US2012174624A1PendingUtilityA1

Method for operating at least one air separation apparatus and oxygen consumption unit

31
Assignee: GUILLARD ALAINPriority: Sep 9, 2009Filed: Aug 24, 2010Published: Jul 12, 2012
Est. expirySep 9, 2029(~3.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Alain GuillardNicolas AllardPierre-Etienne FrancHadi Moussavi
F25J 2230/40F25J 2230/24F25J 3/04836F25J 2245/40F25J 3/04515F25J 3/04957F25J 3/04963F25J 3/04533F25J 2290/62F25J 3/04545F25J 3/04842Y02E20/34
31
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for operating at least one air separation unit and an oxygen-rich gas consumer, comprising a carbon fuel combustion unit or a gasification unit, the oxygen-rich gas consumer being capable of generating electricity. The consumer is supplied with an oxygen-rich gas coming from the air separation unit or units.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A process for operating a plant comprising at least two air separation units, a storage system, and an oxygen-rich gas consumer comprising a carbon fuel combustion unit or a gasification unit, the consumer being capable of generating electricity at least in a first operating phase, in which process the plant operates in a plurality of operating phases:
 a) in the first operating phase, during which the cost of the electricity is above a first price threshold, the consumer receives an amount of oxygen-rich gas above a first consumption threshold, coming from at least one of the air separation units, and the oxygen-rich gas consists partly of oxygen stored in the storage system, which is supplied by the air separation units during a second operating phase, and partly by oxygen produced by distillation in at least one air separation unit during the first operating phase; and   b) in the second operating phase, during which the cost of the electricity is below a second price threshold, the second price threshold being below the first price threshold, the consumer consumes an amount of oxygen-rich gas below a second consumption threshold, the second threshold being below the first threshold, air is separated in at least certain of the air separation units, and an oxygen-rich liquid is sent from the separation unit or from the at least one separation unit to the storage system; and   c) the number of separation units in operation during the first operating phase is fewer than the number of units that are in operation during the second operating phase.   
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 16 , wherein the second threshold is zero. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 16 , wherein the number of moles of oxygen in the oxygen-rich liquid stored throughout the duration of the second operating phase is fewer than the number of moles of oxygen sent as oxygen-rich gas to the consumer during the first operating phase. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 16 , in which the oxygen-rich gas consumption during the first operating phase is substantially constant. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 16 , in which the amount of air sent to at least one of the air separation units, being the unit or units in operation during the first operating phase, corresponds to an oxygen production at least 15% less than the production of gaseous oxygen sent to the consumer. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the amount of air sent to at least one of the air separation units, being the unit or units in operation during the first operating phase, corresponds to an oxygen production at least 25% less than the production of gaseous oxygen sent to the consumer. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the amount of air sent to at least one of the air separation units, being the unit or units in operation during the first operating phase, corresponds to an oxygen production at least 40% less than the production of gaseous oxygen sent to the consumer. 
     
     
         23 . The process as claimed in  claim 20 , in which the difference between the production of oxygen-rich gas corresponding to the amount of air sent to the at least one separation unit in operation during the first operating phase and the consumption of oxygen-rich gas sent to the consumer corresponds to at least part of the amount of liquid oxygen stored during the second operating phase. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 16 , in which the number of separation units in operation during the first operating phase is at least two fewer than the number of units in operation during the second operating phase. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 16 , in which the number of air compressors supplying an air separation unit and in operation during the first operating phase is at least two fewer than the number of air compressors supplying an air separation unit in operation during the second operating phase. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 16 , in which the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the air separation unit or units to the storage system during the first operating phase does not exceed 1% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s). 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the air separation unit or units to the storage system during the first operating phase does not exceed 2% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s). 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the air separation unit or units to the storage system during the first operating phase does not exceed 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s). 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 16 , in which the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the storage system to the air separation unit or units during the second operating phase does not exceed 1% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s). 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 29 , wherein the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the storage system to the air separation unit or units during the second operating phase does not exceed 2% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s). 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 29 , wherein the amount of liquid oxygen sent from the storage system to the air separation unit or units during the second operating phase does not exceed 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation unit(s). 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 16 , in which the amount of gaseous oxygen withdrawn from the air separation units during the second operating phase does not exceed 1% of the flow of air sent to the air separation units. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the amount of gaseous oxygen withdrawn from the air separation units during the second operating phase does not exceed 2% of the flow of air sent to the air separation units. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the amount of gaseous oxygen withdrawn from the air separation units during the second operating phase does not exceed 5% of the flow of air sent to the air separation units. 
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 16 , in which, during the second operating phase liquid nitrogen and/or liquid air is sent to the air separation units, the liquid nitrogen and/or the liquid air being produced during the first operating phase by the air separation unit or units. 
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 35 , wherein during the second operating phase and not during the first operating phase, liquid nitrogen and/or liquid air is sent to the air separation units, the liquid nitrogen and/or the liquid air being produced during the first operating phase, and not during the second operating phase, by the air separation unit or units. 
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 16 , in which there are n air separation units, n being at least 2, and at least one of the air separation units has a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity lower than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n. 
     
     
         38 . The process as claimed in  claim 37 , in which n is at least equal to three and at least two of the air separation units have a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity lower than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n. 
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 16 , in which there are n air separation units, n being at least 2, and at least one of the air separation units has a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity higher than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n. 
     
     
         40 . The process as claimed in  claim 39 , in which n is at least equal to three and at least two of the air separation units have a nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity higher than the nominal oxygen-rich gas capacity of the consumer divided by n.

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