Heat exchange of crude oxygen and expanded high pressure nitrogen

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING AIR TO PRODUCE VAPOROUS NITROGEN AND VAPOROUS OXYGEN WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID AIR UNDER A SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OF AT LEAST FIVE ATMOSPHERES THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE IN HEAT EXCHANE WITH COLD WAST GAS TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR TO SUBSTANTIALLY ITS DEW POINT, INTRODUCING SAID PRESSUREIZED LOW TEMPERATURE AIR INTO A HIGH PRESSURE FRACTIONATION ZONE IN THE PRESENCE OF REFLUX TO ESTABLISH A NITROGEN VAPOR OVERHEAD, A CONDENSED LIQID NITROGEN AND A CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS, EXPANDING A FIRST PORTION OF SAID NITROGEN VAPOR IN A TURBOEXPANDER WITH WORK NECESSARY TO SUPPLY REFRIGERATION FOR SAID HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE, EXPANDING SAID CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS INTO THE LOW PRESSURE FRACTIONATION ZONE, EXPANDING A SECOND LIQUID PORTION OF SAID NITROGEN INTO THE LOW PRESSURE FRACTIONATION ZONE TO PROVIDE REFLUX AND SEPARATE A HIGH PURITY OXYGEN VAPOR FROM A COLD WASTE GAS, WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF SAID CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS AND PASSING SAID PORTION OF CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS IN HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE EFFLUENT OF THE EXPANSION OF THE FIRST PORTION OF THE NITROGEN VAPOR TO HEAT SAID PORTION OF LIQUID BOTTOMS, AND RETURNING SAID HEAT EXCHANGED PORTION OF LIQUID BOTTOMS BACK IN ADMIXTURE WITH A CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS IN SAID HIGH PRESSURE FRACTIONATION ZONE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING AIR TO PRODUCE VAPOROUS NITROGEN AND VAPOROUS OXYGEN WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID AIR UNDER A SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OF AT LEAST FIVE ATMOSPHERES THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE IN HEAT EXCHANE WITH COLD WAST GAS TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR TO SUBSTANTIALLY ITS DEW POINT, INTRODUCING SAID PRESSUREIZED LOW TEMPERATURE AIR INTO A HIGH PRESSURE FRACTIONATION ZONE IN THE PRESENCE OF REFLUX TO ESTABLISH A NITROGEN VAPOR OVERHEAD, A CONDENSED LIQID NITROGEN AND A CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS, EXPANDING A FIRST PORTION OF SAID NITROGEN VAPOR IN A TURBOEXPANDER WITH WORK NECESSARY TO SUPPLY REFRIGERATION FOR SAID HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE, EXPANDING SAID CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS INTO THE LOW PRESSURE FRACTIONATION ZONE, EXPANDING A SECOND LIQUID PORTION OF SAID NITROGEN INTO THE LOW PRESSURE FRACTIONATION ZONE TO PROVIDE REFLUX AND SEPARATE A HIGH PURITY OXYGEN VAPOR FROM A COLD WASTE GAS, WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF SAID CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS AND PASSING SAID PORTION OF CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS IN HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE EFFLUENT OF THE EXPANSION OF THE FIRST PORTION OF THE NITROGEN VAPOR TO HEAT SAID PORTION OF LIQUID BOTTOMS, AND RETURNING SAID HEAT EXCHANGED PORTION OF LIQUID BOTTOMS BACK IN ADMIXTURE WITH A CRUDE OXYGEN LIQUID BOTTOMS IN SAID HIGH PRESSURE FRACTIONATION ZONE.