The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 1996
Filed:
Oct. 07, 1994
Terry L Marker, Warrenville, IL (US);
Santi Kulprathipanja, Inverness, IL (US);
Simon H Hobbs, Chicago, IL (US);
UOP, Des Plaines, IL (US);
Abstract
The present invention is a single vessel apparatus for separating at least a first component from a second component of a process stream. The apparatus has a vertically-elongated vessel which contains a plurality of vertically spaced apart distillation contactors for vapor and liquid distillation and an adsorbent-retaining volume defined at least in part by a solids-impermeable member located above the contactors for passing a fluid into the retaining volume. The apparatus also contains a mechanism for adding adsorbent above the solids-impermeable member and a mechanism for withdrawing adsorbent particles from the retaining volume to contact the fluid with adsorbent particles and to provide at least intermittent downward gravity flow of adsorbent particles through the retaining volume and to selectively adsorb a portion of the fluid. The apparatus further contains a regenerator for desorbing fluids from adsorbent particles which is in communication with the mechanism for adding adsorbent above the solids-impermeable member and the means for withdrawing adsorbent particles from the adsorbent-retaining volume. The fluids are desorbed in the regenerator by passing a regenerant into and collecting the regenerant from the regenerator. Finally, the apparatus also contains a mechanism for adding fluid to and withdrawing fluid from the vessel. The benefit of the invention is a high purity single vessel separation unit at reduced capital equipment costs.