Process for removing a target gas from a mixture of gases by thermal swing adsorption
First Claim
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1. A process for selectively removing a first target gas component from a gas mixture containing said first target gas component and a product gas component, said process comprising:
- a) providing a temperature swing adsorption gas separation unit containing at least one adsorbent contactor at an initial temperature, wherein the adsorbent contactor is comprised of a plurality of substantially parallel open flow channels, and wherein the channel surface of at least a portion of said flow channels is comprised of an adsorbent material that has a selectivity for said first target gas component over said product gas component of greater than 1;
b) passing said gas mixture through at least a fraction of said flow channels thereby resulting in the adsorption of at least a portion of said first target gas component from the gas mixture onto said adsorbent material, thereby producing a first product gas stream, that has a lower mol % of the first target gas component than said gas mixture;
c) collecting said product gas stream;
d) heating said at least one adsorbent contactor having said first target gas component adsorbed thereon with a heat transfer fluid to an effective temperature that will result in the desorption of at least a fraction of said first target gas component from said adsorbent material, thereby resulting in a first waste gas stream that has a higher mol % concentration of the first target gas component than said gas mixture;
e) collecting said first waste gas stream; and
f) cooling said at least one adsorbent contactor to the initial temperature;
wherein a thermal wave is generated in the adsorbent contactor in the desorption step d) thereby creating a thermal wave temperature gradient, which thermal wave temperature gradient moves along the length of the at least one adsorbent contactor and which adsorbent contactor has a Δ
THT ranging from about 0 to about 50°
C. wherein Δ
THT =H/h wherein Δ
THT is the heat transfer delta-temperature, h is equal to the heat transfer coefficient, and H is the heat rate requirement.
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Abstract
The separation of a target gas from a mixture of gases using a thermal swing adsorption process wherein a thermal wave is used, primarily in the desorption step. The process of this invention enables one to separately remove multiple contaminants from a treated gaseous stream.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A process for selectively removing a first target gas component from a gas mixture containing said first target gas component and a product gas component, said process comprising:
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a) providing a temperature swing adsorption gas separation unit containing at least one adsorbent contactor at an initial temperature, wherein the adsorbent contactor is comprised of a plurality of substantially parallel open flow channels, and wherein the channel surface of at least a portion of said flow channels is comprised of an adsorbent material that has a selectivity for said first target gas component over said product gas component of greater than 1; b) passing said gas mixture through at least a fraction of said flow channels thereby resulting in the adsorption of at least a portion of said first target gas component from the gas mixture onto said adsorbent material, thereby producing a first product gas stream, that has a lower mol % of the first target gas component than said gas mixture; c) collecting said product gas stream; d) heating said at least one adsorbent contactor having said first target gas component adsorbed thereon with a heat transfer fluid to an effective temperature that will result in the desorption of at least a fraction of said first target gas component from said adsorbent material, thereby resulting in a first waste gas stream that has a higher mol % concentration of the first target gas component than said gas mixture; e) collecting said first waste gas stream; and f) cooling said at least one adsorbent contactor to the initial temperature; wherein a thermal wave is generated in the adsorbent contactor in the desorption step d) thereby creating a thermal wave temperature gradient, which thermal wave temperature gradient moves along the length of the at least one adsorbent contactor and which adsorbent contactor has a Δ
THT ranging from about 0 to about 50°
C. wherein Δ
THT =H/h wherein Δ
THT is the heat transfer delta-temperature, h is equal to the heat transfer coefficient, and H is the heat rate requirement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification