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EP1690054A1 - Method and installation for supplying highly pure oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air - Google Patents

Method and installation for supplying highly pure oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air

Info

Publication number
EP1690054A1
EP1690054A1 EP04805825A EP04805825A EP1690054A1 EP 1690054 A1 EP1690054 A1 EP 1690054A1 EP 04805825 A EP04805825 A EP 04805825A EP 04805825 A EP04805825 A EP 04805825A EP 1690054 A1 EP1690054 A1 EP 1690054A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
oxygen
column
air
pressure column
flow
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP04805825A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Alain Guillard
Jean-Jacques Chollat
Xavier Pontone
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
LAir Liquide SA pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
Original Assignee
Air Liquide SA
LAir Liquide SA a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Air Liquide SA, LAir Liquide SA a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude filed Critical Air Liquide SA
Publication of EP1690054A1 publication Critical patent/EP1690054A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04763—Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used
    • F25J3/04866—Construction and layout of air fractionation equipments, e.g. valves, machines
    • F25J3/04951—Arrangements of multiple air fractionation units or multiple equipments fulfilling the same process step, e.g. multiple trains in a network
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04248—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion
    • F25J3/04284—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams
    • F25J3/0429—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams of feed air, e.g. used as waste or product air or expanded into an auxiliary column
    • F25J3/04303—Lachmann expansion, i.e. expanded into oxygen producing or low pressure column
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04406—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using a dual pressure main column system
    • F25J3/04412—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using a dual pressure main column system 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
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/0446—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using the heat generated by mixing two different phases
    • F25J3/04466—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air using the heat generated by mixing two different phases for producing oxygen as a mixing column overhead gas by mixing gaseous air feed and liquid oxygen
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04521—Coupling of the air fractionation unit to an air gas-consuming unit, so-called integrated processes
    • F25J3/04527—Integration with an oxygen consuming unit, e.g. glass facility, waste incineration or oxygen based processes in general
    • F25J3/04551—Integration with an oxygen consuming unit, e.g. glass facility, waste incineration or oxygen based processes in general for the metal production
    • F25J3/04557—Integration with an oxygen consuming unit, e.g. glass facility, waste incineration or oxygen based processes in general for the metal production for pig iron or steel making, e.g. blast furnace, Corex
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04521—Coupling of the air fractionation unit to an air gas-consuming unit, so-called integrated processes
    • F25J3/04593—The air gas consuming unit is also fed by an air stream
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04521—Coupling of the air fractionation unit to an air gas-consuming unit, so-called integrated processes
    • F25J3/04593—The air gas consuming unit is also fed by an air stream
    • F25J3/046—Completely integrated air feed compression, i.e. common MAC
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04521—Coupling of the air fractionation unit to an air gas-consuming unit, so-called integrated processes
    • F25J3/04593—The air gas consuming unit is also fed by an air stream
    • F25J3/04606—Partially integrated air feed compression, i.e. independent MAC for the air fractionation unit plus additional air feed from the air gas consuming unit
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04763—Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used
    • F25J3/04769—Operation, control and regulation of the process; Instrumentation within the process
    • F25J3/04812—Different modes, i.e. "runs" of operation
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04763—Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used
    • F25J3/04769—Operation, control and regulation of the process; Instrumentation within the process
    • F25J3/04812—Different modes, i.e. "runs" of operation
    • F25J3/04824—Stopping of the process, e.g. defrosting or deriming; Back-up procedures
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2200/00—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification
    • F25J2200/04—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification in a dual pressure main column system
    • F25J2200/06—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification in a dual pressure main column system in a classical double column flow-sheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2215/00—Processes characterised by the type or other details of the product stream
    • F25J2215/02—Mixing or blending of fluids to yield a certain product
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2215/00—Processes characterised by the type or other details of the product stream
    • F25J2215/50—Oxygen or special cases, e.g. isotope-mixtures or low purity O2
    • F25J2215/52—Oxygen production with multiple purity O2
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2235/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for increasing the pressure or for conveying of liquid process streams
    • F25J2235/50—Processes or apparatus involving steps for increasing the pressure or for conveying of liquid process streams the fluid being oxygen

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the air distillation technique, and in particular to a process and installation for supplying high purity oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air.
  • Certain industrial applications require large quantities of impure oxygen under various pressures: gasification of coal, gasification of petroleum residues, direct reduction-melting of iron ore, injection of coal into blast furnaces, metallurgy of non-ferrous metals, etc.
  • certain industrial contexts require the simultaneous supply, in large quantities, of practically pure oxygen and of impure oxygen under different pressures.
  • a steel production unit conventionally comprises several devices with different oxygen needs, as described in "The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel", AISE, 1985.
  • the blast furnace consumes oxygen-enriched air, generally produced by mixing compressed air with low purity oxygen.
  • Low purity oxygen has a purity of between 80 and 97%.
  • converters and arc furnaces consume oxygen with a high purity of between 99 and 99.8%.
  • two apparatuses for producing oxygen by air distillation are often provided, the one which produces low purity oxygen being a mixing column apparatus of the type described in US-A-4022030 and EP-A-0531182 and that which produces high purity oxygen being a conventional double column apparatus. All the purities mentioned are molar percentages.
  • the object of the invention is to provide an installation comprising two air separation apparatuses, one of which, with a mixing column, which produces low purity oxygen and a second which produces oxygen high purity, the installation being able to produce high purity oxygen even when the second device is not operating, so that the storage of high pressure oxygen can be eliminated or reduced in size.
  • a method for supplying high purity oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air from an installation comprising first and second air separation devices, the first air separation comprising a medium pressure column, a low pressure column thermally connected with the medium pressure column and a mixing column in which i) distilled air is sent to the medium pressure column ii) enriched liquids are sent in oxygen and nitrogen from the medium pressure column to the low pressure column iii) according to a first step of the apparatus, a flow of oxygen-enriched liquid coming from the low pressure column is sent to the head of the mixing column iv) according to the first step, a low purity oxygen flow rate is withdrawn at the head of the mixing column and at least part of it is sent to a first consuming unit v) according to the first 1st step, air is sent to the mixing column vi) according to the first step, the second device supplies high purity oxygen to a second consuming unit characterized in that vii) according to a second step, in the first device, the flow rate of oxygen-enriched
  • the second device does not supply high purity oxygen to the second consuming unit or provides part of the high purity oxygen required by the second consuming unit.
  • the first consuming unit is a blast furnace and the second consuming unit is a converter or an arc furnace; - during the first operation, the blast furnace is supplied with oxygen-enriched air and during the second operation, the blast furnace is supplied either with air or with air less enriched in oxygen than that with which it is supplied during the first step; - the mixing column does not work during the second step; - the second consuming unit is supplied with oxygen (only) from the second air separation device during the first step and is supplied with oxygen only from the first device during the second step.
  • an installation for supplying oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air comprising a first and a second air separation device, the first air separation device comprising a column medium pressure, a low pressure column thermally connected to the medium pressure column and a mixing column comprising: a) means for sending air to be distilled to the medium pressure column b) means for sending liquids enriched with oxygen and in nitrogen from the medium pressure column to the low pressure column c) means for sending at the head of the mixing column a flow of oxygen-enriched liquid coming from the low pressure column d) means for sending air to the tank from the mixing column e) means for withdrawing at the head of the mixing column a flow of low purity oxygen and means for sending at least a portion thereof to a first unit consumer f) means for supplying high purity oxygen from the second air separation unit to the second consuming unit characterized in that it comprises g) means for reducing, if necessary to zero, the flow rate of oxygen-enriched liquid sent to the head of the mixing column h) means for reducing
  • the first consuming unit is a blast furnace and the second consuming unit is a converter or an arc furnace;
  • the installation comprises means for supplying the blast furnace with low purity oxygen from the first device and means for stopping the sending of low purity oxygen from the first device to the blast furnace;
  • the installation comprises means for supplying the blast furnace with oxygen only from the second air separation device and means for supplying the blast furnace with oxygen only from the first device;
  • the installation comprises at least one high purity oxygen compressor upstream of the second consuming unit and downstream of the first air separation device.
  • the air separation installation of FIG. 1 comprises a first air separation apparatus by cryogenic distillation 1 and a second air separation apparatus by cryogenic distillation 2.
  • the first air separation device produces a low purity oxygen flow containing between 80 and 97% oxygen.
  • This oxygen 3 is sent downstream of the blower 4 of a first consuming unit, in this case a blast furnace 5 and is mixed with compressed air 7 to be sent to the blast furnace.
  • the second device 2 produces high purity oxygen containing between 99 and 99.9% oxygen.
  • This oxygen 8 is sent to a second unit consumer 9.
  • the second device can be any cryogenic device producing oxygen gas at high pressure, for example a double or triple column in which the oxygen is pressurized either by compression of the oxygen gas or by pumping the liquid oxygen followed by vaporization.
  • the second device 2 does not work.
  • the first device produces high purity oxygen 11 and sends it to the second unit 9 following compression in the compressor 13.
  • the first device either does not produce low pressure oxygen so that the blast furnace is supplied only by air is produced less low pressure oxygen and the mixture with air 7.
  • the apparatus essentially comprises a heat exchange line 1A, a double distillation column 2A comprising itself me a medium pressure column 3A, a low pressure column 4A and a main condenser-evaporator 5A, and a mixing column 6A.
  • a mixing column is a column which has the same structure as a distillation column but which is used to mix in a manner close to reversibility a relatively volatile gas, introduced at its base, and a less volatile liquid, introduced at its top.
  • a relatively volatile gas introduced at its base
  • a less volatile liquid introduced at its top.
  • Such a mixture produces refrigerating energy and therefore makes it possible to reduce the energy consumption linked to distillation.
  • this mixture is used, moreover, to directly produce impure oxygen under the pressure P, as will be described below.
  • the air to be separated by distillation, compressed to 6 x 10 5 Pa and suitably purified, is conveyed to the base of the medium pressure column 3A by a pipe 7A. Most of this air is cooled in the exchange line 1A and introduced at the base of the medium pressure column 3A, and the rest, boosted to 8A and then cooled, is expanded at low pressure in a turbine
  • Liquid oxygen more or less pure depending on the setting of the double column 2A, is withdrawn from the tank of column 4A, carried by a pump 13A at a pressure P1, slightly higher than the aforementioned pressure P to take account of pressure losses (P1-P less than 1 x 10 5 Pa), and introduced at the top of column 6.
  • P1 is therefore advantageously between 8 x 10 5
  • auxiliary compressor 14A which can be blower 4
  • cooled in the exchange line 1A is introduced at the base of the mixing column 6A.
  • FIG. 2 also shows auxiliary heat exchangers 19 A, 20A, 21 A ensuring the recovery of the cold available in the fluids circulating in the installation.
  • the pressure P of the impure oxygen produced can be chosen as desired.
  • the adjustment of the double column makes it possible to obtain various degrees of purity for this gas.
  • the pump 13A is stopped so that the liquid oxygen is no longer drawn off from the tank of the column 4A and introduced at the top of the column 6.
  • the auxiliary air is no longer introduced at the base of the mixing column 6A.
  • the three fluid streams are no longer drawn from the latter.
  • a reduced quantity of liquid oxygen compared to that sent during the first step, is withdrawn from the tank of column 4A, carried by the pump 13A at pressure P1 and introduced at the top of the column. 6A.
  • a reduced amount of auxiliary air is introduced to the base of the mixing column 6A and the three fluid streams drawn from the mixing column are also reduced.
  • a gas flow 11 of high purity oxygen containing between 99 and 99.8% oxygen is withdrawn from the bottom of the low pressure column according to the second step, this flow being not withdrawn during the first operation or being withdrawn in very small quantities as a purge of the 5A condenser.
  • This flow 11 is compressed in the compressor 13 and sent to the second consuming unit 9 which can be a cast iron oxygen converter or an arc furnace. Part of the high purity oxygen can also be sent to flame cutting. If the flow 8 is brought to its final pressure by another compressor, this other compressor can be used to compress the flow 11 when the flow 8 is not supplied and the compressor 13 will not be required. Similarly, if the flow compressor 8 does not work, for example due to a fault, during the first operation, the flow 8 can be compressed in the compressor 13. It is possible to extend the concept of this invention to d other types of devices. For example, it is possible to produce impure oxygen with a first device and pure oxygen with a second device and modify either the operation of the first device or the first device itself to allow the production of pure oxygen with the first device.
  • This kind of modification would apply for example to a double column apparatus with an auxiliary column supplied at the head with impure oxygen coming from the tank of the low pressure column, the auxiliary column having a tank reboiler.
  • the auxiliary column could be supplied to allow pure oxygen to be drawn off from the auxiliary column tank only during a particular operation of the apparatus. It is obviously possible to exploit the invention with a device with a mixing column different from that of FIG. 2. By supplying the flow rates 8 and 11 at the same time it is possible to have a maximum production of high purity oxygen, preferably by stopping the operation of the mixing column.

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Abstract

The invention relates a method for supplying highly pure oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air from an installation comprising a first (1) and a second (2) air separating apparatus. According to the invention: the first air separating apparatus has a medium pressure column, a low pressure column thermally connected to the medium pressure column, and has a mixing column in which air to be distilled is fed to the medium pressure column; liquids enriched with oxygen and with nitrogen are fed from the medium pressure column to the low pressure column; according to a first operation of the apparatus, a flow of oxygen-enriched liquid coming from the low pressure column is fed to the top of the mixing column; a flow of low-purity oxygen is drawn off from the top of the mixing column and at least a portion (3) thereof is fed to a first consumer unit (5), and; the second apparatus (2) supplies highly pure oxygen (8) to a second consumer unit (9), whereas according to a second operation, the flow of low-purity oxygen drawn off from the top of the mixing column is reduced in the first apparatus; a flow of highly pure oxygen is drawn off from the vessel of the low pressure column of the first apparatus and is fed (11) to at least the second consumer unit (9), and; the second apparatus (2) does not supply highly pure oxygen to the second consumer unit.

Description

PROCÉDÉ ET INSTALLATION DE FOURNITURE D ' OXYGÈNE À HAUTE PURETÉ PAR DISTILLATION CRYOGÉNIQUE D ' AIRMETHOD AND PLANT FOR PROVIDING HIGH PURITY OXYGEN BY CRYOGENIC AIR DISTILLATION
La présente invention est relative à la technique de distillation de l'air, et en particulier à un procédé et installation de fourniture d'oxygène à haute pureté par distillation cryogénique d'air. Certaines applications industrielles nécessitent des quantités importantes d'oxygène impur sous diverses pressions : gazéification du charbon, gazéification de résidus pétroliers, réduction-fusion directe du minerai de fer, injection de charbon dans les hauts fourneaux, métallurgie des métaux non- ferreux, etc. Par ailleurs, certains contextes industriels nécessitent la fourniture simultanée, en grandes quantités, d'oxygène pratiquement pur et d'oxygène impur sous des pressions différentes. Une unité de production sidérurgique comprend classiquement plusieurs appareils ayant des besoins différents en oxygène, tel que décrit dans « The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel », AISE, 1985. Le haut fourneau consomme de l'air enrichi en oxygène, produit en général en mélangeant de l'air comprimé avec de l'oxygène basse pureté. L'oxygène basse pureté a une pureté d'entre 80 et 97 %. Par contre les convertisseurs et les fours à arc consomment de l'oxygène avec une haute pureté d'entre 99 et 99,8 %. Pour fournir ces deux puretés d'oxygène, il est souvent prévu deux appareils de production d'oxygène par distillation d'air, celui qui produit l'oxygène basse pureté étant un appareil à colonne de mélange du type décrit dans US-A- 4022030 et EP-A-0531182 et celui qui produit l'oxygène haute pureté étant un appareil à double colonne classique. Toutes les puretés mentionnées sont des pourcentages molaires. Quand l'appareil fournissant l'oxygène haute pureté ne fonctionne pas, il est nécessaire de prévoir une autre source d'oxygène haute pureté qui peut être un autre appareil ou au moins un stockage très important, comme l'on voit dans « Zur Planung grosser Sauerstoffanlagen in Stahlwerken » de H. Springmann, Linde Berichte aus Technik und Wissenschaft, 40/1976. L'invention a pour but de prévoir une installation comprenant deux appareils de séparation d'air, dont un premier, à colonne de mélange, qui produit de l'oxygène basse pureté et un deuxième qui produit de l'oxygène haute pureté, l'installation pouvant produire de l'oxygène haute pureté même quand le deuxième appareil ne fonctionne pas, de sorte que le stockage d'oxygène haute pression puisse être supprimé ou réduit en taille. Selon un objet de l'invention, il est prévu un procédé de fourniture d'oxygène à haute pureté par distillation cryogénique d'air à partir d'une installation comprenant un premier et un deuxième appareils de séparation d'air, le premier appareil de séparation d'air comprenant une colonne moyenne pression, une colonne basse pression thermiquement reliée avec la colonne moyenne pression et une colonne de mélange dans lequel i) on envoie de l'air à distiller à la colonne moyenne pression ii) on envoie des liquides enrichis en oxygène et en azote de la colonne moyenne pression à la colonne basse pression iii) selon une première marche de l'appareil, on envoie en tête de la colonne de mélange un débit de liquide enrichi en oxygène provenant de la colonne basse pression iv) selon la première marche, on soutire en tête de la colonne de mélange, un débit d'oxygène basse pureté et on en envoie au moins une partie à une première unité consommatrice v) selon la première marche, on envoie de l'air à la colonne de mélange vi) selon la première marche, le deuxième appareil fournit de l'oxygène haute pureté à une deuxième unité consommatrice caractérisé en ce que vii) selon une deuxième marche, dans le premier appareil, on réduit, éventuellement à zéro, le débit de liquide enrichi en oxygène envoyé en tête de la colonne de mélange, on réduit, éventuellement à zéro, le débit d'air envoyé à la colonne de mélange et on réduit, éventuellement à zéro, le débit d'oxygène basse pureté soutiré en tête de colonne de mélange et viii) selon la deuxième marche, on soutire en cuve de la colonne basse pression du premier appareil un débit enrichi d'oxygène haute pureté et on l'envoie à au moins la deuxième unité consommatrice. De préférence, selon la deuxième marche, le deuxième appareil ne fournit pas d'oxygène haute pureté à la deuxième unité consommatrice ou fournit une partie de l'oxygène haute pureté requise par la deuxième unité consommatrice. Selon d'autres aspects facultatifs : - la première unité consommatrice est un haut fourneau et la deuxième unité consommatrice est un convertisseur ou un four à arc ; - pendant la première marche, le haut fourneau est alimenté en air enrichi en oxygène et pendant la deuxième marche, le haut fourneau est alimenté soit par de l'air soit par de l'air moins enrichi en oxygène que celui dont il est alimenté pendant la première marche ; - la colonne de mélange ne fonctionne pas pendant la deuxième marche ; - la deuxième unité consommatrice est alimentée en oxygène (uniquement) à partir du deuxième appareil de séparation d'air pendant la première marche et est alimentée en oxygène uniquement à partir du premier appareil pendant la deuxième marche. Selon un autre objet de l'invention, il est prévu une installation de fourniture d'oxygène par distillation cryogénique de l'air comprenant un premier et un deuxième appareil de séparation d'air, le premier appareil de séparation d'air comprenant une colonne moyenne pression, une colonne basse pression thermiquement reliée avec la colonne moyenne pression et une colonne de mélange comprenant : a) des moyens pour envoyer de l'air à distiller à la colonne moyenne pression b) des moyens pour envoyer des liquides enrichi en oxygène et en azote de la colonne moyenne pression à la colonne basse pression c) des moyens pour envoyer en tête de la colonne de mélange un débit de liquide enrichi en oxygène provenant de la colonne basse pression d) des moyens pour envoyer de l'air en cuve de la colonne de mélange e) des moyens pour soutirer en tête de la colonne de mélange, un débit d'oxygène basse pureté et des moyens pour en envoyer au moins une partie à une première unité consommatrice f) des moyens pour envoyer de l'oxygène haute pureté du deuxième appareil de séparation d'air à la deuxième unité consommatrice caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend g) des moyens pour réduire, éventuellement à zéro, le débit de liquide enrichi en oxygène envoyé en tête de la colonne de mélange h) des moyens pour réduire, éventuellement à zéro, l'air envoyé en cuve de la colonne de mélange i) des moyens pour soutirer en cuve de la colonne basse pression du premier appareil un débit d'oxygène haute pureté et des moyens pour envoyer ce débit à la deuxième unité consommatrice. Selon d'autres aspects facultatifs de l'invention : - la première unité consommatrice est un haut fourneau et la deuxième unité consommatrice est un convertisseur ou un four à arc ; - l'installation comprend des moyens pour alimenter le haut fourneau en oxygène basse pureté à partir du premier appareil et des moyens pour arrêter l'envoi d'oxygène basse pureté du premier appareil au haut fourneau ; - l'installation comprend des moyens pour alimenter le haut fourneau en oxygène uniquement à partir du deuxième appareil de séparation d'air et des moyens pour alimenter le haut fourneau en oxygène uniquement à partir du premier appareil ; - l'installation comprend au moins un compresseur d'oxygène haute pureté en amont de la deuxième unité consommatrice et en aval du premier appareil de séparation d'air. Des exemples de mise en œuvre de l'invention vont maintenant être décrits en regard des dessins annexés, sur lesquels la figure 1 représente schématiquement une installation conforme à l'invention et la figure 2 représente le premier appareil de séparation d'air en plus de détail. L'installation de séparation d'air de la Figure 1 comprend un premier appareil de séparation d'air par distillation cryogénique 1 et un deuxième appareil de séparation d'air par distillation cryogénique 2. Selon une première marche de l'installation, le premier appareil de séparation d'air produit un débit d'oxygène basse pureté contenant entre 80 et 97% d'oxygène. Cet oxygène 3 est envoyé en aval de la soufflante 4 d'une première unité consommatrice, en l'occurrence un haut fourneau 5 et est mélangé avec l'air comprimé 7 pour être envoyé au haut fourneau. Le deuxième appareil 2 produit de l'oxygène à haute pureté contenant entre 99 et 99,9 % d'oxygène. Cet oxygène 8 est envoyé à une deuxième unité consommatrice 9. Le deuxième appareil peut être n'importe lequel appareil cryogénique produisant de I' oxygène gazeux haute pression, par exemple une double ou triple colonne dans lequel l'oxygène est pressurisé soit par compression de l'oxygène gazeux soit par pompage de l'oxygène liquide suivi de vaporisation. Des exemples de procédés de production de ce genre se trouvent dans EP-A-0504029. Selon la deuxième marche, le deuxième appareil 2 ne fonctionne pas. Le premier appareil produit de l'oxygène haute pureté 11 et l'envoie à la deuxième unité 9 suite à une compression dans le compresseur 13. Le premier appareil soit ne produit pas d'oxygène basse pression de sorte que le haut fourneau est alimenté uniquement par de l'air soit produit moins d'oxygène basse pression et le mélange avec l'air 7. L'appareil de distillation d'air représentée à la figure 2 est destiné à produire selon une première marche de l'oxygène basse pureté, par exemple ayant une pureté de 80 à 97 % et de préférence de 85 à 95 % sous une pression déterminée P nettement différente de 6 x 105 Pa abs., par exemple sous 2 à 5 x 105 Pa ou avantageusement sous une pression supérieure à 6 x 105 Pa abs d'au moins 2 x 105 Pa et pouvant aller jusqu'à 30 x 105 Pa environ, de préférence entre 8 x 105 Pa et 15 x 105 Pa. L'appareil comprend essentiellement une ligne d'échange thermique 1A, une double colonne de distillation 2A comprenant elle-même une colonne moyenne pression 3A, une colonne basse pression 4A et un condenseur-vaporiseur principal 5A, et une colonne de mélange 6A. Les colonnes 3A et 4A fonctionnent typiquement sous environ 6 x 105 Pa et environ 1 x 105 Pa respectivement. Comme expliqué en détail dans le document US-A-4022030, une colonne de mélange est une colonne qui a la même structure qu'une colonne de distillation mais qui est utilisée pour mélanger de façon proche de la réversibilité un gaz relativement volatil, introduit à sa base, et un liquide moins volatil, introduit à son sommet. Un tel mélange produit de l'énergie frigorifique et permet donc de réduire la consommation d'énergie liée à la distillation. Dans le cas présent, ce mélange est mis à profit, en outre, pour produire directement de l'oxygène impur sous la pression P, comme cela sera décrit ci-dessous. L'air à séparer par distillation, comprimé à 6 x 105 Pa et convenablement épuré, est acheminé vers la base de la colonne moyenne pression 3A par une conduite 7A. La majeure partie de cet air est refroidie dans la ligne d'échange 1A et introduite à la base de la colonne moyenne pression 3A, et le reste, surpressé en 8A puis refroidi, est détendu à la basse pression dans une turbineThe present invention relates to the air distillation technique, and in particular to a process and installation for supplying high purity oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air. Certain industrial applications require large quantities of impure oxygen under various pressures: gasification of coal, gasification of petroleum residues, direct reduction-melting of iron ore, injection of coal into blast furnaces, metallurgy of non-ferrous metals, etc. In addition, certain industrial contexts require the simultaneous supply, in large quantities, of practically pure oxygen and of impure oxygen under different pressures. A steel production unit conventionally comprises several devices with different oxygen needs, as described in "The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel", AISE, 1985. The blast furnace consumes oxygen-enriched air, generally produced by mixing compressed air with low purity oxygen. Low purity oxygen has a purity of between 80 and 97%. On the other hand, converters and arc furnaces consume oxygen with a high purity of between 99 and 99.8%. To provide these two purities of oxygen, two apparatuses for producing oxygen by air distillation are often provided, the one which produces low purity oxygen being a mixing column apparatus of the type described in US-A-4022030 and EP-A-0531182 and that which produces high purity oxygen being a conventional double column apparatus. All the purities mentioned are molar percentages. When the device providing high purity oxygen does not work, it is necessary to provide another source of high purity oxygen which may be another device or at least a very large storage, as seen in "Zur Planung grosser Sauerstoffanlagen in Stahlwerken "by H. Springmann, Linde Berichte aus Technik und Wissenschaft, 40/1976. The object of the invention is to provide an installation comprising two air separation apparatuses, one of which, with a mixing column, which produces low purity oxygen and a second which produces oxygen high purity, the installation being able to produce high purity oxygen even when the second device is not operating, so that the storage of high pressure oxygen can be eliminated or reduced in size. According to an object of the invention, there is provided a method for supplying high purity oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air from an installation comprising first and second air separation devices, the first air separation comprising a medium pressure column, a low pressure column thermally connected with the medium pressure column and a mixing column in which i) distilled air is sent to the medium pressure column ii) enriched liquids are sent in oxygen and nitrogen from the medium pressure column to the low pressure column iii) according to a first step of the apparatus, a flow of oxygen-enriched liquid coming from the low pressure column is sent to the head of the mixing column iv) according to the first step, a low purity oxygen flow rate is withdrawn at the head of the mixing column and at least part of it is sent to a first consuming unit v) according to the first 1st step, air is sent to the mixing column vi) according to the first step, the second device supplies high purity oxygen to a second consuming unit characterized in that vii) according to a second step, in the first device, the flow rate of oxygen-enriched liquid sent to the top of the mixing column is reduced, if necessary to zero, the air flow sent to the mixing column is reduced, if necessary to zero, and, if necessary, it is reduced to zero , the low purity oxygen flow rate drawn off at the top of the mixing column and viii) according to the second step, a flow enriched with high purity oxygen is withdrawn from the low pressure column of the first apparatus and it is sent to the minus the second consuming unit. Preferably, according to the second step, the second device does not supply high purity oxygen to the second consuming unit or provides part of the high purity oxygen required by the second consuming unit. According to other optional aspects: - the first consuming unit is a blast furnace and the second consuming unit is a converter or an arc furnace; - during the first operation, the blast furnace is supplied with oxygen-enriched air and during the second operation, the blast furnace is supplied either with air or with air less enriched in oxygen than that with which it is supplied during the first step; - the mixing column does not work during the second step; - the second consuming unit is supplied with oxygen (only) from the second air separation device during the first step and is supplied with oxygen only from the first device during the second step. According to another object of the invention, there is provided an installation for supplying oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air comprising a first and a second air separation device, the first air separation device comprising a column medium pressure, a low pressure column thermally connected to the medium pressure column and a mixing column comprising: a) means for sending air to be distilled to the medium pressure column b) means for sending liquids enriched with oxygen and in nitrogen from the medium pressure column to the low pressure column c) means for sending at the head of the mixing column a flow of oxygen-enriched liquid coming from the low pressure column d) means for sending air to the tank from the mixing column e) means for withdrawing at the head of the mixing column a flow of low purity oxygen and means for sending at least a portion thereof to a first unit consumer f) means for supplying high purity oxygen from the second air separation unit to the second consuming unit characterized in that it comprises g) means for reducing, if necessary to zero, the flow rate of oxygen-enriched liquid sent to the head of the mixing column h) means for reducing, possibly to zero, the air sent to the tank of the mixing column i) means for withdrawing from the tank of the low pressure column of the first device a flow of high purity oxygen and means for sending this flow to the second consuming unit. According to other optional aspects of the invention: the first consuming unit is a blast furnace and the second consuming unit is a converter or an arc furnace; - The installation comprises means for supplying the blast furnace with low purity oxygen from the first device and means for stopping the sending of low purity oxygen from the first device to the blast furnace; - The installation comprises means for supplying the blast furnace with oxygen only from the second air separation device and means for supplying the blast furnace with oxygen only from the first device; - The installation comprises at least one high purity oxygen compressor upstream of the second consuming unit and downstream of the first air separation device. Examples of implementation of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 schematically represents an installation in accordance with the invention and FIG. 2 represents the first air separation device in addition to detail. The air separation installation of FIG. 1 comprises a first air separation apparatus by cryogenic distillation 1 and a second air separation apparatus by cryogenic distillation 2. According to a first step of the installation, the first air separation device produces a low purity oxygen flow containing between 80 and 97% oxygen. This oxygen 3 is sent downstream of the blower 4 of a first consuming unit, in this case a blast furnace 5 and is mixed with compressed air 7 to be sent to the blast furnace. The second device 2 produces high purity oxygen containing between 99 and 99.9% oxygen. This oxygen 8 is sent to a second unit consumer 9. The second device can be any cryogenic device producing oxygen gas at high pressure, for example a double or triple column in which the oxygen is pressurized either by compression of the oxygen gas or by pumping the liquid oxygen followed by vaporization. Examples of such production processes can be found in EP-A-0504029. According to the second step, the second device 2 does not work. The first device produces high purity oxygen 11 and sends it to the second unit 9 following compression in the compressor 13. The first device either does not produce low pressure oxygen so that the blast furnace is supplied only by air is produced less low pressure oxygen and the mixture with air 7. The air distillation apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is intended to produce, on a first step, low purity oxygen, for example having a purity of 80 to 97% and preferably 85 to 95% under a determined pressure P clearly different from 6 × 10 5 Pa abs., for example under 2 to 5 × 10 5 Pa or advantageously under higher pressure at 6 x 10 5 Pa abs of at least 2 x 10 5 Pa and up to approximately 30 x 10 5 Pa, preferably between 8 x 10 5 Pa and 15 x 10 5 Pa. The apparatus essentially comprises a heat exchange line 1A, a double distillation column 2A comprising itself me a medium pressure column 3A, a low pressure column 4A and a main condenser-evaporator 5A, and a mixing column 6A. Columns 3A and 4A typically operate at about 6 x 10 5 Pa and about 1 x 10 5 Pa respectively. As explained in detail in document US-A-4022030, a mixing column is a column which has the same structure as a distillation column but which is used to mix in a manner close to reversibility a relatively volatile gas, introduced at its base, and a less volatile liquid, introduced at its top. Such a mixture produces refrigerating energy and therefore makes it possible to reduce the energy consumption linked to distillation. In the present case, this mixture is used, moreover, to directly produce impure oxygen under the pressure P, as will be described below. The air to be separated by distillation, compressed to 6 x 10 5 Pa and suitably purified, is conveyed to the base of the medium pressure column 3A by a pipe 7A. Most of this air is cooled in the exchange line 1A and introduced at the base of the medium pressure column 3A, and the rest, boosted to 8A and then cooled, is expanded at low pressure in a turbine
9A couplée au surpresseur 8A, puis insufflé en un point intermédiaire de la colonne basse pression 4. Du « liquide riche » (air enrichi en oxygène), prélevé en cuve de la colonne 3A est, après détente dans une vanne de détente 10A, introduit dans la colonne 4A, à peu près au point d'insufflation de l'air. Du « liquide pauvre » (azote impur) prélevé en un point intermédiaire 11A de la colonne 3A est, après détente dans une vanne de détente 12A, introduit au sommet de la colonne 4A, constituant le gaz résiduaire de l'installation, et l'azote gazeux pur sous la moyenne pression produit en tête de la colonne 3A, sont réchauffés dans la ligne d'échange 1 A et évacués de l'installation. Ces gaz sont indiqués respectivement par NI et NG sur la figure 1. De l'oxygène liquide, plus ou moins pur suivant le réglage de la double colonne 2A, est soutiré en cuve de la colonne 4A, porté par une pompe 13A à une pression P1, légèrement supérieure à la pression P précitée pour tenir compte des pertes de charge (P1-P inférieur à 1 x 105 Pa), et introduit au sommet de la colonne 6. P1 est donc avantageusement comprise entre 8 x 105 9A coupled to the booster 8A, then blown at an intermediate point of the low pressure column 4. "Rich liquid" (oxygen-enriched air), taken from the tank of column 3A is, after expansion in an expansion valve 10A, introduced in column 4A, approximately at the point of air blowing. "Lean liquid" (impure nitrogen) taken from an intermediate point 11A of column 3A is, after expansion in an expansion valve 12A, introduced at the top of column 4A, constituting the residual gas of the installation, and the pure nitrogen gas under the medium pressure produced at the top of column 3A, are heated in the exchange line 1 A and discharged from the installation. These gases are indicated respectively by NI and NG in FIG. 1. Liquid oxygen, more or less pure depending on the setting of the double column 2A, is withdrawn from the tank of column 4A, carried by a pump 13A at a pressure P1, slightly higher than the aforementioned pressure P to take account of pressure losses (P1-P less than 1 x 10 5 Pa), and introduced at the top of column 6. P1 is therefore advantageously between 8 x 10 5
Pa et 30 x 105 Pa, de préférence entre 8 x 105 Pa et 16 x 105 Pa. De l'air auxiliaire, comprimé à la même pression P1 par un compresseur auxiliaire 14A, pouvant être la soufflante 4, et refroidi dans la ligne d'échange 1A, est introduit à la base de la colonne de mélange 6A. De cette dernière sont soutirés trois courants de fluide : à sa base, du liquide voisin du liquide riche et réuni à ce dernier via une conduite 15A munie d'une vanne de détente 15A' ; en un point intermédiaire, un mélange essentiellement constitué d'oxygène et d'azote, qui est renvoyé en un point intermédiaire de la colonne basse pression 4A via une conduite 16A munie d'une vanne de détente 17A ; et à son sommet de l'oxygène impur qui, après réchauffement dans la ligne d'échange thermique, est évacué, sensiblement à la pression P, de l'installation via une conduite 18A en tant que gaz de production Ol. On a également représenté sur la figure 2 des échangeurs de chaleur auxiliaires 19 A, 20A, 21 A assurant la récupération du froid disponible dans les fluides en circulation dans l'installation. Comme on le comprend, grâce à la présence d'un circuit séparé pour l'air auxiliaire alimentant la colonne 6A, on peut choisir à volonté la pression P de l'oxygène impur produit. De plus, comme indiqué plus haut, le réglage de la double colonne permet d'obtenir divers degrés de pureté pour ce gaz. Selon la deuxième marche de l'appareil 1 , la pompe 13A est arrêtée de sorte que l'oxygène liquide n'est plus soutiré en cuve de la colonne 4A et introduit au sommet de la colonne 6. L'air auxiliaire n'est plus introduit à la base de la colonne de mélange 6A. Les trois courants de fluide ne sont plus soutirés de cette dernière. Alternativement, selon la deuxième marche, une quantité réduite de l'oxygène liquide, par rapport à celui envoyés pendant la première marche est soutirée en cuve de la colonne 4A, portée par la pompe 13A à la pression P1 et introduite au sommet de la colonne 6A. Une quantité réduite de l'air auxiliaire est introduite à la base de la colonne de mélange 6A et les trois courants de fluide soutirés de la colonne de mélange sont également réduits. Que la colonne de mélange reste en marche ou pas, un débit gazeux 11 d'oxygène haute pureté contenant entre 99 et 99,8% d'oxygène est soutiré en cuve de la colonne basse pression selon la deuxième marche, ce débit n'étant pas soutiré pendant la première marche ou étant soutiré en très petites quantités comme purge du condenseur 5A. Ce débit 11 est comprimé dans le compresseur 13 et envoyé à la deuxième unité consommatrice 9 qui peut être un convertisseur de fonte à l'oxygène ou un four à arc. Une partie de l'oxygène haute pureté peut également être envoyée à l'oxycoupage. Si le débit 8 est amené à sa pression finale par un autre compresseur, cet autre compresseur peut servir à la compression du débit 11 quand le débit 8 n'est pas fourni et le compresseur 13 ne sera pas requis. De même si le compresseur du débit 8 ne fonctionne pas, à cause par exemple d'une panne, pendant la première marche, le débit 8 peut être comprimé dans le compresseur 13. Il est possible d'étendre le concept de cette invention à d'autres types d'appareil. Par exemple, il est possible de produire de l'oxygène impur avec un premier appareil et de l'oxygène pur avec un deuxième appareil et de modifier soit le fonctionnement du premier appareil soit le premier appareil lui-même afin de permettre la production d'oxygène pur avec le premier appareil. Ce genre de modification s'appliquerait par exemple à un appareil à double colonne avec une colonne auxiliaire alimentée en tête par de l'oxygène impur provenant de la cuve de la colonne basse pression, la colonne auxiliaire ayant un rebouilleur de cuve. La colonne auxiliaire pourrait être alimentée pour permettre de soutirer l'oxygène pur en cuve de colonne auxiliaire seulement pendant une marche particulière de l'appareil. Il est évidemment possible d'exploiter l'invention avec un appareil à colonne de mélange différent de celui de la Figure 2. En fournissant les débits 8 et 11 en même temps il est possible d'avoir une production maximale d'oxygène haute pureté, de préférence en arrêtant le fonctionnement de la colonne de mélange. Pa and 30 x 10 5 Pa, preferably between 8 x 10 5 Pa and 16 x 10 5 Pa. Auxiliary air, compressed at the same pressure P1 by an auxiliary compressor 14A, which can be blower 4, and cooled in the exchange line 1A is introduced at the base of the mixing column 6A. From the latter are drawn three streams of fluid: at its base, liquid close to the rich liquid and joined to the latter via a pipe 15A provided with an expansion valve 15A '; at an intermediate point, a mixture essentially consisting of oxygen and nitrogen, which is returned to an intermediate point of the low pressure column 4A via a pipe 16A provided with an expansion valve 17A; and at its apex impure oxygen which, after heating in the heat exchange line, is evacuated, substantially at pressure P, from the installation via a pipe 18A as production gas Ol. FIG. 2 also shows auxiliary heat exchangers 19 A, 20A, 21 A ensuring the recovery of the cold available in the fluids circulating in the installation. As will be understood, thanks to the presence of a separate circuit for the auxiliary air supplying the column 6A, the pressure P of the impure oxygen produced can be chosen as desired. In addition, as indicated above, the adjustment of the double column makes it possible to obtain various degrees of purity for this gas. According to the second step of the device 1, the pump 13A is stopped so that the liquid oxygen is no longer drawn off from the tank of the column 4A and introduced at the top of the column 6. The auxiliary air is no longer introduced at the base of the mixing column 6A. The three fluid streams are no longer drawn from the latter. Alternatively, according to the second step, a reduced quantity of liquid oxygen, compared to that sent during the first step, is withdrawn from the tank of column 4A, carried by the pump 13A at pressure P1 and introduced at the top of the column. 6A. A reduced amount of auxiliary air is introduced to the base of the mixing column 6A and the three fluid streams drawn from the mixing column are also reduced. Whether the mixing column remains on or not, a gas flow 11 of high purity oxygen containing between 99 and 99.8% oxygen is withdrawn from the bottom of the low pressure column according to the second step, this flow being not withdrawn during the first operation or being withdrawn in very small quantities as a purge of the 5A condenser. This flow 11 is compressed in the compressor 13 and sent to the second consuming unit 9 which can be a cast iron oxygen converter or an arc furnace. Part of the high purity oxygen can also be sent to flame cutting. If the flow 8 is brought to its final pressure by another compressor, this other compressor can be used to compress the flow 11 when the flow 8 is not supplied and the compressor 13 will not be required. Similarly, if the flow compressor 8 does not work, for example due to a fault, during the first operation, the flow 8 can be compressed in the compressor 13. It is possible to extend the concept of this invention to d other types of devices. For example, it is possible to produce impure oxygen with a first device and pure oxygen with a second device and modify either the operation of the first device or the first device itself to allow the production of pure oxygen with the first device. This kind of modification would apply for example to a double column apparatus with an auxiliary column supplied at the head with impure oxygen coming from the tank of the low pressure column, the auxiliary column having a tank reboiler. The auxiliary column could be supplied to allow pure oxygen to be drawn off from the auxiliary column tank only during a particular operation of the apparatus. It is obviously possible to exploit the invention with a device with a mixing column different from that of FIG. 2. By supplying the flow rates 8 and 11 at the same time it is possible to have a maximum production of high purity oxygen, preferably by stopping the operation of the mixing column.

Claims

REVENDICATIONS
1. Procédé de fourniture d'oxygène à haute pureté par distillation cryogénique d'air à partir d'une installation comprenant un premier (1 ) et un deuxième (2) appareils de séparation d'air, le premier appareil de séparation d'air comprenant une colonne moyenne pression (2A), une colonne basse pression (4A) thermiquement reliée avec la colonne moyenne pression et une colonne de mélange (6A) dans lequel i) on envoie de l'air à distiller à la colonne moyenne pression ii) on envoie des liquides enrichi en oxygène et en azote de la colonne moyenne pression à la colonne basse pression iii) selon une première marche de l'appareil, on envoie en tête de la colonne de mélange un débit de liquide enrichi en oxygène provenant de la colonne basse pression iv) selon la première marche, on soutire en tête de la colonne de mélange, un débit d'oxygène basse pureté et on en envoie au moins une partie à une première unité consommatrice (5) v) selon la première marche, on envoie de l'air à la colonne de mélange vi) selon la première marche, le deuxième appareil fournit de l'oxygène haute pureté à une deuxième unité consommatrice (9) caractérisé en ce que vii) selon une deuxième marche, dans le premier appareil, on réduit, éventuellement à zéro, le débit de liquide enrichi en oxygène envoyé en tête de la colonne de mélange, on réduit, éventuellement à zéro, le débit d'air envoyé à la colonne de mélange et on réduit, éventuellement à zéro, le débit d'oxygène basse pureté soutiré en tête de colonne de mélange et viii) selon la deuxième marche, on soutire en cuve de la colonne basse pression du premier appareil un débit d'oxygène haute pureté et on l'envoie à au moins la deuxième unité consommatrice.1. Method for supplying high purity oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air from an installation comprising a first (1) and a second (2) air separation apparatus, the first air separation apparatus comprising a medium pressure column (2A), a low pressure column (4A) thermally connected with the medium pressure column and a mixing column (6A) in which i) air is distilled to the medium pressure column ii) liquids enriched in oxygen and nitrogen are sent from the medium pressure column to the low pressure column iii) according to a first step of the apparatus, a flow of liquid enriched in oxygen coming from the column is sent to the head of the mixing column low pressure column iv) according to the first step, at the head of the mixing column, a flow of low purity oxygen is withdrawn and at least part of it is sent to a first consuming unit (5) v) according to the first step, we air path to the mixing column vi) according to the first step, the second device supplies high purity oxygen to a second consuming unit (9) characterized in that vii) according to a second step, in the first device , the flow rate of oxygen-enriched liquid sent to the top of the mixing column is reduced, if necessary to zero, the air flow sent to the mixing column is reduced, if necessary to zero, and, if necessary, it is reduced to zero, the flow of low purity oxygen withdrawn at the top of the mixing column and viii) according to the second step, a flow of high purity oxygen is withdrawn from the low pressure column of the first apparatus and it is sent to at least the second consuming unit.
2. Procédé selon la revendication 1 dans lequel selon la deuxième marche, le deuxième appareil (2) ne fournit pas d'oxygène haute pureté à la deuxième unité consommatrice (9) ou fournit une partie de l'oxygène haute pureté requise par la deuxième unité consommatrice.2. Method according to claim 1 wherein according to the second step, the second device (2) does not supply high purity oxygen to the second consuming unit (9) or provides some of the high purity oxygen required by the second consuming unit.
3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2 dans lequel la première unité consommatrice (5) est un haut fourneau et la deuxième unité consommatrice (9) est un convertisseur ou un four à arc.3. Method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the first consuming unit (5) is a blast furnace and the second consuming unit (9) is a converter or an arc furnace.
4. Procédé selon la revendication 3 dans lequel, pendant la première marche, le haut fourneau (5) est alimenté en air enrichi en oxygène et pendant la deuxième marche, le haut fourneau est alimenté soit par de l'air soit par de l'air moins enrichi en oxygène que celui dont il est alimenté pendant la première marche.4. Method according to claim 3 wherein, during the first operation, the blast furnace (5) is supplied with oxygen-enriched air and during the second operation, the blast furnace is supplied either with air or with air less enriched with oxygen than that which it is supplied with during the first walk.
5. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes dans lequel la colonne de mélange (6A) ne fonctionne pas pendant la deuxième marche.5. Method according to one of the preceding claims wherein the mixing column (6A) does not operate during the second step.
6. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes dans lequel la deuxième unité consommatrice (9) est alimentée en oxygène (uniquement) à partir du deuxième appareil de séparation d'air (2) pendant la première marche et est alimentée en oxygène uniquement à partir du premier appareil (1) pendant la deuxième marche.6. Method according to one of the preceding claims in which the second consuming unit (9) is supplied with oxygen (only) from the second air separation device (2) during the first operation and is supplied with oxygen only at from the first device (1) during the second step.
7. Installation de fourniture d'oxygène par distillation cryogénique de l'air comprenant un premier (1 ) et un deuxième (2) appareil de séparation d'air, le premier appareil de séparation d'air comprenant une colonne moyenne pression (2A), une colonne basse pression (4A) thermiquement reliée avec la colonne moyenne pression et une colonne de mélange (6A) comprenant : a) des moyens pour envoyer de l'air à distiller à la colonne moyenne pression b) des moyens pour envoyer des liquides enrichi en oxygène et en azote de la colonne moyenne pression à la colonne basse pression c) des moyens pour envoyer en tête de la colonne de mélange un débit de liquide enrichi en oxygène provenant de la colonne basse pression d) des moyens pour envoyer de l'air en cuve de la colonne de mélange e) des moyens pour soutirer en tête de la colonne de mélange, un débit d'oxygène basse pureté et des moyens pour en envoyer au moins une partie à une première unité consommatrice (5) f) des moyens pour envoyer de l'oxygène haute pureté du deuxième appareil de séparation d'air à une deuxième unité consommatrice (9) caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend g) des moyens pour réduire, éventuellement à zéro, le débit de liquide enrichi en oxygène envoyé en tête de la colonne de mélange h) des moyens pour réduire, éventuellement à zéro, l'air envoyé en cuve de la colonne de mélange i) des moyens pour soutirer en cuve de la colonne basse pression du premier appareil un débit d'oxygène haute pureté et des moyens pour envoyer ce débit à la deuxième unité consommatrice.7. Installation for supplying oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air comprising a first (1) and a second (2) air separation device, the first air separation device comprising a medium pressure column (2A) , a low pressure column (4A) thermally connected to the medium pressure column and a mixing column (6A) comprising: a) means for sending air to be distilled to the medium pressure column b) means for sending liquids enriched in oxygen and nitrogen from the medium pressure column to the low pressure column c) means for sending at the head of the mixing column a flow of liquid enriched in oxygen coming from the low pressure column d) means for sending air to the tank of the mixing column e) means for drawing off at the head of the mixing column, a flow of low purity oxygen and means for sending at least part of it to a first consuming unit (5) f) means for sending high purity oxygen from the second air separation unit to a second consuming unit (9) characterized in that it comprises g) means for reducing, possibly to zero, the flow of oxygen-enriched liquid sent to the head of the mixing column h) means for reducing, possibly to zero, the air sent to the tank of the mixing column i) means for withdrawing from the tank of the column low pressure of the first device a flow of high purity oxygen and means for sending this flow to the second consuming unit.
8. Installation selon la revendication 7 dans laquelle la première unité consommatrice (5) est un haut fourneau et la deuxième unité consommatrice (9) est un convertisseur .ou un four à arc.8. Installation according to claim 7 wherein the first consuming unit (5) is a blast furnace and the second consuming unit (9) is a converter .or an arc furnace.
9. Installation selon la revendication 8 comprenant des moyens pour alimenter le haut fourneau (5) en oxygène basse pureté à partir du premier appareil (1) et des moyens pour arrêter l'envoi d'oxygène basse pureté du premier appareil au haut fourneau.9. Installation according to claim 8 comprising means for supplying the blast furnace (5) with low purity oxygen from the first device (1) and means for stopping the sending of low purity oxygen from the first device to the blast furnace.
10. Installation selon l'une des revendications 6 à 9 comprenant au moins un compresseur (13) d'oxygène haute pureté en amont de la deuxième unité consommatrice (9) et en aval du premier appareil de séparation d'air (1). 10. Installation according to one of claims 6 to 9 comprising at least one compressor (13) of high purity oxygen upstream of the second consuming unit (9) and downstream of the first air separation device (1).
EP04805825A 2003-11-10 2004-11-10 Method and installation for supplying highly pure oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air Withdrawn EP1690054A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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FR0350818A FR2862128B1 (en) 2003-11-10 2003-11-10 PROCESS AND INSTALLATION FOR SUPPLYING HIGH-PURITY OXYGEN BY CRYOGENIC AIR DISTILLATION
PCT/FR2004/050582 WO2005045340A1 (en) 2003-11-10 2004-11-10 Method and installation for supplying highly pure oxygen by cryogenic distillation of air

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JP2007516405A (en) 2007-06-21
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US20070221492A1 (en) 2007-09-27
CN1878998A (en) 2006-12-13
FR2862128B1 (en) 2006-01-06
BRPI0416372A (en) 2007-02-21
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RU2354902C2 (en) 2009-05-10
RU2006120410A (en) 2007-12-20

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