Oxygen production from air by adsorption using centrifugal pump

摘要

The treatment of a gas mixture, in particular air comprises variable pressure adsorption (PSA) using at least one adsorber and operating the following cycle in each: (a) an adsorption phase in which the mixture is introduced at one end (inlet) of the adsorber, circulated in the adsorber to the other end (outlet) and from this outlet comes the less adsorbable gas; (b) a desorption phase with pumping backflow to a low pressure (P'm) below ambient; and (c) a repressurisation phase returning the adsorber to its cycle high pressure. At least part of the pumping stage uses a centrifugal vacuum pump, and for a given adsorber, the final extraction pressure (P'F) of the centrifugal pump is close to the initial extraction pressure (PI). Also claimed is the application of the above process to the production of oxygen from air.