Heat and mass transfer model approach to optimum design of cryogenic air separation plant by packed columns with structured packing

摘要

A process simulator for design of a cryogenic air separation plant by packed columns with sructured packing was developed by use of our heat and mass transfer model.The heat and mass transfer rates were estimated by correlations which were proposed in our previous work.Comparison of the predicted separation performance of a pilot-scale cryogenic air separation plant by the developed simulator with the observed data was mde.Predicted concentration profiles in the low pressure column and the ones in the argoncolumn showed good agreement with observed data.The effects of the side-cut location to the argon column,the liquid-feed location to the low pressure column,and the vaporliquid ratio in the feeds to the low pressure column for a commercial-scale cryogenic air separation plant,which consisted of a high pressure column with 50 sieve trays,a 3.2-m diameter low pressure packed column with structured packing,and a 2.5-m diameter argon dolumn with structured packing,onpurity of the product nitrogen,oxygen and crude argon were also discussed.