Intensified pressure swing adsorption system and process cycles
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 H 2 PSA system offers opportunity to reduce PSA capital expenditure by ten percent (10%).
1. A pressure swing adsorption process for producing a gas stream enriched with hydrogen from a feed gas stream utilizing a 5 or 6 adsorbent vessels pressure swing adsorption system, wherein said pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system carries out an efficient process cycle having two pressure equalization steps, no idle step, each pressure equalization and blowdown step being ≥25 seconds, wherein the critical provide purge step is positioned to allow the longest purge time, and the first dedicated provide purge gas is positioned to provide the last purge step for the receiving bed for a clean rinse.
2. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1 , wherein each pressure equalization step time and blow down step time of the process cycle is equal or greater than 20% of the adsorption/feed step time.
3. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1 , wherein total purge time is in a range of 20%-30% of the total cycle time for 5-bed PSA system, and in a range of 17%-30% of the total cycle time for 6-bed PSA system.
4. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1 , wherein the process cycle has a feed flux >100 mol/m 2 /sec.
5. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a six bed adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a stream of offgas that is enriched in the strongly adsorbable components, in accordance with to the following cycle chart:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
B1
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
PPG4
BD
Pg3a
Pg4
Pg2
Pg3b
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
PPG2
B2
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
PPG4
BD
Pg3a
Pg4
Pg2
Pg3b
Pg1
E2′
PPG2
B3
Pg3b
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
PPG4
BD
Pg3a
Pg4
Pg2
PPG2
B4
Pg3a
Pg4
Pg2
Pg3b
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
PPG4
BD
PPG2
B5
PPG3
PPG4
BD
Pg3a
Pg4
Pg2
Pg3b
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG2
B6
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
PPG4
BD
Pg3a
Pg4
Pg2
Pg1
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
PPG2
where:
A1 = First Adsorption Step
A2 = Second Adsorption Step
A3 = Third Adsorption Step
E1 = First Equalization Down Step
PPG1 = First Provide Purge Gas Step
E2/PPG2 = Second Equalization Down/Second Provide Purge Gas Overlapping Step
PPG3 = Third Provide Purge Gas Step
PPG4 = Fourth Provide Purge Gas Step
BD = Blowdown Step
Pg3a = Third (a) Receive Purge Gas Step
Pg4 = Fourth Receive Purge Gas Step
Pg2 = Second Receive Purge Gas Step
Pg3b = Third (b) Receive Purge Gas Step
Pg1 = First Receive Purge Gas Step
E2′ = Second Equalization Up Step
E1′ = First Equalization Up Step
PP1 = First Product Pressurization Step
PP2 = Second Product Pressurization Step.
6. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a six bed adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a stream of offgas that is enriched in the strongly adsorbable components, in accordance with to the following cycle chart:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
B1
A1
A2
E1
E2/
PPG2
BD
Pg2a
Pg1
Pg2b
E2′
E1′
PP
PPG1
B2
E1′
PP
A1
A2
E1
E2/
PPG2
BD
Pg2a
Pg1
Pg2b
E2′
PPG1
B3
Pg2b
2
E1′
PP
A1
A2
E1
E2/
PPG2
BD
Pg2a
Pg1
PPG1
B4
Pg2a
Pg1
Pg2b
E2′
E1′
PP
A1
A2
E1
E2/
PPG2
BD
PPG1
B5
PPG2
BD
Pg2a
Pg1
Pg2b
2
E1′
PP
A1
A2
E1
E2/
PPG1
B6
E1
E2/
PPG2
BD
Pg2a
Pg1
Pg2b
E2′
E1′
PP
A1
A2
PPG1
where:
A1 = First Adsorption Step
A2 = Second Adsorption Step
E1 = First Equalization Down Step
E2/PPG1 = Second Equalization Down/First Provide Purge Gas Overlapping Step
PPG2 = Second Provide Purge Gas Step
BD = Blowdown Step
Pg2a = Second (a) Receive Purge Gas Step
Pg1 = First Receive Purge Gas Step
Pg2b = Second (b) Receive Purge Gas Step
E2′ = Second Equalization Up Step
E1′ = First Equalization Up Step
PP = Product Pressurization Step.
7. A pressure swing adsorption process for separating a pressurized supply feed gas containing one or more strongly adsorbable component from at least one less strongly adsorbable product gas component in a five bed adsorption system to produce a continuous stream of product gas enriched in the less strongly adsorbable component and a stream of offgas that is enriched in the strongly adsorbable components, in accordance with to the following cycle chart:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
B1
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
BD
Pg2
Pg3
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
PPG2
B2
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
BD
Pg2
Pg3
Pg1
E2′
PPG2
B3
Pg3
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
BD
Pg2
PPG2
B4
PPG3
BD
Pg2
Pg3
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG2
B5
E1
PPG1
E2/
PPG3
BD
Pg2
Pg3
Pg1
E2′
E1′
PP1
PP2
A1
A2
A3
PPG2
where:
A1 = First Adsorption Step
A2 = Second Adsorption Step
A3 = Third Adsorption Step
E1 = First Equalization Down Step
PPG1 = First Provide Purge Gas Step
E2/PPG2 = Second Equalization Down/Second Provide Purge Gas Overlapping Step
PPG3 = Third Provide Purge Gas Step
BD = Blowdown Step
Pg2 = Second Receive Purge Gas Step
Pg3 = Third Receive Purge Gas Step
Pg1 = First Receive Purge Gas Step
E2′ = Second Equalization Up Step
E1′ = First Equalization Up Step
PP1 = First Product Pressurization Step
PP2 = Second Product Pressurization Step.
8. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1 , wherein the feed gas stream contains one or more strongly adsorbed component selected from a group consisting of hydrocarbon CO 2 , CO, Ar, N 2 , and water vapor.
9. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1 , wherein each adsorbent bed contains alumina, carbon, and zeolite material configured in layers.
10. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein carbon and zeolite each be layered by different particle sizes to achieve the desired mass transfer rate and pressure drop.
11. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein zeolite has particle sizes from 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm.
12. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein carbon has particle sizes from 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm.
13. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein zeolite mass transfer coefficient for CO is K CO ≥10 sec −1 .
14. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein zeolite mass transfer coefficient for CO is K CO ≥20 sec −1 .
15. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein activated carbon mass transfer coefficient for CO is K CO ≥7 sec −1 .
16. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein activated carbon mass transfer coefficient for CO is K CO ≥14 sec −1 .
17. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1 , wherein each pressure equalization step time and blow down step time of the process cycle is in a range of about 20%-35% of the adsorption/feed step time.
18. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 1 , wherein the process cycle has a feed flux in a range of about 120-140 mol/m 2 /sec.
19. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein zeolite has particle sizes ranging from about 1.0-1.5 mm.
20. The pressure swing adsorption process of claim 9 , wherein carbon has particle sizes ranging from about 1.8-3.0 mm.