Patent ID: 7954339

Claim:
An apparatus for cryogenic distillation of air, said apparatus being a fully assembled unit, comprising: a first self-contained distillation column module within which is provided a high pressure cryogenic distillation column; a second self-contained distillation column module within which is provided a low pressure cryogenic distillation column, said second distillation column module being immediately adjacent to, mounted on top of, and attached directly to said first distillation column module; a self-contained heat exchange module within which is provided a heat exchange means for cooling column feed air to a cryogenic distillation temperature, the self-contained heat exchange module being immediately adjacent and attached directly to at least one of the first self-contained distillation column module and the second self-contained distillation column module; and at least one self-contained further processing unit immediately adjacent and attached directly to at least one of the first self-contained distillation column module, the second self-contained distillation column module, and the self-contained heat exchange module, wherein the high pressure cryogenic distillation column, the low pressure cryogenic distillation column, said heat exchange means and each further processing unit are operationally interconnected, and wherein said fully assembled unit is adapted to be transported as a single pre-assembled fully assembled unit from a first location to a second location at a substantial distance from the first location, and wherein the transported single pre-assembled fully assembled unit is adapted to be erected as the fully assembled unit at a site for a cryogenic air separation plant designed to produce at least 2000 metric tons/day of a gas product.