Method and plant for supplying an air gas at variable quantities

摘要

The method for supplying to a consumer pipe (15), during an interval of time, a variable demand flow of a component of air, in particular oxygen, produced by an air distillation device, by: a) sucking from the device a total flow of the component of constant value (D1); b) dividing the time interval into different periods, so that eventually there is at least a first period during which the flow required (D) is equal to the total flow (D1); c) at least a second period during which the flow is less than the total flow; and at least a third period during which the flow is greater than the total flow. During the first period(s) the total flow is brought to the user pressure (P) and sent to the consumer pipe. During the second period(s), the required flow is brought to the pressure (P) and sent to the consumer pipe and a storage flow (equal to the difference between the supply and the required flow) is brought to a higher pressure (P1) greater than the user pressure and stored in a balancing store. During the third period(s), the total flow is brought to the user pressure and sent to the consumer pipe and a complementary flow (equal to the difference between the required flow and the supply) is delivered from the balancing store and expanded to the user pressure.