System for energy recovery in a vacuum pressure swing adsorption apparatus
US6344069B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 4, 2001 |
| Grant date | Feb 5, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 4, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB01D2259/402
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A VPSA apparatus includes a first adsorbent bed and a second adsorbent bed, a feed blower for providing a flow of a gas mixture at about atmospheric pressure to the beds, and a vacuum blower for removing a flow of gas therefrom and venting the gas to a space at atmospheric pressure. The VPSA process causes the first adsorbent bed to be poised for evacuation by the vacuum blower and concurrently, the second adsorbent bed is under vacuum conditions and is poised for pressurization by the feed blower. A single motor is coupled by a common shaft to both the feed blower and the vacuum blower and operates both. A conduit/valve arrangement is operative during at least a portion of a process time when the adsorbent beds are in pressurizing/evacuation states, respectively, to couple the feed blower to the second adsorbent bed when at vacuum and for concurrently coupling the vacuum blower to the first adsorbent bed which is to be evacuated. The feed blower is thereby caused to operate in a gas expansion mode and imparts expansion energy, via the common shaft, to the vacuum blower. During idling conditions, a valve-conduit system is controlled to enable significant reductions in pressure rise…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.