Integrated heat recovery systems and methods for increasing the efficiency of an oxygen-fired furnace

US7062912B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• American Air Liquide, Inc. · US
• L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme à Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Étude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude · FR

Inventors

• Erwin Penfornis · Oak Park, US
• Ovidiu Marin · Paris, FR
• Bertrand Leroux · Breuillet, FR
• Remi Tsiava · Corbeil-Essonnes, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 24, 2003
• Grant date: Jun 20, 2006
• Expiry date: May 13, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P40/50
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

An air separation unit separates air into an oxygen-rich and oxygen-deficient gas. Fuel gas and the oxygen-rich gas are preheated at heat exchangers through which hot flue gas flows. Combustion of the preheated fuel and oxygen-rich gases result in the hot flue gas. The hot flue gas is cooled at the heat exchangers and flows through a waste heat boiler. Water and/or steam flowing through the waste heat boiler absorbs energy from the cooled flue gas thereby producing heated steam. The heated steam flows through a turbine to produce power. The power is transferred to the air separation unit, thus reducing a power requirement of the air separation unit needed to separate the air.