US3866428A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cryogenic separation of an air feed using multi-zone adsorption units
Assignee: Air Liquide SA
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Filing: 1972-04-28
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Granted: 1975-02-18
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Expires: 1992-04-28
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to a method of fractionation of a gaseous mixture in order to obtain a gaseous fraction partly freed from at least one first constituent and one second constituent of said mixture, by means of at least one adsorption cycle comprising an adsorption phase during which said gaseous mixture circulates successively in at least one first adsorption zone and one second adsorption zone, adsorbing respectively said first and second constituents in order to obtain said gaseous fraction, and a desorption phase during which said first and second constituents are desorbed and a regeneration fraction circulates successively in said second and first adsorption zones, said gaseous mixture being cooled during the adsorption phase in a thermal accumulation zone, by extracting from said mixture at least the quantity of heat liberated by the adsorption of said first constituent, and then restoring to said mixture at least the quantity of cold liberated by the desorption of said second constituent during a previous cycle, said regeneration fraction being heated in said zone by extracting from said fraction at least the quantity of cold liberated by the desorption of said second constituent, and then restoring to said fraction at least the quantity of heat extracted.
Inventors
- 👤 Guy Simonet
- 👤 Claude Pivard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:41
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/02; B01D53/04; B01D53/047; B01D2259/00; B01D2259/40; B01D2259/40003; B01D2259/40011; B01D2259/40058; B01D2259/4006; B01D2259/401; B01D2259/402; B01D2259/403; B01D2259/404; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S62/00; Y10S62/902; Y10S62/908
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which during said adsorption cycle, said another enriched gaseous fraction is obtained from the inlet of said adsorption line, during said desorption and regeneration phase, at a desorption pressure lower than the adsorption pressure at which said impoverished gaseous fraction is obtained from the outlet of said adsorption line, during said adsorption and production phase, and wherein said adsorption cycle comprisEs a further pressure-increase phase comprised between said adsorption and production phase and said desorption and regeneration phase, during which a pressure-increase gas impoverished in said first and second constituents is introduced into the outlet of the adsorption line, countercurrently to the adsorption direction, the inlet of said adsorption line being closed, whereby the pressure in said adsorption line is increased.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said impoverished gaseous fraction is produced continuously by using a plurality of identical said adsorption lines operating simultaneously, each according to the same said adsorption cycle, and changed over periodically in cyclic permutation, and wherein simultaneously during the pressure-increase phase of a first adsorption line and during the adsorption and production phase of a second adsorption line, a part of the impoverished gaseous fraction obtained from the outlet of the second line is diverted toward the outlet of the first line, as said pressure-increase gas.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said adsorption and production phase of said adsorption cycle comprises a first step during which the impoverished gaseous fraction obtained from the outlet of said adsorption line is withdrawn as a product stream until said fraction has a predetermined composition, and a second step during which the gas obtained from the outlet of said adsorption line is diverted as a byproduct stream until said gas has a composition in the neighborhood of that of the starting gaseous mixture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
95 words
A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said impoverished gaseous fraction is produced continuously by using a plurality of identical said adsorption lines operating simultaneously, each according to the same adsorption cycle, and changed over periodically in cyclic permutation, and wherein simultaneously during the second step of the adsorption and production phase of a first adsorption line, and during the first step of the adsorption and production phase of a second adsorption line, the gas diverted as a byproduct stream from the outlet of first line is sent toward the inlet of second line.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said desorption and regeneration phase comprises a vacuum stage during which said another enriched gaseous fraction is sucked from the inlet of said adsorption line, the outlet thereof being closed, whereby the desorption pressure in said line is decreased, and wherein the final desorption pressure obtained at the end of said vacuum stage is comprised between 50 and 150 torr.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said final desorption pressure is about 100 torr.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the duration of the adsorption and production phase of said adsorption cycle is comprised between 20 and 60 seconds.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said duration is between 35 and 45 seconds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
76 words
An installation for the fractionation by adsorption of air, comprising at least a confined adsorption line operating in a substantially adiabatic manner and enclosing a first adsorption bed and a second adsorption bed, a thermal accumulation mass interposed between said adsorption beds, means to feed air serially through said first bed and said mass and said second bed, and meaans to feed a gas serially through said second bed and said mass and said first bed.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-17 | 1978-08-19 | 1979-02-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-17 | 1982-08-19 | 1983-02-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-17 | 1986-08-19 | 1987-02-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |