Process and apparatus for the production of ultra-pure inert gas

摘要

Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process for separating a gaseous flow containing oxygen and nitrogen by preferential adsorption of the nitrogen to a high adsorption pressure, on at least one bed of adsorbent material in at least one separation zone, with the adsorbent material preferentially adsorbing nitrogen. Each adsorbent bed is subjected to successive separation cycles, each cycle including at least a feed phase where the gas flow is introduced at a feed temperature (Talim) into the separation zone passing from the low desorption pressure to a high adsorption pressure; and a purge phase where the nitrogen is desorbed to a low desorption pressure less than the high adsorption pressure. In addition the feed temperature of the gas to be separated is controlled and the high adsorption pressure is adjusted. Device to carry out the above process, with means of controlling the feed temperature (Talim) and means of adjusting the high adsorption pressure.