Praxair Technology, Inc.

Yang Luo

Neil Mark Prosser

Nicholas R Stuckert

Neil Andrew Stephenson

Andrew Chester Rosinski

Hai Du

Kirk Frederick Larson

Richard D Lenz

Kevin J Saboda

Timothy Mark Aaron

Osemwengie Uyi Iyoha

Jennifer Bugayong Luna

Jeffrey Abbatiello

Neel Rangnekar

Siew Wah Chai

The present invention relates to a method and system for improving VPSA plant energy and capital efficiency through optimizing direct drive variable speed centrifugal feed, vacuum, and/or product compressors to achieve lower unit gas product production cost. More specifically, the present invention relates to a new energy efficient VPSA process and system which employs high speed direct drive centrifugal compressors to achieve wider production range. Significant lower energy consumption can be achieved over the plant operation life by employing compressors sized with average ambient and production demand, utilizing direct drive variable high speed centrifugal compressors' speed and operating range to meet the desired production demand. Since majority of the plants tend to run at below peak production most of operating life of the plant. In addition, the smaller size machine offers plant capital savings from the initial investment.

Energy efficient VPSA system with direct drive high speed centrifugal compressors

The invention relates to a method and system for improving PSA/VPSA plant energy efficiency during times of reduced production demand and capital efficiency through optimizing feed, vacuum, and centrifugal product compressors to achieve lower energy consumption and lower unit gas product production cost. More specifically, the present invention relates to a new energy efficient PSA/VPSA turn down process and system which employs high speed direct drive centrifugal product compressor to achieve desired production. Significant lower energy consumption can be achieved by employing lower flow, and lower adsorption top pressure in the lower production range.

The present invention relates to an intensified 5-bed and 6-bed PSA process cycles features, as well as fast rate adsorbents that enable the intensified PSA system to meet cost and performance target are identified. The proposed capital efficient HPSA system offers opportunity to reduce PSA capital expenditure by ten percent (10%).

Intensified pressure swing adsorption system and process cycles

The invention relates to the intensification of hydrogen PSA processes through utilization of specifically engineered core-shell composite adsorbents. Different embodiments of core-shell adsorbents can be used with either high or low heat capacity cores, and different adsorbent shells (e.g. activated carbon, zeolite, silica gel, alumina etc.) resulting in higher mass transfer rates and hence sharper mass transfer fronts during the PSA process. The location of the limiting impurity front determines the product purity. Therefore, with sharper impurity fronts, lower height of adsorbent bed is required, and cycle time can be proportionally reduced. Also, thermal swing during the PSA can be reduced by use of such adsorbents. The use of a high heat capacity core to reduce the thermal swing, leads to higher overall working capacity of the adsorbent bed.

Core-shell composite adsorbent for use in hydrogen and helium PSA processes

A system and method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a 'no-argon' or 'low-argon' mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a &#x2018;high-argon&#x2019; mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a &#x2018;no-argon&#x2019; or &#x2018;low-argon&#x2019; mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.

System and method for flexible recovery of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit

The present invention relates to a process cycle that allows for the stable production of mid-range purity oxygen from air, using traditional system designs. Typical cycles have a limited production benefit when generating Oat lower than 90% purity, however they suffer a production loss at higher purity. The process cycles of the invention are capable of producing significantly more contained Oat a lower purity. In addition to enhanced production capacity, lower power consumed per mass of product and more stable product purity and flow are realized by the process of the invention compared to traditional alternatives.

Mid-range purity oxygen by adsorption

The invention relates to a process for modifying the VPSA/VSA/PSA cycle to allow for maximum product pressure without the need for a base load oxygen compressor (BLOC) or base load oxygen blower (BLOB), thus supplying low pressure oxygen (3 to 7 Psig) to the end user while at the same time lowering product costs 10 to 30%. The system of this invention preferably employs larger piping runs from the VPSA to the oxy-fuel control skids, larger piping for the oxy-fuel control skid, larger piping for the VPSA, low pressure drop flow measurements, and low pressure drop check valves.

Process for generating higher VPSA product pressure

A method and apparatus for argon recovery in which an impure argon stream is separated from air within a cryogenic air separation unit having an argon rejection column and a reflux type argon condenser disposed internally within the lower pressure column. An impure argon stream is subsequently recovered from the argon rejection column and purified within an integrated adsorbent based argon refining and purification subsystem to produce product grade argon. The waste stream from the adsorbent based argon refining and purification subsystem is recycled back to the argon rejection column so as to improve the argon recovery.

Method ad apparatus for argon recovery in a cryogenic air separation unit integrated with a pressure swing adsorption

A method and apparatus for argon rejection and recovery in which argon is separated from air within a cryogenic air separation plant having a divided wall argon rejection column arrangement and condensed using an argon condenser disposed internally within the lower pressure column. The divided wall argon rejection column arrangement may be an annular arrangement or a side-by-side arrangement (i.e. segmented or planar configuration). The resulting argon stream is subsequently rejected or recovered and optionally purified within an integrated adsorbent based argon refining and purification subsystem to produce product grade argon.

Method and apparatus for argon rejection and recovery

Method and apparatus for argon recovery in a cryogenic air separation unit integrated with a pressure swing adsorption system

A method and apparatus for argon recovery in which an impure argon stream is separated from air within a cryogenic air separation unit having a divided wall argon rejection/rectification column. The resulting argon stream is subsequently recovered and purified within an integrated pressure swing adsorption system to produce product grade argon.

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Amherst, NY, United States of America

Yang Luo