Device for low-temperature separation of air

Abstract

The device serves for the cryogenic separation of air. It has the following features: a main heat exchanger and a supercooling countercurrent heat exchanger ( 2 ); a distillation column system for nitrogen-oxygen separation ( 5 ), which comprises a high-pressure column and a low-pressure column; a mixing column ( 1 ); means for introducing charge air via the main heat exchanger into the high-pressure column and into the mixing column; a liquid-oxygen line for introducing liquid oxygen from the low-pressure column into the upper region of the mixing column; an oxygen product line for extracting oxygen gas from the upper region of the mixing column through the main heat exchanger. The mixing column ( 1 ) and at least one of the two heat exchangers mentioned ( 2, 6 ) are arranged in a common cold box ( 3 ).

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A device for low-temperature separation of air with a main heat exchanger ( 6 ), and a subcooling countercurrent device ( 2 ), with a distilling-column system for nitrogen-oxygen separation ( 5 ), which has a high-pressure column and a low-pressure column, and with a mixed column ( 1 ) and with means for introducing charging air via the main heat exchanger into the high-pressure column and into the mixed column, with a liquid oxygen line for introducing liquid oxygen from the low-pressure column into the upper area of the mixed column and with an oxygen product line for drawing off oxygen gas from the upper area of the mixed column by the main heat exchanger,
 whereby the mixed column ( 1 ) and the subcooling countercurrent device ( 2 ) are arranged in the shared coldbox ( 3 ), the mixed column ( 1 ) is arranged above the subcooling countercurrent device ( 2 ), which encloses the shared coldbox ( 3 ), the mixed column ( 1 ), the subcooling countercurrent device ( 2 ), the high-pressure column, and the low-pressure column, and the high-pressure column and the low-pressure column are arranged above one another ( 5 ).   
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the mixed column ( 1 ) is arranged on a frame. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the mixed column ( 1 ) and the main heat exchanger ( 6 ) are arranged in the shared coldbox ( 3 ). 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the high-pressure column and low-pressure column, on the one hand, and the mixed column, on the other hand, are arranged beside one another.