Elevated pressure air separation unit for remote gas process
US5635541A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 12, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jun 3, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 12, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25J2260/44
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present invention is an improvement to a process for the conversion of natural gas to produce higher molecular weight hydrocarbon products, wherein the natural gas is partially oxidized to produce a synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen, wherein the synthesis gas is catalytically reacted to produce the higher molecular weight hydrocarbon products, wherein the conversion process generates excess steam and wherein oxygen used to partially oxidize the natural gas is produced by an air separation process. The improvement is characterized by operating such air separation process at an elevated pressure so that the feed air to the air separation process is compressed to between 8 and 20 Bar(a); expanding at least a portion of the excess steam generated by the conversion process to generate work and using at least a portion of the generated work to drive the compression requirements of the air separation process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.