Apparatus and systems having a rotary valve assembly and swing adsorption processes related thereto

• US 9,120,049 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Sundaram, Narasimhan, Huntington, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US13/976,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20130333571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 961/21, 961/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40005 using rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4063 using seven beds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0446 Means for feeding or distributing gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0462 Temperature swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0473 Rapid pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0476 Vacuum pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/074 with flat sealing faces
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/076 with sealing faces shaped as surfaces of solids of revolution
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/041 for rotating valves F16K31/055 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided are apparatus and systems having a rotary valve assembly and swing adsorption separation techniques related thereto. The methods utilize a rotary valve assembly to perform swing adsorption processes. The rotary valve assembly includes a feed stator having at least two annular tracks. Each of the annular tracks has an opening to permit fluid flow therethrough. A feed rotor is connected to the feed stator. The feed rotor has at least two annular tracks. Each of the annular tracks has an opening to permit gas to flow therethrough. A bed of adsorbent material may be connected to the feed rotor.

Claims

1. A rotary valve assembly for use in swing adsorption processes comprising:

a feed stator having at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having at least one opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a feed rotor being connected to the feed stator, the feed rotor having at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a single bed of adsorbent material being in fluid communication with the feed rotor;

a product rotor being in fluid communication with the bed, the product rotor having at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having an opening to permit gas to flow there through; and

a product stator having at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having at least one opening to permit gas to flow there through.

2. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the openings in the feed rotor are symmetrically offset.

3. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein the angle of offset in the openings in the feed rotor is determined by dividing the number of tracks into 360 degrees.

4. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein the openings in the product rotor are symmetrically offset.

5. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein the angle of offset in the openings in the product rotor is determined by dividing the number of tracks into 360 degrees.

6. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the openings in the one or more of the feed stator and product stator are symmetrically offset.

7. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 6, wherein the angle of offset in the openings in the one or more of the feed stator and product stator is determined by dividing the number of tracks into 360 degrees.

8. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 1, comprising a drive means configured to rotate one or more of the feed rotor and the product rotor.

9. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the feed rotor and the product rotor rotate at different rates.

10. The rotary valve assembly in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a master feed stator for each bed unit, the master feed stator having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a master feed rotor connected to the master feed stator, the master feed rotor being connected to each bed unit, the master feed rotor having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a master product rotor connected to each bed unit, the master product rotor having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a master product stator connected to the master product rotor, the master product stator having an opening to permit gas to flow there through.

11. A multiple bed unit assembly includes a rotary valve assembly for use in swing adsorption processes, the multiple bed unit assembly comprising:

a plurality of bed units, each bed unit comprising;

a feed stator having at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a feed rotor being connected to the feed stator, the feed rotor having at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a bed of adsorbent material being in fluid communication to the feed rotor;

a product rotor being in fluid communication with the bed, the product rotor having at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having an opening to permit gas to flow there through; and

a product stator having at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a master feed stator for each bed unit, the master feed stator having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a master feed rotor connected to the master feed stator, the master feed rotor being connected to each bed unit, the master feed rotor having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a master product rotor connected to each bed unit, the master product rotor having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

a master product stator connected to the master product rotor, the master product stator having an opening to permit gas to flow there through.

12. The multiple bed unit assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein the openings in the feed rotor of each bed unit are symmetrically offset.

13. The multiple bed unit assembly in accordance with claim 12, wherein the angle of offset in the openings in the feed rotor of each bed unit is determined by dividing the number of tracks into 360 degrees.

14. The multiple bed unit assembly in accordance with claim 13, wherein the openings in the product rotor of each bed unit are symmetrically offset.

15. The multiple bed unit assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein the angle of offset in the openings in the product rotor of each bed unit is determined by dividing the number of tracks into 360 degrees.

16. The multiple bed unit assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein the openings in one or more of the feed stator and product stator of each bed unit are symmetrically offset.

17. The multiple bed unit assembly in accordance with claim 16, wherein the angle of offset in the openings in the one or more of the feed stator and product stator of each bed unit is determined by dividing the number of tracks into 360 degrees.

18. A rotary valve assembly device comprising a plurality of adsorbent beds, wherein each adsorbent bed has a feed rotor and a product rotor, wherein the feed rotor and the product rotor each have at least two annular tracks, each of the annular tracks having an opening to permit gas to flow there through;

and the rotary valve assembly device is configured to permit at least two different swing adsorption processes to be conducted on an adsorbent material contained within the device, such that one swing adsorption has a high frequency of cycling and the second swing adsorption has low frequency of cycling.

19. The rotary valve assembly device of claim 18 where the time scale of the high frequency process is of the order of seconds and the time scale of the low frequency process is of the order of months.

20. The rotary valve assembly device of claim 18, whereby the low frequency swing adsorption process employs a thermal swing adsorption cycle.

21. The rotary valve assembly device of claim 18, where the low frequency swing adsorption process is conducted on a number of adsorbent beds that is less than the number of adsorbent beds in the high frequency swing adsorption process.

22. The rotary valve assembly device of claim 20 where the number of beds undergoing the low frequency swing process is an even number.

23. The rotary valve assembly device of claim 18, wherein where the feed and product rotors of the high frequency beds that are advancing into the low frequency swing are maintained at the same speed, for the duration of the low frequency swing.

24. The rotary valve assembly device of claim 18, wherein where the feed and product rotors of the high frequency beds that are advancing into the low frequency swing are stopped based on a preset control sequence and held in a fixed position for the duration of the low frequency swing.