System and process for recovering products using simulated-moving-bed adsorption

A process for separating components in a feed stream by simulated countercurrent adsorptive separation comprising:

• introducing a feed stream, comprising at least one preferentially adsorbed component and at least one non-preferentially adsorbed component, and a desorbent stream into two different ports via two different corresponding transfer lines along a multi-bed adsorptive separation chamber having a plurality of beds that are serially connected in fluid communication and comprising a predetermined number of spaced ports with corresponding transfer lines in fluid communication therewith for introducing and removing fluid into and from the adsorptive separation chamber and withdrawing an extract stream and raffinate stream through two different ports of the multi-bed adsorptive separation chamber via two different corresponding transfer lines;
• flushing residual fluid within an intermediate transfer line of a purification zone defined as a region of the adsorptive separation chamber between the feed stream transfer line and the extract stream transfer line away from the adsorptive separation chamber to remove at least a portion of the residual fluid from the intermediate transfer line;
• and
• directing the residual fluid flushed from the intermediate transfer line to another transfer line that is not a transfer line of the purification zone to restrict the residual fluid from being introduced into the purification zone.