Gas separation system

Claim 1

In a processing system for processing a stream of a gas mixture including a relatively small portion of predetermined gas mixed with other gases. a process for removing said predetermined gas from said gas mixture and concentrating said predetermined gas comprising the steps of: (1) providing a gas preconditioning system having an inlet and an outlet and including means for removing selected gases from said gas mixture; (2) directing said gas mixture into said inlet of said preconditioning system to thereby provide a preconditioned gas mixture at said outlet of said preconditioning system; (3) providing a gas separation system including first and second adsorber columns each including a bed of adsorbent having high selectivity for said predetermined gas in a container having inlet and outlet passages, said preconditioning system having a gas handling capacity which is multiple of the gas processing capacity of said separation system; (4) directing all but a predetermined portion of said preconditioned gas mixture from said outlet of said preconditioning system to the inlet thereof for recirculation therethrough; (5) directing said predetermined portion of said preconditioned gas mixture from said outlet of said preconditioning system into said inlet passage of said first column of said separation system and into the first column bed thereof while said column is at a low temperature and a high pressure favorable for adsorption of said predetermined gas on said adsorbent whereby an adsorbate of said predetermined gas and co-adsorbed other gases is adsorbed only on an upstream portion less than the full length of said first column bed while the remainder of said other gases free of said predetermined gas are exhausted through said outlet passage of said first column and vented from said processing system; (6) directing said predetermined portion of said preconditioned gas mixture into said inlet passage of said second column and into the second column bed in accordance with the conditions of said step (5) when said upstream portion of said first column bed becomes saturated; (7) closing said inlet passage of said first column when said upstream portion of said first column bed becomes saturated and reducing the pressure therein from said high pressure to a low pressure favorable for desorption of said adsorbate from said adsorbent by pump-down through said outlet passage of said first column for removing from said first column bed and venting from said processing system a portion of said co-adsorbed other gases, and terminating said pump-down short of breakthrough of said predetermined gas from said bed whereby the vented gases are free of said predetermined gas; (8) closing said outlet passage of said first column and increasing the temperature of said first column bed above said low temperature to a high temperature favorable for desorption of said predetermined gas from said absorbent while reducing the pressure in said first column by pump-down through said inlet passage of said first column to desorb and remove said predetermined gas and co-adsorbed other gases from said first column bed and directing the thus removed gases into said inlet of said preconditioning system for recirculation therethrough whereby the concentration of said predetermined gas in said preconditioned gas mixture is increased.