Cyclic adsorption process

Claim 1

IN THE REMOVAL OF WATER VAPOR CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS FROM WET NATURAL GAS INVOLVING THE CONTACT OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL WITH THE GAS WITH RESULTANT ADSORPTION OF THE WATER VAPOR AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS BY THE ADSORBENT MATERIAL AND THE SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT OF THE ADSORBENT MATERIAL WITH A HEATED MEDIUM TO VAPORIZE AND REMOVE THE WATER AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS AND THEREBY REACTIVATE THE ADSORBENT MATERIAL FOR FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE NATURAL GAS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING AT LEAST ONE BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL IN EACH OF A PLURALITY OF ZONES; CONTINUOUSLYY HEATING AND RECYCLING A FLOW OF CAPTIVE GAS THROUGH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ZONES TO VAPORIZE THE WATER AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS CONTAINED IN THE ADSORBENT MATERIAL THEREIN AND REACTIVE THE ADSORBENT MATERIAL; CONTINUOUSLY DIRECTING THE FLOW OF A PURGING MEDIUM THROUGH AT LEAST ANOTHER ONE OF SAID ZONES TO PURGE THE ADSORBENT MATERIAL THEREIN BY REMOVING ALL OF THE REMAINING ACTIVATION GAS, MOISTURE AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS THEREFROM; DIRECTING A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF THE RAW NATURAL GAS SO THAT IT WILL MAKE A FIRST PASSAGE THROUGH AT LEAST AN ADDITIONAL ONE OF SAID ZONES AND A SECOND PASSAGE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF SAID ZONES SO THAT THE WATER VAPOR AND SOME OF THE CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBON CONTENT OF THE GAS WILL BE ADSORBED BY THE ADSORBENT MATERIAL THEREIN; CONTINUOUSLY COOLING THE RAW NATURAL GAS PRIOR TO ITS PASSAGE THROUGH THE LAST ONE OF SAID REMAINDER OF SAID ZONES SO THAT THE BEDS OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL THEREIN WILL BE COOLED; PERIODICALLY SHIFTING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE PARIN EACH OF SAID ZONES SO THAT EACH ZONE BECOMES, IN SUCCESSION, A REACTIVATION ZONE, A PURGING ZONE, A COOLING ZONE, AND A DEHYDRATION ZONE; CONTINUALLY DIRECTING THE FLOW OF THE CAPTAIVE GAS AS IT IS RECYCLED AND AFTER ITS PASSAGE THROUGH THE REACTIVATION ZONE, THROUGH A CONDENSING AND SEPARATING ZONE AND THERE CONDENSING AND RECOVERING THE WATER AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS THEREFROM; CONTINUOUSLY DIVERTING A PORTION OF THE STRIPPED EFFUENT GAS FROM THE COOLING ZONE FOR USE AS THE PURGING MEDIUM AND CONTINUOUSLY DIRECTING THE FLOW OF THE EFFUENT GAS FROM THE PURGING ZONE INTO THE FLOW OF THE RECYCLING CAPTIVE ACTIVATION GAS ON ITS WAY TO BE HEATED.