Embodiments of the present invention relates to two improved catalysts and associated processes that directly converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen to liquid fuels. The catalytic converter is comprised of two catalysts in series that are operated at the same pressures to directly produce synthetic liquid fuels or synthetic natural gas. The carbon conversion efficiency for CO.sub.2 to liquid fuels is greater than 45%. The fuel is distilled into a premium diesel fuels (approximately 70 volume %) and naphtha (approximately 30 volume %) which are used directly as “drop-in” fuels without requiring any further processing. Any light hydrocarbons that are present with the carbon dioxide are also converted directly to fuels. This process is directly applicable to the conversion of CO.sub.2 collected from ethanol plants, cement plants, power plants, biogas, carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon mixtures from secondary oil recovery, and other carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon streams. The catalyst system is durable, efficient and maintains a relatively constant level of fuel productivity over long periods of time without requiring re-activation or replacement.

The present disclosure provides an energy-efficient process for preparing nitrogen and oxygen for a glass melting furnace. A device required by the process includes a filter, a turbine air compressor, an air pre-cooling unit, alternately used molecular sieve adsorbers, an electric heater, a main heat exchanger, a rectifying tower I, a main condenser-evaporator I, a rectifying tower II, a main condenser-evaporator II, a rectifying tower III, a main condenser-evaporator III, a supercooler, an expander I and an expander II. The three rectifying towers are used to prepare a low-pressure nitrogen product and an oxygen product with a certain pressure at the same time. The oxygen product with a certain pressure is used for oxygen-enriched combustion for the glass melting furnace, and the low-pressure nitrogen product is used as shielding gas of a tin bath.

A system for extracting oxygen from a fluid includes a separator allowing a fluid to pass lengthwise through the separator to produce a mixture with the fluid having at least a portion of oxygen removed from the fluid. The separator includes a wall surrounding an interior portion of a tube. The wall has at least one aperture formed in the wall. The separator also includes at least one magnet positioned adjacently to the at least one aperture. The magnet has a north pole end and a south pole end. A magnetic field gradient is formed between the north pole end and the south pole end, and extends into an interior portion of the tube. The system also includes a storage tank fluidly coupled to the at least one aperture for storing the at least a portion of the oxygen removed from the fluid via the separator.

Provided herein are systems, apparatus, and methods for extracting pure oxygen from a liquid. In some embodiments, a system for extracting oxygen from a liquid comprises a separator configured to allow a liquid to pass therethrough and to produce a liquid mixture comprising the liquid having at least a portion of oxygen removed therefrom. The separator comprises a wall surrounding an interior portion of a tube, the wall having at least one aperture formed therein. The separator also comprises at least one magnet positioned adjacently to the at least one aperture having a north pole end and a south pole end forming a magnetic field gradient therebetween and extending into an interior portion of the tube. The system also comprises a storage tank fluidly coupled to the at least one aperture and configured to store the at least a portion of oxygen removed from the liquid via the separator.

A method and plant for the cryogenic separation of air, the plant having an air compressor, a heat exchanger and a distillation column system having a low-pressure column at a first pressure and a high-pressure column at a second pressure. Feed air is compressed in the air compressor to a third pressure at least 2 bar above the second pressure A first fraction of compressed feed air is cooled in the heat exchanger and expanded in a first expansion turbine. A second fraction is cooled in the heat exchanger and expanded in a second expansion turbine A third fraction is compressed to a fourth pressure, cooled in the heat exchanger and then expanded. The third fraction is compressed to the fourth pressure in sequence in a recompressor, a hot first turbine booster and a second turbine booster. A dense fluid expander is used to expand the third fraction.

A method of efficient cold recovery from a liquid hydrogen stream includes warming a cold liquid hydrogen stream by indirect heat exchange with a cold feed air stream in an ASU sub-cooler, thereby producing a warmed liquid hydrogen stream. Wherein at least a portion of the cool inlet air stream is introduced into a cold booster, thereby producing the compressed cool feed air stream. Wherein at least a first portion of the further cooled feed air stream is introduced into an expander, thereby producing an expanded feed air stream. Wherein a second portion of the further cooled feed air stream is further cooled, thereby producing the cold feed air stream. And, wherein the liquid oxygen stream has a first molar mass flow rate, and the cold liquid hydrogen stream has a second molar flow rate that is between 1.5 and 2.5 times the first molar mass flow rate.

Enhancements to the distillation column system and cycles for an argon and nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit are provided. The enhancements include systems and methods for: (i) recovery of xenon and krypton; (ii) production of oxygen product substantially free of hydrocarbons; and (iii) improvement in the design and performance of the super-stage argon column. The present systems and methods are further characterized in an oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column of the air separation unit is an oxygen enriched condensing medium used in the argon condenser.

Embodiments of the present invention relates to two improved catalysts and associated processes that directly converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen to liquid fuels. The catalytic converter is comprised of two catalysts in series that are operated at the same pressures to directly produce synthetic liquid fuels or synthetic natural gas. The carbon conversion efficiency for CO.sub.2 to liquid fuels is greater than 45%. The fuel is distilled into a premium diesel fuels (approximately 70 volume %) and naphtha (approximately 30 volume %) which are used directly as “drop-in” fuels without requiring any further processing. Any light hydrocarbons that are present with the carbon dioxide are also converted directly to fuels. This process is directly applicable to the conversion of CO.sub.2 collected from ethanol plants, cement plants, power plants, biogas, carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon mixtures from secondary oil recovery, and other carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon streams. The catalyst system is durable, efficient and maintains a relatively constant level of fuel productivity over long periods of time without requiring re-activation or replacement.

Embodiments of the present invention relates to two improved catalysts and associated processes that directly converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen to liquid fuels. The catalytic converter is comprised of two catalysts in series that are operated at the same pressures to directly produce synthetic liquid fuels or synthetic natural gas. The carbon conversion efficiency for CO.sub.2 to liquid fuels is greater than 45%. The fuel is distilled into a premium diesel fuels (approximately 70 volume %) and naphtha (approximately 30 volume %) which are used directly as “drop-in” fuels without requiring any further processing. Any light hydrocarbons that are present with the carbon dioxide are also converted directly to fuels. This process is directly applicable to the conversion of CO.sub.2 collected from ethanol plants, cement plants, power plants, biogas, carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon mixtures from secondary oil recovery, and other carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon streams. The catalyst system is durable, efficient and maintains a relatively constant level of fuel productivity over long periods of time without requiring re-activation or replacement.

An air separation device according to the present invention is an air separation device in which air is distilled at a low temperature, and includes a high-pressure column which separates high-pressure raw material air into high-pressure nitrogen gas and high-pressure oxygen-enriched liquefied air; a low-pressure column which separates the high-pressure oxygen-enriched liquefied air into low-pressure nitrogen gas, low-pressure liquefied oxygen, and argon-enriched liquefied oxygen; an argon column which separates the argon-enriched liquefied oxygen having a pressure higher than the pressure into argon gas and medium-pressure liquefied oxygen; a first indirect heat-exchanger which heat-exchanges between the argon gas and the low-pressure liquefied oxygen; a second indirect heat-exchanger which heat-exchanges between the high-pressure nitrogen gas and the medium-pressure liquefied oxygen; a first gas-liquid separation chamber which separates the low-pressure oxygen gas which has been vaporized by the first indirect heat-exchanger and the low-pressure liquefied oxygen which has not been vaporized; a second gas-liquid separation chamber which separates the medium-pressure oxygen gas which has been vaporized by the second indirect heat-exchanger and the medium-pressure liquefied oxygen which has not been vaporized; a first passage which communicates the gas phase of the low-pressure column and the gas phase of the second gas-liquid separation chamber; a second passage which communicates the liquid phase of the low-pressure column and the second gas-liquid separation chamber; a first opening/closing mechanism located on the first passage; and a second opening/closing mechanism located on the second passage.