초록 ▼

The invention teaches a purification system which uses a series of operations, in a single unit, to purify air, while extending the life of the purification units. Air is passed through a coarse water trap to remove liquid. The semi-dry air, is then passed through adsorbers, which remove the remaini

The invention teaches a purification system which uses a series of operations, in a single unit, to purify air, while extending the life of the purification units. Air is passed through a coarse water trap to remove liquid. The semi-dry air, is then passed through adsorbers, which remove the remaining moisture and all the carbon dioxide in a purification process. The present invention flows the air to be purified through adsorption columns twice, before and after passing the air through an oxygen catalyst unit. The flows of air are then rotated to a third column, which is thermally regenerating with the facilitation of a regeneration air supply from the purified air.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An air purification system, comprising an air intake, an air outflow, and tubing for directing a flow of air through a combination of system components positioned between said air intake and said air outflow, said system components comprising; a water trap for removing

The invention claimed is: 1. An air purification system, comprising an air intake, an air outflow, and tubing for directing a flow of air through a combination of system components positioned between said air intake and said air outflow, said system components comprising; a water trap for removing water from air entering said air intake; a set of adsorption columns comprising a first adsorption column and a second adsorption column; a valve for controlling said flow of air between said system components; and an oxygen catalyst unit; wherein said flow of air directed through said combination of said system components exits said combination as a purified air having an impurity content of 1 ppb or less, and a portion of said purified air is used as a regeneration air to regenerate an adsorption column. 2. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first adsorption column includes a first adsorber for each of at least water and carbon dioxide, said oxygen catalyst unit includes a catalyst for oxidizing each of at least hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and water, and said second adsorption column includes a second adsorber for each of at least carbon dioxide, waters, and oxides of nitrogen. 3. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an air compressor for compressing said flow of air, wherein said compressor is positioned between said air intake and said water trap. 4. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said adsorption columns includes a heating unit. 5. The air purification system as recited in claim 4 wherein said heating unit applies gradient heating to said adsorption column. 6. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one adsorption column includes a cooling unit. 7. The air purification system as recited in claim 6, wherein said cooling unit is a gas-to-gas heat exchanger or a gas-to-air heat exchanger. 8. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, wherein an adsorption column has a first end and a second end, said adsorption column further comprising: an outer shell, a molecular sieve, a nickel catalyst, a first filter at a first end of the adsorption column coupled to a first flow connection, and a second filter at a second end of the adsorption column coupled to a second flow connection. 9. The air purification system as recited in claim 8, wherein said adsorption column includes a cooling unit at the first end, said first end in proximity to said first flow connection. 10. The air purification system as recited in claim 8, wherein said adsorption column includes a heating unit at the second end, said heating unit in proximity to said second flow connection. 11. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, wherein said oxygen catalyst unit includes a large particle screen connected to an air intake unit, an oxidizing catalyst, a sintered metal filter connected to a unit air outflow, and a heating means. 12. The air purification system as recited in claim 1 wherein said valve is one of a set of valves that includes four-way diverter valves. 13. The air purification system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a valve control unit for opening and closing said set of valves. 14. The air purification system as recited in claim 13, wherein said valve control unit further comprises control means for directing the flow of air through said first adsorption column in a first flow direction, wherein said control means further comprises means for directing said flow of air through said second adsorption column in a second flow direction, wherein said control means further comprises means for directing said regeneration air from the outflow of said second adsorption column, wherein said regeneration air is flowed through a third adsorption column. 15. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, further including a regeneration air vent. 16. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, further comprised of tubing for directing said regeneration air from the output of said second adsorption column to a third adsorption column. 17. The air purification system as recited in claim 16, wherein the system additionally comprises a regeneration vent, wherein said regenerative air supply flows through said third adsorption column and exits out said regeneration vent. 18. The air purification system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a heating unit, wherein said heating unit facilitates thermal regeneration in said third adsorption column. 19. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, wherein said set of adsorption columns further comprises a third adsorption column having a heating unit, wherein during any time said system is in operation, said third adsorption column is regenerated by directing said regeneration air through said third adsorption column and heating said third adsorption column to facilitate thermal regeneration. 20. The system as recited in claim 1, further including a regeneration air supply intake and a regeneration vent, wherein all of said adsorption columns include a heating unit and are thermally regenerated by heating. 21. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, wherein said set of adsorption columns further comprises a third adsorption column, wherein said first adsorption column removes at least oxides of nitrogen from air. 22. The air purification system as recited in claim 1, wherein said set of adsorption columns further comprises a third adsorption column, wherein said second adsorption column removes at least water vapor, carbon dioxides and oxides of nitrogen from air. 23. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said oxygen catalyst unit functions to oxidize hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide at approximately 300 degrees centigrade. 24. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said oxygen catalyst unit includes a catalyst comprising palladium. 25. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said oxygen catalyst unit includes a catalyst comprising platinum. 26. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein one of said set of adsorption columns includes a catalyst comprising nickel. 27. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein one of said adsorption columns includes a molecular sieve. 28. An air purification system, comprising: an air intake, an air outflow, and tubing for directing a flow of air through a combination of system components positioned between the air intake and the outflow, the system components comprising an air compressor, a water trap, a first adsorption column, a second adsorption column, an oxygen catalyst, and a valve for directing the flow of air between the system components; wherein, the combination of system components is configured for the flow of air to pass through (1) the air intake, (2) the compressor, (3) the water trap, (4) the first adsorption column, (5) the oxygen catalyst, and (6) the second adsorption column; respectively, to produce a purified air having an impurity content of 1 ppb or less, a portion of which is directed by the valve back to an adsorption column to be used as a regeneration air to regenerate the adsorption column. 29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the first adsorption column or second adsorption column comprises an intake, a large particle screen connected to the intake, a sintered metal filter connected to an outflow, and a molecular sieve and a nickel catalyst positioned between the intake and the outflow. 30. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein at least one of the adsorption columns includes a heating unit, a cooling unit, or a combination thereof. 31. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the oxygen catalyst unit comprises a platinum or palladium catalyst. 32. An air purification system comprising: an air intake, an air outflow, and tubing for directing a flow of air through a combination of system components positioned between the air intake and the air outflow, the system components comprising an air compressor, a water trap, a first adsorption column, a second adsorption column, a third adsorption column, an oxygen catalyst, and a valve for directing the flow of air between the system components; wherein, the combination of system components is configured for the flow of air to pass through the (1) air intake; (2) the air compressor; (3) the water trap; (4) one of the first adsorption column, the second adsorption column, or the third adsorption column; (5) the oxygen catalyst; and (6) another of the first adsorption column, the second adsorption column, or the third adsorption column; respectively, to produce a purified air having an impurity content of 1 ppb or less, wherein the remainder of the three adsorption columns is not used for purifying the flow of air during a regeneration cycle, and a portion of the purified air is directed by the valve back to the remaining adsorption column to be used as a regeneration air to regenerate the remaining adsorption column during the regeneration cycle. 33. The air purification system as recited in claim 32, wherein one or more of the adsorption columns includes heating means. 34. The air purification system as recited in claim 32, wherein one or more of the adsorption columns includes cooling means. 35. The air purification system as recited in claim 32, wherein the unused adsorption column has a heating unit for thermally regenerating during the regeneration cycle. 36. The air purification system as recited in claim 32, wherein the unused adsorption column has a cooling unit for cooling the unused adsorption column for removing impurities from the flow of air after the regeneration cycle. 37. The air purification system as recited in claim 32, wherein the unused adsorption column has both a heating unit for thermally regenerating during the regeneration cycle and a cooling unit for cooling the unused adsorption column for removing impurities from the flow of air after the regeneration cycle. 38. The system as recited in claim 37, further including a regeneration air supply intake for providing a purified air to the third adsorption column to remove impurities from the third adsorption column during thermal regeneration or during cooling to further remove impurities from the purified air. 39. The system of claim 2, wherein each of said adsorbers are regenerated using the purified air and the same process conditions. 40. An air purification apparatus, comprising an air intake, an air outflow, and tubing for directing a flow of air through a combination of system components positioned between the air intake and the air outflow, the system components comprising: a water trap for removing water from air entering the air intake; a set of adsorption columns comprising a first adsorption column and a second adsorption column; a valve for controlling the flow of air between the system components; and an oxygen catalyst unit; wherein, the first adsorption column and the second adsorption column each comprise a heating unit and a cooling unit, the heating unit functioning to thermally regenerate its respective adsorption column, and the cooling unit functioning to facilitate adsorption of impurities from the flow of air on its respective adsorption column; and, the flow of air exits the combination of system components as a purified air having an impurity content of 1 ppb or less, wherein a portion of the purified air is used as a regeneration air to regenerate an adsorption column in the set of adsorption columns. 41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the oxygen catalyst unit oxidizes hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide at approximately 300 degrees centigrade. 42. An apparatus for removing impurities from air, comprising: system components positioned between an air intake and an air outflow, wherein a flow of air from the air intake to the system components to the air outflow is conducted through a tubing, the system components comprising an air compressor, a water trap, a first adsorption column, an oxygen catalyst unit, a second adsorption column, a third adsorption column, a set of valves, and a regeneration air supply; wherein, the first adsorption column, second adsorption column, and third adsorption column each comprise a heating unit and a cooling unit; the heating unit functioning to thermally regenerate the respective adsorption column, and the cooling unit functioning to facilitate adsorption of impurities from the flow of air on the respective adsorption column; and, wherein, the system components are positioned for a flow of air to pass through (1) the air intake; (2) the air compressor; (3) the water trap; (4) one of the first adsorption column, the second adsorption column, or the third adsorption column; (5) the oxygen catalyst unit; (6) another of the first adsorption column, the second adsorption column, or the third adsorption column; respectively, to produce a purified air having an impurity content of 1 ppb or less, wherein the remainder of the three adsorption columns is not used for purifying the flow of air during a regeneration cycle, and a portion of the purified air is directed by the valve back to the remaining adsorption column to be used as a regeneration air to regenerate the remaining adsorption column during the regeneration cycle.