Apparatus and system for swing adsorption processes related thereto

• US 9,861,929 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Tammera, Robert F., Frederick, Jeffrey W.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US15/079,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20160332105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 95 96-103, 96121, 96131, 96132
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/34 Specific shapes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/245 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/304 Hydrogen sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40013 Pressurization
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40028 Depressurization
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40043 Purging
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40086 by using a purge gas B01D2259/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4062 using six beds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/41 using plural beds of the same adsorbent in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4148 Multiple layers positioned apart from each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0407 Constructional details of adsorbing systems
• 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: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

Provided are apparatus and systems for performing a swing adsorption process. This swing adsorption process may involve passing fluids through an adsorbent bed unit having a contactor disposed within to separate contaminates from other target components. The process includes a purge stream that introduced into the contactor at a location between a first portion and a second portion of the contactor.

Claims

1. An adsorbent bed unit for a cyclical swing process comprising:

a housing having an interior region;

one or more contactors disposed in the interior region, each of the one or more contactors having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is disposed upstream of the second portion, wherein the first portion comprises a first adsorbent material and the second portion comprises a second adsorbent material, and wherein each of the one or more contactors have fluid flow passages through the first adsorbent material and the second adsorbent material; and

each of the one or more contactors have at least one gas purge inlet conduit disposed within the first portion and configured to provide a purge flow passage to a mid-purge distribution zone between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the purge flow passage within the at least one gas purge inlet conduit is fluidly separated and independent of the fluid flow passages through the first adsorbent material.

2. The adsorbent bed unit of claim 1, further comprising a plenum closure component disposed upstream of the first portion and having a distribution zone, wherein the plenum closure component is configured to:

provide fluid communication between the distribution zone and the mid-purge distribution zone via the at least one gas purge inlet conduit;

provide fluid communication between a primary fluid zone formed between the first portion and the plenum closure component and a location external to the housing; and

isolate direct fluid communication between the distribution zone and the primary fluid zone.

3. The adsorbent bed unit of claim 2, wherein the plenum closure component comprises one or more outlet conduits disposed adjacent to the first portion in the primary fluid zone and configured to provide fluid communication between the primary fluid zone and the external location.

4. The adsorbent bed unit of claim 2, wherein one or more contactors comprise a first contactor and a second contactor, and,

wherein the plenum closure component is configured to:

provide fluid communication between the distribution zone and the respective mid-purge distribution zones of the via the respective gas purge inlet conduit;

provide fluid communication between primary fluid zone between the respective first portions and the plenum closure component and the location external to the housing; and

isolate direct fluid communication between the distribution zone and the primary fluid zone.

5. The adsorbent bed unit of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to maintain a pressure from 0 bar a to 100 bar a within the interior region.

6. The adsorbent bed unit of claim 1, wherein the mid-purge distribution zone is positioned at a location that is between 10% and 60% of the length of the adsorbent bed.

7. The adsorbent bed unit of claim 1, wherein the mid-purge distribution zone is positioned at a location that is between 20% and 40% of the length of the adsorbent bed.

8. The adsorbent bed unit of claim 1, wherein the purge flow passage and the fluid flow passages are substantially parallel relative to the flow through the first portion.

9. A method of manufacturing a contactor, comprising:

fabricating a first portion of a contactor, wherein the first portion is configured to provide first fluid flow passages through a first adsorbent material, wherein the first portion has a gas purge inlet conduit that is configured to provide a purge flow passage through the first portion and the purge flow passage is fluidly separated and independent of the fluid flow passages through the first portion;

fabricating a second portion of the contactor comprising a second adsorbent material, wherein the second portion is configured to provide second fluid flow passages through the second adsorbent material; and

securing the first portion to the second portion, wherein the gas purge inlet conduit is configured to provide a purge flow passages to a mid-purge distribution zone between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the purge flow passage is fluidly separated and independent of the first fluid flow passages.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein fabricating the first portion of the contactor comprises:

providing a sheet of the first adsorbent material;

securing the sheet of the first adsorbent material to the gas purge inlet conduit; and

wrapping the sheet of the first adsorbent material around the gas inlet conduit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein securing the sheet of the first adsorbent material to the gas purge inlet conduit comprises welding the sheet of the first adsorbent material to the gas purge inlet conduit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein wrapping the sheet of the first adsorbent material around a gas inlet conduit comprises mechanically rolling the sheet of first adsorbent material around a gas inlet conduit to a designed size.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first adsorbent material comprises one or more of alumina, microporous zeolites, carbons, cationic zeolites, high silica zeolites, highly siliceous ordered mesoporous materials, sol gel materials, ALPO materials, SAPO materials, MOF materials and ZIF materials.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising trimming the wrapped sheet of first adsorbent material into a polygon shape.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising disposing a liner around the outer surface of the sheet of first adsorbent material.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising disposing a sealing component between the liner and the sheet of first adsorbent material, wherein the sealing component is configured to prevent fluids from passing between the liner and the sheet of first adsorbent material.

17. A method of manufacturing an adsorbent bed unit, comprising:

fabricating a plurality of contactors, wherein each of the plurality of contactors comprises;

a first portion configured to provide first fluid flow passages through a first adsorbent material, wherein the first portion has a gas purge inlet conduit configured to provide a purge flow passage through the first portion and the purge flow passage is fluidly separated and independent of the first fluid flow passages through the first portion;

a second portion comprising a second adsorbent material, wherein the second portion is configured to provide second fluid flow passages through the second adsorbent material;

wherein the first portion is secured to the second portion; and

wherein the gas purge inlet conduit is configured to provide a purge flow passage to a mid-purge distribution zone between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the purge flow passage is fluidly separated and independent of the fluid flow passages;

securing two or more plurality of contactors to each other to form an assembly of contactors;

constructing an adsorbent bed unit housing, wherein the an adsorbent bed unit housing has an interior region; and

disposing the assembly of contactors into an adsorbent bed unit housing.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the contactors in the assembly of contactors provides separate flow passages through the respective contactor.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the contactors in the assembly of contactors comprises a liner disposed around the first portion of the contactor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each liner has one or more tabs that extends beyond the first portion and wherein securing the two or more plurality of contactors to each other comprises welding tabs between adjacent contactors.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising securing a plenum closure component to the first portion, wherein the plenum closure component has a distribution zone, wherein the plenum closure component is configured to:

provide fluid communication between the distribution zone and the mid-purge distribution zone via the gas purge inlet for each of the contactors;

provide fluid communication between a primary fluid zone between the first portion and the plenum closure component and an external location external to the housing; and

isolate direct fluid communication between the distribution zone and the primary fluid zone.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plenum closure component comprises a plenum bottom plate, a plenum top plate and a plenum side plate;

and

wherein securing a plenum closure component to the first portion comprises;

securing the plenum top plate and the plenum side plate to outlet gas conduits.

23. A cyclical swing adsorption process for removing contaminants from gas feed streams comprising the steps of:

a) passing a gaseous feed stream at a feed pressure through an adsorbent bed unit having an adsorbent contactor to separate one or more contaminants from the gaseous feed stream to form a product stream, wherein the adsorbent contactor has a first portion and a second portion;

b) interrupting the flow of the gaseous feed stream;

c) performing a depressurization step, wherein the depressurization step reduces the pressure within the adsorbent bed unit;

d) performing a purge step, wherein the purge step involves passing a purge stream to a mid-purge distribution zone between first portion and the second portion and wherein the purge step comprises passing the purge stream through a distribution zone in a plenum closure component disposed upstream of the first portion prior to passing the purge stream to the mid-purge distribution zone via a at least one gas purge inlet conduit;

e) performing a re-pressurization step, wherein the re-pressurization step increases the pressure within the adsorbent bed unit; and

f) repeating the steps a) to e) for at least one additional cycle.

24. The process of claim 23, wherein the mid-purge distribution zone is positioned at a location that is between 10% and 60% of the length of the adsorbent bed.

25. The process of claim 23, wherein the mid-purge distribution zone is positioned at a location that is between 20% and 40% of the length of the adsorbent bed.

26. A cyclical swing adsorption process for removing contaminants from gas feed streams comprising the steps of:

a) passing a gaseous feed stream at a feed pressure through an adsorbent bed unit having an adsorbent contactor to separate one or more contaminants from the gaseous feed stream to form a product stream, wherein the adsorbent contactor has a first portion and a second portion;

b) interrupting the flow of the gaseous feed stream;

c) performing a depressurization step, wherein the depressurization step reduces the pressure within the adsorbent bed unit

d) performing a purge step, wherein the purge step involves passing a purge stream to a mid-purge distribution zone between the first portion and the second portion and wherein the purge step comprises passing the product stream through a primary fluid zone in a plenum closure component disposed upstream of the first portion, wherein the product stream is isolated from direct fluid communication between the distribution zone and the primary fluid zone;

e) performing a re-pressurization step, wherein the re-pressurization step increases the pressure within the adsorbent bed unit; and

f) repeating the steps a) to e) for at least one additional cycle.

27. The process of claim 26, wherein the mid-purge distribution zone is positioned at a location that is between 10% and 60% of the length of the adsorbent bed.

28. The process of claim 26, wherein the mid-purge distribution zone is positioned at a location that is between 20% and 40% of the length of the adsorbent bed.