A cryogenic method for capturing carbon dioxide in the gaseous emissions produced from the fossil-energy combustion of solid, liquid, or gaseous fossil fuels in a power generation installation employing an OxyFuel mode of combustion. The method includes: producing essentially pure carbon dioxide under elevated pressure and at near ambient temperatures in a Carbon-Dioxide Capture Component from the carbon-dioxide content of at least a part of the gaseous emissions produced from fossil-energy fueled combustion in the Oxyfuel mode of combustion; separating atmospheric air in an Air Separation Component into a stream of liquid nitrogen and a stream of high-purity oxygen; supplying low temperature, compressed purified air to a cryogenic air separation unit (cold box) within the Air Separation Component; collecting low temperature thermal energy from coolers employed within the Carbon-Dioxide Capture Component and the Air Separation Component; and converting the collected thermal energy to electricity within a Thermal-Energy Conversion Component.

A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon, an overall nitrogen recovery of 98 percent or greater and limited gaseous oxygen production. The air separation is configured to produce a first high purity oxygen enriched stream and a second lower purity oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, one of which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption pre-purifier unit. All or a portion of the first high purity oxygen enriched stream is vaporized in the main heat exchanger to produce the gaseous oxygen products.

Method for separating air by cryogenic distillation, wherein at least part of the air to be distilled is boosted in an air booster, compressed air is allowed to expand in at least one expansion turbine and, if the pressure drop between two points of the booster passes under a threshold and/or a flow of the booster passes under a minimum flow of the booster, part of the air boosted in the booster is allowed to expand without having been cooled between the booster and the expansion turbine and the boosted expanded air is sent upstream or downstream of the at least one turbine, without having been cooled in the heat exchanger, after having been boosted.

A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon and an overall nitrogen recovery of 98% or greater. The air separation is configured to produce a high purity oxygen enriched stream which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption prepurifier unit. Argon recovery is facilitated with the use of an argon superstaged column.

Method for separating air by cryogenic distillation, wherein air is compressed in a compressor and is subsequently sent to a heat exchanger, with the air cooled in the exchanger being sent to a check valve downstream of the heat exchanger and subsequently to a turbine, the valve being positioned so that air from a short-circuiting duct cannot return to the exchanger from the compressor.

A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon, an overall nitrogen recovery of 98 percent or greater and limited gaseous oxygen production. The air separation is configured to produce a first high purity oxygen enriched stream and a second lower purity oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, one of which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption pre-purifier unit. All or a portion of the first high purity oxygen enriched stream is vaporized in the main heat exchanger to produce the gaseous oxygen products.

A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon, an overall nitrogen recovery of 98 percent or greater and limited gaseous oxygen production. The air separation is configured to produce a first high purity oxygen enriched stream and a second lower purity oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, one of which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption pre-purifier unit. All or a portion of the first high purity oxygen enriched stream is vaporized in the main heat exchanger to produce the gaseous oxygen products.

A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon, an overall nitrogen recovery of 98% or greater and limited gaseous oxygen production. The air separation is configured to produce a first high purity oxygen enriched stream and a second lower purity oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, one of which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption pre-purifier unit. All or a portion of the first high purity oxygen enriched stream is vaporized in the main heat exchanger to produce the gaseous oxygen products.

A method and a system are provided for liquefying an industrial gas. Industrial gas is compressed, at a three-stage feed recycle compressor, to produce a first compressed gas portion and a second compressed gas portion. The second compressed gas portion is further compressed and divided into a first part and a second part. The first compressed gas portion is turbo-expanded to form a first turbo-expanded gas portion. The first turbo-expanded gas portion is warmed, at a heat exchanger, to form a first return stream. The first return stream is fed back to the three-stage feed recycle compressor, between a first compression stage and a second compression stage. A cooled first part is turbo-expanded to form a turbo-expanded first part. The turbo-expanded first part is warmed at the heat exchanger to form a second return stream. The cooled and liquefied second part is recovered as liquefied industrial gas.

A moderate pressure air separation unit and air separation cycle is disclosed that provides for up to about 96% recovery of argon, an overall nitrogen recovery of 98 percent or greater and limited gaseous oxygen production. The air separation is configured to produce a first high purity oxygen enriched stream and a second lower purity oxygen enriched stream from the lower pressure column, one of which is used as the refrigerant to condense the argon in the argon condenser, with the resulting vaporized oxygen stream used to regenerate the temperature swing adsorption pre-purifier unit. All or a portion of the first high purity oxygen enriched stream is vaporized in the main heat exchanger to produce the gaseous oxygen products.