Patent ID: 6581411
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: F25J,Y10S

Abstract:
A plant for producing high-pressure oxygen by air distillation, aracterized in that it comprises N (N>1) air distillation units (1) in parallel, each one of which comprises: a main air compressor (3) adapted to compress the atmospheric air to be distilled; a steam turbine (4) for driving the main compressor; means (5) for precooling air; means (6) for purifying air of water and of CO2; a main heat exchange line (7) adapted to cool the compressed air down to a temperature allowing it to be distilled; an air distillation apparatus (8) producing liquid oxygen and/or liquid nitrogen; at least one pump (9) for pumping the liquid oxygen and/or the nitrogen to at least one high production pressure; and a cycle compressor (10) adapted to compress a cycle fluid to a high pressure allowing the pumped liquid nitrogen and/or liquid oxygen to vaporize, wherein each cycle compressor (10) is driven by an electric motor (11), and the plant comprises an (N+1)th steam turbine (12) which drives an alternator (13), wherein the alternator (13) supplies the electric motors (11) with electric current.