Patent · US Expired

VSA adsorption process with energy recovery

US5656067A · kind A · utility

48Cited by
31References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 23, 1996
Grant dateAug 12, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 23, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB01D2259/403
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A vacuum swing adsorption process for separating a feed gas mixture into a more strongly adsorbable component and a less strongly adsorbable component in a process employing two vacuum pumps and three adsorbent beds containing an adsorbent selective for the more strongly adsorbable component using countercurrent depressurization and cocurrent ambient feed repressurization simultaneous with product end to product end pressure equalization and a common-shaft machinery arrangement which allows the expansion energy contained in the countercurrent depressurization and cocurrent ambient feed repressurization streams to be recovered and utilized to reduce overall process power consumption. Addition of three valves and an expander element will also allow expansion energy in the product purge and pressure equalization streams to be recovered. Oxygen product can be recovered from air at low cost using the process.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.