Small Air Separation Plant

Operating Principle​

●The core principle of cryogenic distillation: This is the core technology of small air separation equipment. First, the air is compressed to increase its pressure and temperature, and then cooled to a liquefied state through a heat exchanger. Using the difference in boiling points of oxygen (-183℃), nitrogen (-196℃), and argon (-186℃), they are separated by multiple partial evaporation and condensation in the distillation tower. Nitrogen is first vaporized to the top of the tower because it is volatile, and oxygen is enriched at the bottom of the tower. ​

●Distillation separation process: After the liquid air is sent to the distillation tower, it is fractionated by the difference in boiling points of different components. Under the repeated partial evaporation and partial condensation in the tower, the components can be accurately separated, and high concentrations of oxygen, nitrogen, argon and other gases can be obtained respectively. ​

●Necessity of air pretreatment: The air must be pretreated before entering the cryogenic distillation stage to remove impurities such as dust, moisture, and carbon dioxide. This can prevent impurities from forming ice or solids in the low-temperature part of the equipment, prevent equipment clogging or damage, and ensure the smoothness of subsequent separation processes. ​

●Key methods of pretreatment: Molecular sieves are mainly used for pretreatment. With its porous structure, the molecular sieve can effectively adsorb water vapor and carbon dioxide molecules in the air, filter out dust and other particulate matter, and ultimately output clean and dry air, providing qualified raw materials for subsequent cryogenic distillation.

1. What are the specific requirements for the installation of Small Air Separation Plant? For example, the ground load-bearing capacity and space size. ​
The ground load-bearing capacity must reach 500-800kg/㎡ (depending on the equipment model) to prevent loose components due to vibration; in terms of space, in addition to the equipment body (usually 2-5㎡), an operating channel of more than 1.5 meters must be reserved for maintenance and repair. If installed indoors, good ventilation must be ensured to prevent the accumulation of air impurities that affect the pretreatment efficiency. ​
 

2. Compared with purchasing bottled gas, how much cost can be saved by using this small air separation equipment for long-term gas supply? ​
Generally, the equipment cost can be recovered after half a year to one year of use. Taking the average daily oxygen consumption of 10m³ as an example, the annual cost of bottled gas is about 15,000-20,000 yuan, while the equipment operating cost (electricity + maintenance) is only 6,000-8,000 yuan, saving more than 40% annually; and there is no need to frequently transport and store gas cylinders, and the risk of supply interruption can be avoided.
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3. Can the purity of oxygen produced by the equipment be stabilized at 99.6%? If the purity fluctuates, what may be the reason? ​
It can be stabilized at more than 99.6% during normal operation. If fluctuations occur, common reasons include: molecular sieve adsorption saturation (need to be regenerated or replaced), abnormal temperature of the distillation tower (may be scaling of the heat exchanger), unstable air intake (check the compressor working condition). The equipment has its own purity monitoring alarm, which can be checked in time. ​

4. For modularly designed equipment, can the gas production be increased according to demand in the future? ​
Some models support modular expansion. For example, the basic model produces 10m³/h of oxygen. By adding distillation tower modules and upgrading the compressor, the gas production can be increased to 15-20m³/h (it is necessary to confirm in advance whether the equipment has reserved expansion interfaces). However, the expansion range generally does not exceed 50% of the original production capacity to avoid overloading of core components.

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