High pressure cryogenic air separation process and installation

摘要

The present invention relates to processes and installations for the production of oxygen and nitrogen by cryogenic distillation in a triple column (9,19,25). The cost of oxygen production from the low pressure column and nitrogen production from the high pressure column is reduced by providing an improved high pressure process in which an oxygen enriched stream is sent to the top condenser (39) of the low pressure column (19) and/or to the top condenser (31) of an intermediate pressure column (25).