Recompression of mingled high air separation using dephlegmator pressure and compressed low pressure effluent streams

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF SEPARATING AIR INTO PRODUCT COMPONENTS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES THE STEPS OF COMPRESSING AN AIR FEED STREAM TO A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO PROPEL SAID STREAM THROUGH THE PROCESS, DIVIDING THE COMPRESSED STREAM INTO A MAJOR PART COMPRISING ABOUT 75 MOLE PERCENT AND A MINOR PART COMPRISING THE REMAINDER, SUPPLY SAID MINOR PART AS A FIRST FED STREAM TO A RECTIFYING COLUMN OPERATED AT SAID RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE, FURTHER COMPRESSING SAID MAJOR PART TO A PRESSURE OF 2 TO 3 ATMOSPHERES ABSOLUTE, CONDENSING SUBSTANTIALLY 50 MOLE PERCENT OF SAID FURTHER COMPRESSED STREAM TO FORM AN OXYGEN-ENRICHED CONDENSATE BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A COLDER STREAM, SUB-COOLING SAID CONDENSATE, EXPANDING SAID SUBCOOLED CONDENSATE TO SAID RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE, WHEREBY SAID EXPANDED MATERIAL CONSTITUTES SAID COLDER STREAM FOR ACCOMPLISHING SAID CONDENSING STEP, VAPORIZING SAID OXYGEN-ENRICHED CONDENSATE IN SAID INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID FURTHER COMPRESSED AIR STREAM, SUPPLYING SAID VAPORIZED OXYGEN-ENRICHED CONDENSATE TO SAID RECTIFYING COLUMN AS A SECOND FEED STREAM THEREFOR, RECTIFYING SAID FEED STREAMS INTO ONE OR MORE PRODUCT STREAMS IN SAID RECTIFYING COLUMN, COMPRISING AN EFFLUENT FROM SAID RECTIFYING COLUMN, TO SAID PRESSURE OF 2 TO 3 ATMOSPHERE ABSOLUTE, MINGLING SAID COMPRESSED EFFLUENT WITH THE UNCONDENSED PORTION OF SAID MAJOR PART OF THE ORIGINAL AIR FEED STREAM, FURTHER COMPRESSING SAID MINGLED STREAMS TO ABOUT 5 TO 7 ATMOSPHERES ABSOLUTE PRESSURE, AND UTILIZING SAID LATTER COMPRESSED MATERIAL TO SUPPLY REFRIGERATION TO SUSTAIN THE PROCESS.