Method and apparatus for purifying gaseous mixtures by cyclic adsorption

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUS NON-SELECTIVE SEPARATION OF IMPURITIES FROM A GAS STREAM CONTAINING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF A HYDROCARBON FUEL WHICH COMPRISES ALTERNATELY ADSORBING THE GREATER PROPORTION OF THE INPURITIES FROM A GAS STREAM IN ONE OF TWO FIRST ADSORBENT BEDS ARRANGED FOR ALTERNATELY SHIFTING BETWEEN CYCLES OF HIGH PRESSURE ADSORPTION AND LOW PRESSURE DESORPTION AND CONTROLLED SO AS TO OPERATE FOR SHORT PERIODS OF CYCLIC ADSORPTION AND DESORPTION, CONTINUOUSLY RECOVERING A PARTIALLY PURIFIED EFFLUENT FROM ONE OF SAID ADSORBENT BEDS, ALTERNATELY ADSORBING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE REMAINING IMPURTIES FROM SAID PARTIALLY PURIFIED GAS IN ANOTHER ONE OF TWO SECOND ADSORBENT BEDS ARRANGED FOR ALTERNATELY SHIFTING BETWEEN CYCLES OF HIGH PRESSURE ADSORPTION AND LOW PRESSURE DESORPTION AND CONTROLLED SO AS TO OPERATE FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF CYCLIC ADSORPTION AND DESORPTION, CONTINUOUSLY RECOVERING A SUBSTANTIALLY PURIFIED GAS FROM ONER OF SAID SECOND ADSORBENT BEDS; AT THE SAME TIME, DIVERTING A PORTION OF THE RECOVERED PURIFIED EFFLUENT GAS TO A DISTRIBUTION ZONE, PASSING THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE PURIFIED EFFLUENT FROM THE DISTRIBUTION ZONE THROUGH A PRESSURE REDUCING ZONE TO EXPAND THE PURIFIED EFFLUENT, PURGING THE IMPURITIES FROM THE OTHER OF SID FIRST ADSORBENT BEDS WITH SAID EXPANDED PURIFIED EFFLUENT, PASSING THE REMAINING PORTION OF GAS IN SAID DISTRIBUTION ZONE TO ANOTHER PRESSURE REDUCING ZONE, AND PURGING THE IMPURITIES FROM THE OTHER OF SAID SECOND ADSORBENT BEDS WITH SAID REMAINING PORTION OF SAID PURIFIED EFFLUENT WHILE SUPPLYING HEAT TO SAID SECOND ADSORBENT BED DURING THE DESORPTION CYCLE.