U.S. patent application number 09/758209 was filed with the patent office on 2001-05-24 for plant for separation of a gas mixture by distillation.
This patent application is currently assigned to L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude. Invention is credited to Bruder, Olivier, Darredeau, Bernard, Lehman, Jean-Yves.
Application Number | 20010001364 09/758209 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 69370640 |
Filed Date | 2001-05-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010001364 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bruder, Olivier ; et
al. |
May 24, 2001 |
Plant for separation of a gas mixture by distillation
Abstract
A plant for separation of a gas mixture comprises at least two
columns which are of the same length. The tops of two of the
columns are at the same height.
Inventors: |
Bruder, Olivier;
(Neuilly-Sur-Seine, FR) ; Darredeau, Bernard;
(Sartrouville, FR) ; Lehman, Jean-Yves;
(Maisons-Alfort, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YOUNG & THOMPSON
745 SOUTH 23RD STREET 2ND FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22202
|
Assignee: |
L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour
L'Etude et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
Paris Cedex
FR
|
Family ID: |
69370640 |
Appl. No.: |
09/758209 |
Filed: |
January 12, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09758209 |
Jan 12, 2001 |
|
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09571736 |
May 15, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/643 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25J 2290/62 20130101;
F25J 3/0489 20130101; Y10S 62/90 20130101; Y10S 62/911 20130101;
F25J 3/04412 20130101; F25J 3/04678 20130101; F25J 3/04872
20130101; F25J 2235/02 20130101; F25J 3/04703 20130101; Y10S 62/905
20130101; F25J 3/04878 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/643 |
International
Class: |
F25J 003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 11, 1997 |
FR |
97 04484 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A plant for separating a gas mixture by distillation, which
comprises: a first column structure, a second column structure, a
third column structure, and a fourth column structure; each column
structure having a top and a base; the top of the first column
structure and the top of the fourth column structure being at the
same level, and the first column structure and the fourth column
structure having substantially the same height; the first column
structure comprising a first column and a first section of a second
column; the second column structure comprising a second section of
the second column; the third column structure comprising a first
section of a third column; the fourth column structure comprising a
second section of a third column; the top of the first column being
thermally linked with the base of the first section by means of a
condenser or a boiler; means for feeding the gas mixture to the
first column of the first column structure; means for sending
fluids from the first column to the second column; means for
transferring fluid to the top of the first section of the second
column from the bottom of the second section of the second column;
means for transferring fluid from the top of the first section of
the second column to the bottom of the second section of the second
column; means for withdrawing fluid from the second column and
sending it to the third column structure; means for withdrawing
fluid from the third column structure and sending it to the second
column; means for transferring fluid to the top of the first
section of the third column from the bottom of the second section
of the third column; means for transferring fluid from the top of
the first section of the third column to the bottom of the second
section of the third column; and means for withdrawing fluid from
the top of the fourth column structure; and wherein the second and
third column structures are located one above the other.
2. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the top of the third
column structure is at the same level as the tops of the first and
fourth column structures.
3. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the second section of
the third column has a top condenser.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a division of allowed application Ser.
No. 09/571,736 filed on May 15, 2000, which is a division of
abandoned application Ser. No. 09/059,046, filed Apr. 13, 1998.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a plant for separation of a
gas mixture by distillation and, in particular, by cryogenic
distillation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In cryogenic distillation plants, a number of distillation
columns are contained in a cold box so as to insulate them from the
ambient heat. The height of the cold box is generally determined by
the length of the longest column. At the present time, in order to
produce argon with less than 1 ppm of oxygen cryogenically, up to
250 trays have to be fitted into the argon column which makes the
cold box very tall and causes instability problems. In addition, it
contains many empty spaces which must be filled with insulating
material.
[0004] DE-A-2633272 describes a double column with a low-pressure
column in two sections, the tops of the two sections being at the
same height.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The aim of the present invention is to make cold boxes more
compact and to reduce the empty spaces inside them.
[0006] One object of the invention is to provide a plant for
separation of a gas mixture by distillation, which comprises at
least two columns, the tops of two of the columns being at the same
height, characterized in that at least two of the columns are of
the same length.
[0007] According to other aspects of the invention, provision is
made so that:
[0008] two of the columns are of the same length and the tops of
these columns are at the same height,
[0009] the tops of the three of the columns are at the same
height,
[0010] the tops of all of the columns are at the same height,
[0011] the columns are designed for the separation of air and
comprise a first column which is capable of operating at a medium
pressure, a second column comprising two sections which are capable
of operating at a low pressure, the first column and the first
section being thermally coupled by a reboiler/condenser, means for
sending fluids from the first column to the second section and
means for sending a gas at the top of the first section to the
collector of the second section and a liquid in the collector of
the second section to the top of the first section, the second
section optionally being of the same length as the length of the
first section and of the first column,
[0012] four columns are designed for the separation of air,
including two designed for the separation of an argon-enriched
mixture,
[0013] one of the columns is shorter than at least one of the
others and a storage tank is located in the space beneath this
shorter column.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] An illustrative embodiment of the invention will now be
described with regard to the appended drawings in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 diagrammatically represents a plant for production of
oxygen and argon according to the invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 diagrammatically represents a plant for production of
nitrogen and oxygen according to the invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 diagrammatically represents a plant combining the
concepts of FIGS. 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. I shows a double column 1 consisting of a
medium-pressure section 2 and a low-pressure section 3 which are
thermally coupled by a reboiler/condenser. An argon production unit
in two columns 5A, 5B is fed with an argon-enriched fluid coming
from the low-pressure section of the double column 1. The tops of
the two columns 5A, 5B of the argon production unit and of the
low-pressure column 3 lie at the same level.
[0019] This arrangement corresponds to that in EP-A-628 777, this
document not however disclosing that the tops of the columns are
all at the same level.
[0020] A liquid-nitrogen storage tank 7 is situated in the space
beneath the first argon column 5A.
[0021] The cold box 9 contains the double column 1, the argon
columns 5A, 5B and the storage tank 7.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a double column consisting of a medium-pressure
section 2 and a low-pressure section 3A. A low-pressure column 3B
is serially connected to the low-pressure section 3A.
[0023] The tops of section 3A and column 3B are at the same level.
The collector of the low-pressure column 3B is fed with gas from
the top of section 3A and liquid is sent from the collector of the
low-pressure column 3B to the top of section 3A.
[0024] The length of the low-pressure column 3B is identical to the
total length of the double column made up of low-pressure section
3A and medium-pressure section 2.
[0025] The concepts shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 could conceivably be
combined with a plant comprising a medium-pressure column 2, a
low-pressure column in two sections 3A, 3B and an argon column in
two sections 5A, 5B. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the section
3B of the low-pressure column could be situated beneath the section
5A of the argon column (or vice versa).
[0026] FIG. 2 could, of course, be adapted to comprise an argon
column fed by the sections 3A, 3B of the low-pressure column.
[0027] Of course, the plant shown in FIG. 1 could comprise an
oxygen, nitrogen or argon storage tank beneath the section 5A.
* * * * *