Ten bed pressure swing adsorption process operating in normal and turndown modes

• US 8,435,328 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Praxair Technology Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Praxair Technology Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Baksh, Mohamed S. A., Simo, Marian
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US13/004,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 95/96, 951/17, 951/27, 951/30, 951/39, 951/40, 951/43
• US Class Current: 95/96
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/102 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/104 Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/16 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/102 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/11 Noble gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/502 Carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/702 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/80 Water
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40026 with more than three sub-steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40041 with more than three sub-steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40075 More than ten
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4067 using ten beds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4145 arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/043 Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0465 Composition of the impurity
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/047 the impurity being carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/048 : the impurity being an organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0495 : the impurity being water
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/56 : by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids C01B3/508 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 : Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ten bed pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system utilizing new and advanced cycles to obtain enhanced hydrogen recovery from a hydrogen containing feed gas (i.e., synthesis gas). More specifically, through the newly developed process cycles, the ten bed PSA system is capable of matching the hydrogen recovery of conventional twelve bed PSA systems designed to manufacture 100 million standard cubic feet per day of gas.

Claims

1. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a ten bed pressure swing adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a continuous stream of offgas that is enriched in strongly adsorbable components, wherein the process cycle has twenty steps including five bed-to-bed equalizations steps, while three of the beds are in production.

2. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1, in accordance to the following cycle chart:

3. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1, wherein said less strongly adsorbable product gas is hydrogen.

4. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1, wherein the supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, argon, nitrogen and water vapor.

5. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1, wherein each adsorbent bed contains alumina, carbon and zeolite material configured in layers disposes in this particular order for feed gas processing.

6. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 5, where the carbon and zeolite layers are each subdivided into two layers with different particle size.

7. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 6, where the first of the subdivided carbon layers encountered by the supply feed gas has a particle size of about 0.5 to 1.5 mm and an affinity for the carbon dioxide impurity.

8. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 6, where the second of the subdivided carbon layers encountered by the supply feed gas has a particle size of about 2.0 to 3.0 mm and an affinity for the methane impurities.

9. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 6, where the first of the subdivided zeolite layers encountered by the supply feed gas has a particle size of about 0.5 to 2.0 mm and an affinity for the carbon monoxide impurity.

10. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 6, where the second of the subdivided zeolite layers encountered by the supply feed gas has a particle size of about 2.0 to 3.0 mm and an affinity for the nitrogen impurity.

11. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a nine bed pressure swing adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a continuous stream of offgas that is enriched in strongly adsorbable components, wherein the process cycle has eighteen steps including four bed-to-bed equalizations steps, while three of the beds are in production, in accordance to the following cycle chart:

12. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a eight bed pressure swing adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a continuous stream of offgas that is enriched in strongly adsorbable components, wherein the process cycle has sixteen steps including three bed-to-bed equalizations steps, while three of the beds are in production.

13. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 12, in accordance to the following cycle chart:

14. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a seven bed pressure swing adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a continuous stream of offgas that is enriched in strongly adsorbable components, wherein the process cycle has twenty one steps including three bed-to-bed equalizations steps, while two of the beds are in production, in accordance to the following cycle chart:

15. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a five bed pressure swing adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a continuous stream of offgas that is enriched in strongly adsorbable components, wherein the process cycle has fifteen steps including two bed-to-bed equalizations steps, while two of the beds are in production.

16. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 15, in accordance to the following cycle chart:

17. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a ten bed pressure swing adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a continuous stream of offgas that is enriched in strongly adsorbable components, wherein the process cycle has twenty steps including five bed-to-bed equalizations steps, while two of the beds are in production.

18. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 17, in accordance to the following cycle chart:

19. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a ten bed pressure swing adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a continuous stream of offgas that is enriched in strongly adsorbable components, wherein the process cycle has twenty steps including four bed-to-bed equalizations steps, while three of the beds are in production, in accordance to the following cycle chart:

20. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a nine bed pressure swing adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a continuous stream of offgas that is enriched in strongly adsorbable components, wherein the process cycle has eighteen steps including four bed-to-bed equalizations steps, while two of the beds are in production.

21. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 20, in accordance to the following cycle chart: