Baosteel's No.8 air separation unit and the practice of its system commissioning

This paper introduces the process flow, technical parameters and relevant features of Baosteel＇s No. 8 air separation unit （ASU） with a capacity of 60000m^3/h. It summarizes the commissioning work, which includes the adjustment of the air compressor,the system＇s naked cooling,the precooling system and the operation adjustment. It also provides detailed analyses on some failures which occurred in the commissioning. Through the modification of the design and the interlocks, the tripping probability of the air compressor was greatly reduced. Through the heating of the system and the control of the water cooler＇s nitrogen flow,the overproof content of carbon dioxide and fluctuation of oxygen flow were avoided. Nitrogen-block in the argon system was eliminated by the precise control of the argon rectification flow and argon content. All these solutions have been proved to be effective by practice.

Type selection and maintenance of the control system of large-scale air separation units

Based on the practice of Baosteel＇ s 60000 m3/h air separation unit （ASU） ,which is the first domestically- integrated unit of such a scale, this paper studies the principles of type selection of the distribution control system （DCS）. It discusses the design of the unit＇s control system,which involves a compressor system,a purification system （molecular sieving）, a turbo expansion system and an air separation system. The final part of the paper discusses the maintenance and future development of the ASU control system at Baosteel.

Performance analysis of an O_2/ CO_2 power plant based on chemical looping air separation

The process of an O2//CO2 power plant based on chemical looping air separation （CLAS） is modeled using the Aspen Plus software. The operating parameters and power consumption of the CLAS unit are analyzed. The CLAS system, thermal power generation system and flue gas cooling and compression unit （CCU） are coupled and optimized, and the temperature and flow of the flue gas extraction are determined. The results indicate that the net plant efficiency of CLAS O2/CO2 power plant is 39.2%, which is only 3.54% lower than that of the conventional power plants without carbon capture. However, the O2/CO2 power plant based on cryogenic air separation technology brings 8% to 10% decrease in the net plant efficiency. By optimizations, the net plant efficiency increases by 1.65%. The energy consumption of the CCU accounts for 59.7% and the pump accounts for 27.1%. The oxygen concentration from the chemical looping air separation unit is 12.2%.

Numerical simulation of the pulsing air separation field based on CFD

The flow field of pulsing air separation is normally in an unsteady turbulence state.With the application of the basic principles of multiphase turbulent flows,we established the dynamical computational model,which shows a remarkable variation of the unstable pulsing air flow field.CFD(computational fluid dynamics) was used to conduct the numerical simulation of the actual geometric model of the classifier.The inside velocity of the flowing fields was analyzed later.The simulation results indicate that the designed structure of the active pulsing air classifier provided a favorable environment for the separation of the particles with different physical characters by density.We shot the movement behaviors of the typical tracer grains in the active pulsing flow field using a high speed dynamic camera.The displacement and velocity curves of the particles in the continuous impulse periods were then analyzed.The experimental results indicate that the effective separation by density of the particles with the same settling velocity and different ranges of the density and particle size can be achieved in the active pulsing airflow field.The experimental results provide an agreement with the simulation results.

Simulation and experiment of six-bed PSA process for air separation with rotating distribution valve

In this work,a six-bed pressure swing adsorption(PSA)process was investigated to produce medical oxygen from air,which uses the combination of six-way rotating distribution valve and PSA and has the main advantage of effectively saving space compared to the traditional two-bed or four-bed PSA process and can obtain greater productivity.The mathematical model of adsorption beds was developed based on the separation mechanism and the interaction among different equipment.Moreover,a pilot-scale device has been constructed to verify the accuracy of mathematical model by experiment.The oxygen product conformed to the medical standard(>93%(vol))with a recovery of over 57%.Some related parameters were also discussed in detail,such as step time,ratio of length to the diameter,flow rate of product.

Performance Prediction of Structured Packing Column for Cryogenic Air Separation with Hybrid Model

A detailed investigation of a thermodynamic process in a structured packing distillation column is of great impor- tance in prediction of process efficiency. In order to keep the simplicity of an equilibrium stage model and the accu- racy of a non-equilibrium stage model, a hybrid model is developed to predict the structured packing column in cryogenic air separation. A general solution process for the equilibrium stage model is developed to solve the set of equations of the hybrid model, in which a separation efficiency function is introduced to obtain the resulting tri-diagonal matrix and its solution by the Thomas algorithm. As an example, the algorithm is applied to analyze an upper column of a cryogenic air separation plant with the capacity of 17000 m3·h-1. Rigorous simulations are conducted using Aspen RATEFRAC module to validate the approach. The temperature and composition distributions are in a good agreement with the two methods. The effects of inlet/outlet position and flow rate on the temperature and composition distributions in the column are analyzed. The results demonstrate that the hybrid model and the solution algorithms are effective in analvzin~ the distillation process for a a cryogenic structured packing column.

TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF AIR SEPARATION OF LIQUID CRYSTALLINE TRIHEPTYL CELLULOSE/ETHYL CELLULOSE MEMBRANES

Triheptyl cellulose/ethyl cellulose(3/97)binary blend membranes were prepared from tetrahydrofuran,chloroform and dichloromethane solutions and their air separation capabit- ities were studied at different temperatures.With increasing temperature from 25 to 85℃,the flux QOEA of O_2-enriched air(OEA),O_2 permselectivity and the O_2 concentration Yo_2 in the OEA all increase.The membranes show a unique trend in their Yo_2～QOEA relationship,that is,the air separation capability increases simultaneously with the OEA permeation capability.The magnitudes of QOEA and Yo_2 for 17μm-thick membrane after the testg time of 36hours at 70℃ are 5×10^(-4)cm^3 (STP)/s·cm^2 and 37.6%,respectively.The air separation capability depends slightly on membrane forming solvents.

Experimental Study on the Performance of an Onboard Hollow-Fiber-Membrane Air Separation Module

Onboard air separation devices,based on hollow fiber membranes,are traditionally used for the optimization of aircraft fuel tank inerting systems.In the present study,a set of tests have been designed and executed to assess the air separation performances of these systems for different air inlet temperatures(70°C∼110°C),inlet pressures(0.1∼0.4 MPa),volume flow rates of nitrogen-enriched air(NEA)(30∼120 L/min)and flight altitudes(1.5∼18 km).In particular,the temperature,pressure,volume flow rate,and oxygen concentration of air,NEA and oxygen-enriched air(OEA)have been measured.The experimental results show that the oxygen concentration of NEA,air separation coefficient,and nitrogen utilization coefficient decrease with the rising of air inlet temperature,air inlet pressure,and flight altitude.The effect of air inlet pressure on the above three parameters is significant,while the influence of air inlet temperature and flight altitude is relatively small.

Characteristics and management strategy of the devices configured in Baosteel's domestically-integrated 60000 m^3/h air separation unit

Baosteel＇ s No. 8 air separation unit（ASU） is the first domestically-integrated 60 000 m^3/h ASU. This paper describes the mechanical equipment, the design and the configuration characteristics of this unit. The potential failure modes of the mechanical devices are deduced via analyses on the failure history of similar devices in other ASUs. Finally, this paper also brings up suggestions on daily maintenance, overhaul and purchases of spare parts.

Independent integration and innovation of the first domestically-integrated 60000 m^3/h air separation unit

Baosteel＇s 60000 m……3/h air separation unit （ASU）, the first domestically-integrated unit of its class, is a milestone in the Chinese air separation industry. In this paper,the process characteristics of the unit and the application of the original techniques are expatiated. Some difficulties in the process design, the risk control, the quality control, the control system integration and the system commissioning are analyzed and appraised. The mode of the project integration and innovation, the cooperation among industries and the user-orientated project management mode are introduced. Finally,the successful experiences in innovation are summarized with the focus on the integration of the project.

Characteristics and experience in the electrical design of the first domestically-integrated large-scale air separation unit

The first domestically-integrated large-scale air separation unit （ASU） with a capacity of 60 000 m^3/h was successfully built and put into operation at Baosteel. Compared with the electrical design of the imported equipment of the same type,this ASU has an electrical protection interlink that is independent from the distribution control system （DCS）. With the design idea of simplicity, the ASU features a simplified configuration and an audio alarm system for electrical failures. It helps reduce the failure rate of the electrical equipment and detect failures quickly and accurately. It will effectively enhance safe and stabilized production. The ASU can not only reduce the cost of investment, but also ensure a smooth and stable running of the whole electrical equipment. This study focuses on the experience and understanding of the unit design and commissioning.

Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation of the Separation Process in a Vortex Tube at Different Operating Conditions

Air separators provide safe, clean, and appropriate air flow to engines and are widely used in vehicles with large engines such as ships and submarines. In this operational study, the separation process in a Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube cleaning （cooling） system is investigated to analyze the impact of the operating gas type on the vortex tube performance; the operating gases used are air, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. The computational fluid dynamic model used is equipped with a three-dimensional structure, and the steady-state condition is applied during computations. The standard k-c turbulence model is employed to resolve nonlinear flow equations, and various key parameters, such as hot and cold exhaust thermal drops, and power separation rates, are described numerically. The results show that nitrogen dioxide creates the greatest separation power out of all gases tested, and the numerical results are validated by good agreement with available experimental data. In addition, a comparison is made between the use of two different boundary conditions, the pressure-far-field and the pressure-outlet, when analyzing complex turbulent flows in the air separators. Results present a comprehensive and practical solution for use in future numerical studies.

Synthesis of LSX Using Seed-iteration Approach with High N_(2) Adsorption Capacity for Air Separation

A series of low silica X zeolites (LSX) was synthesized through a seed-iteration approach,based on the seed addition strategy,and then loaded with lithium ions by an ion exchanging method to obtain high N_(2) adsorption capacity.These zeolites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD);scanning electron microscopy (SEM);Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR);thermogravimetric analysis (TGA);N_(2) adsorption-desorption,and the adsorption capacity of N2 and O_(2) was evaluated by the vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) operation.The results showed that the nucleation period of the synthetic process could be effectively shortened by adding seed;as the seed iterations increased,the specific surface area and pore volume of the zeolites increased;the higher specific surface area and the pore volume,the higher the extent of the N2 adsorption capacity,with the maximum reaching 28.05 cm^(3)/g.However,there were no significant differences in the adsorbed capacity of O_(2) by each sample.Therefore,the N2/O_(2) separation factor also increased gradually with iterations,with the maximum up to 6.61.

Enrichment of carbon recovery of high ash coal fines using air fluidized vibratory deck separator

Coal is primarily beneficiated by wet gravity methods. The wet processing of coal is an efficient practice. However, it introduces the moisture in the range of 6%-15%, depending upon the size of coal which is as detrimental as ash content to the heating value of coal. Dry beneficiation of coal fines was carried out using an air fluidized vibrating table in which the coal particles get separated from the heavier mineral particles as a result of horizontal and vertical stratification. Two level factorial design matrix was used to optimize and assess the interactive effects of the operational parameters of a pneumatic table viz. deck eccentric, side tilt and air flow rate on the clean coal yield and its ash content. Double stage processing was found to be more effective for reducing the ash content of the clean coal. Initial stage of processing at a higher ash level generates a reject of high ash with low combustibles. Cleaning of the rougher concentrate at 34%-35% ash level shows significant improvement in the organic efficiency （88.6%） and useful heat value of clean coal （15690 kJ/kg）. The performance of air fluidized vibrating deck was measured by Ep value which is 0.18.

Economical operation of Baosteel's oxygen generating system

Baosteel＇s 60000 m^3/h air separation unit （ASU） is the largest oxygen generating system in China. The operational cost of such a giant system is very high. How to reduce the operational cost is a critical issue. This paper discusses the system＇s characteristics,the current operational status and the difficulties in reducing the cost,and analyzes relevant indicators, such as the technical and economical indicators of individual units and systems as well as the indicators concerning the costs. The relationship between the cost and each economical indicator and measures to optimize an economical operation of the oxygen generating system are also discussed in this paper.

Process Study and Exergy Analysis of a Novel Air Separation Process Cooled by LNG Cold Energy

In order to resolve the problems of the current air separation process such as the complex process, cumbersome operation and high operating costs, a novel air separation process cooled by LNG cold energy is proposed in this paper, which is based on high-efficiency heat exchanger network and chemical packing separation technology. The operating temperature range of LNG cold energy is widened from 133K-203K to l13K-283K by high- efficiency heat exchanger network and air separation pressure is declined from 0.5MPa to about 0.35MPa due to packing separation technology, thereby greatly improve the energy efficiency. Both the traditional and novel air separation processes are simulated with air handling capacity of 20t＇h-1. Comparing with the traditional process, the LNG consumption is reduced by 44.2%, power consumption decrease is 211.5 kWh per hour, which means the annual benefit will be up to 1.218 million CNY. And the exergy efficiency is also improved by 42.5%.

Product Model Evolvement and Configuration Knowledge Reuse Method

Configuration knowledge is a dynamic information set which is evolving and enriching on and on. Product model is the instantiation of configuration knowledge and the evolution of configuration knowledge is the essential inherent reason which causes the models dynamic evolvement. In the traditional model evolvement process, the inheriting and reuse of configuration knowledge was always ignored. Aim at solving the above problem, the multistage rhombus evolution mode of configuration knowledge is discussed in this paper. The product model based on configuration knowledge is put forward in different levels to achieve the models dynamic evolvement and automatic upgrading. The evolving configuration knowledge drives the product model to evolve directly according to the rule of up-layer evolvement. Furthermore, a new configuration knowledge reuse and optimization technology is presented to inheriting and reuse the foregone configuration knowledge in the course of model evolvement. At last, the air separation equipment which is related with the project is taken as an example to illuminate that the presented model evolvement and configuration knowledge reuse technology are validity and practical.

A Mathematical Model for Designing Optimal Shape for the Cone Used in Z-flow Type Radial Flow Adsorbers

Nonuniform flow distribution along the radial direction usually exists in a Z-flow type radial flow adsorber,which will decrease the utilization of adsorbent and the switching time and may result in operating safety problems in cryogenic air separation.In order to improve the uniformity of the flow distribution along the radial direction in the adsorber,a differential equation is derived through pressure drop analysis in the Z-flow type radial adsorber with a cone in the middle of the central pipe.The differential equation determines the ideal cross-sectional radii of the cone along the axis.The result shows that the cross-sectional radius of the cone should gradually decrease from 0.3 m to zero along the axis to ensure that the process air is distributed uniformly in the Z-flow type radial flow adsorber and the shape of the cone is a little convex.The flow distribution without the cone in the central pipe is compared under different bed porosities.It is demonstrated that the proposed differential equation can provide theoretical support for designing Z-flow type radial flow adsorbers.

Investigation on a vertical radial flow adsorber designed by a novel parallel connection method

Due to the increasing global demand for industrial gas, the development of large-scale cryogenic air separation systems has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Increasing the height of the adsorption bed in a vertical radial flow adsorber used in cryogenic air separation systems may efficiently increase the treatment capacity of the air in the adsorber. However, uniformity of the flow distribution of the air inside the adsorber would be deteriorated using the height-increasing method. In order to reduce the non-uniformity of the flow distribution caused by the excessive height of adsorption bed in a vertical radial flow adsorber, a novel parallel connection method is proposed in the present work. The experimental apparatus is designed and constructed; the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) technique is used to develop a CFD-based model, which is used to analyze the flow distribution, the static pressure drop and the radial velocity in the newly designed adsorber. In addition, the geometric parameters of annular flow channels and the adsorption bed thickness of the upper unit in the parallelconnected vertical radial flow adsorber are optimized, so that the upper and lower adsorption units could be penetrated by air simultaneously. Comparisons are made between the height-increasing method and the parallel connection method with the same adsorber height. It is shown that using the parallel connection method could reduce the difference between the maximum and minimum radial static pressure drop by 86.2% and improve the uniformity by 80% compared with those of using the height-increasing method. The optimal thickness ratio of the upper and lower adsorption units is obtained as 0.966, in which case the upper and lower adsorption units could be penetrated by air simultaneously, so that the adsorbents in adsorption space could be used more efficiently.

Synthesis gas production using oxygen storage materials as oxygen carrier over circulating fluidized bed

A novel process for synthesis gas production over Circulating Fluidized Bed （CFB） using oxygen storage materials as oxygen carder was reported. First, oxygen in the air was chemically fixed and converted to lattice oxygen of oxygen storage materials over regenerator, and then methane was selectively oxidized to synthesis gas with lattice oxygen of oxygen storage materials over riser reactor. The results from simulation reaction of CFB by sequential redox reaction on a fixed bed reactor using lanthanum-based perovskite LaFeO3 and La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.9CO0.1O3 oxides prepared by sol-gel, suggested that the depleted oxygen species could be regenerated, and methane could be oxidized to synthesis gas by lattice oxygen with high selectivity. The partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over CFB using lattice oxygen of the oxygen storage materials instead of gaseous oxygen should be possibly applicable.