Air separation oxygen production area: [Weekly Topic] Week 22 of 2011——A question regarding the air-cooled tower?
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This post was last edited by gader on 2011-7-20 00:05. Improper operation of the air-cooled tower can easily lead to moisture being carried into the molecular sieve, thereby affecting the normal operation of production. Currently, most air-cooled towers use both chilled water and cooling water to cool the air; however, in some cases the chilled water is circulated, while in other cases it is directly discharged to the bottom of the air-cooled tower. There are also slight differences in the removal of free water at the top of air-cooled towers; some are equipped with demisters, while others have cyclone separators or other devices. Affected by issues such as water quality and air quality, air-cooled towers often suffer from scaling at the top, which leads to increased resistance. I wonder if there are those who believe that air-cooled towers could be designed more reasonably, and what aspects need attention during operation?
In the design, the small loop was changed to a large loop.
When operating, it is necessary to punch first and then start the pump; in winter, make sure that the root valve of the level gauge functions properly.
This is also related to the exhaust temperature of the air compressor; for example, the exhaust pressure of a compressor with four stages of compression is around 50 degrees, while that of a compressor with three stages is around 100 degrees； Now, many processes such as Air Liquide have eliminated the pre-cooling system.
In my opinion, it is better to include a pre-cooling system. Although it increases energy consumption, it is still beneficial for molecular sieves. Overall, I think it’s advisable to use such a system, especially in large air separation units; whereas in smaller air separation units or nitrogen generators, it is often not used, or a cold dryer is employed as a substitute for the pre-cooling system
Could someone explain cyclone separators?