Air Separation History

1895
World´s first air liquefaction plant on a pilot plant scale, commercial scale, production scale

1902
World's first air separation plant for the recovery of oxygen

1904
World's first air separation plant for the recovery of nitrogen

1910
World's first air separation plant using the double column rectification process

1910
World's first air separation plant using the double column rectification process

1930
Development of the Linde-Fränkl process for air separation

1950
First Linde-Fränkl oxygen plant without pressure recycle and stonefilled reactors

1954
World's first air separation plant with air purification by means of adsorbers

1968
Introduction of the molecular sieve technology for pre-purification of air

1978
Internal compression of oxygen is applied to tonnage air separation plants

1981
The "elevated pressure" process is introduced

1984
World's largest VAROX air separation plant with variable oxygen demand adjustment

1990
World's first tele-controlled air separation plant with unmanned operation. Pure argon production by rectification.

1991
World's largest air separation plant with packed columns

1992
Air separation plants produce megapure gases

1997
Linde sets a new milestone in air separation history. Four nitrogen generation trains are being provided, each in itself constituting the largest air separation plant ever built. Nitrogen capacity 1,200 MMSCFD (40,000 t/d).

2000
Development of the advanced multi-stage bath type condenser

2006
Largest TKLS Contract in the history of air separation. Capacity 30,000 t/d of oxygen for the "Pearl" GTL project in Qatar 

Reference

Customer:
Qatar Shell Ltd. (QSGTL Ltd.)

Design features:
Cryogenic air separation, front-end air purification with MS, elevated process pressure, double column system, internal compression of oxygen

Capacity:
Total 30,000 t/d oxygen
~860,000 Nm³/h (eight trains)

Scope of work:
Turnkey-lumpsum, basic and detail design, manufacture, delivery, construction, erection, commissioning and start-up