Oxygen Enrichment for fuel combustion in Refineries

Abstract

Fossil fuel is generally combusted using air however, the use of enriched oxygen can reduce fuel consumption and minimize emissions. Commercially, the oxygen is produced from air by cryogenic distillation, pressure swing adsorption, and membranes. For high-purity oxygen, cryogenic distillation is the best choice but economical point of view, the membranes provide the best solution. This paper discusses each technology in details and how the enriched oxygen can be beneficial for petroleum refining.