US 6,902,602 B2 · Gas separation by combined pressure swing and displacement purge

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and processes for adsorptive gas separations where a first gas mixture including components A and B is to be separated so that a first product of the separation is enriched in component A, while component B is mixed with a third gas component C contained in a displacement purge stream to form a second gas mixture including components B and C, and with provision to prevent cross contamination of component C into the first product containing component A, or of component A into the second gas mixture containing component C. The invention may be applied to hydrogen (component A) enrichment from syngas mixtures, where dilute carbon dioxide (component B) is to be rejected such as directly to the atmosphere, and with preferably nitrogen-enriched air as the displacement purge stream containing residual oxygen (component C).

Claims31

Dependent claims

A displacement purge gas separation process for separating a first component from a second component of a feed gas mixture where the second component is more readily adsorbed by an adsorbent material in a displacement purge gas separation apparatus having plural adsorbers, each adsorber having a flow path in contact with an adsorbent material between a first and a second end, the process comprising:

supplying a feed gas mixture comprising at least the first component and the second component to the first end of the first adsorber;
withdrawing a product gas enriched in the first component from the second end of the first adsorber;
supplying a first buffer gas substantially free of the first component to the first adsorber to substantially displace any remaining first component from the internal space of the first adsorber;
and
supplying a less-readily adsorbed purge gas to the first adsorber to substantially desorb adsorbed second component from the adsorbent material.

2 more elements

A displacement purge rotary adsorption module for separating a first component from a second component in a feed gas mixture where the second component is more readily adsorbed by an adsorbent material comprising:

a rotor and a stator mutually defining a rotary distributor valve, wherein the rotor comprises:
plural adsorbers having first and second ends, each adsorber comprising an adsorbent material and defining a flow path in contact with the adsorbent material between the first and second ends;
a first rotor valve surface fluidly coupled to the first ends of the adsorbers;
and
a second rotor valve surface fluidly coupled to the second ends of the adsorbers;
and wherein the stator comprises:
a first stator valve surface in relatively rotatable communication with the first rotor valve surface;
a second stator valve surface in relatively rotatable communication with the second rotor valve surface;
and
a plurality of function compartments opening into at least one of the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface comprising:
a feed gas function compartment for providing a feed gas mixture to the adsorbers through the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface and the first rotor valve surface or the second rotor valve surface;
a purge gas function compartment for providing a purge gas to the adsorbers through the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface and the first rotor valve surface or the second rotor valve surface;
and
a buffer gas function compartment for providing a buffer gas to the adsorbers through the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface and the first rotor valve surface or the second rotor valve surface.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gas separation by combined pressure swing and displacement purge

Life of this patent

Gas separation by combined pressure swing and displacement purge

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31