Abstract
Cryogenic air separation technology has been successfully employed for many years to supply
oxygen for the gasification of a wide range of hydrocarbon feedstocks to generate synthesis gas
for the production of fuels, chemicals and other valuable products. Examples include the
conversion of liquid and solid refinery waste streams into hydrogen for use within the refinery
along with the coproduction of electricity, and the growing interest in gas-to-liquidsŽGTL.
processes which convert natural gas into synthetic crude oil, waxes and fuels. Recently, increased
attention has been focused on methods of integrating the oxygen production process with the
downstream hydrocarbon processing units to reduce facility cost or increase efficiency. A review
of traditional and developing processes to generate oxygen is presented, along with integration
schemes to improve the economics of these facilities. q2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Keywords: Air separation; Gas-to-liquids; Gasification; Oxygen; Partial oxidation; Power; Synthesis gas
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