Systems and methods for gas separation using high-speed permanent magnet motors with centrifugal compressors

1. A system for gas separation, comprising:

at least one vessel containing at least one adsorption bed including at least one adsorption material;

at least one feed centrifugal compressor configured to be driven by an associated motor comprising a high-speed permanent magnet variable-speed motor; and

controller means for receiving data signals for conditions in the system and for communicating to the high-speed permanent magnet motor driving the at least one feed centrifugal compressor in response to the conditions such that the at least one feed centrifugal compressor can operate at a designated speed; and

wherein the at least one bed is configured for cyclical pressurization and depressurization during operation.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one second feed compressor driven by an associated motor, wherein the at least one second feed compressor is a rotary-lobe blower and the associated motor is an induction motor.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one vacuum compressor driven by an associated motor, wherein the at least one vacuum compressor is a rotary-lobe blower and the associated motor is an induction motor.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor and an associated high-speed permanent magnet variable-speed motor.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising at least one second vacuum compressor driven by an associated motor, wherein the at least one second vacuum compressor is a rotary-lobe blower and the associated motor is an induction motor.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the associated motor of the at least one feed centrifugal compressor is in communication with at least one associated variable-frequency drive (VFD) and the at least one associated variable-frequency drive (VFD) is in communication with the controller means and wherein the associated motor of the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor is in communication with at least one associated variable-frequency drive (VFD) and the at least one associated variable-frequency drive (VFD) is in communication with the controller means.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conditions in the system comprise inlet pressure and outlet pressure for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor and inlet temperature for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller means is configured to determine the pressure ratio (outlet pressure/inlet pressure) for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller means communicates during operation to the associated high-speed permanent magnet motor of the at least one feed centrifugal compressor a speed at which to operate in response to the pressure ratio and the inlet temperature for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the associated high-speed permanent magnet motor is directly coupled to the at least one feed centrifugal compressor such that the at least one feed centrifugal compressor can be operated along a predetermined efficiency line.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined efficiency line is a best efficiency line represented by a loci of points that correspond to peak efficiency points of the compressor operating curves at different speeds and process conditions of the at least one feed centrifugal compressor.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a PSA or a VPSA system.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the PSA or VPSA system comprises at least two adsorption vessels, each vessel containing at least one adsorption bed including at least one adsorption material therein.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the PSA or VPSA system comprises three or more adsorption vessels, each vessel containing at least one adsorption bed including at least one adsorption material therein.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the PSA or VPSA system comprises a system for recovering at least one gas selected from the group consisting of: O 2 , N 2 , CO 2 , H 2 and helium.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one feed centrifugal compressor includes inlet guide vanes.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high-speed permanent magnet motor comprises at least one rare earth high-speed permanent magnet motor.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high-speed permanent magnet motor is capable of operation at speeds of at least 3600 revolutions per minute.

19. A system for gas separation, comprising:

at least one vessel containing at least one adsorption bed including at least one adsorption material;

at least one feed compressor configured to be driven by an associated motor;

at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor configured to be driven by an associated high-speed permanent magnet variable-speed motor; and

controller means for receiving data signals for conditions in the system and for communicating to the associated high-speed permanent magnet motor driving the at least feed vacuum centrifugal compressor in response to the conditions such that the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor can operate at a designated speed; and

wherein the at least one bed is configured for cyclical pressurization and depressurization during operation.

20. A system for gas separation, comprising:

at least one vessel containing at least one adsorption bed including at least one adsorption material;

at least one feed centrifugal compressor configured to be driven by an associated high-speed permanent magnet variable-speed motor;

at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor configured to be driven by an associated high-speed permanent magnet variable-speed motor; and

controller means for receiving data signals for conditions in the system and for communicating to the high-speed permanent magnet motor associated with the at least one feed centrifugal compressor in response to the conditions such that the at least one feed centrifugal compressor can operate at a designated speed and for communicating to the high-speed permanent magnet motor associated with the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor in response to the conditions such that the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor can operate at a designated speed; and

wherein the at least one vessel is configured for cyclical pressurization and depressurization during operation.

21. The system of claim 20 , further comprising at least one second feed compressor driven by an associated motor, wherein the at least one second feed compressor is a rotary-lobe blower and the associated motor is an induction motor.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising at least one second vacuum compressor driven by an associated motor, wherein the at least one second vacuum compressor is a rotary-lobe blower and the associated motor is an induction motor.

23. The system of claim 20 , wherein the associated motor of the at least one feed centrifugal compressor is in communication with an associated variable-frequency drive (VFD) and the associated variable-frequency drive (VFD) is in communication with the controller means and wherein the associated motor of the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor is in communication with an associated variable-frequency drive (VFD) and the vacuum variable-frequency drive (VFD) is in communication with the controller means.

24. The system of claim 20 , wherein the conditions in the system comprise inlet pressure (P 1 ), outlet pressure (P 2 ) and inlet temperature for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor and wherein the conditions in the system comprise inlet pressure (P 3 ), outlet pressure (P 4 ) and inlet temperature for the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the controller means is configured to determine the pressure ratio (P 2 /P 1 ) for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor and wherein the controller means is configured to determine the pressure ratio (P 4 /P 3 ) for the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the controller means communicates during operation to the high-speed permanent magnet motor associated with the at least one feed centrifugal feed compressor a speed at which to operate in response to the pressure ratio (P 2 /P 1 ) and the inlet temperature for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor and wherein the controller means communicates during operation to the high-speed permanent magnet motor associated with the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor a speed at which to operate in response to the pressure ratio (P 4 /P 3 ) and the inlet temperature for the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the high-speed permanent magnet motor associated with the at least one feed centrifugal compressor is directly coupled to the at least one feed centrifugal feed compressor such that the at least one feed centrifugal compressor can be operated at a predetermined efficiency and wherein the high-speed permanent magnet motor associated with the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor is directly coupled to the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor such that the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor can be operated along a predetermined efficiency line.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the predetermined efficiency lines are best efficiency lines represented by a loci of points that correspond to peak efficiency points of the respective compressor operating curves at different speeds and process conditions of the respective at least one feed centrifugal compressor and at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor.

29. The system of claim 20 , wherein the system comprises a VPSA system.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the VPSA system comprises at least two adsorption vessels, each vessel containing at least one adsorption bed including at least one adsorption material therein.

31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the VPSA system comprises three or more adsorption vessels, each vessel containing at least one adsorption bed including at least one adsorption material therein.

32. The system of claim 29 , wherein the VPSA system comprises a system for recovering at least one gas selected from the group consisting of: O 2 , N 2 , CO 2 , H 2 and helium.

33. The system of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the at least one feed centrifugal compressor or the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor includes inlet guide vanes on such at least one centrifugal compressor.

34. The system of claim 20 , wherein the high-speed permanent magnet motor associated with the at least one feed centrifugal compressor comprises a high-speed rare earth permanent magnet motor and is directly coupled to the at least one feed centrifugal compressor and wherein the high-speed permanent magnet motor associated with the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor comprises a high-speed rare earth permanent magnet motor and is directly coupled to the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor.

35. The system of claim 20 , wherein the high-speed permanent magnet motors are capable of operation at speeds of at least 3600 revolutions per minute.