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US 5,203,889 AGranted
Process and system for fractionating gaseous mixtures
AssigneeGeneral Signal Corporation
InventorJeffrey M. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and system which provides for the heatless or pressure swing fractionation of a gaseous mixture which comprises first and second fractionation columns containing appropriate adsorption materials, together with heat exchangers, and especially featuring a compressed gas pressure powered motor driving a compressor so as to recover energy released due to the pressure reduction in one of the process flow streams.
Claims24
A system for separating a gaseous mixture by means of pressure swing adsorption fractionation which comprises:
- a. means for directing a source stream of gaseous mixture to a first adsorption unit wherein said gaseous mixture is fractionated such that waste gases are adsorbed and product gases are passed through said first adsorption unit;
- b. means of dividing said product gases into a product stream and a purge stream;
- c. means for directing said purge stream to a pre-heater means wherein said purge stream is heated to a desirable temperature;
- d. means for directing the preheated purge stream to a pressure powered motor wherein rotational mechanical energy is produced and/or stored, said purge stream is cooled, and the pressure of said purge stream is reduced;
- e. means for directing said purge stream from said pressure powered motor to a second adsorption unit wherein the waste gases in said second adsorption unit are desorbed and wherein said purge stream becomes enriched with said waste gases;
- f. means for directing the waste gas enriched purge stream to a compressor means wherein said enriched purge stream is compressed to near atmospheric pressure, said compressor means being powered by said rotational mechanical energy produced by and/or stored within said pressure powered motor and wherein said enriched purge stream is heated by virtue of the work done upon it by said compressor means;
- whereby said compressor means creates a subatmospheric pressure in said second adsorption unit to enhance said desorption;
- g. means for directing said heated purge stream to said pre-heater means wherein the heat of compression is recovered;
- h. means for venting said heated purge stream of said pre-heater means from said system;
- i. means for controlling said system wherein the functions of said first adsorption unit and said second adsorption unit are periodically reversed to enable the regeneration of each adsorption unit;
- and
- j. means for storing rotational mechanical energy produced by said pressure powered motor when said system is reversed and wherein said mechanical energy is recovered by said compressor means after the reversing of said system is complete.
9 more elements
A system for separating a gaseous mixture by means of pressure swing adsorption fractionation which comprises:
- a. means for selectively directing a compressed gaseous mixture to a pre-heater means and/or an after heater means, wherein heat from said compressed gaseous mixture is recovered thereby;
- b. means for directing said gaseous mixture from said pre-heater means and/or said after heater means to a cooler, wherein excess heat from said gaseous mixture is removed by said cooler;
- c. means for directing said gaseous mixture from said cooler to a first adsorption unit wherein said gaseous mixture is fractionated wherein waste gases are adsorbed and product gases are passed through said first adsorption unit;
- d. means for dividing said product gases into a product stream and a purge stream;
- e. means for directing said purge stream to said pre-heater means wherein said purge stream is heated;
- f. means for directing the heated purge stream to pressure powered motor wherein rotational mechanical energy is produced and/or stored, and wherein said purge stream is cooled and simultaneously reduced in pressure by virtue of the mechanical work it does;
- g. means for directing said purge stream from said pressure powered motor to said after heater means wherein said purge stream is brought to ambient temperature;
- h. means for directing the ambient purge stream to a second adsorption unit wherein the waste gases in said second adsorption unit are desorbed and wherein said purge stream becomes enriched with said waste gases;
- i. means for directing the waste gas enriched purge stream from said second adsorption unit to a compressor means wherein said purge stream is compressed to near atmospheric pressure, said compressor means being powered by said rotational mechanical energy produced by and/or stored within said pressure powered motor and wherein said purge stream is heated by virtue of the work done upon it by said compressor means;
- j. means for directing the purge stream from said compressor means to said after heater means and/or to said pre-heater means wherein the heat of compression recovered;
- k. means for venting said purge stream;
- l. means for controlling said system wherein the functions of said first adsorption unit and said second adsorption unit are periodically reversed to enable the regeneration of each adsorption unit;
- and
- m. means for storing rotational mechanical energy produced by said pressure powered motor when said system is reversed and wherein said mechanical energy is recovered by said compressor means after the reversing of said system is complete.
11 more elements
A system for separating a gaseous mixture by means of pressure swing adsorption fractionation which comprises:
- a pre-heater means and/or an after heater means capable of recovering thermal energy produced throughout said system, a first adsorption unit which is capable of adsorbing waste gases and producing product gases from said gaseous mixture, a second adsorption unit which is capable of being desorbed by a purge stream from said system, a compressor means capable of recovering energy released due to the pressure reduction in a purge stream, and a pressure powered motor used to drive said compressor means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.