The compressor of an air separation plant consumes electrical energy and compresses both gases and liquids inside the plant to very low temperatures. The low temperature gases are -173°C for liquid air, -180°C for liquid oxygen and -177 to -193°C for liquid nitrogen.
Their coldness can be recycled in the heat exchanger. In the air separation plant pressure test leakage detection, to strictly control, if the pipeline, valve or even the local position of the equipment leakage, leakage of that part of the cryogenic gases or liquids of the cold can not be recovered, not only greatly increase the other cold loss, will also be in the cold preservation of the box inside and outside the condensation, icing, increasing the run cold loss. Leakage is often the more the development of the more serious, and finally reached the point of no control. This part of the cold loss in the design is not taken into account, to make up for this part of the cold loss, will destroy the normal work of the device, and even can not maintain production, forced to shut down. Liquid piping absolutely does not allow leakage. Liquid leakage and gas leakage, compared with the greater harm, because it is the unit of cold than the same temperature of the gas to be about twice as large, and the density of the liquid is hundreds of times that of the gas. If the leakage, the increase in the amount of cold loss accordingly need to increase the amount of expansion to make up for the air separation equipment can not work properly.
Therefore, strict air separation device pressure test to pick up leakage, to avoid causing significant losses.
