L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des

L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude L'exploitation Des Procedes

Leon Hay

Sylvie Eteve

Guy Simonet

Thomas Rottner

Jean-Yves Lehman

Maurice Grenier

Pierre Petit

Xavier Vigor

Maurice Bosquain

Didier Crozel

Paul Lapeyre

Pierre Sauty

The selective adsorption of nitrogen from air is used in a system including a number of adsorbers, to give oxygen enriched gas at elevated pressure, the adsorber is regenerated by depressurization under atmospheric pressure with a pump and by repressurization with oxygen enriched gas. The pumping duration is at most equal to the duration of the production step.

Process for the production of a gas having a substantial oxygen content

In the process for the production of oxygen by adsorption, the following combination of steps are used: the number of adsorbers is at least three; the time of pumping y under sub-atmospheric pressure during step b) is higher than dephasing T/n, and at least equal to the time x of the production step; the phase of pumping of the column of adsorbent material is carried out by using on said adsorption column successively at least two systems of pumping wherein one is in operation from the start of the pumping operation, another one is adapted to operate until pumping is over.

Method of producing oxygen by adsorption

Method for producing oxygen by adsorption separation from air

An adsorber having an upright longitudinal extent includes two perforated parallel panels extending within the vessel formed therein and spaced apart defining an adsorbent mass chamber. The adsorbent mass is in two longitudinal parts having a first part of fine particles and a second part of larger particles. The gas to be treated is circulated horizontally between the two perforated panels. This device allows the treatment cycle to be less than 60 seconds with the same or better performance. This adsorber and process are preferably used for the separation of oxygen from air.

Adsorber and process for the separation by adsorption

Gaseous oxygen is produced under a medium pressure which is higher than atmospheric pressure, and lower than a so-called high pressure. The medium pressure may also vary with time after which gaseous oxygen is brought to the high pressure. Each of the adsorbers of a high pressure PSA (Pressure swing Adsorption) adsorption device, undergoes a cycle including the following stage: (a) a stage of first pressure surge from a low pressure of the low pressure cycle to the medium pressure, during which oxygen under a medium pressure is introduced at a first end or outlet end, of the adsorber; (b) a stage of second pressure surge up to the high pressure; (c) a stage of production under high pressure, during which a gas substantially below the high pressure containing at least one component which is more easily adsorbed than oxygen, is introduced through a second end, or inlet end of the adsorber the gas being for example air, the first end being open; and (d) a stage of decompression to the low pressure of the cycle. An apparatus for carrying out this process is also disclosed.

Process for the production of gaseous oxygen under pressure

Process for separating a gaseous mixture by adsorption includes the steps of: (a) a cocurrent isobaric production (f.sub.p1 -f.sub.p2); (b) a pressure equalization between the adsorber undergoing decompression and another adsorber undergoing countercurrent recompression (f.sub.c1 -N.sub.4); (c) a cocurrent partial emptying to a reservoir (f); (d) a final countercurrent decompression (f.sub.a); (e) a countercurrent scavenging by the gas of the reservoir (f.sub.b); (f) a countercurrent partial recompression by at least one pressure equalization (f'.sub.e); (g) a countercurrent final recompression (f'.sub.di -F'.sub.d2); in which process the sum of the duration of the operations according to (c) and (d) is less than said phase shift and the sum of the durations of the operations according to (c), (d) and (e) is less than twice said phase shift; (h) at least two adsorbers are simultaneously in isobaric production, wherein: (i) the number of adsorbers is at least equal to four and less than 3+x+y, x and y being respectively the number of adsorbers in production and the number of pressure equalizations; (j) the emptying is introduced into the storage reservoir; (k) each pressure equalization is 'direct'.

Process and plant for separating a gaseous mixture by adsorption

This PSA cycle comprises two successive pressure equilibration steps in the course of which gas is withdrawn in a cocurrent manner from an adsorber at the beginning of countercurrent decompression and respectively introduced in a countercurrent manner and then in a cocurrent manner in another adsorber at the beginning of recompression. Application in the production of impure oxygen from air of the atmosphere.

Process for treating a gaseous mixture by adsorption

The adsorption cycle comprises the following stages:

The case 2 of the container 1 having a vertical axis X-X contains two adsorbent beds 3,4 in the form of sleeves retained by three cylindrical grates 5, 6, 7. The intermediate grate 6 is axially rigid and radially flexible while the innermost and outermost grates 5,7 are axially flexible and radially rigid. This enables the container and the adsorbent beds to support without damage the successive heating and cooling stages in the course of the adsorbent regeneration stages. Application to the purification of large amounts of air intended to be distilled.

Reactor and apparatus for purifying by adsorption

The gas originating from the expansion during the stage (T.sub.6) is directed into a buffer tank and each adsorber has an operating cycle delayed by 1/nth of the cycle period (T) with respect to a preceding one, and each production stage has a duration of (x/n)T, 'n' being greater than or equal to 6, and 'x' greater than or equal to 2, and each expansion stage at an intermediate pressure has a shorter duration than each elution stage.

Adsorption processes

In a method comprising an isobaric production phase, a co-current depressurization phase, optionally carried out in a plurality of stages, a counter-current elution phase and a counter-current repressurization phase, optionally carried out in a plurality of stages, the successive balancing phases between two adsorption columns 1, 2, 3, 4 are carried out by passage in an auxiliary column 46, 70 with flow in opposite directions of the gaseous currents corresponding to two successive balancings.

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Paris, France

Leon Hay