Separation of gas mixtures utilizing plural sorbent zones in series and parallel

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A MIXTURE OF GASES AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS SELECTIVELY SORBED BY CONTACT WITH A SORBENT AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER GAS IS RELATIVELY LESS SORBED BY THE SORBENT WHICH COMPRISES: (1) INTRODUCING A FEED STREAM OF SAID MIXTURE INTO THE FIRST OF THE SERIES OF N DISCRETE SORPTION ZONES EACH CONTAINING SAID SORBENT; (2) PASSING THE EFFLUENT FROM EACH SORPTION ZONE INTO THE NEXT SUCCEEDING SORPTION ZONE AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE NTH ZONE OF SAID SERIES A RAFFINATE STREAM OF REDUCED SELECTIVELY SORBED GAS CONTENT; (3) MAINTAINING UNDER LOWER PRESSURE THAN THE SORPTION ZONES A SERIES OF N DISCRETE DEPRESSURIZATION ZONES PARALLEL TO AND SEPARATE FROM SAID SERIES OF SORPTION ZONES, EACH DEPRESSURIZATION ZONE BEING A COUNTERPART OF A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID SORPTION ZONES AND CONTAINING SAID SORBENT HAVING SORBED THEREIN THE SELECTIVELY SORBED GAS AND MINOR AMOUNTS OF LESS SORBED GAS; (4) DISENGAGING LESS SORBED GAS FROM THE SORBENT IN SAID DEPRESSURIZATION ZONES AND WITHDRAWING LESS SORBED GAS THEREFROM; (5) INTRODUCING A GASEOUS DESORBENT STREAM INTO THE NTH OF A SERIES OF N DISCRETE DESORPTION ZONES PARALLEL TO AND SEPARATE FROM SAID SERIES OF SORPTION ZONES AND DEPRESSURIZATION ZONES, EACH DESORPTION ZONE BEING A COUNTERPART OF A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID DEPRESSURIZATION ZONES AND CONTAINING SAID SORBENT HAVING SORBED THEREIN THE SELECTIVELY SORBED GAS; (6) PASSING THE EFFLUENT FROM EACH DESORPTION ZONE INTO THE NEXT PRECEDING DESORPTION ZONE IN COUNTERFLOW RELATIONSHIP TO SAID FEED STREAM AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE FIRST OF SAID SERIES OF DESORPTION ZONES A SORBATE STREAM COMPRISING DESORBENT AND SELECTIVELY SORBED GAS; AND (7) PERIODICALLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY INTERCHANGING IN A ROTATING SEQUENCE THE RESPECTIVE COUNTERPART SORPTION, DEPRESSURIZATION AND DESORPTION ZONES WHEREBY EACH DISCRETE MASS OF SORBENT IS REPETITIVELY SUBJECTED TO SORPTION, DEPRESSURIZATION AND DESORPTION CONDITIONS IN THAT ORDER.