In a method for separating air by cryogenic distillation, cooled air purified to remove water is sent to a first column operating at a first pressure, where it is separated into a nitrogen-enriched gas as an oxygen-enriched liquid; a gas enriched in argon relative to the air is withdrawn from the second column; at least a portion of the oxygen-enriched liquid is vaporized by heat exchange with the argon-enriched gas; and the vaporized, oxygen-enriched liquid is sent to an intermediate level of the second column.

The invention relates to an insulated chamber comprising at least one element that may operate at sub-ambient temperature, the space around the element(s) being filled with solid insulation and means for injecting a gas containing at least 95 mol-% nitrogen into the insulation, at least some of the gas-injection means opening at a position vertically above at least one element to insulate.

An apparatus for distillation at cryogenic temperatures can include a cold box module comprising framing and having an upper module section and a lower module section, wherein the upper module comprises a roof; an upper column section disposed within the upper module section; a lower column section disposed within the lower module section; a plurality of support saddles attached to the upper and lower module sections that are configured to provide structural support for the upper and lower column sections when the upper and lower column sections are in a horizontal position during transportation; and means for limiting longitudinal movement of the lower column section when the lower module section is in a horizontal position during transport, wherein the means for limiting longitudinal movement are connected to the lower column section and the lower module section.

The invention relates to a plate heat exchanger (10) having a plate heat exchanger block (11), which has a plurality of partitions (4, 5) arranged parallel to one another in the form of separating plates which form a plurality of heat exchange passages (1a, 1b) for fluids which are to be brought into indirect heat exchange relationship with one another. The heat exchange passages are closed off from the outside by lateral strips (8), and each heat exchange passage (1a, 1b) has an inlet (9) for inflow of a fluid and an outlet (19) for outflow of the fluid. According to the invention, one or more partitions (4, 5) and/or one or more heat-conducting elements (2, 3) in each case have a coating (41) made of a heat-insulating material. The invention further relates to a method for producing a polymer laminate and to a method for joining prefabricated polymer components to each other.

A liquefier device which may be a retrofit to an air separation plant or utilized as part of a new design. The flow needed for the liquefier comes from an air separation plant running in a maxim oxygen state, in a stable mode. The three gas flows are low pressure oxygen, low pressure nitrogen, and higher pressure nitrogen. All of the flows are found on the side of the main heat exchanger with a temperature of about 37 degrees Fahrenheit. All of the gasses put into the liquefier come out as a subcooled liquid, for storage or return to the air separation plant. This new liquefier does not include a front end electrical compressor, and will take a self produced liquid nitrogen, pump it up to a runnable 420 psig pressure, and with the use of turbines, condensers, flash pots, and multi pass heat exchangers. The liquefier will make liquid from a planned amount of any pure gas oxygen or nitrogen an air separation plant can produce.

Insulated enclosure having at least one surface that is planar, containing at least one piece of equipment intended to operate at a temperature below 0 C., the interior space of the enclosure being intended to be at a pressure below atmospheric pressure and being filled with thermal insulation, and the thermal insulation being made up of a multitude of spherical beads made of thermally insulating material.

Structural panel intended to form part of a cold box of a low-temperature distillation separation device, comprising at least one chamber made from carbon steel or chrome and nickel alloy steel, with a rectangular or non-rectangular, optionally isosceles, trapezoid cross-section, having a roof and/or bottom sloping at an angle of between 45 and 60 relative to the panel and one open face, the open face being positioned on the inner face of the structural panel.

A cryogenic installation unit comprises at least one item of equipment to be thermally insulated, a structure for containing the at least one item of equipment, a main insulation contained in the structure and, associated with this main insulation, a secondary insulation of lower thermal conductivity than the main insulation, said secondary insulation consisting of a vacuum insulation panel.

The jacking system and method for using it to lower an upper column section without the use of a crane is provided. The jacking system is configured to be disposed on a roof of a cold box module and may include: a structural assembly; and a plurality of suspension rods supported at an upper end by the structural assembly, wherein the plurality of suspension rods is configured to provide support to the upper column section.

A method for constructing a cold box module and resulting apparatus is provided. The method can include providing a cold box module having framing and an upper and lower module sections, introducing an upper column section longitudinally into the upper module section while the upper module section is substantially horizontal; introducing a lower column section longitudinally into the lower module section while the lower module section is substantially horizontal; releasably attaching the lower column section to the lower module section using shipping saddle spacers and support saddles; and attaching a skirt attachment to the lower column section and the lower module section, wherein the skirt attachment is configured to limit longitudinal movement of the lower column section when the lower module section is in a horizontal position during transport. After erecting the cold box module at the installation site, the shipping saddle spacers can be removed and the upper column section is lowered using a jacking system located on the roof of the cold box module.