초록 ▼

A heatless fractionating apparatus and method wherein a pressurized gaseous mixture, such as air, is alternately passed through first and second adsorbent beds for adsorbing at least a first component but not a second component of the gaseous mixture, and wherein each adsorbent bed is purged of the

A heatless fractionating apparatus and method wherein a pressurized gaseous mixture, such as air, is alternately passed through first and second adsorbent beds for adsorbing at least a first component but not a second component of the gaseous mixture, and wherein each adsorbent bed is purged of the adsorbed component during the intervals in which the gaseous mixture is not passed through it. A valve system for each adsorbent bed comprises a pressure-responsive valve which responds to the delivery of the pressurized gaseous mixture through an electrically operated valve to deliver the gaseous mixture to its associated adsorbent bed. The pressure-responsive valve also operates to vent purge and other gases from its associated adsorbent bed when the electrically operated valve is closed to block delivery of the pressurized gaseous mixture to the pressure-responsive valve. The electrically operated valves for the two adsorbent beds are cyclically and alternately opened by a pressure-responsive control circuit, which may be equipped with one or more battery-operated alarm devices for signalling loss of electrical power and failure to switch delivery of the pressurized gaseous mixture from one bed to the other within a pre-selected time period. To quickly achieve a high concentration of the desired component in the product effluent, all of the unadsorbed gas leaving the adsorbent beds may be made available for purging the beds for a short pre-selected time period at start-up. Alternatively, stored unadsorbed gas may be made available to purge one or both of the beds at shutdown.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of fractionating a gaseous mixture containing at least first and second components, comprising the steps of passing the gaseous mixture containing said components alternately through first and second bodies of adsorbent to adsorb at least said first component but not said second component s

A method of fractionating a gaseous mixture containing at least first and second components, comprising the steps of passing the gaseous mixture containing said components alternately through first and second bodies of adsorbent to adsorb at least said first component but not said second component such that the unadsorbed gas leaving each of said bodies contains said second components, for a pre-selected time period starting with the initiation of the passage of the gaseous mixture alternately through said bodies, (a) passing all of the unadsorbed gas leaving said first body through said second body during the time in which the gaseous mixture is passing through said first body to purge adsorbed components from said second body and (b) passing all of the unadsorbed gas leaving said second body through said first body during the time in which the gaseous mixture is being passed through said second body to purge adsorbed components from said first body, and after expiration of said pre-selected time period, delivering a fraction of the unadsorbed gas leaving each body to a user and utilizing the remainder of the unadsorbed gas to purge said bodies of the adsorbed components. In a heatless fractionating apparatus for fractionating a gaseous mixture having at least first and second components, at least one vessel, first means for pressurizing the gaseous mixture containing said components, a first valve connected intermediate said pressurizing means and said vessel and having fluid flow an inlet port for receiving the pressurized gaseous mixture, second means connected intermediate said pressurizing means and said inlet port for delivering the pressurized gaseous mixture to said inlet port, said first valve having a further fluid flow port in fluid communication with the interior of said vessel, and said first valve being responsive to the pressure of the pressurized gaseous mixture delivered to said inlet port for delivering the pressurized gaseous mixture through said further port to said vessel for flow through said vessel, said vessel containing an adsorbent for adsorbing at least said first component but not said second component of said gaseous mixture as the gaseous mixture flows through said vessel, said second means comprising a second valve responsive to a rise in the pressure of the gaseous mixture undergoing fractionation to a predetermined value for blocking the delivery of the pressurized gaseous mixture to said inlet port, and third means rendering said second valve effective to vent gases from said vessel during the time when delivery of the pressurized gaseous mixture to said inlet port is blocked.