초록

A method of providing gas to a system which separates from a pressurized supply gas, product gas, includes conditioning the supply gas by both cooling and drying the supply gas.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of providing gas to a system which separates from a pressurized supply gas, a product gas, the method comprising conditioning the supply gas by dividing the gas supply into system gas and supply gas, feeding the supply gas to a condenser where the supply gas is

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of providing gas to a system which separates from a pressurized supply gas, a product gas, the method comprising conditioning the supply gas by dividing the gas supply into system gas and supply gas, feeding the supply gas to a condenser where the supply gas is cooled by a coolant and moisture is removed from the supply gas to dry the supply gas, passing the system gas to a cooling device where the system gas is cooled, and using the cooled system gas as the coolant in the condenser and wherein the cooled system gas is compressed after using the cooled system gas as a coolant in the condenser, and is used in a heat exchanger to warm the supply gas after drying, to further condition the supply gas to bring the temperature of the supply gas to within a predetermined operating range for a downstream separation system. 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the supply gas is cooled sufficiently to remove moisture from the supply gas by condensation. 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the cooling device is a turbine over which the system gas is expanded. 4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the gas supply is hot highly pressurized gas and energy recovered from the hot pressurized gas by the turbine is utilized by the conditioning apparatus to drive a compressor to compress and warm the system gas after the system gas has been used as a coolant in the condenser. 5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the further conditioning of the supply gas comprises warming the supply gas with a warming fluid. 6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the gas supply is hot highly pressurized gas and energy recovered from the hot pressurized gas by the turbine is utilized by the conditioning apparatus to drive a compressor to compress and warm the system gas after the system gas has been used as a coolant in the condenser, and wherein the warming fluid is compressed system gas from the compressor driven by the turbine. 7. A method according to claim 1 which includes sensing the temperature of the supply gas downstream of the heat exchanger, to provide an input to a controller which opens and closes a valve in response, to control the flow of the warming fluid to the heat exchanger. 8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising exhausting the system gas from the heat exchanger. 9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method includes utilizing ambient air as a coolant in a pre-cooler heat exchanger, to cool the gas supply prior to conditioning the supply gas. 10. A method of providing gas to a system which separates from a pressurized supply gas, a product gas, the method comprising conditioning the supply gas by both cooling and drying the gas, wherein the supply gas is cooled sufficiently to remove moisture from the supply gas by condensation, and wherein a gas supply is separated into system gas, and supply gas, and the supply gas is fed to a condenser where the supply gas is cooled by a coolant and moisture is removed from the supply gas to dry the supply gas, and the system gas is passed to a cooling device where the system gas is cooled, and then the cooled system gas is used as the coolant in the condenser. 11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the cooling device is a turbine over which the system gas is expanded. 12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the gas supply is hot highly pressurised gas and energy recovered from the hot pressurised gas by the turbine is utilised by the conditioning apparatus to drive a compressor to compress and warm the system gas after the system gas has been used as a coolant in the condenser. 13. A method according to claim 10 wherein the supply gas, after drying, is further conditioned in a heat exchanger to bring the temperature of the supply gas to within an optimal operating range for the downstream separating system. 14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the further conditioning includes warming the supply gas with a warming fluid. 15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the gas supply is hot highly pressurised gas and energy recovered from the hot pressurised gas by the turbine is utilised by the conditioning apparatus to drive a compressor to compress and warm the system gas after the system gas has been used as a coolant in the condenser, and wherein the warming fluid is compressed system gas from the compressor driven by the turbine. 16. A method according to claim 13 which includes sensing the temperature of the supply gas downstream of the heat exchanger, to provide an input to a controller which opens and closes a valve in response, to control the flow of the warming fluid to the heat exchanger. 17. A method according to claim 10 wherein the supply gas, after drying, is further conditioned in a heat exchanger to bring the temperature of the supply gas to within an optimal operating range for the downstream separating system the method including compressing the expanded system gas after using the expanded system gas as a coolant in the condenser, warming the supply gas after drying, in the heat exchanger with the compressed system gas, and then exhausting the system gas. 18. A method according to claim 10 wherein the method includes utilizing ambient air as a coolant in a pre-cooler heat exchanger, to cool the gas supply prior to conditioning the supply gas.