In the operation and maintenance of air separation equipment, the purifier serves as the core component to remove impurities such as moisture, carbon dioxide, acetylene, etc. from the air, ensuring the safety and efficiency of the subsequent cryogenic separation process. The operation and maintenance of purifiers require mastery of the following key elements:
1. Adsorbent performance management, selecting appropriate adsorbents based on impurity composition; Ensure that the adsorbent is tightly packed and free of voids to avoid short circuits in the airflow; Monitor the temperature, time, and gas flow rate during the regeneration process to ensure complete regeneration of the adsorbent.
2. Control the operating parameters to regulate the inlet air temperature and prevent moisture condensation; The operating pressure should be stable to avoid pressure fluctuations that may cause wear of the adsorbent. The heating temperature should meet the requirements for adsorbent regeneration, while avoiding overheating that may cause adsorbent deactivation. Optimize the adsorption cycle time, balance adsorption efficiency and energy consumption. The purifier usually operates with dual tower switching, ensuring accurate and leak free valve action to avoid simultaneous adsorption or regeneration of both towers.
3. Impurity monitoring and warning, real-time monitoring of export gas impurity content, setting alarm thresholds. Regularly check the impurity concentration at the outlet of the adsorption tower to determine if the adsorbent has failed. Establish a database for operation, analyze the trend of impurity concentration changes, and predict the replacement cycle of adsorbents.
4. Maintenance of the regeneration system, checking the power stability of electric heaters, steam heaters, or electric furnaces; Ensure the purity of the dry gas used for regeneration (such as contaminated nitrogen gas) and avoid adsorbent contamination caused by water or oil contamination.