Transportable package having a cold box, low-temperature air separation plant and method for producing a low-temperature air separation plant

Abstract

The invention relates to a transportable package for a low-temperature air separation plant which has a main heat exchanger ( 2 a, 2 b, 2 c ) for cooling feed air ( 1 ) and a double column ( 5 ) for separating the cooled feed air, wherein the double column ( 5 ) has a high-pressure column and a low-pressure column that are arranged above one another. The transportable package has a cold box ( 20, 400 ), in the interior of which accessories of the double column ( 5 ), in particular pipelines ( 7, 11, 12 ) and valves, are arranged, but not the double column and not the main heat exchanger, wherein the transportable package has connections for joining the pipelines to the double column and to the main heat exchanger. Moreover the invention relates to a low-temperature air separation plant and to a method for producing a low-temperature air separation plant using this transportable package.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A transportable package for a low-temperature air separation plant comprising a main heat exchanger ( 2   a,    2   b,    2   c ) for cooling down feed air ( 1 ), a double column ( 5 ) for separating the cooled feed air and a crude argon column ( 41 ) which has an overhead condenser which is constructed as a condenser-vaporizer, wherein the double column ( 5 ) comprises a high-pressure column and a low-pressure column, which are arranged one above the other in a first transportable plant component ( 30 ) and the crude argon column and the overhead condenser are arranged in a third cold box, wherein the transportable package comprises a cold box ( 20 ), the interior of which accommodates accessories to the double column ( 5 ), including at least the lines to and from the overhead condenser of the crude argon column, but not the main heat exchanger, wherein the cold box ( 20 ) does not contain a separation column and wherein the transportable package comprises terminals for connecting the conduits to the double column, to the crude argon column and to the main heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . The package as claimed in  claim 11 , characterized in that the cold box ( 20 ) contains a countercurrent subcooler ( 8 ). 
     
     
         13 . The package as claimed in  claim 12 , characterized in that the cold box ( 20 ) aside from the countercurrent subcooler ( 8 ) contains no further heat exchanger for exchanging sensible heat. 
     
     
         14 . A low-temperature air separation plant with
 a first transportable plant component ( 30 ) accommodating a double column ( 5 ), wherein the double column ( 5 ) comprises a high-pressure column and a low-pressure column, which are arranged one on top of the other,   a second transportable plant component ( 20 ) which is constructed as a package as claimed in  claim 11 , and   a third cold box ( 40 ) which contains a crude argon column ( 41 ) which has an overhead condenser which is constructed as a condenser-vaporizer,   wherein the conduits ( 7 ,  11 ,  12 ) of the second plant component ( 20 ) are connected to the double column ( 5 ).   
     
     
         15 . The low-temperature air separation plant as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the vaporization space of the overhead condenser is connected to the low-pressure column via a two-phase conduit constructed such that not only gas but also liquid flow back from the vaporization space of the overhead condenser into the low-pressure column during the operation of the low-temperature air separation plant. 
     
     
         16 . A method for producing a low-temperature air separation plant as claimed in  claim 14 , which comprises the steps of
 producing the first transportable plant component ( 30 ) as a transportable package and transporting it to the installation site,   producing the second transportable plant component ( 20 ) as a transportable package as claimed in  claim 14  and transporting it to the installation site,   connecting the conduits of the second transportable plant component ( 20 ) at the installation site to the double column ( 5 ) of the first transportable plant component ( 30 ), and   connecting the double column ( 5 ) at the installation site to an air compressor for compressing feed air, to a purification unit for compressed feed air and to a main heat exchanger ( 2   a,    2   ab ,  2   c ) for cooling purified feed air ( 1 ), and further comprises the steps of:   producing a third cold box ( 40 ) as transportable package and transporting it to the installation site, wherein the third cold box ( 40 ) contains conduit terminals and a crude argon column ( 41 ) which has an overhead condenser which is structured as a condenser-vaporizer, and   connecting at least some of the conduit terminals of the third cold box ( 40 ) at the installation site to conduits of the second cold box ( 20 ).