EP0398339A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adsorptive process for producing two gas streams from a gas mixture
Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Inc
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Filing: 1990-05-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-05-17
Abstract
Abstract An adsorptive separation process is set forth for recovery of two gas products in high recovery and high purity using adsorption, depressurization low pressure purge, evacuation and repressurization. Depressurization and purge effluents are recycled to feed and optionally pressure equalizations are performed after the adsorption and after the evacuation as well as a pressure equalization using the low pressure purge effluent.
Inventors
- 👤 Ravi Kumar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 21:41
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/02; B01D53/04; B01D53/047; B01D53/0476; C; C01; C01B; C01B13/00; C01B13/02; C01B13/0229; C01B13/0248; C01B13/0259; C01B21/00; C01B21/04; C01B21/0405; C01B21/0433; C01B21/045; C01B3/00; C01B3/50; C01B3/56; C01B32/00; C01B32/40; C01B32/50; B01D2253/00; B01D2253/10; B01D2253/102; B01D2253/104; B01D2253/106; B01D2253/108; B01D2256/00; B01D2256/16; B01D2256/20; B01D2256/22; B01D2256/24; B01D2256/245; B01D2257/00; B01D2257/50; B01D2257/502; B01D2257/504; B01D2259/00; B01D2259/40; B01D2259/40011; B01D2259/40013; B01D2259/40015; B01D2259/40028; B01D2259/4003; B01D2259/40035; B01D2259/40037; B01D2259/40043; B01D2259/4005; B01D2259/40052; B01D2259/40058; B01D2259/40064; B01D2259/40067; B01D2259/40069; B01D2259/40077; B01D2259/40079; B01D2259/404; B01D2259/406; B01D2259/4061; B01D2259/4062; C01B2203/00; C01B2203/04; C01B2203/042; C01B2203/043; C01B2203/0465; C01B2203/047; C01B2203/0475; C01B2203/048; C01B2210/00; C01B2210/0043; C01B2210/0046; Y; Y02; Y02C; Y02C20/00; Y02C20/40; Y02P; Y02P20/00; Y02P20/151
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
328 words
A pressure swing adsorption process for recovery of two gas products at high recovery and high purity from a feed gas stream containing said products wherein a first gas product is one or more, less strongly adsorbed components and a second gas product is one or more, more strongly adsorbed components, comprising: (a) introducing a feed gas stream at elevated pressure containing said one or more, less strongly adsorbed components and said one or more, more strongly adsorbed components into one of a plurality of parallel adsorptive beds filled with one or more adsorbents selective for said one or more, more strongly adsorbed components, so as to retain said one or more, more strongly adsorbed components on said one or more adsorbents and allow said one or more, less strongly adsorbed components to pass through said bed for recovery as said first gas product at high recovery and high purity; (b) terminating the introduction of said feed gas stream into said bed before said one or more, more strongly adsorbed components break through the downstream end of said bed and depressurizing said bed to approximately ambient pressure to remove said one or more, less strongly adsorbed components from said bed and recycling the resulting depressurization effluent to said feed gas stream; (c) passing a low pressure purge gas stream of one or more, more strongly adsorbed components through said bed to remove any residual one or more, less strongly adsorbed components from said bed and recycling the resulting effluent from said purged bed to the feed gas stream; (d) evacuating said bed to a subambient pressure to recover said one or more, more strongly adsorbed component as said second gas product at high recovery and high purity, and (e) repressurizing said bed with one or more, less strongly adsorbed components to approximately the pressure of the feed gas stream, wherein the steps (a) through (e) are performed on said plurality of beds to result in a continuous process.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
328 words
A pressure swing adsorption process for recovery of two gas products at high recovery and high purity from a feed gas stream containing said products wherein a first gas product is one or more, less strongly adsorbed components and a second gas product is one or more, more strongly adsorbed components, comprising: (a) introducing a feed gas stream at elevated pressure containing said one or more, less strongly adsorbed components and said one or more, more strongly adsorbed components into one of a plurality of parallel adsorptive beds filled with one or more adsorbents selective for said one or more, more strongly adsorbed components, so as to retain said one or more, more strongly adsorbed components on said one or more adsorbents and allow said one or more, less strongly adsorbed components to pass through said bed for recovery as said first gas product at high recovery and high purity; (b) terminating the introduction of said feed gas stream into said bed before said one or more, more strongly adsorbed components break through the downstream end of said bed and depressurizing said bed to approximately ambient pressure to remove said one or more, less strongly adsorbed components from said bed and recycling the resulting depressurization effluent to said feed gas stream; (c) passing a low pressure purge gas stream of one or more, more strongly adsorbed components through said bed to remove any residual one or more, less strongly adsorbed components from said bed and recycling the resulting effluent from said purged bed to the feed gas stream; (d) evacuating said bed to a subambient pressure to recover said one or more, more strongly adsorbed component as said second gas product at high recovery and high purity, and (e) repressurizing said bed with one or more, less strongly adsorbed components to approximately the pressure of the feed gas stream, wherein the steps (a) through (e) are performed on said plurality of beds to result in a continuous process.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein after the adsorption step (a) and before the depressurization step (b), said bed is pressure equalized with one of said parallel beds presently at a low pressure following its evacuation step.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein after the evacuation step (d) and before the repressurization step (e) said bed is pressure equalized with one of said parallel beds presently at the elevated pressure of said feed gas stream.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process of Claim 3 wherein after the evacuation step (d) and before the pressure equalization step, pressure equalizing said bed with one of said beds presently undergoing the low pressure purge step (c).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein depressurization is performed co-current to introduction of said feed gas stream.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the low pressure purge is performed co-current to introduction of said feed gas stream.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the evacuation is performed countercurrent to the introduction of said feed gas stream.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the repressurization is performed countercurrent to the introduction of said feed gas stream.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the evacuation is performed co-currently and countercurrently to the introduction of said feed gas stream simultaneously.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the elevated pressure of said feed gas stream is in the range of approximately 30 to 500 psia.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the depressurization is conducted down to a pressure of approximately 15 psia.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the evacuation is conducted down to a pressure in the range of approximately 40 to 200 torr.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein said less strongly adsorbed components and said more strongly adsorbed components are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and other hydrocarbons.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of zeolites, carbons, aluminas and silica gels.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein both said first gas product and second gas product are recovered in excess of 98% recovery and with less than 5% of the components of the respective other product gas.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of Claim 1 wherein the feed gas temperature is in the range of approximately 0 to 300°F.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
284 words
A pressure swing adsorption process for recovery of two gas products at high recovery and high purity from a feed gas stream containing said products wherein a first gas product is a less strongly adsorbed component and a second gas product is a more strongly adsorbed component, comprising: (a) introducing a feed gas stream at elevated pressure containing said less strongly adsorbed component and said more strongly adsorbed component into one of a plurality of parallel adsorptive beds filled with an adsorbent selective for said more strongly adsorbed component, so as to retain said more strongly adsorbed component on said adsorbent and allow the less strongly adsorbed component to pass through said bed for recovery as said first gas product at high recovery and high purity; (b) terminating the introduction of said feed gas stream into said bed before said more strongly adsorbed component breaks through the downstream end of said bed and depressurizing said bed to approximately ambient pressure to remove less strongly adsorbed component from said bed and recycling the resulting depressurization effluent to said feed gas stream; (c) passing a low pressure purge gas stream of more strongly adsorbed component through said bed to remove any residual less strongly adsorbed component from said bed and recycling the resulting effluent from aid purged bed to the feed gas stream; (d) evacuating said bed to a subambient pressure to recover more strongly adsorbed component as said second gas product at high recovery and high purity, and (e) repressurizing said bed with less strongly adsorbed component to approximately the pressure of the feed gas stream, wherein the steps (a) through (e) are performed on said plurality of beds to result in a continuous process.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
284 words
A pressure swing adsorption process for recovery of two gas products at high recovery and high purity from a feed gas stream containing said products wherein a first gas product is a less strongly adsorbed component and a second gas product is a more strongly adsorbed component, comprising: (a) introducing a feed gas stream at elevated pressure containing said less strongly adsorbed component and said more strongly adsorbed component into one of a plurality of parallel adsorptive beds filled with an adsorbent selective for said more strongly adsorbed component, so as to retain said more strongly adsorbed component on said adsorbent and allow the less strongly adsorbed component to pass through said bed for recovery as said first gas product at high recovery and high purity; (b) terminating the introduction of said feed gas stream into said bed before said more strongly adsorbed component breaks through the downstream end of said bed and depressurizing said bed to approximately ambient pressure to remove less strongly adsorbed component from said bed and recycling the resulting depressurization effluent to said feed gas stream; (c) passing a low pressure purge gas stream of more strongly adsorbed component through said bed to remove any residual less strongly adsorbed component from said bed and recycling the resulting effluent from aid purged bed to the feed gas stream; (d) evacuating said bed to a subambient pressure to recover more strongly adsorbed component as said second gas product at high recovery and high purity, and (e) repressurizing said bed with less strongly adsorbed component to approximately the pressure of the feed gas stream, wherein the steps (a) through (e) are performed on said plurality of beds to result in a continuous process.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of Claim 17 wherein said less strongly adsorbed components and said more strongly adsorbed components, respectively, are selected from the group consisting of H₂/CH₄, CH₄/CO₂, N₂/CO₂ and N₂/O₂.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process of Claim 17 wherein both said more strongly adsorbed component and said less strongly adsorbed component are recovered in excess of 98% recovery and in excess of 98% purity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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