Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for producing nitrogen

US6767386B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
26References
4Claims
0Family size

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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 14, 2002
Grant dateJul 27, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 14, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S95/903
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

CMS adsorbents having suitable indexes are used to improve greatly the performance of nitrogen-producing apparatuses where nitrogen is obtained from the air with a PSA method, so as to improve the efficiency of nitrogen production. A nitrogen PSA apparatus is formed with two adsorbing columns where an adsorption step and a regeneration step are performed alternatively and periodically. The adsorption step is for adsorbing oxygen and conducting nitrogen to a product tank with the supply of compressed air from an air compressor, and the regeneration step for releasing the adsorbed gas after the adsorption step. The adsorbing columns are filled with a carbon molecular sieve (CMS) that selectively adsorbs oxygen as an adsorbent. The CMS adsorbs an oxygen/nitrogen amount of 50% of the saturated adsorption amount with a period TO/TN starting from oxygen/nitrogen supply, wherein TO is 5˜10 seconds and TN is larger than TO by more than 41 times.

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