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

1. An adsorption 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 direct drive high-speed induction motor designed for variable-speed operation; and

means for receiving data signals for conditions in the system and for communicating to the high-speed induction 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 compressor driven by an associated motor, wherein the at least one second 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 induction 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 and the at least one associated variable-frequency drive is in communication with the means for receiving data signals and wherein the associated motor of the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor is in communication with at least one associated variable-frequency drive and the at least one associated variable-frequency drive is in communication with the means for receiving data signals.

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 means for receiving data signals 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 means for receiving data signals communicates during operation to the associated high-speed induction 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 induction motor is directly coupled to the at least one feed centrifugal compressor such that the at least one feed centrifugal compressor can be operated at or near a predetermined efficiency line.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined efficiency line is a best efficiency line represented by the 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 12 , wherein the PSA or VPSA system comprises a system for recovering at least one gas selected from the group comprising: O 2 , N 2 , CO 2 , H 2 or helium.

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

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

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one feed centrifugal compressor configured driven by the associated motor comprising a high-speed induction motor can accelerate from 40% speed to full design speed in about 2 seconds and decelerate from full design speed to 40% speed in about 2 seconds.

18. 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 induction motor designed for variable-speed operation;

at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor configured to be driven by an associated direct drive high-speed induction motor designed for variable-speed operation; and

means for receiving data signals for conditions in the system and for communicating to the high-speed induction 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 induction 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.

19. The system of claim 18 , 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.

20. The system of claim 18 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.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the associated motor of the at least one feed centrifugal compressor is in communication with an associated variable-frequency drive and the associated variable-frequency drive is in communication with the means for receiving data signals and wherein the associated motor of the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor is in communication with an associated variable-frequency drive and the vacuum variable-frequency drive is in communication with the means for receiving data signals.

22. The system of claim 18 , 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.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the means for receiving data signals is configured to determine the pressure ratio (P 2 /P 1 ) for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor and wherein the contra means for receiving data signals is configured to determine the pressure ratio (P 4 /P 3 ) for the at least one vacuum centrifugal compressor.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the means for receiving data signals communicates during operation to the high-speed induction 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 means for receiving data signals communicates during operation to the high-speed induction 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.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the high-speed induction 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 induction 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.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the predetermined efficiency lines are best efficiency lines represented by a locus 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.

27. The system of claim 18 , wherein the system comprises a VPSA system and each of the centrifugal compressors configured to be driven by an associated high-speed induction motor can accelerate from 40% speed to full design speed in about 2 seconds and decelerate from full design speed to 40% speed in about 2 seconds.

28. The system of claim 18 , wherein the high-speed induction motors are capable of operation at speeds of at least 3600 revolutions per minute.

29. An adsorption process for gas separation, the process comprising:

introducing a feed gas into at least one vessel containing at least one adsorbent bed including at least one adsorbent material, the feed gas comprising at least one less readily adsorbable component and at least more readily adsorbable component;

passing the gas through the at least one adsorbent material such that the more readily adsorbable component is adsorbed by the at least one adsorbent material; and

withdrawing a gas enriched in the less readily adsorbable component; and

wherein the at least one adsorbent bed is cyclically pressurized and depressurized during the process with at least one centrifugal compressor directly driven by an associated high-speed induction motor designed for variable speed operation and further comprising monitoring the process using means for receiving data signals for conditions in the process and for communicating to the high-speed induction motor associated with the at least one centrifugal compressor in response to the conditions such that the at least one feed centrifugal compressor can operate at a designated speed.

30. The process of claim 29 , wherein the conditions in the process comprise inlet pressure (P 1 ), outlet pressure (P 2 ) and inlet temperature for the at least one feed centrifugal compressor.

31. The process of claim 30 , wherein the means for receiving data signals is configured to determine the pressure ratio (P 2 /P 1 ) for the at least one centrifugal compressor.

32. The process of claim 31 , wherein the means for receiving data signals communicates to the high-speed induction motor associated with the at least one centrifugal 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 centrifugal compressor.

33. The process of claim 32 , wherein the high-speed induction motor associated with the at least one feed centrifugal compressor is directly coupled to the at least one feed centrifugal compressor such that the at least one centrifugal compressor can be operated along a predetermined efficiency line.

34. The process of claim 32 , wherein the process comprises a PSA or a VPSA system.

35. The process of claim 34 , wherein the PSA or VPSA process comprises at least two adsorption vessels, each vessel containing at least one adsorption bed including at least one adsorption material therein.

36. The process of claim 32 , wherein the PSA or VPSA process comprises a process for recovering at least one gas selected from the group comprising: O 2 , N 2 , CO 2 , H 2 or helium.

37. The process of claim 29 , wherein the high-speed induction motor associated with the at least one centrifugal compressor is capable of operation at speeds of at least 3600 revolutions per minute and accelerate from 40% speed to full design speed in about 2 seconds and decelerate from full design speed to 40% speed in about 2 seconds.

38. The process of claim 29 , wherein the means for receiving data signals is a programmable logic controller.