Evaluation of Two-Column Air Separation Processes Based on Exergy Analysis

Muhammad Haris Hamayun, Naveed Ramzan, Murid Hussain and Muhammad Faheem
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Muhammad Haris Hamayun: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan
Naveed Ramzan: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan
Murid Hussain: Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Muhammad Faheem: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-20

Abstract: Cryogenic air separation processes are widely used for the large-scale production of nitrogen and oxygen. The most widely used design for this process involves two distillation columns operating at different pressures. This work focuses on the selection of suitable cryogenic air separation process by evaluating seven alternative designs of the two-column air separation process based on detailed exergy analysis. The feed conditions (500 tons/h, and 50% relative humidity of air), product purities (99 mole% for both nitrogen and oxygen), and operational conditions (pressures of both distillation columns) are kept same in all designs. The two cryogenic distillation columns in each configuration are heat-integrated to eliminate the need for external utilities. Steady-state simulation results are used to calculate the exergy efficiency (%) of each equipment as well as its contribution toward the overall exergy destruction rate (kW) of the process. The results show that the compression section is a major source of exergy destruction, followed by the low-pressure column, and the multi-stream heat exchanger. A Petlyuk-like configuration, labeled as C1, provides the lowest exergy destruction rate.

Keywords: cryogenic distillation; air separation; exergy analyssis; exergy efficiency; exergy destruction; process simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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