초록 ▼

A pressure swing adsorption air prepurifier is used to remove water, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons from a feed gas stream, such as a feed air stream, passing to a cryogenic air separation plant. By the incorporation of a regenerative heat exchange as an integral part of the air prepurifier, the co

A pressure swing adsorption air prepurifier is used to remove water, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons from a feed gas stream, such as a feed air stream, passing to a cryogenic air separation plant. By the incorporation of a regenerative heat exchange as an integral part of the air prepurifier, the cooling effects of the desorption of water are stored and transferred so as to cool the incoming feed air stream passing to the adsorbent material within the air prepurifier. The productive capacity of the adsorbent material is enhanced thereby.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A pressure swing adsorption air purification process comprising:a) passing a feed air stream containing water and other contaminants through a system having an adsorption vessel containing a bed of adsorbent material having a loading for nitrogen of less than 1% (weight nitrogen/we

[ We claim:] [1.] A pressure swing adsorption air purification process comprising:a) passing a feed air stream containing water and other contaminants through a system having an adsorption vessel containing a bed of adsorbent material having a loading for nitrogen of less than 1% (weight nitrogen/weight adsorbent),that selectively adsorbs said water and other contaminants present in said feed air stream at a high adsorption pressure and desorbs said water and other contaminants at a low desorption pressure, the adsorption vessel having a feed end for the introduction of said feed air stream thereto and a product end for the recovery of purified air therefrom, and further comprising an integral, regenerative heat exchange zone positioned within the adsorption vessel between the feed end of the adsorption vessel and the bed of adsorbent material, said integral, regenerative heat exchange zone comprising high heat capacity material capable of storing cooling from a contaminant-containing desorption stream passing from the feed end of the adsorption vessel during the desorption of contaminants from the bed of adsorbent material, and of transferring the resulting refrigeration to the feed air stream passing to the bed of adsorbent material for the selective adsorption of said water and other contaminants therefrom, whereby the temperature of said feed air stream containing water and other contaminants, and of said bed of adsorbent material is lowered; b) passing said purified air to a cryogenic air separation plant for separation and recovery of oxygen, nitrogen and argon,wherein step "a" has a duration of about 5 to about 40 minutes.