PSA plant using valves having long and heterogeneous operating times

US6332915A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude · FR

Inventors

• Dominique Rouge · Malakoff, FR
• Stephane Chantagrel · Alès, FR
• Lian-Ming Sun · Beijing, CN
• Celine Graciannette · Versailles, FR
• Yves Torre · Gif-sur-Yvette, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 8, 1999
• Grant date: Dec 25, 2001
• Expiry date: Nov 8, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B01D2259/403
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A PSA, especially VSA, plant for separating a gas stream, operating in a production cycle and comprising at least one adsorber, preferably two or three adsorbers, and several valves having long and heterogeneous operating times. More specifically, the average operating time (.mu.) of the valves is such that: 0.5 s<.mu.<2 s and the operating time (.DELTA.t) of each of the valves is such that: .mu.-x<.DELTA.t<.mu.+x, with 0.1 s<x<0.5 s. The invention also relates to the use of such a PSA plant for producing a gas stream rich in oxygen, in nitrogen or in hydrogen, particularly a stream comprising more than 80% oxygen, which is then sent to an oxygen-consuming plant chosen from a combustion furnace, a paper-pulp manufacturing unit and a water treatment unit.