Method of producing liquid oxygen and/or liquid nitrogen

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING LIQUID OXYGEN AND/OR LIQUID NITROGEN-COMPRISING COMPRESSING ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO APPROXIMATELY 75 P.S.I.G., DIRECTING SAID AIR STREAM THROUGH A SYSTEM OF REVERTING VALVES INTO A REVERSING HEAT EXCHANGER, SAID REVERSING HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A WASTE NITROGEN STREAM WHICH SERVES TO COOL SAID INCOMING AIR TO WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF ITS DEW POINT AND TO EVAPORATE THE MOISTURE AND CARBON DIOXIDE PREVIOUSLY DEPOSITED IN THE REVERSING HEAT EXCHANGERS BY THE INCOMING AIR, PASSING SAID AIR THROUGH A CHECK VALVE ARRANGMENT AND PART OF SAID AIR BEING RECYCLED THROUGH APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF OF SAID REVERSING HEAT EXCHANGER AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID AIR BEING RECYCLED THROUGH THE ENTIRE HEAT EXCHANGER, SAID RECYCLED AIR BEING JOINED TOGETHER AND PART THEREOF PASSED THROUGH A CONTROL HEAT EXCHANGER, CONDUCTING THE COMBINED AIR STREAM THROUGH A REBOILER OF HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN AND DIRECTING PART OF THE SAME AS A FEED FOR SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN, RECTIFYING SAID PART OF THE AIR STREAM IN SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN TO PRODUCE A GASEOUS NITROGEN OVERHEAD AND LIQUID OXYGEN BOTTOMS, THROTTLING THE BOTTOMS OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN THROUGH A VALVE AND INTO A LOW PRESSURE COLUMN, LIQUEFYING THE GASEOUS NITROGEN OVERHEAD OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN BY MEANS OF A COLD SOURCE TO FORM THE LIQUID NITROGEN PRODUCT AND THE REFLUX FOR SAID LOW PRESSURE COLUMN, DIRECTING THE OTHER PART OF SAID AIR STREAM TO THE REBOILER OF SAID LOW PRESSURE COLUMN, EXPANDING SAID OTHER PART OF SAID AIR STREAM THROUGH A VALVE TO THE CONDENSER OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN, RELIQUELYING SAID AIR AND PASSING THE PRODUCT INTO THE LOW PRESSURE COLUMN, AND WITHDRAWING LIQUID OXYGEN FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID LOW PRESSURE COLUMN.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING LIQUID OXYGEN AND/OR LIQUID NITROGEN-COMPRISING COMPRESSING ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO APPROXIMATELY 75 P.S.I.G., DIRECTING SAID AIR STREAM THROUGH A SYSTEM OF REVERTING VALVES INTO A REVERSING HEAT EXCHANGER, SAID REVERSING HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A WASTE NITROGEN STREAM WHICH SERVES TO COOL SAID INCOMING AIR TO WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF ITS DEW POINT AND TO EVAPORATE THE MOISTURE AND CARBON DIOXIDE PREVIOUSLY DEPOSITED IN THE REVERSING HEAT EXCHANGERS BY THE INCOMING AIR, PASSING SAID AIR THROUGH A CHECK VALVE ARRANGMENT AND PART OF SAID AIR BEING RECYCLED THROUGH APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF OF SAID REVERSING HEAT EXCHANGER AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID AIR BEING RECYCLED THROUGH THE ENTIRE HEAT EXCHANGER, SAID RECYCLED AIR BEING JOINED TOGETHER AND PART THEREOF PASSED THROUGH A CONTROL HEAT EXCHANGER, CONDUCTING THE COMBINED AIR STREAM THROUGH A REBOILER OF HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN AND DIRECTING PART OF THE SAME AS A FEED FOR SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN, RECTIFYING SAID PART OF THE AIR STREAM IN SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN TO PRODUCE A GASEOUS NITROGEN OVERHEAD AND LIQUID OXYGEN BOTTOMS, THROTTLING THE BOTTOMS OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN THROUGH A VALVE AND INTO A LOW PRESSURE COLUMN, LIQUEFYING THE GASEOUS NITROGEN OVERHEAD OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN BY MEANS OF A COLD SOURCE TO FORM THE LIQUID NITROGEN PRODUCT AND THE REFLUX FOR SAID LOW PRESSURE COLUMN, DIRECTING THE OTHER PART OF SAID AIR STREAM TO THE REBOILER OF SAID LOW PRESSURE COLUMN, EXPANDING SAID OTHER PART OF SAID AIR STREAM THROUGH A VALVE TO THE CONDENSER OF SAID HIGH PRESSURE COLUMN, RELIQUELYING SAID AIR AND PASSING THE PRODUCT INTO THE LOW PRESSURE COLUMN, AND WITHDRAWING LIQUID OXYGEN FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID LOW PRESSURE COLUMN.