THERMALLY POWERED OXYGEN/NITROGEN PLANT INCORPORATING AN OXYGEN SELECTIVE ION TRANSPORT MEMBRANE.

摘要

A low energy cost process for the co-production of oxygen and nitrogen product gases employs a fuel feed tube (506) which extends into oxygen selective ion transport membrane (424) whereby fuel (440) is introduced adjacent its closed end and flows concurrently with oxygen containing gas in annulus (510) and an oxygen selective ion transport membrane having separator section (436) and reactor section (438). Oxygen-containing feedstock (406) is compressed and then contacts cathode side (426) of separator section (436) where a portion of the oxygen is transported to anode side (428) and recovered as an oxygen product gas. Substantially the remainder of the oxygen is transported from cathode side (426) to anode side (428) and exothermically reacted with a fuel. Hot nitrogen rich product gas is expanded into a turbine to generate the power necessary to compress the feedstock. Expanded nitrogen rich gas may then be recovered from the turbine exhaust.