Staged complementary PSA system for low energy fractionation of mixed fluid

A method for fractionation of a multicomponent stream having first and second components and for providing a continuous purified supply of said multicomponent stream using a thermal swing adsorption system, wherein a first adsorption column is used that is selective for the first component and a second adsorption column is used that is selective for the second component, which comprises of steps of:

• a) feeding the first adsorption column, selective for the first component, at a first high temperature with a stream of the multicomponent stream and generating a product comprising the second component;
• b) decreasing the temperature of said first adsorption column by coming to thermal equilibrium with another adsorption column which is at a first low temperature;
• c) purging said first adsorption column at a first intermediate temperature by using the product comprising the second component or a purge effluent of the second adsorption column selective for the second component;
• d) purging said first adsorption column at a second low temperature by using the product comprising the second component;
• and
• e) increasing the temperature of said first adsorption column from a third low temperature to a second high temperature, by coming to thermal equilibrium with another adsorption column which is at higher temperature than said first adsorption column.