Annular divided wall column for an air separation unit

• Main Authors: Lenz, Richard D, Faust, Jeremy D, Belanger, Paul W, Ricotta, John P, Brown, Steven C, Chen, Guang X, Saboda, Kevin J, Larson, Kirk F
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.03.2020
• Subjects: BLASTING; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; SEPARATION; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.