PROCESS AND INSTALLATION FOR SUPPLYING GASEOUS CARBON MONOXIDE BY CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION

摘要

In a process for supplying gaseous carbon monoxide by cryogenic distillation, a feed gas (1), containing carbon monoxide as at least one of its principal components and at least one other components chosen from methane, nitrogen and hydrogen, is purified using an adsorption step in one of at least two adsorbent beds (3) to produce a purified feed gas to be sent to the separation unit comprising at least one distillation column (7, 19, 27), the separation unit separates the feed gas to produce gaseous carbon monoxide and the gaseous carbon monoxide is compressed in a product compressor (35) to produce a final product at a product pressure, refrigeration is supplied to the process by a carbon monoxide cooling cycle in which a cycle fluid is compressed in at least the product compressor, cooled and expanded, at least part of the carbon monoxide is liquefied to form pressurised liquefied carbon monoxide and part of the pressurised liquefied carbon monoxide (51 A, 53A, 59A), is vaporised at the product pressure to form a pressurised gaseous back-up stream which is then mixed with the final product, vaporisation of the carbon monoxide taking place only when there is an increase in demand for pressurised carbon monoxide.