Adsorptive gas separator with inertial energy exchange
OwnerBowie G. Keeferinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Pressure swing adsorption separation of a gas mixture is performed in first and second working spaces, with each working space having a flow path contacting adsorbent beds and variable displacement chambers. The volumes of the first and second working spaces are cyclically varied in opposite phase by oscillations of a liquid column whose movements change the volume of variable displacement chambers, so as to achieve cyclic pressure changes in each working space as required for the pressure swing process, while the inertia of the oscillating liquid column exchanges energy between the first and second working spaces.
Claims42
A process for separating first and second components of a gas mixture to produce a product enriched in one of the first or second components, the first component being more readily adsorbed under increase of pressure relative to the second component which is less readily adsorbed under increase of pressure over an adsorbent, such that a gas mixture of the first and second components contacting the adsorbent is relatively enriched in the first component at a first lower pressure and is relatively enriched in the second component at a second higher pressure when the pressure is cycled between the first and second pressures at a cyclic frequency;
- providing for the process a flow path through an adsorbent bed in a working space;
- and the process having the cyclically repeated steps at the cyclic frequency and in some sequence of:
- (a) introducing the gas mixture to the flow path,
- (b) generating cyclically oscillating flow of a displacement liquid to change the volume of the working space, thus generating cyclic pressure changes in the working space and alternatingly compressing and expanding the gas in the working space to change the amount of potential energy associated with gas compression and adsorption in the working space,
- (c) generating cyclically reversing flow of the gas mixture in the flow path, while establishing a relative phase between the reversing flow and the said pressure changes,
- (d) coordinating he relative phase of the said pressure changes within the working space and the reversing flow of the gas mixture in the flow path, so that the gas flow in the flow path is directed toward a first end of the flow path when the pressure is approximately the first lower pressure, and the gas flow in the flow path is oppositely directed toward a second end of the flow path when the pressure is approximately the second higher pressure;
- so as to achieve a separation of gas enriched in the first component to the first end of the flow path, and gas enriched in the second component to the second end of the flow path,
- (e) withdrawing the product from the flow path,
- (f) storing potential energy of compression in the working space when the pressure in the working space is the higher second pressure,
- (g) storing potential energy when the pressure in the working space is the lower first pressure,
- (h) storing kinetic energy when the pressure in the working space is changing between the first and second pressures,
- (i) exchanging energy between the potential energy stored in step (f), the kinetic energy stored in step (h), and the potential energy stored in step (g), and
- (j) providing driving energy to the process to compensate for energy dissipation effects and nay imbalance of energy storage in steps (f), (g) and (h),
- and further providing that the potential energy stored in steps (f) and (g) and the kinetic energy stored in step (h) are approximately equal, to within the energy dissipation effects and energy storage imbalances compensated in step (j).
Apparatus for separating first and second components of a gas mixture, the first component being more readily adsorbed under increase of pressure relative to the second component which is less readily adsorbed under increase of pressure over an adsorbent, such that a gas mixture of the first and second components contacting the adsorbent is relatively enriched in the first component at a first lower pressure and is relatively enriched in the second component at a second higher pressure when the pressure is cycled between the first and second pressures at a cyclic frequency;
- and the apparatus including a working space containing an adsorbent bed, with a flow path through the adsorbent bed having a first end of the flow path and a second end of the flow path, and means to introduce the gas mixture and means to remove a product from the flow path;
- the working space further including a first volume displacement chamber communicating with the first end of the flow path, and a second volume displacement chamber communicating with the second end of the flow path, so that changes of the total volume of the working space including the first and second volume displacement chambers will change the pressure in the working space between the first and second pressures and thus will change the compression potential energy in the working space;
- the apparatus further including:
- (a) a liquid column in a pipe, the liquid column having two ends,
- (b) means to couple one end of the liquid column to the working space, so that displacement of the liquid column in the pipe is coupled to volume changes of the working space and changes of pressure and compression potential energy in the working space,
- (c) second potential energy storage means coupled to the other end of the liquid column, so that potential energy is stored in the second potential energy storage means when the pressure in the working space is the first lower pressure,
- (d) means to generate oscillating displacements of the liquid column at the cyclic frequency,
- (e) means to generate cyclic volume changes of the first and second volume displacement chambers, with means to coordinate cyclic volume changes of the first and second volume displacement chambers, so that the first volume displacement chamber has a lagging phase with respect to volume changes in the second volume displacement chamber;
- so as to generate flow of the gas mixture in the flow path in a relative phase to changes in pressure within the working space so that the gas flow in the flow path is directed toward the first end of the flow path when the pressure is approximately the first lower pressure, and the gas flow in the flow path is oppositely directed toward the second end of the flow path when the pressure is approximately the second higher pressure;
- and so as to achieve a separation of gas enriched in the first component toward the first end of the flow path, and gas enriched in the second component toward the second end of the flow path,
- (f) means to store kinetic energy substantially in the fluid mass of the liquid column when the pressure in the working space is changing between the first and second pressures,
- (g) means to exchange energy between the potential energy stored in the working space when its pressure is the second pressure, potential energy stored in the second potential energy means when the pressure in the working space is the first lower pressure, and the kinetic energy stored when the pressure is changing between the first and second pressures, and
- (h) means to provide driving energy to the process to compensate for energy dissipation effects and nay imbalance of energy stored as potential and kinetic energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.