초록 ▼

A PSA method incorporating the invention is applicable to the separation of a preferred gas from a mixture of the preferred gas and a less preferred gas. The PSA method uses an adsorbent bed including one or more layers of O.sub.2 equilibrium selective adsorbents, and comprises the steps of: pressur

A PSA method incorporating the invention is applicable to the separation of a preferred gas from a mixture of the preferred gas and a less preferred gas. The PSA method uses an adsorbent bed including one or more layers of O.sub.2 equilibrium selective adsorbents, and comprises the steps of: pressurizing the adsorbent bed to a high pressure with a feed of air to enable the adsorbent bed to adsorb O.sub.2 ; extracting from the bed at bed pressure, a flow of N.sub.2 and storing at least some of the flow in a product tank; desorbing O.sub.2 from the adsorbent bed by feeding void gas in the bed enclosure to a storage tank and venting the adsorbent bed to a low pressure region; purging the adsorbent bed by feeding thereto the void gas from the storage tank; and repressurizing the adsorbent bed to an intermediate pressure with a flow of void gas from the storage tank.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) method for extracting a more preferred gas from a mixture of said more preferred gas and a less preferred gas, said method employing an adsorbent bed within an enclosure which, on an equilibrium basis, exhibits a selective adsorption preference for

[ We claim:] [1.] A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) method for extracting a more preferred gas from a mixture of said more preferred gas and a less preferred gas, said method employing an adsorbent bed within an enclosure which, on an equilibrium basis, exhibits a selective adsorption preference for said less preferred gas, said method comprising the steps of:a) pressurizing said adsorbent bed to a high pressure with a feed of said mixture to enable said adsorbent bed to adsorb said less preferred gas;b) extracting from said bed at bed pressure, a flow of said more preferred gas and storing at least some of said flow of more preferred gas in a product tank;c) desorbing said less preferred gas from said adsorbent bed by feeding void gas in said enclosure to a storage tank;d) further desorbing said less preferred gas from said adsorbent bed by venting said adsorbent bed to a low pressure region;e) purging said adsorbent bed by feeding to said adsorbent bed a portion of said void gas from said storage tank; andf) pressurizing said adsorbent bed to an intermediate pressure with a further flow of said void gas from said storage tank, and repeating steps a-f until a requirement for said more preferred gas is satisfied.