Patent ID: 6212906
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: F25J

Abstract:
A method for producing oxygen-enriched air comprising:(A) dividing feed air into a first portion comprising from 25 to 45 percent of the feed air and into a second portion comprising from 55 to 75 percent of the feed air;(B) passing the first portion of the feed air through a first regenerator wherein said first portion is cooled and cleaned of high boiling impurities, and passing the second portion of the feed air through a second regenerator wherein said second portion is cooled and cleaned of high boiling impurities;(C) passing the cooled and cleaned first and second portions of the feed air into and up the condensing side of a reflux condenser having a condensing side and a vaporizing side and condensing a portion of said upwardly flowing feed air to form a first vapor portion and a first liquid portion;(D) passing the first liquid portion into and down the vaporizing side of the reflux condenser and vaporizing a portion of said downwardly flowing first liquid portion to form a second vapor portion and a second liquid portion; and(E) vaporizing said second liquid portion and recovering the resulting vaporized second liquid portion as product oxygen-enriched air.