Energy-saving renovation practice of air separation cooler for 21 000 m3/h oxygen production unit
DING Lianjun
YAN Yudong
YAN Xiongwei
WANG Shuai
Abstract：In response to the problems such as increased inter-stage cooling resistance,restricted flow rate and increased unit energy consumption that occurred in the 21 000 m3/h oxygen production unit of Liansteel during the hot season,an energy-saving renovation is implemented,focusing on replacing the core bodies of the first and second stage coolers and optimizing the operation strategies.The results show that after the renovation,the average inlet flow rate of the air compressor increased from 106 273 m3/h to 120 625 m3/h,the average inlet tower flow rate increased from 97 761 m3/h to 109 900 m3/h,the average pressure drop of the first stage cooler decreased from 28.13 kPa to 4.76 kPa,the exhaust pressure increased by 5.14%,and the average oxygen production energy consumption decreased from 0.762 kWh/m3 to 0.719 kWh/m3.The project achieved a monthly comprehensive benefit of approximately 1.63 million yuan,with a static investment recovery period of approximately 0.65 months,demonstrating significant economic benefits.The research verified the efficient energy-saving path based on optimizing inter-stage cooling,and has important promotional effects for the energy-saving renovation and lean operation of similar deep cryogenic air separation units.
Keywords：deep cryogenic oxygen productionair separation coolerenergy-saving renovationmaterial consumption optimization
Publication Date：2026-01-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-11(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 90-94 )