Process and plant for provision of oxygen product

Abstract

A process for providing an oxygen product using an air separation plant having a distillation column system, in which a cryogenic liquid is withdrawn from the distillation column system, wherein a first portion of the cryogenic liquid is subjected to a pressure-increasing evaporation by evaporating a second portion of the cryogenic liquid, and the oxygen product is provided using at least part of the first portion of the cryogenic liquid. At least part of the evaporated second portion of the cryogenic liquid, after the increase in pressure, is made available for further utilization, for the provision of the oxygen product. The present invention also relates to a corresponding air separation plant.

1 . A method for providing an oxygen product using an air separation plant with a distillation column system, in which a cryogenic liquid is withdrawn from the distillation column system, wherein a first portion of the cryogenic liquid is subjected to a pressurization vaporization by vaporization of a second portion of the cryogenic liquid, and the oxygen product is provided using at least a part of the first portion of the cryogenic liquid, wherein at least a part of the vaporized second portion of the cryogenic liquid is supplied to utilization for providing the oxygen product. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the further utilization comprises a material utilization and/or a thermal utilization and/or a pressure utilization. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the distillation column system comprises a first distillation column, wherein liquid is withdrawn from the first distillation column, expanded, and vaporized against condensing top gas of the first distillation column, which is at least partially returned to the first distillation column, wherein the vaporized liquid is at least partially recompressed and fed back into the first distillation column. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , in which further liquid is withdrawn from the first distillation column, expanded, vaporized against the condensing top gas of the first distillation column, and at least partially discharged from the air separation plant. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , in which the distillation column system comprises a second distillation column fed from the first distillation column or any further distillation column downstream of the first distillation column, wherein the second or further distillation column is operated using a sump boiler, and the cryogenic liquid is withdrawn from the second or further distillation column. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , in which the vaporized second portion of the cryogenic liquid, or the part thereof which is supplied to the further utilization for providing the oxygen product, is at least partially fed into the second distillation column. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , in which the vaporized second portion of the cryogenic liquid, or the part thereof which is supplied to the further utilization for providing the oxygen product, is at least partially fed to the cryogenic liquid withdrawn from the second distillation column before the pressurization vaporization. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , in which the vaporized second portion of the cryogenic liquid, or the part thereof which is supplied to the further utilization for providing the oxygen product, is cooled at least partially in the sump boiler of the second or further distillation column from which the cryogenic liquid is taken. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 5 , in which the vaporized second portion of the cryogenic liquid, or the part thereof which is supplied to the further utilization for providing the oxygen product, is cooled at least partially in a further heat exchanger and/or in the main heat exchanger of the air separation plant. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the cryogenic liquid and the oxygen product have an oxygen content of more than 99 mole percent. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which a tank system with one or more alternately filled and emptied tanks is used in the pressurization vaporization, wherein in each case the filled tank is pressurized by vaporization of the second portion of the cryogenic liquid, and the second portion of the cryogenic liquid is discharged from the respectively emptied tank. 
     
     
         12 . An air separation plant configured to provide an oxygen product, with a distillation column system and means configured to withdraw a cryogenic liquid from the distillation column system, wherein means are provided that are configured to subject a first portion of the cryogenic liquid to a pressurization vaporization by vaporizing a second portion of the cryogenic liquid, and to provide the oxygen product using at least a part of the first portion of the cryogenic liquid, having means configured to supply at least a part of the vaporized second portion of the cryogenic liquid to further utilization for providing the oxygen product after the pressure increase. 
     
     
         13 . The air separation plant according to  claim 12 , which is configured to carry out a method for providing an oxygen product using an air separation plant with a distillation column system, in which a cryogenic liquid is withdrawn from the distillation column system, wherein a first portion of the cryogenic liquid is subjected to a pressurization vaporization by vaporization of a second portion of the cryogenic liquid, and the oxygen product is provided using at least a part of the first portion of the cryogenic liquid, wherein at least a part of the vaporized second portion of the cryogenic liquid is supplied to utilization for providing the oxygen product.