In the last years the oxygen-compressor shop of the Works has been demonstrating good dynamics regarding commissioning of new processing equipment. Only 2 years have passed since the modern air separating unit was commissioned, producing 60 000 m3/h of oxygen, and now the power engineers of the oxygen-compressor shop have cut the red ribbon again. This time the new unit for producing krypton-xenon mixture “Chrom-3” has reached its full capacity.
The new unit has been built in cooperation with firm “Iceblick” which covers 50% of the total world production of neon-helium mixture. “Iceblick” is an old partner of Zaporizhstal JSC. In 1999 this company has installed special equipment in the shop for catching rare gases, which earlier were simply emitted into atmosphere. As a result additional possibilities regarding their usage in the technological processes have occurred, positively affecting the financial results. For example, only in the current year production of neon-helium, xenon-nitrogen and krypton-nitrogen mixtures has brought the Works profit of 1.8 million UAH.
With the installation of the new unit new perspectives open up before the oxygen-compressor shop operators. “Chrom-3” allows to produce expensive krypton-xenon mixture with minimum expenditures. The expected economic effect amounts to half a million UAH per month.
Construction of the unit started in March after working out and coordinating of the project documents. The works were carried out in stages: construction of the foundation, erection of the equipment and its connection to the shop communication lines…. Simultaneously erection of electrical equipment, instrumentation and automation shop equipment, systems of suction-and exhaust ventilation were carried out. Irrespective of the fact that part of the jobs were carried out by subcontractors (“Kislorodmontazh”, “Zaporozhstalstroy-1”). Specialists of the Works have also applied great force to make the equipment operate reliably.
There is another important thing. During erection and pre-commissioning work ASU operators of the oxygen-compressor shop have undergone special training on the operation of “Chrom-3”.
Commissioning of the power equipment is a result of purposeful work of power engineers on technical revamping of the oxygen-compressor shop which is part-and-parcel of the production process of “Zaporizhstal”.