"Air cooling and purification apparatus intended for a cryogenic air distillation unit"

Abstract

An apparatus for cooling and purifying a stream of air comprises a building, a cooling tower, for cooling by direct contact with water, two purification bottles, each of vertical axis, a pipe for sending water to the cooling tower, a pipe for sending air to the cooling tower, a pipe for sending cooled air from the tower to the purification bottles and a system of valves and piping for connecting the two bottles to the cooling tower, this assembly being located inside the building, and the two bottles and the tower being outside the building, the two bottles and the assembly being placed on either side of a wall of the building, the bottles being placed along the wall and the tower being positioned between the two bottles.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for cooling and purifying a stream of air comprising:
 a cooling tower that cools by direct contact with water;   two purification cylinders, each of vertical axis;   a pipe for conveying water to the cooling tower, the tower being located between the two cylinders;   a pipe for conveying air to the cooling tower;   a pipe for conveying cooled air from the tower to the purification cylinders;   a set of valves and piping connecting the two cylinders to the cooling tower; and   a building,   wherein the set of valves and piping are disposed inside the building, wherein the two purification cylinders and the cooling tower are disposed outside the building, wherein the two cylinders and the set of valves and piping are positioned on either side of a wall of the building, with the purification cylinders positioned along the wall.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , in which the center of the tower viewed from above is situated on the mid line between the centers of the two cylinders, viewed from above. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the centers of the two cylinders and of the tower when viewed from above form a straight line. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the centers of the two cylinders and of the tower when viewed from above form an obtuse angled triangle. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , in which the building further comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a compressor, a turbine, a distillation column, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , in which the ratio between the dimension of the set of valves and piping in the vertical direction and the dimension in the horizontal direction is less than 1. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , in which the wall constitutes the longest wall of the building, the building being of rectangular section. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 21 , in which the ratio between the length of the wall and the width of the building is greater than 2. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , in which the tower is closer to the wall than the two cylinders. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , in which the tower is further away from the wall than the two cylinders. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is used to provide cooling and purification of air for an air separation apparatus. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus is used to provide cooling and purification of air for an air separation apparatus, wherein the compressor is an air compressor connected to the cooling tower. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus is used to provide cooling and purification of air for an air separation apparatus, wherein the turbine is an air turbine connected to the purification cylinders. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus is used to provide cooling and purification of air for an air separation apparatus, wherein the distillation column is an air distillation column connected to the purification cylinders.