초록 ▼

A vacuum pressure swing adsorbent (VPSA) system and method for separating a component from a fluid mixture and including a fluid source for introducing the mixture into the system and a supply apparatus for collecting the separated component. A pair of adsorbent bed vessels is interposed between the

A vacuum pressure swing adsorbent (VPSA) system and method for separating a component from a fluid mixture and including a fluid source for introducing the mixture into the system and a supply apparatus for collecting the separated component. A pair of adsorbent bed vessels is interposed between the fluid source and the supply apparatus to adsorb and desorb a predetermined component under respective adsorption and desorption pressures characterized by a low pressure ratio and relatively high desorption pressure values. Implementation of a single-stage vacuum device made possible by the use of the high desorption pressure, results in further reduction in both equipment and operating costs.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] In a two-adsorbent bed vacuum pressure swing adsorption method of separating a fluid mixture into respective first and second components, thereby producing a product enriched in said first component at a given output rate and at a given purity, said method including the s

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] In a two-adsorbent bed vacuum pressure swing adsorption method of separating a fluid mixture into respective first and second components, thereby producing a product enriched in said first component at a given output rate and at a given purity, said method including the steps of:(a) feeding said mixture into one of said adsorbent beds, said adsorbent beds being radial flow beds, at a flowrate to pressurize said adsorbent bed to a predetermined elevated adsorption pressure, said one adsorbent bed selectively adsorbing said second component at said predetermined elevated adsorption pressure;(b) adsorbing said second component from said mixture with said adsorbent bed;(c) passing non-adsorbed first component through said adsorbent bed as a product stream;(d) depressurizing said adsorbent bed to a desorption pressure to desorb said second component from said adsorbent bed;(e) the improvement comprising the steps of:(i) achieving said desorption pressure within the range of 0.3 to 1.0 atmospheres by use of a single-stage vacuum device thereby providing an adsorption to desorption pressure ratio with the range of 2.5 to 4.0 and causing the recovery of said first component to decrease by about 5-10 percentage points compared to the recovery achieved by a two-adsorbent bed vacuum pressure swing adsorption system comprising a multi-stage vacuum device and two axial flow adsorbent beds; and operated at optimal unit power consumption to produce the same product output at the same purity; and(ii) reducing the duration of at least a portion of two of said steps (a) through (d) thereby maintaining the output and purity of said product despite said recovery decrease and achieving a reduction in cost compared to said system.