Propject proposal autumn 2012.
"Air separation by distillation"

The task is to design a air separation plant using distillation.
The initial task is to provide a review of alternative designs for air separation by distillation.
The next task is to make a simulation study of a selected process, and then perform the norm cost analysis.

Supervisor: Sigurd Skogestad

Recent paper from Air Products which compares distillation, PSA and membranes.
Confirms that distillation is best for large volumes (>2000 Nm3/h = 24 mol/s which is about 1 kg/s) and/or high purity (> 99.9% N2).
PSA is best for intermediate. Membrane for low volumes (< 200 Nm3/h)/ low purity.
Ref. S. Ivanova, R. Lewis, "Producing Nitrogen via pressure swing adsorption", 
Chemical Engineering Pregress, June 2012, pp. 38-43