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Control process and apparatus for membrane separation systems

  • US 5,053,058 A
  • Filed: 12/29/1989
  • Issued: 10/01/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a permeable membrane gas separation process which comprises:

  • (a) passing a gaseous feed stream comprising a component to a permeable membrane gas separation system at a substantially constant flow rate and elevated feed pressure, said feed pressure being equal to or higher than the pressure required to operate the permeable membrane gas separation system and said feed stream being subject to fluctuations in composition; and

    (b) recovering from said permeable membrane gas separation system, an effluent stream comprising a permeate stream or a non-permeate stream;

    the improvement which comprises controlling the concentration of said component in said effluent stream by;

    1) sensing a change in a characteristic of said effluent stream that is indicative of a change in the concentration of said component in said feed stream of from about 1 to 30%; and

    2) without substantially altering the feed pressure or flow rate, performing a pressure adjustment on said permeate stream or said non-permeate stream in response to said sensed characteristic to alter the concentration of said component in said effluent stream as necessary to obtain a predetermined concentration of said component in said effluent stream.

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