Column for separating air by cryogenic distillation, air separation device comprising such a column and method for producing such a column

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473392-B2
Application number	US-201515117564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Feb 14, 2014
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a column for separating air by means of cryogenic distillation, said column comprising a shell and at least four distillation segments, including at least a first intermediate distillation segment of the low-pressure column, which is surrounded by an auxiliary shell around which a space is defined that is divided into a lower section and an upper section along the radius of the column, the intermediate segment(s) being located in an intermediate part of the low-pressure column, the capacity of the first intermediate segment being greater than that of at least one adjacent segment, and an opening being disposed in the shell between two adjacent segments, which opening can be sealed if the column is to form part of an argon production device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a lower pressure column of an air separating device that can be used for production with and without argon, wherein the lower pressure column is thermally connected with a higher pressure column, wherein the lower pressure column comprises:
a main outer shell;
a lower distillation segment, a first intermediate distillation segment disposed above the lower distillation segment, a second intermediate distillation segment disposed above the first intermediate distillation segment, a third intermediate distillation segment disposed above the second intermediate distillation segment, and an upper distillation segment disposed above the third intermediate distillation segment, wherein the first intermediate distillation segment is surrounded by an auxiliary shell, wherein the auxiliary shell has a radius that is smaller than the radius of the main outer shell, thereby forming an annular space between the auxiliary shell and the main outer shell;
an annular sealing member sealingly joining the auxiliary shell with the main outer shell, wherein the annular space comprises an upper section and a lower section;
a first liquid inlet disposed on the main outer shell between the first intermediate distillation segment and the second intermediate distillation segment;
a second liquid inlet disposed on the main outer shell between the second intermediate distillation segment and the third intermediate distillation segment;
a third liquid inlet disposed on the main outer shell above the third intermediate distillation segment and below the upper distillation segment;
a lower liquid inlet disposed on the main outer shell below the annular sealing member;
an upper gas inlet disposed on the main outer shell above the annular sealing member;
wherein the method comprises the step of:
determining whether the lower pressure column will be used in the production of argon; and
(A) if the lower pressure column will be used for the production of argon, the method further comprises the steps of:
configuring the first intermediate distillation segment to have the same capacity as the second intermediate distillation segment,
blocking the first liquid inlet,
configuring the second liquid inlet to receive an oxygen-rich liquid from a bottom section of the higher pressure column,
configuring the third liquid inlet to receive a liquid air stream,
configuring the lower liquid inlet to receive a liquid from an argon column and introduce said liquid into the lower section of the annular space,
configuring the upper gas inlet to receive a vaporized liquid from the argon column and introduce said vaporized liquid into the upper section of the annular space;

(B) if the lower pressure column will be used without the production of argon, the method further comprises the steps of:
configuring the first intermediate distillation section to have a higher capacity than the second intermediate distillation segment,
blocking the lower liquid inlet,
blocking the upper gas inlet,
blocking the third liquid inlet,
configuring the first liquid inlet to receive an oxygen-rich liquid from the bottom section of the higher pressure column, and
configuring the second liquid inlet to receive the liquid air stream.

2. A lower pressure column of an air separating device that can be used for production with and without argon, wherein the lower pressure column is thermally connected with a higher pressure column when in operation, wherein the lower pressure column comprises:
a main outer shell;
a lower distillation segment, a first intermediate distillation segment disposed above the lower distillation segment, a second intermediate distillation segment disposed above the first intermediate distillation segment, a third intermediate distillation segment disposed above the second intermediate distillation segment, and an upper distillation segment disposed above the third intermediate distillation segment, wherein the first intermediate distillation segment is surrounded by an auxiliary shell, wherein the auxiliary shell has a radius that is smaller than the radius of the main outer shell, thereby forming an annular space between the auxiliary shell and the main outer shell;
an annular sealing member sealingly joining the auxiliary shell with the main outer shell, wherein the annular space comprises an upper section and a lower section;
a first liquid inlet disposed on the main outer shell between the first intermediate distillation segment and the second intermediate distillation segment;
a second liquid inlet disposed on the main outer shell between the second intermediate distillation segment and the third intermediate distillation segment;
a third liquid inlet disposed on the main outer shell above the third intermediate distillation segment and below the upper distillation segment;
a lower liquid inlet disposed on the main outer shell below the annular sealing member;
an upper gas inlet disposed on the main outer shell above the annular sealing member;
wherein a first packing of the first intermediate distillation section has a higher capacity as a second packing of the second intermediate distillation segment,
wherein the lower liquid inlet is blocked,
wherein the upper gas inlet is blocked, and
wherein the third liquid inlet is blocked.

Assignees

• Air Liquide

Inventors

• Cavagne Patrice
• De Cayeux Olivier
• Haik-Beraud Natacha
• Schmitt Nathalie P

Classifications

• F25J3/04412

  in a classical double column flowsheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column · CPC title

• F25J3/04921

  within the same column · CPC title

• F25J3/0489

  Modularity and arrangement of parts of the air fractionation unit, in particular of the cold box, e.g. pre-fabrication, assembling and erection, dimensions, horizontal layout "plot" (F25J3/04872 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25J3/04678 Primary

  cooled by oxygen enriched liquid from high pressure column bottoms · CPC title

• F25J3/04909

  Structured packings · CPC title