air without removing at least part of the heat of compression thereby generated; b) dividing the compressed air flow into a major stream and minor stream; c) separating the minor air stream into oxygen and nitrogen; d) supplying a stream of oxygen separated from the air to take part in a chemical reaction or reactions that produce a low grade gaseous fuel stream; e) compressing the low grade fuel stream; f) removing at least part of the heat of compression of the compressed low grade gaseous fuel stream and then pre-heating the fuel stream by heat exchange with the minor air stream and thereby cooling said minor air stream upstream of its separation; g) burning said pre-heated fuel stream utilising said major air stream to support its combustion; h) expanding the performance of external work the combustion gases from the burning of said fuel stream, the work performed comprising generation of said power; and i) expanding a stream of said nitrogen with the performance of external work.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
175 words
A method of generating power comprising: a) compressing air without removing at least part of the heat of compression thereby generated; b) dividing the compressed air flow into a major stream and minor stream; c) separating the minor air stream into oxygen and nitrogen; d) supplying a stream of oxygen separated from the air to take part in a chemical reaction or reactions that produce a low grade gaseous fuel stream; e) compressing the low grade fuel stream; f) removing at least part of the heat of compression of the compressed low grade gaseous fuel stream and then pre-heating the fuel stream by heat exchange with the minor air stream and thereby cooling said minor air stream upstream of its separation; g) burning said pre-heated fuel stream utilising said major air stream to support its combustion; h) expanding the performance of external work the combustion gases from the burning of said fuel stream, the work performed comprising generation of said power; and i) expanding a stream of said nitrogen with the performance of external work.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
2) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the source of the low grade gaseous fuel stream is a blast furnace.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
3) A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the stream of nitrogen is introduced into said combustion gases and is expanded therewith.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
4) A method as claimed in claim 3, in which the nitrogen stream is compressed upstream of its introduction into said combustion gases.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
5) A method as claimed in claim 4, in which the nitrogen stream is pre-heated to a temperature up to 600°C by heat exchange with a fluid.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
6) A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a second stream of the nitrogen product is heat exchanged at elevated pressure with another fluid stream and is then expanded with the performance of external work.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
7) A method as claimed in claim 6, in which the second stream of nitrogen is expanded from a pressure in the range of 2 to 6 atmospheres absolute and a temperature in the range of 200 to 600°C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
8) A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the air is separated by rectification in a double column comprising a lower pressure stage and a higher pressure stage, the lower pressure stage having an operating pressure (at its top) in the range of 3 to 6 atmospheres absolute.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
166 words
9) A plant for generating power, comprising a gas turbine comprising an air compressor for feeding to a combustion chamber a major air stream formed of compressed air from which at least part of the heat of compression has not been removed, and a turbine for expanding gases leaving the combustion chamber and for driving the compressor; means for separating a minor stream of air taken from said compressor into an oxygen stream and a nitrogen stream; a reactor for conducting a reaction or reactions in which oxygen partakes to form a low grade gaseous fuel stream; a compressor for compressing the gaseous fuel stream; the heat exchanger for pre-heating the compressed gaseous fuel stream by heat exchange with said minor stream of air taken from said air compressor for separation; said heat exchanger having a first outlet communicating with the air separation means; means for expanding said nitrogen with the performance of external work and power generation means adapted to be driven by said turbine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
166 words
9) A plant for generating power, comprising a gas turbine comprising an air compressor for feeding to a combustion chamber a major air stream formed of compressed air from which at least part of the heat of compression has not been removed, and a turbine for expanding gases leaving the combustion chamber and for driving the compressor; means for separating a minor stream of air taken from said compressor into an oxygen stream and a nitrogen stream; a reactor for conducting a reaction or reactions in which oxygen partakes to form a low grade gaseous fuel stream; a compressor for compressing the gaseous fuel stream; the heat exchanger for pre-heating the compressed gaseous fuel stream by heat exchange with said minor stream of air taken from said air compressor for separation; said heat exchanger having a first outlet communicating with the air separation means; means for expanding said nitrogen with the performance of external work and power generation means adapted to be driven by said turbine.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
10) Plant as claimed in claim 9, in which said reactor is a blast furnace.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
11) Plant as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein said means for expanding said nitrogen comprises said turbine, the turbine having an inlet communicating with a nitrogen compressor for compressing said stream of nitrogen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
12) Plant as claimed in claim 11, additionally including a heat exchanger for pre-heating the compressed stream of nitrogen.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.