Abstract The present invention relates to an improved cyclic adsorption process for recovering easy-to-regenerate condensible components from a multi-component gas stream. After contact with the inlet gas stream the adsorbent bed or beds containing easy and difficult-to-regenerate components are regenerated by contact with a lean regeneration gas stream. The resulting rich regeneration gas stream is contacted with a liquid stream consisting primarily of easy-to-regenerate components so that a major portion of the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are absorbed and removed by the liquid stream. The remaining rich regeneration gas stream is cooled so that easy-toregenerate components and additional difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are condensed thereby producing the liquid stream comprised primarily of easy-to-regenerate components used to contact the rich regeneration gas stream and a lean regeneration gas stream of a minimum difficult-to-regenerate component content. The lean regeneration gas stream is heated and recirculated in a closed circuit into contact with the bed or beds being regenerated thereby causing a maximum quantity of the difficult-to-regenerate components to be removed from the bed or beds and maximum bed easy-to-regenerate component adsorption capacity to be realized.
The process of claim 1 which is further characterized to include the step of separating the withdrawn liquid stream of step (b) into fractions to obtain an easy-to-regenerate component liquid product.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the inlet gas stream is natural gas, the easy-to-regenerate condensible components contained therein are methane and ethane and the difficult-to-regenerate condensible components contained therein are propane and heavier hydrocarbon compounds.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the adsorbent is activated carbon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
352 words
A cyclic adsorption process for recovering easy-to-regenerate condensible components from a multi-component inlet gas stream which comprises the steps of: contacting one or more of a plurality of solid adsorbent beds with said inlet gas stream so that both easy and difficult-to-regenerate condensible components contained therein are adsorbed on said bed or beds; simultaneously regenerating one or more other of said beds so that previously adsorbed condensible components are removed therefrom, comprising the steps of: a. contacting said bed or beds with a heated lean regeneration gas stream so that adsorbed condensible components are desorbed from said bed or beds into said regeneration gas stream thereby producing a regeneration gas stream rich in said condensible components, b. intimately contacting said rich regeneration gas stream with a liquid stream consisting primarily of easy-to-regenerate components so that a portion of the difficult-to-regenerate components contained in said rich regeneration gas stream is adsorbed and removed therefrom by said liquid stream, c. withdrawing said liquid stream from said process, d. cooling the remaining rich regeneration gas stream from step (a) so that easy-to-regenerate and remaining difficult-to-regenerate condensible components contained therein are condensed, e. separating the components condensed in step (d) from said regeneration gas stream so that a lean regeneration gas stream of minimum difficult-to-regenerate component content and a liquid stream consisting primarily of easy-to-regenerate components for use in step (b) are produced, f. heating the lean regeneration gas stream produced in step (e), and g. recirculating said heated lean reGeneration gas stream in a closed circuit into contact with said bed or beds; simultaneously contacting yet one or more other of said beds with a cooling gas stream so that said bed or beds are cooled preparatory to being contacted with said inlet gas stream; and cycling said inlet gas stream, regeneration gas stream and cooling gas stream so that the bed or beds just contacted with said inlet gas stream are regenerated, the bed or beds just regenerated are contacted with said cooling gas stream and the bed or beds just contacted with said cooling gas stream are contacted with said inlet gas stream.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process of claim 5 which is further characterized to include the step of separating the withdrawn liquid stream of step (c) into fractions to obtain an easy-to-regenerate component liquid product.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 5 wherein the inlet gas stream is natural gas, the easy-to-regenerate condensible components contained therein are methane and ethane and the difficult-to-regenerate condensible components contained therein are propane and heavier hydrocarbon compounds.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the adsorbent is activated carbon.