Gas separation: apparatus – Solid sorbent apparatus – Plural solid sorbent beds
Patent
1995-07-11
1997-01-14
Spitzer, Robert
Gas separation: apparatus
Solid sorbent apparatus
Plural solid sorbent beds
96130, 96133, 96144, 96149, B01D 53047
Patent
active
055934803
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
This invention refers to an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.
2. Background Art
An apparatus of this type is disclosed in the DE 41 06 547 A1. In order to enrich air with oxygen, according to this publication the nitrogen present in air is adsorbed in an adsorptive pressure change process by an adsorbent such as a packed zeolite bed. The packed zeolite bed is disposed in a container having several inlets and outlets through which compressed air is introduced or oxygen-enriched air is let out, respectively. The packed zeolite bed acts here as a molecular sieve. As the operational time increases, however, the adsorbing capacity of the packed zeolite bed diminishes, since it is increasingly saturated with nitrogen molecules. To increase the adsorbing capacity of the packed zeolite bed again, it is subsequently desorbed. The desorption is achieved by flushing the packed bed with oxygen or air, or by evacuating the container. For this purpose, additional inlets and outlets are provided on the container, serving for the evacuation or flushing of the container. According to the DE 41 06 547 A1, several containers are provided, containing a packed zeolite bed, such containers working according to the pressure change process. This means that while oxygen-enriched air is being produced in one container, the other containers are being desorbed. As soon as the adsorbing capacity of the container producing the oxygen-enriched air diminishes, the feed stream of compressed air is interrupted and the container is desorbed, while another container simultaneously takes over the production of oxygen-enriched air. The disadvantage of the apparatus shown in the DE 41 06 547 A1 for executing the process claimed therein is that it requires a greater deal of control and regulation to guarantee the opening and closing of the numerous valves at certain pressures and at certain times.
An apparatus for the adsorptive purification of gases is known from the DE 27 46 673 C2, the apparatus comprising an outer container and a double-walled, movable inner container spaced from the outer container. Such two-walled apparatus are used especially if the adsorbent is heated up for the desorption. In order to keep the outer container free of stresses resulting from thermal expansion, a thin-walled inner container is provided in the DE 27 46 673 C2, and an insulating layer is arranged between the inner and outer containers. The adsorbent is placed in the inner container. To avoid pressure loads on the inner container, the region between the outer and the inner container is open to the interior with the adsorbent, so that a pressure compensation can take place. The inner container is thus exposed solely to thermal expansions. Control possibilities for the opening and closing of the container inlets and outlets are not described in this publication. The apparatus shown is elaborate and expensive, particularly due to the provision of special material for the inner container.
When an adsorbent is desorbed, it is usually flushed with air under low pressure. When the container with the desorbed adsorbent is switched back to the oxygen enrichment of air or to the separation of air components, scavenging air or scavenging air with desorbed nitrogen is inevitably present in the feed and drainage systems of the container. When the pipes are opened these gas mixtures are then released, whereby the purity of product gases is lowered. In order to increase the purity of the product gases, a process is known from the DE 29 32 333 C2, in which the relatively impure product gas is vented into the atmosphere at the beginning of each flowthrough phase. Although such a process does increase the purity of the product gas, this takes place at the expense of the production time.
An apparatus for separating a gas mixture is further known from the DE 32 38 969 A1, which apparatus works according to the pressure change process and in which a control disk arrangement disposed between two alternately working containers holding
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H. H utten, Motoren, 1982, Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, p. 114.
Ley John R.
Phillips John B.
PPV Verwaltungs AG
Spitzer Robert
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