Pressure swing adsorption system with indexed rotatable multi-port valves

• US 8,603,220 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Rarig, David Lester, Whitley, Roger Dean, Labuda, Matthew James
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US12/889,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 961/16, 961/24, 961/30, 961/43
• US Class Current: 95/96
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40005 using rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40015 with two sub-steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40032 with three sub-steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40052 Recycled product or process gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40069 Eight
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40079 Co-current
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40081 Counter-current
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/404 using four beds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/02 by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0446 Means for feeding or distributing gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0716 with fluid passages through the valve member F16K11/0704, F16K11/0708, F16K11/0712 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/085 with cylindrical plug
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/087 with spherical plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86863 Rotary valve unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86871 Plug

Abstract

Pressure swing adsorption system comprising two or more vessels, each having a feed end, a product end, and adsorbent material adapted to adsorb one or more components from a multi-component feed gas mixture; piping adapted to (1) introduce the feed gas mixture into the feed ends, withdraw a product gas from the product ends, and withdraw a waste gas from the feed ends of the vessels, and (2) place the product ends of any pair of vessels in flow communication; a feed pipe adapted to supply the feed gas mixture to the system; a product pipe adapted to withdraw the product gas from the system; and a waste gas pipe adapted to withdraw the waste gas from the system. An indexed rotatable multi-port valve is adapted to place the product end of each vessel in sequential flow communication with the product end of each of the other vessels.

Claims

1. A method for the recovery of a less strongly adsorbable component from a feed gas mixture comprising a more strongly adsorbable component and the less strongly adsorbable component, wherein the method comprises:

(a) providing a pressure swing adsorption system comprising

(1) two or more vessels, each having a feed end, a product end, and adsorbent material adapted to adsorb the more strongly adsorbable component from the feed gas mixture;

(2) piping adapted to introduce the feed gas mixture into the feed ends of the vessels, piping adapted to withdraw a product gas from the product ends of the vessels, wherein the product gas is depleted in the more strongly adsorbable component, piping adapted to place the product ends of any pair of vessels in flow communication, and piping adapted to withdraw a waste gas from the feed ends of the vessels, wherein the waste gas is enriched in the more strongly adsorbable component;

(3) a feed pipe adapted to supply the feed gas mixture to the system, a product pipe adapted to withdraw the product gas from the system, and a waste gas pipe adapted to withdraw waste gas from the system; and

(4) an indexed rotatable multi-port product valve having a plurality of indexed rotational positions adapted to place the product ends of any pair of vessels in flow communication;

(b) introducing the feed gas mixture into a first vessel and withdrawing product gas from the first vessel and through the product pipe;

(c) depressurizing the first vessel by withdrawing depressurization gas from the product end of the vessel and transferring the depressurization gas to the product end of another vessel via the indexed rotatable multi-port product valve in one of the indexed rotational positions;

(d) withdrawing waste gas from the feed end of the first vessel;

(e) pressurizing the first vessel by introducing into the product end of the vessel a depressurization gas provided from another vessel that is undergoing step (c), wherein the gas is transferred via the indexed rotatable multi-port product valve in another of the indexed rotational positions; and

(f) repeating steps (b) through (e) in a cyclic manner.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pressure swing adsorption system comprises an indexed rotatable multi-port feed gas valve having a plurality of indexed positions adapted to place the feed pipe in sequential flow communication with the feed end of each vessel, and wherein the feed gas in step (b) is introduced from the feed pipe into the feed end of the first vessel via the indexed rotatable multi-port feed gas valve in one of the plurality of indexed positions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the pressure swing adsorption system comprises an indexed rotatable multi-port waste gas valve having a plurality of indexed positions adapted to place the waste gas pipe in sequential flow communication with the feed end of each vessel, and wherein the waste gas in step (d) is withdrawn from the feed end of the first vessel into the waste gas pipe via the indexed rotatable multi-port waste gas valve in one of the plurality of indexed positions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the feed gas mixture is air, the less strongly adsorbable component is oxygen, and the more strongly adsorbable component is nitrogen.