ADSORBENT REGENERATION METHOD

摘要

In a cyclic adsorptive gas purification process, an impurity laden adsorbent is regenerated by exposing it first to an unheated gas for a pre-determined time period to desorb at least some of the impurity, followed by heating the adsorbent using a flowing stream of a heated gas to desorb the remaining impurities over another pre-determined time period, further followed by cooling of the adsorbent using a flowing stream of gas for yet another pre-determined time period to make it ready for repeating the adsorptive cycle. Introducing an unheated purge stream reduces the energy requirements for the regeneration step compared to a traditional TSA process.

主权项

1. An energy efficient adsorbent regeneration process comprising:
feeding pressurized air for a first pre-determined time period to an adsorber operating at a first pressure to adsorb impurities in feed air onto one or more adsorbents within the adsorber; stopping pressurized air flow to the adsorber and depressurizing the adsorber to a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure; regenerating one or more adsorbents in a first regeneration step by flowing unheated regeneration gas through the adsorber operating at the second pressure for a second pre-determined time period; further regenerating one or more adsorbents in a second regeneration step by flowing heated regeneration gas through the adsorber operating at the second pressure for a third pre-determined time period; cooling the one or more adsorbents by flowing adsorbent cooling gas through the adsorber at the second pressure for a fourth pre-determined time period; stopping the flow of adsorbent cooling gas and repressurizing the adsorber to the first pressure to begin feeding pressurized air.