Process for separating a fluid component from a fluid mixture using microchannel process technology

A process for separating oxygen from air comprising:

• (A) flowing the air into a microchannel separator;
• the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, a header providing a flow passageway for fluid to enter the process microchannels, and a footer providing a flow passageway for fluid to leave the process microchannels, the combined internal volume of the header and the footer being up to about 40% of the internal volume of the process microchannels;
• the air being maintained in the microchannels separator until at least part of the oxygen is sorbed by the sorption medium;
• purging the microchannel separator to displace non-sorbed parts of the air from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing oxygen from the sorption medium and flowing a flush fluid through the microchannel separator to displace the desorbed oxygen from the microchannel separator.

A process for separating a fluid component from a fluid mixture comprising the fluid component, the process comprising:

• (I)(A) flowing part of the fluid mixture into a first microchannel separator;
• the first microchannel separator comprising a plurality of first process microchannels containing a first sorption medium, a first header providing a flow passageway for fluid to enter the first process microchannels, and a first footer providing a flow passageway for fluid to leave the first process microchannels, the combined internal volume of the first header and the first footer being up to about 40% of the internal volume of the first process microchannels;
• the fluid mixture being maintained in the first microchannel separator until at least part of the fluid component is sorbed by the first sorption medium;
• purging the first microchannel separator to displace non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the first microchannel separator;
• (I)(B) desorbing the fluid component from the first sorption medium and flowing a first flush fluid through the first microchannel separator to displace the desorbed fluid component from the first microchannel separator;
• (II)(A) flowing another part of the fluid mixture into a second microchannel separator;
• the second microchannel separator comprising a plurality of second process microchannels containing a second sorption medium, a second header providing a flow passageway for fluid to enter the second process microchannels, and a second footer providing a flow passageway for fluid to leave the second process microchannels, the combined internal volume of the second header and the second footer being up to about 40% of the internal volume of the second process microchannels;
• the fluid mixture being maintained in the second microchannel separator until at least part of the fluid component is sorbed by the second sorption medium;
• purging the second microchannel separator to displace non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the second microchannel separator;
• and
• (II)(B) desorbing the fluid component from the second sorption medium and flowing a second flush fluid through the second microchannel separator to displace the desorbed fluid component from the second microchannel separator.

A process for separating a first fluid component from a second fluid component, the first fluid component and the second fluid component being contained in a first fluid mixture, the process comprising:

• (I) mixing the first fluid mixture with a third fluid component to form a second fluid mixture;
• (II) separating the second fluid mixture into a third fluid mixture and a fourth fluid mixture, the third fluid mixture comprising the first fluid component and the third fluid component, the fourth fluid mixture comprising the second fluid component and the third fluid component:
• (III)(A) flowing the third fluid mixture into a first microchannel separator;
• the first microchannel separator comprising a plurality of first process microchannels containing a first sorption medium, a first header providing a flow passageway for fluid to enter the first process microchannels, and a first footer providing a flow passageway for fluid to leave the first process microchannels, the combined internal volume of the first header and the first footer being up to about 40% of the internal volume of the first process microchannels;
• the third fluid mixture being maintained in the first microchannel separator until at least part of the first fluid component is sorbed by the first sorption medium;
• purging the first microchannel separator to displace non-sorbed parts of the third fluid mixture from the first microchannel separator;
• (III)(B) desorbing the first fluid component from the first sorption medium and flowing a first flush fluid through the first microchannel separator to displace the desorbed first fluid component from the first microchannel separator;
• (IV)(A) flowing the fourth fluid mixture into a second microchannel separator;
• the second microchannel separator comprising a plurality of second process microchannels containing a second sorption medium, a second header providing a flow passageway for fluid to enter the second process microchannels, and a second footer providing a flow passageway for fluid to leave the second process microchannels, the combined internal volume of the second header and the second footer being up to about 40% of the internal volume of the second process microchannels;
• the fourth fluid mixture being maintained in the second microchannel separator until at least part of the second fluid component is sorbed by the second sorption medium;
• purging the second microchannel separator to displace non-sorbed parts of the fourth fluid mixture from the second microchannel separator;
• and
• (IV)(B) desorbing the second fluid component from the second sorption medium and flowing a second flush fluid through the second microchannel separator to displace the desorbed second fluid component from the second microchannel separator.

A process for separating a fluid component from a fluid mixture comprising the fluid component, the process comprising:

• (I)(A) flowing the fluid mixture into a first microchannel separator;
• the first microchannel separator comprising a plurality of first process microchannels containing a first sorption medium, a first header providing a flow passageway for fluid to enter the first process microchannels, and a first footer providing a flow passageway for fluid to leave the first process microchannels, the combined internal volume of the first header and the first footer being up to about 40% of the internal volume of the first process microchannels;
• the fluid mixture being maintained in the first microchannel separator until at least part of the fluid component is sorbed by the first sorption medium;
• removing non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the first microchannel separator;
• (I)(B) desorbing the fluid component from the first sorption medium and flowing a first flush fluid through the first microchannel separator to displace the desorbed fluid component from the first microchannel separator;
• (II)(A) flowing the non-sorbed part of the fluid mixture removed from the first microchannel separator during step (I)(A) into a second microchannel separator;
• the second microchannel separator comprising a plurality of second process microchannels containing a second sorption medium, a second header providing a flow passageway for fluid to enter the second process microchannels, and a second footer providing a flow passageway for fluid to leave the second process microchannels, the combined internal volume of the second header and the second footer being up to about 40% of the internal volume of the second process microchannels;
• the non-sorbed part of the fluid mixture being maintained in the second microchannel separator until at least part of the fluid component is sorbed by the second sorption medium;
• purging the second microchannel separator to displace non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the second microchannel separator;
• and
• (II)(B) desorbing the fluid component from the second sorption medium and flowing a second flush fluid through the second microchannel separator to displace the desorbed fluid component from the second microchannel separator.