During lifetime of the CHROMIUM Ltd. a unique team of scientific and technical workers and specialists was formed. A great attention is paid to scientific and research works and development activity, the results of which are used to create new techniques. Such a policy of the company allowed elaborating new high efficiency technologies and creating a series of unique plants to generate crude mixtures and produce ultra high purity Xenon and Krypton.
Plant «CHROM-3»
At present there are three plants to process the prime Krypton concentrate (PKC), these are УСК-1М, УСК-0,45 and «CHROM-3». (Abbreviation УСК means “plant of crude Krypton”). The two first plants were elaborated in Scientific Production Association “Kriogenmash”, they are constructed according to the cycle of PKC compression in a piston oxygen compressor. The plant “CHROM-3 was elaborated in CHROMIUM Ltd. in 1999 on the base of patents №№ 2149676, 2149053, 2166687, 2166354, 2173943 of the Russian Federation, it is based on the low pressure cycle without oxygen compression by mechanical means; an internal compression of the purified PKC takes place with following gasification “entirely”. Absence of oxygen compressors permits to place the plants “CHROM-3” near to blocks of air separation according to acting rules of technical supervision (the plants of УСК type need separate premises, long pipelines with vacuum insulation, including those for liquid nitrogen supply). Also reliability, explosion and fire safety of equipment are increased. Thanks to minimization of associated capital costs as well as lower costs for exploitation the prime cost of Kr-Xe mixture generation using the plants “CHROM-3” is twice lower as compared to the plants of УСК type. Now six plants “CHROM-3“ are fully operational, the first plant was put in exploitation in 2002 at the West Siberian metallurgical complex.
Main advantages of the plant “CHROM-3” as compared to the УСК one:
1. High coefficient of Krypton-Xenon mixture extraction from the PKC – up to 99.9%.
2. Low pressure cycle with internal compression of the purified liquid PKC
3. Absence of oxygen compressors allowing reducing energy costs and providing explosion and fire safety of the plant.
4. Possibility to place “Chrom-
5. Practically twice decrease of specific consumption of liquid nitrogen for treatment of the PKC.
6. 1.7 times total electric power reducing on 1nm3 of the Krypton-Xenon mixture generated.
7. Execution in blocks allows quick assembly and putting in exploitation.
Comparison of data of the plants for the PKC processing for Krypton-Xenon mixture generation:
Parameter |
Plant type |
||
|
УСК-1М |
УСК-0.45 |
«CHROM-3» |
|
|
PKC capacity, nm3/h |
120 |
240 |
240 |
|
K-Xe mixture capacity,nm3/h |
0.24 |
0.48 |
0.48 |
|
Liquid nitrogen flow rate, kg/h |
145 |
360 |
200 |
|
Warm nitrogen flow rate, nm3/h(Р=0.6МPа) |
110 |
100 |
- |
|
Warm air flow rate, nm3/n (Р=0.6МPа) |
- |
450 |
600 |
|
Installed capacity, kW |
70 |
130 |
80 |
|
Electric power consumption for liquid nitrogen production at ASP of КТК-35 type, kW-h/ nm3 |
1.09 |
1.09 |
1.09 |
|
Electric power consumption for air compression up to 0.6 МPа, kW-h/ nm3 |
0.072 |
0.072 |
0.072 |
|
Electric power consumption for nitrogen compression up to 0.6 МPа, kW-h/ nm3 |
0.09 |
0.09 |
0.09 |
|
Total cost per unit of energy on 1 nm3 of PKC, kW-h |
1.98 |
2.35 |
1.42 |
|
Total cost per unit of energy on 1 nm3 of KXM (at 0.2% Kr+Xe concentration in PKC), kW-h |
991 |
1175 |
710 |
List of plants “"CHROM-3" operating at present:
|
|
Location |
Exploitation Beginning |
|
Public corporation ”West Siberian metallurgic complex” |
|
2002 |
|
Public corporation “Enakievskiy metallurgic works” |
|
2003 |
|
Public corporation “Magnitogorskiy metallurgic works” |
|
2003 |
|
Public corporation «Krivorojskiy metallurgic works” |
|
2004 |
|
Public corporation “Azovstal” |
|
2006 |
|
Public corporation “Alchevskiy metallurgic complex” |
|
2007 |
Plant "Х-0,05"
The plant "X-0,05" was developed by CHROMIUM Ltd. in the late 1990s. This cryogenic adsorption unit is designed to produce a xenon-containing mixture from the oxygen flow from the air separation plant (ASP), which outputs from ASP explosive impurities. Designed for ASP, where there are no primary concentration krypton columns, but can be used on other types of ASP. The capacity by the processed oxygen flow makes up to 100 nm3/hour, the capacity by the mixture depends on the xenon concentration in the processed flow. The plant "X-0.05" does not require some special technical staff. The technological process is divided into three stages: deposition, mixture withdrawal and final regeneration of the sorbent. In addition to the flow of processed oxygen, the plant "X=0,05" consumes the gaseous cold nitrogen with a pressure of 4-5 bar and a capacity of up to 100 nm3/hour. The plants "X-0.05" are being successfully exploited for more than 20 years. All technical solutions used in the plant "X-0,05" are patented.
Plant "CHROM-5"
The plant "CHROM-5" is a unique cryogenic plant, designed to produce a large range of technical gases (Xe, Kr, Ar, N2, O2, etc.) ultra-high purity (more than 8.0-99.999999%). Developed by CHROMIUM Ltd. in the early 2000s. The capacity by the processed flow-up to 30 nm3/hour, the capacity by the production flows depends on the products concentration in the source flow. "CHROM-5" allows to clean technical gases from almost any impurities having relative volatility in relation to the target gas more than 1.05. As a refrigerant can be used liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, liquid air, etc. Pure final products of separation are pumped into cylinders up to a pressure of 30.0 MPa. It is possible to obtain the ultra-clean production fluids. All the technical solutions used in the plant "CHROM-5" are patented.