Hybrid nitrogen gas generation system
AssigneeFrito-Lay North America, Inc.
InventorsPraveen K. Nooli, Phillip S. Frazier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid nitrogen gas generation system includes a membrane nitrogen gas generator and a pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator. A gas comprising nitrogen is purified to a first nitrogen purity using one of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator. The gas is either bypassed around the other of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator to provide the gas having the first nitrogen purity or the gas is purified to a second nitrogen purity using the other of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator.
Claims17
A hybrid nitrogen gas generation system comprising:
- a membrane nitrogen generator that includes a vessel and a plurality of fibers located in the vessel, the membrane nitrogen generator configured to purify gas comprising nitrogen to a first nitrogen purity,
- a pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator that includes a first tower and a second tower, the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator being fluidly connected to and located downstream of the membrane nitrogen generator and configured to further purify the gas to a second nitrogen purity, and
- a purity control valve assembly fluidly connected between the membrane nitrogen generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator, the purity control valve assembly configured to selectively i) conduct the gas from the membrane nitrogen generator to the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator to cause the hybrid nitrogen gas generation system to provide the gas having the second nitrogen purity and ii) bypass the gas from the membrane nitrogen generator around the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator to cause the hybrid nitrogen gas generation system to provide the gas having the first nitrogen purity.
A hybrid nitrogen gas generation system comprising:
- a pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator that includes a first tower and a second tower, the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator configured to purify a gas comprising nitrogen to a first nitrogen purity,
- a first membrane nitrogen generator that includes a vessel and a plurality of fibers located in the vessel, the first membrane nitrogen generator being fluidly connected to and downstream of the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator and configured to purify the gas to a second nitrogen purity, and
- a purity control valve assembly fluidly connected between the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator and the first membrane nitrogen generator, the purity control valve assembly configured to selectively i) conduct the gas from the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator to the first membrane nitrogen generator to cause the hybrid nitrogen gas generation system to provide the gas having the second nitrogen purity and ii) bypass the gas from the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator around the first membrane nitrogen generator to cause the hybrid nitrogen gas generation system to provide the gas having the first nitrogen purity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.