The role of air separation compressor in petrochemical industry

In the field of petrochemical industry, air separation compressor is the core equipment for separating air and producing industrial gas. Its function runs through the whole process of gas production, safety assurance and process optimization. In some scenarios, water-lubricated air compressor is used to achieve cleaner and more efficient gas compression. The specific role is as follows:

1. core function: separation of air, industrial gas

the air compressor raises the air pressure to the required range through multi-stage compression, and cooperates with the subsequent cooling, purification, heat exchange and distillation system to separate the oxygen, nitrogen, argon and other components in the air. These gases are key raw materials in petrochemical production:

• oxygen: Used in gasification equipment to convert coal and other raw materials into syngas to support the production of fertilizers, methanol and other products.
• Nitrogen as an inert protective gas to prevent oxidation or explosion of equipment or materials in high temperature and high pressure environment.
• Argon: Used for welding, metal processing and other special processes to ensure product quality.

2. security: eliminate potential risks and improve operational stability

in the oxygen production process, the traditional process requires an external oxygen compressor to pressurize the low-pressure oxygen to the pressure required by the user, but the oxygen compressor has the risk of hydrocarbon accumulation and explosion. The internal compression process directly compresses liquid oxygen through the air separation device, and then evaporates into high-pressure gas, completely eliminating the use of oxygen compressors, thereby avoiding potential safety hazards.

In addition, water-lubricated air compressors are also used in air separation compressors, which use water as a lubricating and cooling medium to avoid the risk of oil contamination. In the petrochemical process that requires high-purity gas, the water-lubricated air compressor can ensure the absolute cleanliness of the compressed air, prevent the oil from affecting the gas quality, and further improve the safety of the production process.

3. process optimization: flexible adaptation to demand, reduce the overall cost

the air separation compressor can flexibly choose internal compression or external compression process according to the actual needs of petrochemical enterprises:

• internal compression process: Suitable for scenarios with high requirements for safety and energy efficiency, such as the production of high-purity oxygen and nitrogen. It is pressurized by a liquid oxygen pump, consumes less energy than a gas compressor, and has a more compact equipment layout and a smaller footprint.
• External compression process: Suitable for scenarios that are sensitive to initial investment and pursue technological maturity, such as general industrial gas supply. It is pressurized by an external gas compressor, making equipment maintenance easier and cheaper.

Water-lubricated air compressors also play an important role in process optimization. Its structure is simple, easy to maintain, and no need to add lubricating oil during operation, reducing equipment maintenance costs and downtime. At the same time, the compressed air temperature produced by the water-lubricated air compressor is low, which helps to reduce the load of the subsequent cooling system and further save energy.