Oxygen enriched air intensifies oxidation processes since smaller reactors reach the same conversion of typical unit operations that employ simple air as reactant. However, the cost to produce pure oxygen or oxygen enriched air with traditional methods, i.e. cryogenic separation or membrane technologies, may be unaffordable. Here, we propose a new continuous technology for gas mixture separation, focusing on the production of oxygen enriched air as a case study. This operation is an absorption-desorption process that takes advantage of the higher oxygen solubility in water compared to nitrogen. In a pressurized solubilisation tank, water absorbs air. Subsequently, reducing pressure desorbs oxygen enriched air. PRO/ II 9.3 (Simsci-Scheider Electrics) simulated, optimized, and calculated the capital and operative expenses of this technology. Moreover, we tested for the first time salt water instead of distilled water as appealing possibility for chemical plant near sea and ocean. We varied the inlet water flowrate between 5 and 15m3/h. The optimum operative absortion unit pressure is 15e35 barg. After degassing, water may be recycled. With salt water, the extracted quantity of enriched air decreases compared with the desorption from fresh water (20% less), while the concentration of oxygen is independent from the salt concentration. The cost of enriched air at the optimum condition is 2e3.35 EUR/Nm3

Production and application of O 2 enriched air produced by fresh and salt water desorption in chemical plants / F. Galli, D. Previtali, G. Bozzano, C.L. Bianchi, F. Manenti, C. Pirola. - In: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. - ISSN 0301-4797. - 217(2018 Jun), pp. 621-628. [10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.03.133]

Production and application of O 2 enriched air produced by fresh and salt water desorption in chemical plants

F. Galli;C.L. Bianchi
Validation
;
C. Pirola
Ultimo
Formal Analysis
2018

Abstract

Oxygen enriched air intensifies oxidation processes since smaller reactors reach the same conversion of typical unit operations that employ simple air as reactant. However, the cost to produce pure oxygen or oxygen enriched air with traditional methods, i.e. cryogenic separation or membrane technologies, may be unaffordable. Here, we propose a new continuous technology for gas mixture separation, focusing on the production of oxygen enriched air as a case study. This operation is an absorption-desorption process that takes advantage of the higher oxygen solubility in water compared to nitrogen. In a pressurized solubilisation tank, water absorbs air. Subsequently, reducing pressure desorbs oxygen enriched air. PRO/ II 9.3 (Simsci-Scheider Electrics) simulated, optimized, and calculated the capital and operative expenses of this technology. Moreover, we tested for the first time salt water instead of distilled water as appealing possibility for chemical plant near sea and ocean. We varied the inlet water flowrate between 5 and 15m3/h. The optimum operative absortion unit pressure is 15e35 barg. After degassing, water may be recycled. With salt water, the extracted quantity of enriched air decreases compared with the desorption from fresh water (20% less), while the concentration of oxygen is independent from the salt concentration. The cost of enriched air at the optimum condition is 2e3.35 EUR/Nm3
gas separation; enriched air; fresh and salt water; cost analysis; desorption
Settore CHIM/04 - Chimica Industriale
Settore ING-IND/25 - Impianti Chimici
giu-2018
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/569776
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