An Air Separation Unit (ASU) is an industrial system that separates air into high-purity oxygen (O₂), nitrogen (N₂), and argon (Ar) using advanced separation technologies, providing a reliable on-site supply of industrial gases.

 

Technology
 

Air Compression: Ambient air is drawn through a self-cleaning air filter and compressed via a centrifugal compressor to provide the pressure required for downstream separation.

 

Air Purification: The compressed air passes through a molecular sieve purification system to completely remove moisture (water vapor), carbon dioxide (\(CO_2\)), hydrocarbons, and other trace impurities, preventing freeze-ups during low-temperature processing.

 

Cryogenic Cooling: The purified air flows through specialized heat exchangers where it is chilled to extreme cryogenic temperatures (approximately \(-196^\circ\text{C}\)), turning the air into a liquid state.

 

Fractional Distillation: Liquid air enters the distillation column system. Because oxygen, nitrogen, and argon possess different boiling points, they are precisely separated into high-purity product streams.

 

Storage and Distribution: The produced gases are either piped directly to production lines, compressed for cylinder filling, or stored as liquids in cryogenic storage tanks.

 

 
  • Small Cryogenic Air Separation Unit

    Small Cryogenic Air Separation Unit (ASU) is pre-assembled, skid-mounted gas generation system designed to produce high-purity oxygen and nitrogen on-site. Using low-temperature cryogenic...

  • PSA Nitrogen Generation Equipment

    PSA Nitrogen Generation Equipment is engineered for continuous, on-site high-purity nitrogen production. Designed with premium Carbon Molecular Sieve (CMS) adsorbents, the system converts ambient...

  • Membrane Separation Nitrogen Generation Equipment

    The Membrane Separation Nitrogen Generation Equipment utilizes advanced polymer hollow-fiber membrane technology to continuously separate nitrogen from compressed air on site. Engineered for...

  • Molecular Sieve Purification Air Separation Equipment

    Designed as a front-end air pretreatment system for cryogenic air separation units (ASU), this Molecular Sieve Purification Air Separation Equipment removes moisture (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2),...

  • Conventional External Compression Air Separation Equipment

    Conventional External Compression Air Separation Equipment is a large-scale cryogenic air separation system designed for continuous production of high-purity oxygen, nitrogen, and optional argon....

  • Internal Compression Process Air Separation Equipment

    Internal Compression Process Air Separation Equipment is designed to supply high-pressure gaseous oxygen directly from the cold box. By leveraging high-pressure liquid oxygen pumping and internal...

  • Full Distillation Argon Air Separation Equipment

    Full Distillation Argon Air Separation Equipment is an advanced cryogenic recovery system that extracts 99.999% ultra-high-purity argon directly from air separation units through a 100%...

  • Large-scale Air Separation Unit for Steel Mill

    Large-scale Air Separation Units for Steel Mills provide continuous, high-purity oxygen, nitrogen, and argon directly to Blast Furnaces, BOFs, EAFs, and DRI plants. Engineered for 24/7 non-stop...

  • Oversized Air Separation Unit for Coal Chemical

    Engineered for megaton-scale coal gasification, coal-to-chemicals (CTO/CTL), and synthetic fuel complexes, this extra-large cryogenic Air Separation Unit delivers high-pressure oxygen, nitrogen,...

  • Centrifugal Feed Air Compressor

    The Centrifugal Feed Air Compressor provides a heavy-duty, ISO 8573-1 Class 0 oil-free air supply designed for medium to ultra-large Cryogenic Air Separation Units (ASUs). Operating under...

  • Booster Turbine Expander Unit

    A Booster Turbine Expander Unit is an integrated cryogenic machine combining a compressor and expansion turbine to provide refrigeration and pressure energy recovery for air separation, LNG, and...

  • LO₂ Storage Tank

    LO₂ Storage Tank are oxygen-clean cryogenic vessels featuring multi-layer thermal insulation to prevent contamination and control boil-off, providing safe bulk oxygen storage for medical,...

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Types of Air Separation Units

 

Large Cryogenic Air Separation Unit

Designed for heavy industries requiring massive volumes of high-purity oxygen, nitrogen, and argon with continuous 24/7 operation.

Small Cryogenic Air Separation Unit

A compact, skid-mounted system built for flexible deployment in regional or remote projects.

PSA Nitrogen Generation Equipment

Utilizes Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology with carbon molecular sieves for nitrogen generation.

Membrane Nitrogen Generation Equipment

Employs advanced polymer separation membranes with zero moving parts, ideal for offshore platforms and mobile industrial applications.

Steel-Mill Specialized ASU

Custom-engineered to serve as the high-capacity oxygen backbone for blast furnaces, electric arc furnaces, and basic oxygen converters.

Chemical Industry ASU

Built for heavy-duty chemical synthesis applications such as ammonia, methanol, and coal-to-chemical processing plants.

 

Products & Components

 

Core Equipment Components
• Centrifugal Feed Air Compressor & Booster Compressor: Provide the foundational air pressure and energy cycle.
• Turbo Expander: Delivers the precise refrigeration capacity needed for cryogenic liquefaction.
• Molecular Sieve Purification Unit: Removes moisture, \(CO_2\), and hydrocarbons to protect downstream cold box systems.
• Cold Box System: The heavily insulated core containing high-efficiency heat exchangers and cryogenic distillation columns.

 

Storage Products
• Liquid Oxygen (LO₂) Storage Tank
• Liquid Nitrogen (LN₂) Storage Tank
• Liquid Argon (LAr) Storage Tank

Conventional External Compression Air Separation Equipment

 

Technical Specifications

 

Parameter

Specification Range

Product Name

Air Separation Unit (ASU)

Technology

Cryogenic Distillation / PSA / Membrane

Main Products

Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argon

Oxygen Capacity

20–100,000+ Nm³/h

Nitrogen Capacity

20–150,000+ Nm³/h

Oxygen Purity

90% – 99.999%

Nitrogen Purity

95% – 99.9999%

Argon Purity

Up to 99.999%

Operating Mode

Continuous 24/7 Operation

Control System

PLC / DCS Fully Automatic Control

Installation Type

Skid-Mounted / Modular / Field Erection

Design Life

20 – 30 Years

Certifications

CE, ASME, ISO (Customized per project requirements)

 

Buying Guide
 
 

To select the optimal Air Separation Unit for your facility, evaluate the following parameters:

 

Required Gas Types

Identify whether your process requires oxygen, nitrogen, argon, or a combination of gases.

 
 

Capacity Requirements

Determine your peak and average consumption rates measured in Nm³/h or TPD (Tons Per Day).

 
 

Purity Thresholds

Define the precise purity grade mandated by your industry standards (e.g., standard industrial vs. ultra-high purity electronics grade).

 
 

Site Infrastructure

Assess local land availability, ambient climate conditions, power supply stability, and cooling water resources.

 

 

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FAQ

 

Q: How much plot area and structural foundation are required for a standard cryogenic ASU plant?

A: Footprint requirements vary significantly by capacity, typically ranging from 150 m² for compact skid-mounted units up to several thousand square meters for large-scale field-erected steel mill installations with backup liquid storage.

Q: Can the plant automate remote monitoring and unattended operation?

A: Yes, integrated PLC/DCS automation architectures allow full 24/7 remote operational oversight, automated fault diagnostics, and seamless load adjustments without constant on-site manual intervention.

Q: What utility inputs (power, water, air) are mandatory for plant commissioning?

A: Facilities must provide a stable high-voltage industrial power supply, a continuous cooling water circulation loop (or closed-circuit cooling tower), and adequate instrument air utility.

Q: How does the system handle unexpected power outages or fluctuating electrical grids?

A: ASUs feature emergency shutdown logic and specialized uninterruptible power supply (UPS) backups for instrumentation, while cryogenic storage tanks maintain immediate process gas availability during grid interruptions.

Q: What are the primary scheduled maintenance requirements and downtime intervals?

A: Major overhauls—primarily involving molecular sieve replacement, compressor valve checks, and cold box inspection—are typically scheduled every 3 to 5 years, requiring minimal planned downtime.

Q: Are modular skid-mounted ASUs available for expedited overseas shipping and deployment?

A: Yes, small-to-medium cryogenic and PSA systems are pre-assembled on structural steel skids to minimize field assembly time and reduce overseas installation costs.

Q: What level of post-sales engineering support and spare parts availability is guaranteed?

A: Comprehensive lifecycle support includes remote telemetry diagnostics, on-site technician deployment, and a guaranteed minimum 10-year inventory availability for critical components.

 

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