US 5,181,942 AGranted

Continuous method for removing oil vapor from feed gases containing water vapor

AssigneeThe BOC Group, Inc.

InventorRavi Jain

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Abstract

A method for removing oil vapor from a feed gas containing water vapor which comprises the steps of passing the feed gas through a first adsorption layer to remove the water vapor from the feed gas and to produce a dry feed gas having water vapor below a predetermined level, passing the dry feed gas through a second adsorption layer to remove oil vapor from the feed gas and to produce a purified, dry, oil-free gas, and passing the dry, oil-free gas through a third adsorption layer to desorb water form the third adsorption layer and thereby regenerate the third adsorption layer.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A two-phase cyclic method for removing oil vapor from a water vapor- and oil vapor-containing feed gas and delivering the substantially oil vapor-free feed gas to a downstream system, the first phase comprising;

flowing the water vapor- and oil vapor-containing feed gas through a regenerated first water vapor-adsorbing bed, thereby dehumidifying the feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified feed gas through an oil vapor-adsorbing bed which operates in a non-regenerative mode with respect to oil vapor, thereby removing substantially all of the oil vapor from the dehumidified feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas through a second water vapor-adsorbing bed which contains water vapor, thereby rehumidifying said feed gas and regenerating said second water vapor-adsorbing bed;
then flowing the rehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas from said second water vapor-adsorbing bed to said downstream system;
and the second phase comprising:
flowing the water vapor- and oil vapor-containing feed gas through said regenerated second water vapor-adsorbing bed, thereby dehumidifying the feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified feed gas through said oil vapor-adsorbing bed, thereby removing substantially all of the oil vapor from the dehumidified feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas through said first water vapor-adsorbing bed, thereby rehumidifying said feed gas and regenerating said first water vapor-adsorbing bed;
then flowing the rehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas from said first water vapor-adsorbing bed to said downstream system;
the first phase ending and the second phase beginning when the concentration of water vapor in said first water vapor-adsorbing bed reaches a predetermined level, and the second phase ending and the first phase beginning when the concentration of water vapor in said second water vapor-adsorbing bed reaches said predetermined level, and the first and second phases being repeated to provide a substantially continuous flow of substantially oil vapor-free gas to said downstream system.

7 more elements

A method for removing oil vapor from a water vapor-containing feed gas in a system comprising three adsorbent beds, the first and third beds containing an adsorbent which preferentially adsorbs water vapor and the second bed containing an adsorbent which preferentially adsorbs oil vapor and which operates in a non-regenerative with respect to oil vapor, comprising the steps:

(A) flowing the feed gas through said first bed, thereby dehumidifying said feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified feed gas through said second bed, thereby removing substantially all of the oil vapor from the dehumidified feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas through said third bed, thereby rehumidifying the feed gas and regenerating said third bed of adsorbent;
then flowing the rehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas from said third bed to a downstream system;
(B) flowing the feed gas through said third bed, thereby dehumidifying said feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified feed gas through said second bed, thereby removing substantially all of the oil vapor from the dehumidified feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas through said first bed, thereby rehumidifying said feed gas and regenerating said first bed of adsorbent;
then flowing the rehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas from said first bed to said downstream system;
and
(C) repeating steps (A) and (B);
steps (A) and (B) being of substantially equal duration.

8 more elements

An adsorption apparatus for removing oil vapor from a feed gas containing water vapor and delivering substantially oil-free gas to a downstream system which comprises:

(A) three adjacent purification vessels, each vessel having an inlet end and an outlet end, which comprise:
(a) a first purification vessel containing a first adsorption layer comprising a regenerable desiccant;
(b) a second purification vessel containing a second adsorption layer comprising an oil vapor adsorbent which operates in a non-regenerative mode with respect to oil vapor;
(c) a third purification vessel containing a third adsorption layer comprising a regenerable desiccant;
wherein the outlet end of the first purification vessel is connected to the inlet end of the second purification vessel and the outlet end of the second purification vessel is connected to the inlet end of the third purification vessel;
(B) a source of a feed gas containing oil vapor and water vapor connected to the inlet end of the first purification vessel by a conduit containing a switching valve and to the outlet end of the third purification vessel by a conduit containing a switching valve;
and
(C) a downstream system, for receiving oil-free feed gas, connected to the outlet end of the third purification vessel by a conduit containing a switching valve and to the inlet end of the first purification vessel by a conduit containing a switching valve.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

flowing the water vapor- and oil vapor-containing feed gas through a regenerated first water vapor-adsorbing bed, thereby dehumidifying the feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified feed gas through an oil vapor-adsorbing bed which operates in a non-regenerative mode with respect to oil vapor, thereby removing substantially all of the oil vapor from the dehumidified feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas through a second water vapor-adsorbing bed which contains water vapor, thereby rehumidifying said feed gas and regenerating said second water vapor-adsorbing bed;
then flowing the rehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas from said second water vapor-adsorbing bed to said downstream system;
and the second phase comprising:
flowing the water vapor- and oil vapor-containing feed gas through said regenerated second water vapor-adsorbing bed, thereby dehumidifying the feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified feed gas through said oil vapor-adsorbing bed, thereby removing substantially all of the oil vapor from the dehumidified feed gas;
then flowing the dehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas through said first water vapor-adsorbing bed, thereby rehumidifying said feed gas and regenerating said first water vapor-adsorbing bed;
then flowing the rehumidified, substantially oil vapor-free feed gas from said first water vapor-adsorbing bed to said downstream system;
the first phase ending and the second phase beginning when the concentration of water vapor in said first water vapor-adsorbing bed reaches a predetermined level, and the second phase ending and the first phase beginning when the concentration of water vapor in said second water vapor-adsorbing bed reaches said predetermined level, and the first and second phases being repeated to provide a substantially continuous flow of substantially oil vapor-free gas to said downstream system.

7 more elements