Method and apparatus for producing clean dry air having application to air separation
US6077488A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 19, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 20, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 19, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02C20/40
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing a clean dry air product stream. In accordance with the method and apparatus, a compressed feed air stream is introduced into one adsorption bed to adsorb moisture and carbon dioxide and to produce a first intermediate product stream. Impurities contained within the first intermediate product stream such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and hydrogen are catalytically reacted to produce a second intermediate product stream that contains additional carbon dioxide and moisture produced from the catalytic reaction. The second intermediate product stream is introduced into another adsorption bed that adsorbs the additional moisture and carbon dioxide formed by the catalytic reaction to produce the clean dry air product stream. The present invention can be used alone to serve the need of supplying a clean dry air product stream. Additionally, it can be used as a prepurification unit of an air separation plant designed to produce an ultra-high purity industrial gas product. By catalytically reacting the hydrocarbons in the first intermediate product stream, less expensive oil lubricated compression equipment can be used to compress the feed air.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.