USRE37014EExpiredUtilityPatentIndex 61

Combined installation of a metal production unit and a unit for the separation of air gas

Assignee: AIR LIQUIDEPriority: Nov 12, 1993Filed: Jul 21, 1998Granted: Jan 16, 2001

Est. expiryNov 12, 2013(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:GUILLARD ALAIN BUFFENOIR MARC DELOCHE DANIEL

F27D 17/10F25J 2215/40F25J 2230/40F25J 3/046F25J 3/04296F25J 2270/906F25J 3/04612C21B 5/00F25J 2205/02F25J 3/04957F25J 2205/34F25J 3/04157F25J 3/04557C21C 7/072F25J 3/04181F25J 2230/24F25J 2205/70F25J 3/04412F25J 3/04018F25J 3/04563F25J 3/0409F25J 2205/66F25J 3/04121F25J 2240/70B22D 46/00

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Claims

Abstract

The combined installation comprises at least one metal production unit (II), including at least one, and typically a series of metal production or treatment units ( 1-6 ), and at least one air gas separation unit (III) including at least one outlet for at least one air gas ( 14-18 ), the units being supplied with compressed air with a low water vapor content by a common compressed air production unit (I), and with at least one of the gas outlets ( 14-18 ) from the separation unit (III) connected to at least one of the devices ( 1-6 ) of the production unit, to supply the latter with gas.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

We claim:

1. A combined installation comprising:
at least one metal processing unit having at least one air inlet and at least one gas inlet for receiving a gas;
at least one air separation unit having at least one air inlet and at least one gas outlet;
an air compression unit having at least one first and second compressed air outlet, outlets, said air compression unit comprising a line of commonly driven compressors, and
a first air conduit means extending from said first compressed air outlet to the air inlet of said metal processing unit for supplying said metal processing unit with compressed air from said air compression unit, and
a second air conduit means extending from said second compressed air outlet to the air separation unit for supplying said air separation unit with compressed air from said air compression unit.

2. Installation according to claim 1 , wherein the air compression unit includes at least one drying apparatus for drying compressed air.

3. Installation according to claim 1 , wherein the metal processing unit includes a metal-sorting device.

4. Installation according to claim 1 , wherein the metal processing unit includes a metal melting furnace.

5. Installation according to claim 1 , wherein the metal processing unit includes a device for the treatment of molten metal.

6. Installation according to claim 1 , wherein the metal processing unit includes a rolling mill.

7. Installation according to claim 6 , wherein the metal processing unit further includes a device that supplies the rolling mill with metal.

8. Installation according to claim 1 , wherein the metal processing unit includes a device for the reduction or pre-reduction of ore.

9. Installation according to claim 1 , wherein the air compression unit includes a line of compressors, and at least part of the line of compressors is driven by a drive unit activated by steam.

10. Installation according to claim 1 , further including a steam network (E) at least one part of which functions in a heat-exchange relationship with the metal processing unit.

11. Installation according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one gas circuit means extending from said at least one gas outlet of said air separation unit to said gas inlet of said metal processing unit for supplying said metal processing unit with at least one gas separated from air in said separation unit.

12. Installation according to claim 11 , wherein the gas inlet of the metal processing unit is fluidly connected to a source of oxygen.

13. Installation according to claim 11 , wherein the gas inlet of the metal processing unit is fluidly connected to a source of nitrogen.

14. Installation according to claim 11 , wherein the gas inlet of the metal processing unit is fluidly connected to a source of argon.

15. Installation according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one cooling circuit for cooling at least one part of at least one unit of said metal processing unit and said air compression unit, said cooling circuit having at least one part in heat exchange relationship with a part of said gas circuit means.

16. Installation according to claim 1 , wherein the air separation unit includes, in series, a cryogenic unit and an adsorption purification device having said air inlet and connected to the second air conduit means.

17. Installation according to claim 16 , wherein the air separation unit includes a medium-pressure column supplied with over-compressed air expanded in a turbine.

18. Installation according to claim 17 , further including a medium-pressure compressed air line tapped off downstream from the turbine to provide a user supply.

19. Installation according to claim 16 , further including a cooling circuit having a downstream part connected to the adsorption purification device for the regeneration of its adsorption medium.

20. A method of operating a metal processing plant including at least a first metal processing unit for processing at least one metal while utilizing a flux of air, and at least one air separation unit for supplying at least one gas separated from air to at least one unit in the plant, which comprises providing and operating at least one air compressor unit for separately supplying air under pressure to said first metal processing unit and to said air separation unit by means of separate outlets in the air compressor, said air compressor unit comprising a line of commonly driven compressors.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said at least one separated gas is supplied to at least a second metal processing unit.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein said at least one separated gas is supplied to said first metal processing unit supplied with air under pressure from said air compressor unit.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said separated gas is oxygen.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said separated gas further includes nitrogen or argon.

25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising the steps of circulating a cooling medium for cooling said at least first metal processing unit, and cooling said cooling medium with said at least one gas supplied by the air separation unit.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein said metal is steel.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein said metal is a non-ferrous metal.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein said separated gas is oxygen.

29. The method of claim 20 , wherein said separated gas is nitrogen.

30. The method of claim 20 , wherein said separated gas is argon.

31. The combined installation of claim 1 , wherein the second air conduit means includes at least one compression means for overcompressing the air in said second air conduit means being supplied to the air separation unit.

32. The combined installation of claim 1 , wherein the air compression unit is comprised of means to provide different pressures for the air provided through the first and second compressed air outlets.

33. The method of claim 20 , wherein the air supplied under pressure to said first metal processing unit is at a different pressure from that of the air supplied under pressure to said air separation unit.

34. The method of claim 20 , wherein the air supplied to the air separation unit is overcompressed by means of at least one compression means.

35. A method of operating a metal processing plant including at least one metal processing unit utilizing at least one flux of air, and at least one air separation unit for supplying at least one gas present in the air to at least one said processing unit in the plant, the method comprising providing and operating at least one air compressor unit for supplying a first flux of air under pressure to said processing unit and a second flux of air to said air separation unit, providing and operating at least one compression means to overcompress the second flux of air, and dividing the overcompressed second flux of air into at least two separate air streams.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein at least one of said at least two air streams is effected to have a pressure different from that of said overcompressed second flux of air.

37. The method of claim 35 , further comprising purifying the second flux of air.

38. The method of claim 35 , wherein said gas present in the air which gas is supplied by the air separation unit is oxygen.

39. As a combined installation comprising:

at least one metal processing unit having at least one gas inlet;

at least one air separation unit having at least one air inlet and at least one gas outlet;

an air compression unit having at least one compressed air outlet;

first air conduit means extending from said compressed air outlet to the gas inlet of said metal processing unit, for supplying a first flux of compressed air to said metal processing unit;

second air conduit means extending from said compressed air outlet for supplying a second flux of compressed air to the air separation unit, said second air conduit means extending to at least one compression means for overcompressing the second flux of compressed air, said overcompressed second flux of air being divided into at least two separate air streams.

40. The installation of claim 39 , further comprising means for effecting in at least one of said at least two air streams a pressure different from that of said overcompressed second flux of air.

41. The installation of claim 39 , wherein the processing unit is a blast furnace.

42. The installation of claim 39 , wherein said second air conduit means includes at least one air purification device.

43. A method of operating a metal processing plant including at least one metal processing unit utilizing at least one flux of air, and at least one air separation unit for supplying at least one gas present in the air to at least one said metal processing unit in the plant, the method comprising providing and operating at least one air compressor unit for supplying a first flux of air under pressure to said transformation unit and a second flux of air to said air separation unit, providing and operating at least one compression means to overcompress the second flux of air, and supplying all of said separated gas to said metal processing unit.

44. The method of claim 43 , wherein said second flux of air is divided into at least two separate air streams.

45. The method of claim 44 , wherein at least one of said at least two air streams is effected to have a pressure different from that of said overcompressed second flux of air.

46. The method of claim 43 , further comprising purifying the second flux of air.

47. The method of claim 43 , wherein said gas present in the air which gas is supplied by the air separation unit is oxygen.

48. A combined installation comprising:

at least one raw material transformation unit having at least one inlet for receiving a gas;

at least one air separation unit having at least one air inlet and at least one gas outlet;

an air compression unit having first and second compressed air outlets, said air compression unit comprising a line of commonly driven compressors, and

a first air conduit means extending from said first compressed air outlet to the air inlet of said transformation unit for supplying said transformation unit with compressed air from said compression unit, and

a second air conduit means extending from said second compressed air outlet to the air separation unit for supplying said air separation unit with compressed air from said air compression unit.

49. A method of operating a material processing plant including at least a first raw material transformation unit for processing at least one raw material while utilizing a flux of air, and at least one air separation unit for supplying at least one unit in the plant, which comprises providing and operating at least one air compressor unit for separately supplying air under pressure to said first transformation unit and to said air separation unit by means of separate outlets in the air compressor, said air compressor unit comprising a line of commonly driven compressors.

50. A method of operating a material processing plant including at least one raw material transformation unit utilizing at least one flux of air, and at least one air separation unit for supplying at least one gas separated from air to at least one said transformation unit in the plant, the method comprising providing and operating at least one air compressor unit for supplying a first flux of air under pressure to said processing unit and a second flux of air to said air separation unit, and providing and operating at least one compression means to overcompress the second flux of air, and dividing the overcompressed second flux of air into at least two separate air streams.

51. As a combined installation comprising:

at least one raw material processing unit having at least one gas inlet;

at least one air separation unit having at least one air inlet and at least one gas outlet;

an air compression unit having at least one compressed air outlet;

first air conduit means extending from said compressed air outlet to the air inlet of said metal processing unit, for supplying a first flux of compressed air to said metal processing unit;

52. A method of operating a material processing plant including at least one raw material transformation unit utilizing at least one flux of air, and at least one air separation unit for supplying at least one gas separated from air to at least one said transformation unit in the plant, the method comprising providing and operating at least one air compressor unit for supplying a first flux of air under pressure to said transformation unit and a second flux of air to said air separation unit, providing and operating at least one compression means to overcompress the second flux of air, and supplying all of said separated gas to said transformation unit.

53. The method of claim 35 , wherein said separated gas is air.

54. The method of claim 43 , wherein said separated gas is air.

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