Adsorption process for recovering adsorbable components from a multi-component gas stream

Claim 2

The process of claim 2 wherein step (c) comprises: cooling said regeneration gas stream so that easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are condensed; separating the condensed easy-to-regenerate components from the remaining regeneration gas stream; and withdrawing the condensed easy-to-regenerate components from said process.

Claim 3

The process of claim 2 wherein the multi-component inlet gas stream is a natural gas stream, the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are pentanes and heavier hydrocarbon compounds, and the easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are butanes and lighter hydrocarbon compounds.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2 wherein the multi-component inlet gas stream is a refinery gas stream, the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are heavy olefin hydrocarbon compounds and the easy-to-regenerate components components contained therein are ethylene, ethane and other light hydrocarbon compounds.

Claim 5

An adsorption process for recovering adsorbable components from a multi-component inlet gas stream comprising the steps of: a. contacting one of a plurality of solid adsorbent beds with said inlet gas stream so that adsorbable components which are difficult to regenerate contained therein are adsorbed on said bed and a residue gas stream consisting primarily of adsorbable components which are easy-to-regenerate is produced; b. contacting another of said beds with the residue gas stream produced in step (a) so that easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are adsorbed on said bed and an effluent gas stream substantially free of adsorbable components is produced; c. contacting yet another of said beds with a first heated regeneration gas stream so that easy-to-regenerate components previously adsorbed thereon are desorbed into said regeneration gas stream; d. recovering said easy-to-regenerate components from said first regeneration gas stream; e. contacting still another of said beds with a cooling gas stream so that said bed is cooled; f. continuously changing the flow patterns of said residue gas stream, said first heated regeneration gas stream and said cooling gas stream so that the bed just contacted with said residue gas stream is contacted with said heated regeneration gas stReam thereby desorbing easy-to-regenerate components therefrom, the bed just contacted with said cooling gas stream is contacted with said residue gas stream so that easy-to-regenerate components are adsorbed thereon, and the bed just contacted with said first heated regeneration gas stream is contacted with said cooling gas stream preparatory to again being contacted with said residue gas stream; g. periodically changing the flow pattern of said inlet gas stream so that when the bed contacted therewith becomes loaded with difficult-to-regenerate components, the bed just contacted with said residue gas stream is contacted with said inlet gas stream thereby causing difficult-to-regenerate components to be adsorbed thereon; h. contacting the bed just contacted with said inlet gas stream with a second heated regeneration gas stream during the cycle following step (g) so that the difficult-to-regenerate components adsorbed thereon are desorbed into said second regeneration gas stream; i. recovering the desorbed difficult-to-regenerate components from second regeneration gas stream; and j. repeating steps (f) through (i).

Claim 6

The process of claim 6 wherein step (a) comprises the steps of: cooling said regeneration gas stream so that difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are condensed; separating the condensed components from the remaining regeneration gas stream; and withdrawing the condensed difficult-to-regenerate components from said process.

Claim 7

The process of claim 7 wherein the multi-component inlet gas stream is a natural gas stream, the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are pentanes and heavier hydrocarbon compounds, and the easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are butanes and lighter hydrocarbon compounds.

Claim 8

The process of claim 7 wherein the multi-component inlet gas stream is a refinery gas stream, the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are heavy olefin hydrocarbon compounds and the easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are ethylene, ethane and other light hydrocarbon compounds.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7 which is further characterized to include the steps of: passing said produced effluent gas stream into a ballast tank during each cycle when the pressure of said effluent gas stream exceeds a predetermined level; providing make-up gas to said cooling gas stream during each cycle from the effluent gas contained within said ballast tank when the pressure of said cooling gas stream reaches a predetermined minimum level; and withdrawing effluent gas from said ballast tank when the pressure of said effluent gas contained therein exceeds a predetermined level.

Claim 10

An adsorption process for recovering both easy-to-regenerate and difficult-to-regenerate adsorbable components from a multi-component inlet gas stream comprising the steps of: a. contacting one of a plurality of solid adsorbent beds with said inlet gas stream so that both easy-to-regenerate and difficult-to-regenerate adsorbable components contained therein are adsorbed on said bed and a residue gas stream substantially free of such adsorbable components is produced; b. contacting another of said beds with a first heated regeneration gas stream so that previously adsorbed components which are easy-to-regenerate are desorbed into said first regeneration gas stream; c. contacting yet another of said beds with a second heated regeneration gas stream for a period of time at least four times as long as the period of contact of the first heated regeneration gas stream in step (b), to raise the maximum temperature of the effluent from the regenerating adsorber to a temperature at least 50*F higher than the temperature of the effluent from the regenerating adsorber in step (b), so that previously adsorbed components which are difficult-to-regenerate are desorbed into said second regeneration gas stream; d. recovering said easy- and difficult-to-regeNerate components from said first and second regeneration gas streams; e. contacting still another of said beds with a cooling gas stream so that said bed is cooled; f. continuously cycling the flow patterns of said inlet gas stream, said first heated regeneration gas stream and said cooling gas stream so that the bed just contacted with said inlet gas stream is contacted with said first heated regeneration gas stream thereby desorbing easy-to-regenerate components therefrom, the bed just contacted with said cooling gas stream is contacted with said inlet gas stream so that adsorbable components are adsorbed thereon and the bed just contacted with said first heated regeneration gas stream is contacted with said cooling gas stream preparatory to being contacted with said inlet gas stream; g. periodically changing the flow pattern of said second heated regeneration gas stream so that when a bed being contacted with said inlet gas stream reaches a predetermined difficult-to-regenerate component content, it is contacted with said second heated regeneration gas stream and the bed just contacted with said second heated regeneration gas stream is contacted with said first heated regeneration gas stream; and h. repeating steps (f) and (g).

Claim 11

The process of claim 11 wherein step (d) comprises the steps of: combining said first and second regeneration gas streams containing easy and difficult-to-regenerate components respectively; cooling the combined regeneration gas stream so that the easy and difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are condensed; separating the condensed components from the remaining combined regeneration gas stream; withdrawing the condensed components from said process; heating said combined regeneration gas stream; and dividing said combined heated regeneration gas stream into said first and second heated regeneration gas streams.

Claim 12

The process of claim 11 wherein the multi-component inlet gas stream is a natural gas stream, the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are pentanes and heavier hydrocarbon compounds, and the easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are butanes and lighter hydrocarbon compounds.

Claim 13

The process of claim 11 wherein the multi-component inlet gas stream is a refinery gas stream, the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are heavy olefin hydrocarbon compounds and the easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are ethylene, ethane, and other light hydrocarbon compounds.

Claim 14

The process of claim 6 which is further characterized to include the steps of: passing said residue gas stream substantially free of adsorbable components into a ballast tank during each cycle when the pressure of said residue gas stream exceeds a predetermined level; providing make-up gas to said cooling gas stream during each cycle from the residue gas contained within the said ballast tank when the pressure of said cooling gas stream reaches a predetermined minimum level; and withdrawing residue gas from said ballast tank when the pressure of said residue gas contained therein exceeds a predetermined level.

Claim 15

A cyclic adsorption process for recovering adsorbable components from a multi-component inlet gas stream which comprises the steps of: a. contacting one of a plurality of solid adsorbent beds with said inlet gas stream so that adsorbable components contained therein which are difficult to regenerate are adsorbed on said bed and a residue gas stream consisting primarily of components which are easy to regenerate is produced; b. contacting another of said beds with a first heated regeneration gas stream so that difficult-to-regenerate components previously adsorbed thereon are desorbed into said first regeneration gas stream; c. recovering said difficult-to-regenerate components from said first regeneration gas stream; d. contacting yet another of said beds with a first cooling gas stream so that sAid bed is cooled preparatory to contacting said inlet gas stream; e. continuously cycling the flow patterns of said inlet gas stream, said first heated regeneration gas stream and said first cooling gas stream on a long cycle so that the bed just contacted with said inlet gas stream is contacted with said first heated regeneration gas stream thereby desorbing difficult-to-regenerate components therefrom, the bed just contacted with said first cooling gas stream is contacted with said inlet gas stream so that difficult-to-regenerate components are adsorbed thereon and the bed just contacted with said first heated regeneration gas stream is contacted with said cooling gas stream; f. contacting still another of said beds with the residue gas stream produced in step (a) so that easy-to-regenerate components and remaining difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are adsorbed on said bed and an effluent gas stream substantially free of adsorbable components is produced; g. contacting still another of said beds with a second heated regeneration gas stream so that easy-to-regenerate components previously adsorbed thereon are desorbed into said second regeneration gas stream; h. recovering said easy-to-regenerate components from said second regeneration gas stream; i. contacting still another of said beds with a second cooling gas stream so that said bed is cooled preparatory to contacting said residue gas stream; j. continuously cycling the flow patterns of said residue gas stream, said second heated regeneration gas stream and said second cooling gas stream on a short cycle so that the bed just contacted with said residue gas stream is contacted with said second heated regeneration gas stream thereby desorbing easy-to-regenerate components therefrom, the bed just contacted with said second cooling gas stream is contacted with said residue gas stream so that easy-to-regenerate components and remaining difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are adsorbed thereon and the bed just contacted with said second heated regeneration gas stream is contacted with said second cooling gas stream; and k. changing the flow patterns of said inlet gas stream and said residue gas stream at the beginning of each long cycle so that the bed just contacted with said second cooling gas stream is contacted with said inlet gas stream and the bed just contacted with said first cooling gas stream is contacted with said residue gas stream thereby subjecting each of said beds to regeneration on said long cycle so that adsorbed difficult-to-regenerate components are removed therefrom.

Claim 16

The process of claim 11 wherein step (c) comprises the steps of: cooling said first regeneration gas stream so that difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are condensed; separating the condensed components from the remaining first regeneration gas stream; and withdrawing the condensed difficult-to-regenerate components from said process.

Claim 17

The process of claim 17 wherein step (h) comprises the steps of: cooling said second regeneration gas stream so that easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are condensed; separating the condensed components from the remaining second regeneration gas stream; and withdrawing the condensed easy-to-regenerate components from said process.

Claim 18

The process of claim 17 wherein the multi-component inlet gas stream is a natural gas stream, the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are pentanes and heavier hydrocarbon compounds, and the easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are butanes and lighter hydrocarbon compounds.

Claim 19

The process of claim 17 wherein the multi-component inlet gas stream is a refinery gas stream, the difficult-to-regenerate components contained therein are heavy olefin hydrocarbon compounds and the easy-to-regenerate components contained therein are ethylene, ethane and other light hydrocarbon compounds.

Claim 20

The process oF claim 17 which is further characterized to include the step of: passing said produced effluent gas stream into a ballast tank during each cycle when the pressure of said effluent gas stream exceeds a predetermined level; providing make-up gas to said cooling gas stream during each cycle from the effluent gas contained within said ballast tank when the pressure of said cooling gas stream reaches a predetermined minimum level; and withdrawing effluent gas from said ballast tank when the pressure of said effluent gas contained therein exceeds a predetermined level.