Integrated air separation and combustion turbine process with steam generation by indirect heat exchange with nitrogen

摘要

Oxygen is produced in an integrated gas turbine-driven air separation process in which heat of compression is recovered from the compressed air feed for the air separation process by heat transfer with the waste nitrogen-rich stream from the air separation process, and the heated waste nitrogen-rich stream is utilized to generate steam. This steam is used to provide a portion of the work to drive the feed air compressor, either by introduction into the gas turbine combustor for expansion with combustion products in the gas turbine expander or by expansion in a separate steam turbine. The process is useful for oxygen production in remote locations where low-cost fuel is readily available and moderate energy efficiency is acceptable, but where capital equipment costs are high and operating complexity is undesirable.