The Benefits of Using Air Separation Plant

Air separation methods offer several distinct advantages over other waste separation techniques, making them a valuable tool in modern waste management systems. Here are some key benefits:

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1. Efficiency and Speed

Air separation systems can process large volumes of waste quickly. The use of high-velocity air streams or cyclonic action allows for rapid separation of materials, which is particularly beneficial in facilities that handle significant quantities of waste daily.

2. Versatility

Air-based systems are highly versatile and can handle a wide range of materials. They are effective for sorting lightweight items like paper, plastic films, and packaging from heavier materials such as metals and glass. This adaptability makes them suitable for various types of waste streams, including municipal solid waste, construction and demolition debris, and industrial waste.

3. Precision and Adjustability

Air separation equipment can be finely tuned to adjust the air flow and separation parameters, allowing for precise sorting based on specific material characteristics. This level of control enhances the accuracy of separation, ensuring a higher quality of sorted materials and reducing contamination in recycling streams.

4. Reduced Labour Costs

Automated air separation systems can significantly reduce the need for manual sorting, which decreases labour costs and increases overall operational efficiency. This automation also enhances workplace safety by minimising human exposure to potentially hazardous waste materials.

5. Energy Efficiency

Air separation systems often require less energy compared to some mechanical separation methods. For example, the energy needed to operate fans and blowers in air classifiers or wind sifters is generally lower than that required for mechanical shredders or grinders.

6. Environmental Benefits

By efficiently separating recyclable materials from waste, air separation systems help divert significant amounts of waste from landfills, contributing to environmental conservation. Improved recycling rates reduce the need for raw material extraction and processing, lowering the overall environmental footprint of waste management operations.

7. Scalability

Air separation technologies can be scaled up or down to match the capacity requirements of different waste processing facilities. Whether in a small municipal recycling centre or a large industrial waste processing plant, these systems can be adapted to fit the specific operational scale.

8. Low Operational Costs

Due to their simplicity and efficiency, air separation systems typically have lower operational costs compared to more complex mechanical or chemical separation processes. This makes them a cost-effective choice for many waste management applications.

Overall, air separation methods offer a range of benefits that enhance the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability of waste management operations. Their ability to process large volumes quickly, handle diverse materials, and operate with reduced wear and maintenance needs makes them a superior choice for many waste separation applications.

The Air Separation Unit remains a key piece of equipment across a wide range of applications and industries. 

As the growing demand for industrial gasses continues to increase, the ASU provides a reliable and efficient method for producing these gasses at the required purity levels. At the same time, the air separation process offers a cost-effective means of producing high-purity gasses compared to other methods, generating them in large quantities, leading to economies of scale and reduced per-unit production costs over time.

But what exactly is an Air Separation Unit, how does it work and what are its key applications? Here’s a guide to the ASU, written from our experience in cryogenic engineering and design and manufacture of these structures.

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What is an Air Separation Unit?

An Air Separation Unit (ASU) is an industrial facility used to separate atmospheric air into its primary components (namely nitrogen, oxygen, and, in some cases, argon and other rare gasses). These units are typically composed of elements such as air compressors, an air purification system, heat exchangers, cryogenic cooling systems and distillation columns, among others.

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How does an Air Separation Unit work?

While there are various methods that can be performed by an Air Separation Unit, fractional distillation is the primary separation technique employed.

The main working principle behind an ASU is the separation of air via its liquefying and distilling processes. A simplified overview of how an ASU typically operates looks like this:

• Compression: in this stage, atmospheric air is drawn into the ASU and passed through a series of compressors to increase its pressure. The purpose is to make the subsequent cooling and separation processes more efficient, with typical pressure ranges going between 5 and 10 bar gauge. 
• Purification: before further processing, the compressed air is typically purified to remove impurities (including moisture, carbon dioxide, or trace contaminants). This step ensures that the separated gasses are of high purity and avoids issues such as the freezing or plugging of the cryogenic equipment.
• Cooling: the now purified, compressed air is cooled down to cryogenic temperatures using a series of heat exchangers and refrigeration cycles. This results in liquefying the air, as cryogenic distillation relies on the differences in boiling points of the various components.
• Separation: the now cold, liquefied air is fed into a distillation column (or a series of distillation columns), so that the air is separated into its primary components based on differences in boiling points:
  • Nitrogen has a lower boiling point (-196°C or -321°F) than oxygen (-183°C or -297°F).
  • Argon, if being separated, has an even lower boiling point (-186°C or -303°F).

As the air ascends the column, it is gradually warmed, and different components evaporate at their respective boiling points. For instance, oxygen-rich vapor rises to the top of the column, while nitrogen-rich liquid collects at the bottom. The argon, if present, is usually extracted as a side product at an intermediate point in the column.

• Collection, storage and delivery: the separated gasses are collected and sent to storage tanks, either pressurized tanks or cryogenic tanks. From there, the gasses can then be distributed and supplied to various industries and applications, depending on their purity requirements.

Across these operations, it’s key for the Air Separation Unit to operate presenting a very tight integration of heat exchangers and separation columns, ensuring its efficiency.

Applications of an ASU

• Healthcare: the use of oxygen and other technical gasses in the healthcare industry can benefit from an ASU
• Industrial processes: the Air Separation Unit is part of the applied cryogenic technologies in the industry for processes such as metal fabrication, chemical production, and wastewater treatment. It’s also involved in generating high-purity gasses for the semiconductor industry for processes like wafer manufacturing and device fabrication.
• Food and beverage: nitrogen is used as part of what are known as the ‘food gasses’, used in the food and beverage industry for packaging and preserving products.
• Energy production: an ASU can provide high-purity oxygen for use in combustion processes in power plants and steel mills.

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Cryospain, experts in ASU projects

With our two-decade knowledge and experience in cryogenic engineering, at Cryospain we are one of the leading suppliers of state-of-the-art air separation plants. Our strength lies in our capacity to adjust to each project’s needs, considering its full lifecycle, potential and limitations. 

Through a combination of innovative technologies andend-to-end engineering services, we’ve designed, manufactured and implemented a series of successful ASU projects, all while complying with the relevant standards. 

As such, our involvement goes from procuring the materials, to assembling the equipment, electrics and piping, as well as taking care of crucial processes such as factory acceptance testing (FAT) for the containerized ASU’s components. It’s precisely our capacity to dedicate to planning, drawings, calculations and 3D modeling that makes us our strength, so that we can provide a tailored, end-to-end service.

Finally, we present an outstanding production capacity, with two large-scale workshops and two industrial hubs which sum up a combined m2 dedicated to realizing our clients’ projects while guaranteeing the highest quality standards. 

Our success stories include: 

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• The provision of components for a containerized ASU project, a kind of prefabricated or modular ASU that facilitates transport, assembly, commissioning and installation. The result was a containerized ASU plant that presents cutting-edge rapid cooling and refrigeration technology, guaranteeing its cost-effectiveness. 
• An integral cryogenic pipe-in-pipe system for a new Air Separation Unit in Ostrava (Czech Republic) for a major steel production company.
• Two cryogenic piping projects in Poland and Russia, involving vacuum-insulated piping (VIP) for an Air separation unit (ASU) as part of a modern steel mill. The projects prioritized reducing its environmental impact in the area, so that it produces up to three times fewer emissions than a traditional mill.