pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) is a technology used to separate some gas species from a mixture of gases under pressure according to the species ' molecular characteristics and affinity for an adsorbent material .

it operates at near-ambient temperatures and differs significantly from cryogenic distillation techniques of gas separation .

specific adsorptive materials ( e.g. , zeolites , activated carbon , molecular sieves , etc. ) are used as a trap , preferentially adsorbing the target gas species at high pressure .

the process then swings to low pressure to desorb the adsorbed material .

pressure swing adsorption

a method for screening the potential of mofs as co2 adsorbents in pressure swing adsorption processes .
of pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) processes are typically in the order of minutes or even seconds .
11 . the method of claim 10 wherein the pressure swing adsorption system has four or more adsorber vessels .
pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) is a cost - efficient process for producing a high purity oxygen or nitrogen .
a method for screening the potential of mofs as co2 adsorbents in pressure swing adsorption processes . - pubmed - ncbi
evaluating the system performance of a pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) unit by removing the carbon d . . .
( 2 ) depressurization to sub - ambient pressure levels ( i . e . vacuum swing adsorption or vsa ) ; and
the process of the pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) technology is an extremely clean operation . the only ‘raw material’ is air .
two stage pressure swing adsorption process for producing the less strongly adsorbed component of a feed gas mixture - air products and chemicals , inc .
sircar , s . “gas separation by rapid pressure swing adsorption , ” u . s . patent 5 , 071 , 449 ( 1991 ) .
pigorini , g . and m . d . levan , “equilibrium theory for pressure swing adsorption . 2 . purification and enrichment in layered beds , ”
toussaint , l . j . , “adsorbent beds for pressure swing adsorption operations , ” us patent 5 , 203 , 887 , april 20 , 1993 .
pressure swing adsorption is a widely used technology for the purification of gases . this regeneration process is accomplished by reducing the pressure . at the moderate pressures found in compressed air systems , such as 100 pounds per square inch , an adsorbent can support a certain amount of moisture . when that pressure is dropped to ambient air pressure , the adsorbent can only support a smaller amount of moisture . by swinging the pressure from high to low , it is possible to adsorb large quantities of moisture at the higher pressure , and then release that moisture at the low pressure . this technique is called pressure swing adsorption . by alternating between two adsorbent filled vessels , one vessel being on line and removing moisture at high pressure , and the other off line releasing the trapped moisture at low pressure , it is possible to thoroughly dry a gas .
. in the majority of pressure swing separations a combination of the 2 methods is employed . use of a purge fluid alone is unusual .
( 2 ) repressurizing the second stage adsorption bed by introducing repressurization gas into the second stage adsorption bed .
earls , d . e . and g . n . long , “multiple bed rapid pressure swing adsorption for oxygen , ” u . s . patent 4 , 194 , 891 ( 1980 ) .
jones , r . l . , g . e . keller , and r . c . wells , “rapid pressure swing adsorption process with high enrichment factor , ” u . s . patent no . 4 ,
convenience . consistency . low operating costs . these are just a few reasons why many companies are opting to use pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) gas production technology , along with its flexibility , scale and performance advantages .
while pressure is built in one vessel , the second vessel is regenerated by a pressure decrease , to guarantee a continuous flow . before the subsequent adsorption or desorption stage , a pressure equalization between the adsorption vessels will take place . when the pressure decreases in the first cylinder and the pellets are saturated , the waste product is exhausted through the exhaust system . the pressure in the second vessel will now be build up until the pressure between both vessels are once again equalized . for a constant production of gas , this process is constantly repeated .
carlos a . grande ( august 1st 2011 ) . biogas upgrading by pressure swing adsorption , biofuel ' s engineering process technology marco aurelio dos santos bernardes , intechopen , doi : 10 . 5772 / 18428 . available from :
sakoda , a . and m . suzuki , “performance and potential of piston - driven rapid pressure swing adsorption , ” paper presented at annual alche meeting ( extended abstract 10d ) , miami beach , florida ( 1992 ) .
adsorption the psa principle is used for separation of atmospheric air , where product gases are separated from others by adsorption process .
jones , r . l . , g . e . keller , and r . c . wells , “rapid pressure swing adsorption with high enrichment factor , ” u . s . patent 4 , 194 , 892 ( 1980 ) .
oxymat’s on - site oxygen and nitrogen generators are based on the well - known psa ( pressure swing adsorption technology ) using two pressurized columns with molecular sieves to ensure continuous production , for separation of either oxygen or nitrogen from other gases .
. separations by psa and vsa are controlled by adsorption equilibrium or adsorption kinetics . both types of control are important commercially . for the
the present invention relates to a pressure swing adsorption process for producing the less strongly adsorbed component of a feed gas mixture which utilizes a first adsorbent for bulk removal of the more strongly adsorbed component and a second adsorbent for trace removal of the more strongly adsorbed component .
pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) technology is increasingly applied for purification of gases and for bulk separation of most various gas mixtures . typical product gases are hydrogen , carbon monoxide , ethylene , nitrogen , oxygen and methane . this paper presents an introduction to the technique of psa plants and gives a survey of current practical applications of adsorption technology in modern process plant complexes .
according to the unit characteristics and the relationships of mass and energy , alternative procedures to produce hydrogen from coke oven gas ( cog ) were proposed . in these hydrogen amplification systems , co 2 adsorption enhanced hydrogen reactor was combined with pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) separation process . their performances were analyzed and evaluated by technical and economic . . . [ show full abstract ]
a novel rapid pressure swing adsorption ( rpsa ) process is described for production of 25–50 % oxygen enriched air . the embodiment consists of one or more pairs of adsorbent layers contained in a single adsorption vessel . the layers undergo simultaneous pressurization - adsorption and simultaneous depressurization - purge steps . a total cycle time of 6–20 seconds is used . the process yields a very large specific oxygen production rate and a reasonable oxygen recovery for production of 20–50 mole % oxygen enriched gas .
for hydrogen recovery / purification applications where the feed stream is at low to intermediate pressure ( < 1000 psig ) and where downstream process requirements require minimum pressure reduction and high purity hydrogen product , pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) technology is the process of choice . uop’s market leading polybed psa technology is the result of years of technical innovation and commercial experience . as the industry leader in molecular sieve / adsorbent research and development , uop combines superior high performance adsorbent technology with innovative process and mechanical design . process benefits include :
pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) technology represents an important separation process for gases . in addition to typical integration of psa units in the plant structures ( e . g . combination of steam reformer and h2 - psa ) more complex combinations are possible to optimise the overall process performance . the psa process itself is strongly influenced by certain process parameters like tail gas pressure , number of pressure equalisation steps etc . psa units can handle growing throughputs meanwhile they are getting specifically smaller . sophisticated control systems enhance the performance , flexibility and automation .
in the world of air gas production , capacities and product purities are increasing while plants are getting smaller and smaller all the time . though this trend may be an observation of air separation plants ( asus ) and large - scale production , there is undoubtedly an intrinsic link to the proliferation of pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) technologies .
. the feed pressure was 440 psig and the feed temperature was 70° f . the 5 bed psa cycle of
to take advantage of the fact that for a given partial pressure the loading is increased as the temperature is decreased .
7 . the method of claim 6 wherein the pressure of the reformer gas is between about 15 and 800 psig .
9 . the method of claim 8 wherein the pressure of the reformer gas is between about 15 and 800 psig .
this aiche academy video explains how differential adsorption can be exploited to continuously separate gases at high purity .
an exemplary hydrogen psa process is illustrated in the cycle chart of fig . 1 , which describes the operation of a pressure swing adsorption system with five parallel adsorber vessels and shows the steps occurring in each of the adsorber beds as a function of time . each adsorber vessel has an inlet and an outlet and contains a first bed of adsorbent material selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and optionally nitrogen . each vessel also contains a second bed of adsorbent material selective for the adsorption of methane and carbon dioxide , wherein the second bed is disposed between the vessel inlet and the first bed .
it is demonstrated by a simple mathematical model of isothermal single adsorbate pressure swing ad ( de ) sorption concept on a single adsorbent particle that the specific production rate of a psa process cannot be indefinitely increased by reducing the cycle time of operation when adsorbate mass transfer resistances are finite .
the development and commercialization of carbon molecular sieves ( cms ) are closely connected with the development of pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) processes for the separation of gases . it was already known in the 1960s that certain carbonaceous materials have a molecular sieving effect similar to that of the well known zeolitic molecular sieves . the effect was observed during basic research . . . [ show full abstract ]
psa processes are based upon the static separation of ambient air – comprised of 21 % oxygen , 78 % nitrogen and just under 1 % of argon – via a given adsorbent capable of extracting a target gas at high pressure . as a general rule , the higher the pressure , the more gas is adsorbed ; when that pressure is reduced , the gas is desorbed ( released ) .
a pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) process for producing the less strongly adsorbed component of a feed gas mixture which utilizes a first adsorbent for bulk removal of the more strongly adsorbed component and a second adsorbent for trace removal of the more strongly adsorbed component is taught in the art . specifically , japanese laid - open patent application no . 63 - 240914 by takahashi et al . teaches such a process in the context of :
keller , g . e . , r . a . anderson , and c . m . yon , “adsorption” in
it has been determined that the heat of co adsorption has a strong effect on its psa performance for co removal from h 2 . heats of adsorption were determined by measuring co adsorption isotherms at two temperatures , determining henry ' s law constants from these isotherms at pressures below 10 torr , and using the clausius - clayperon equation to derive the heats of co adsorption in the henry ' s law region . fig . 6 shows the relation between the co heat of adsorption and the relative feed loading at 24 second feed times . it is seen that the psa performance is a strong function of the heat of co adsorption and that optimum psa performance is obtained when the co heat of adsorption is between about 6 . 0 and about 7 . 5 kcal / gmole . for reference , the heat of co adsorption on cax is about 9 . 0 kcal / gmole and that for lix is 8 . 2 kcal / gmole , both above the optimum determined here .
steps ( 2 ) , ( 3 ) , and ( 5 ) are typically described in the art as pressure equalization steps , although the pressures in the two beds that are exchanging gas may not actually be equal at the end of the step . depressurization step ( 6 ) may be described as a blowdown step and typically the waste gas from this step is withdrawn at pressures above or at atmospheric pressure . the purge waste gas from the inlet of an adsorber vessel during the purge step is withdrawn at the lowest pressure in the psa cycle , and this pressure may be above , at , or below atmospheric pressure . idle steps are utilized as necessary to balance out the cycle steps among the multiple adsorbers .
( 2 ) a carbon monoxide heat of adsorption between about 6 . 0 and about 7 . 5 kcal / gmole ;
the piston - driven ultra rapid pressure swing adsorption ( urpsa ) equipment was developed and oxygen enrichment from air was examined as an example . the adsorbent bed is directly connected to the cylinder where a piston moves at high frequency . thus pressurization and depressurization in the bed are driven by mechanical piston motion , which can achieve far more rapid cycles compared with the conventional pressure swing operation using valves . the cycle time is usually on the order of seconds or sub seconds . oxygen enrichment from air up to about 60 % or higher of oxygen concentration was achieved by small - scale equipment using zeolite 5a with a oxygen production capacity of 100 nm 3 - product gas / m 3 - zeolite / hr , which is about ten times larger than those of commercialized psas for this purpose .
dry compressed air is blown through a valve to the first vessel where the pressure is built to reach 4 to 8 bar ( g ) . the unwanted gas is adsorbed by the pellets during the building of the pressure , and the molecules you want will pass through to the accumulation tank .
. . . current research suggests an additional gas treatment downstream of the gpu . approaches such as polymeric membranes ( pm ) or pressure swing adsorption ( psa ) can be applied to capture co 2 from the offgas of the gpu ( see fig . 2 ) [ 3 ] , [ 4 ] , [ 5 ] , [ 6 ] . these can raise the capture rate from 90 % to 99 % [ 7 ] , [ 8 ] . . . .
are used , oxygen and nitrogen have almost the same adsorption isotherms , but the effective diffusivity of oxygen is much larger than nitrogen . hence
fig . 6 is a plot of relative feed loading vs . the co heat of adsorption according to an embodiment of the present invention .
in this embodiment , the pressure swing adsorption system may have four or more adsorber vessels . the adsorbent material in the first bed may comprise a binder and type 5a zeolite that is 70 % to 95 % calcium exchanged . alternatively , the adsorbent material in the first bed may be binderless and may comprise type 5a zeolite that is 60 % to 91 % calcium exchanged . the adsorbent material in the first bed may comprise activated carbon impregnated with cucl . the adsorbent material in the second bed may comprise activated carbon .
( 8 ) repeating steps ( 1 ) through ( 7 ) in a cyclic manner . the pressure of the reformer gas typically is between about 15 and 800 psig .
( 12 ) repeating steps ( 1 ) through ( 11 ) in a cyclic manner . the pressure of the reformer gas may be between about 15 and 800 psig .
as with the first stage adsorption bed , the second stage adsorption bed must then be regenerated in order to prepare it for a subsequent adsorption step . such regeneration comprises first depressurizing a2 in order to desorb and withdraw the majority of the gas which was adsorbed in the adsorption step . because most of the oxygen in the fresh feed to the process will already have been removed in the first stage , this desorbed gas stream in line 18 will consist primarily of nitrogen ( typically around 95 % nitrogen or higher ) and is thus advantageously recycled to the first stage adsorption bed in order to improve its performance . ( as will be shown in the example below , the performance improvement is generally determined by any increase in the product recovery and bed productivity ) .
. . . the desorbed gases are enriched in the more strongly adsorbed components of the feed gas . psa carries out the adsorption step at a superambient pres - sure , and desorption is achieved at a near - ambient pressure level ( 31 , 32 ) . generally , no external heat is used for the desorption step . . . .
5 . the method of claim 1 wherein each adsorber vessel comprises an additional bed of adsorbent material disposed between the inlet of the adsorber vessel and the bed of adsorbent material that is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen , wherein the additional bed of adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of methane and carbon dioxide .
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. . . over the years it has been demonstrated that psa technology can be used in a large variety of applications : hydrogen purification585960616263646566676869707172 , air separation [ 57 , 73– 80 ] , obogs ( on - board gas generation system ) [ 81 ] , co 2 removal828384 , noble gases ( he , xe , ar ) purification [ 85– 87 ] , ch 4 upgrading [ 31 , 34 , 37 , 40 , 42 , 888990919293949596 , n - iso paraffin separation [ 5 , 979899 , and so forth . the psa processes are normally associated to low energy consumption when compared to other technologies [ 12 , 55 , 100101 102 . as a rule of thumb , pressure swing adsorption is preferred to other processes when the concentration of the components to be removed is quite important ( more than a few per cent ) . . . .
a two stage pressure swing adsorption process is set forth for producing the less strongly adsorbed component of a feed gas mixture wherein the first stage utilizes a first adsorbent for bulk removal of the more strongly adsorbed component and wherein the second stage utilizes a second adsorbent for trace removal of the more strongly adsorbed component . a further feature of the present invention is that the desorbed gas from the second stage ' s depressurization step ( consisting primarily of the desired less strongly adsorbed component ) is recycled to the first stage in order to improve its performance . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , high purity nitrogen ( less than 1000 ppm oxygen , preferably less than 100 ppm oxygen ) is produced from an air feed using a kinetically controlled carbon molecular sieve adsorbent in the first stage and an equilibrium controlled metal complex - based adsorbent in the second stage .
notaro , f . , t . mullhaupt , f . w . leavitt , and m . w . ackley , “adsorption process and system using multilayer adsorbent beds , ”us patent 5 , 674 , 311 , october 20 , 1998 .
the present invention is a two stage pressure swing adsorption process for producing the less strongly adsorbed component of a feed gas mixture wherein the first stage utilizes a first adsorbent for bulk removal of the more strongly adsorbed component and wherein the second stage utilizes a second adsorbent for trace removal of the more strongly adsorbed component . a further feature of the present invention is that the desorbed gas from the second stage ' s depressurization step ( consisting primarily of the desired less strongly adsorbed component ) is recycled to the first stage in order to improve its performance . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , high purity nitrogen ( less than 1000 ppm oxygen , preferably less than 100 ppm oxygen ) is produced from an air feed using a kinetically controlled carbon molecular sieve adsorbent in the first stage and an equilibrium controlled metal complex - based adsorbent in the second stage .
the intermediate product stream in line 14 is passed through second stage adsorption bed a2 which contains a metal complex - based adsorbent selective for the retention and trace removal of the remaining oxygen to produce a final product stream in line 16 which is further enriched in nitrogen ( typically at least 99 . 9 % nitrogen ) . similar to the first adsorption step , this second adsorption step is continued for a controlled time period or until the concentration of oxygen in the final product stream reaches a preset limit ( typically less than 0 . 1 % ) . a preferred class of metal complex - based adsorbents to be used in this adsorption step are the cobalt - based adsorbents taught in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 126 , 466 ; 5 , 141 , 725 ; 5 , 208 , 335 and 5 , 239 , 098 all by ramprasad et al . as discussed in these patents , the ramprasad adsorbents are preferred in that they have the following properties :
separation of gases or vapours ; recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases ; chemical or biological purification of waste gases , e . g . engine exhaust gases , smoke , fumes , flue gases , aerosols by adsorption , e . g . preparative gas chromatography
park , j . - h . , j . - n . kim , s . h . cho , j . - d . kim , and r . t . yang , “adsorber dynamics and optimal design of layered beds for multicomponent gas adsorption , ”
another embodiment of the invention relates to a method for the separation of a gas mixture comprising ( a ) providing a reformer gas containing hydrogen , carbon monoxide , carbon dioxide , methane , and nitrogen ; providing a pressure swing adsorption system having a plurality of adsorber vessels , each vessel having an inlet and an outlet ; providing a first bed of adsorbent material disposed within each adsorber vessel , wherein the first bed of adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen , and providing a second bed of adsorbent material disposed between the inlet of the adsorber vessel and the first bed of adsorbent , wherein the second bed of adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of methane and carbon dioxide ; initiating a feed step that comprises ( 1 ) introducing the reformer gas into the inlet of the adsorber vessel , passing the reformer gas consecutively through the second bed of adsorbent material and the first bed of adsorbent material , and ( 2 ) withdrawing a purified hydrogen product from the outlet of the adsorber vessel ; continuing the feed step for a feed time period of about 30 seconds or less ; and ( f ) terminating the feed step . the adsorbent material in the first bed may be characterized by any of ( 1 ) a henry ' s law constant for carbon monoxide between about 2 . 5 and about 5 . 5 ( mmole / g ) / atm ; ( 2 ) a carbon monoxide heat of adsorption between about 6 . 0 and about 7 . 5 kcal / gmole ; ( 3 ) a henry ' s law constant for nitrogen greater than about 1 . 5 ( mmole / g ) / atm ; and ( 4 ) a selectivity of carbon monoxide to nitrogen between about 5 . 0 and about 8 . 0 .
product contained 3 ppmv co . each bed contained 63 vol % activated carbon ( calgon type aphp ) on the feed end of the bed and 37 % zeolite on the product end of the bed . both adsorbents had an average particle diameter of about 2 mm . various final layer zeolites were tested including a highly exchanged binderless type 5a ( caa ) , a binderless type 13x ( nax ) , and two 5a samples with varying ca exchange levels . table 1 presents results of the testing in addition to the co henry ' s law constant ( initial isotherm slope ) at 70° f . the adsorption isotherms were measured in a standard volumetric adsorption unit . the lowest partial pressure measured during isotherm measurement was 10 torr ( 0 . 013 atma ) ; the isotherms were in the linear range and good henry ' s law constants were obtained .
separation of gases or vapours ; recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases ; chemical or biological purification of waste gases , e . g . engine exhaust gases , smoke , fumes , flue gases , aerosols by adsorption , e . g . preparative gas chromatography with stationary adsorbents
2 . the process of claim 1 wherein steps ( a ) through ( d ) are performed as a continually repeating cycle of steps in a system comprising a plurality of adsorption beds which each undergo their respective cycle of steps while collectively operated sequentially in parallel with one another .
5 . the process of claim 4 wherein steps ( a ) through ( d ) are performed as a continually repeating cycle of steps in a system comprising a plurality of adsorption beds which each undergo their respective cycle of steps while collectively operated sequentially in parallel with one another .
the first stage adsorption bed a1 must then be regenerated in order to prepare it for a subsequent adsorption step . such regeneration comprises first depressurizing a1 in order to desorb and withdraw the majority of the gas which was adsorbed in the adsorption step . this oxygen - enriched desorbed gas stream in line 15 is typically discarded as a waste stream . next , a1 is purged with a nitrogen - enriched purge stream in line 18c in order to purge a1 of any oxygen which may remain in a1 after the depressurization step . although not shown in fig . 1 , a portion of the effluent from this purge step ( specifically the effluent from the later portion of the purge step since this portion will generally have a higher concentration of nitrogen ) can be recycled to the feed . finally , a1 is repressurized through its feed end with a nitrogen - enriched repressurization gas in line 18b .
it should be noted that in a preferred operational mode for fig . 1 , the above described steps are performed as a continually repeating cycle of steps in a system comprising a plurality of adsorption beds which each undergo their respective cycle of steps while collectively operated sequentially in parallel with one another .
the feed gas mixture may contain hydrogen , carbon monoxide , and nitrogen and may be provided by passing a reformer gas containing hydrogen , carbon monoxide , carbon dioxide , methane , and nitrogen through a bed of activated carbon to remove essentially all of the carbon dioxide and methane from the reformer gas . each adsorber vessel may comprise an additional bed of adsorbent material disposed between the inlet of the adsorber vessel and the bed of adsorbent material that is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen , wherein the additional bed of adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of methane and carbon dioxide .
an embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for the separation of a gas mixture comprising ( a ) providing a feed gas mixture containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide and optionally containing nitrogen ; ( b ) providing a pressure swing adsorption system having a plurality of adsorber vessels , each vessel having an inlet and an outlet ; ( c ) providing a bed of adsorbent material disposed within each adsorber vessel , wherein the adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen ; and ( d ) initiating a feed step that comprises ( 1 ) introducing the feed gas mixture into the inlet of the adsorber vessel , passing the feed gas mixture through the bed of adsorbent material wherein at least a portion of the carbon monoxide is adsorbed by the adsorbent material and wherein , if nitrogen is present in the gas mixture , at least a portion of the nitrogen is adsorbed by the adsorbent material ; and ( 2 ) withdrawing a purified hydrogen product from the outlet of the adsorber vessel ; ( e ) continuing the feed step for a feed time period of about 30 seconds or less ; and ( f ) terminating the feed step . the adsorbent material may be characterized by any of ( 1 ) a henry ' s law constant for carbon monoxide between about 2 . 5 and about 5 . 5 ( mmole / g ) / atm ; ( 2 ) a carbon monoxide heat of adsorption between about 6 . 0 and about 7 . 5 kcal / gmole ; ( 3 ) a henry ' s law constant for nitrogen greater than about 1 . 5 ( mmole / g ) / atm ; and ( 4 ) a selectivity of carbon monoxide to nitrogen between about 5 . 0 and about 8 . 0 .
the bed of adsorbent in each adsorber vessel used in the psa processes described above typically is a cylindrical bed in a cylindrical vessel . alternatively , the bed of adsorbent may be configured within the adsorber vessel as a radial bed or as a horizontal bed , both of which are known in the adsorption art .
referring now to fig . 1 , an air feed in line 10 comprising oxygen as the more adsorbable component and nitrogen as the desired less adsorbable component is compressed in compressor c1 and passed through first stage adsorption bed a1 which contains a carbon molecular sieve adsorbent selective for the retention and bulk removal of oxygen to produce a nitrogen - enriched ( typically 95 . 0 to 99 . 9 % nitrogen ) intermediate product stream in line 14 . this first stage adsorption step is continued for a controlled time period or until the concentration of oxygen in intermediate product stream 14 reaches a preset limit ( typically around 1 to 3 % ) .
. . . cryogenic air distillation operates at low temperatures ( à170 to à190 °c ) to separate o 2 / n 2 based on their difference in boiling point [ 2 ] resulting in o 2 and n 2 purities of > 99 % [ 3 , 4 ] . psa runs at close to ambient temperatures but at high pressure to separate o 2 / n 2 based on their difference in adsorption degree on molecular sieves resulting in o 2 and n 2 purities of 90–95 % [ 3 , 5 ] . baker et al . [ 6 ] reported that alternatives to these methods should : ( 1 ) cost less than the cryogenic technique and ( 2 ) give gas purity high enough to satisfy application requirements . . . .
. . . cryogenic air distillation operates at low temperatures ( à170 to à190 °c ) to separate o 2 / n 2 based on their difference in boiling point [ 2 ] resulting in o 2 and n 2 purities of > 99 % [ 3 ] [ 4 ] . psa runs at close to ambient temperatures but at high pressure to separate o 2 / n 2 based on their difference in adsorption degree on molecular sieves resulting in o 2 and n 2 purities of 90–95 % [ 3 ] [ 5 ] . baker et al . [ 6 ] reported that alternatives to these methods should : ( 1 ) cost less than the cryogenic technique and ( 2 ) give gas purity high enough to satisfy application requirements . . . .
these results show that the type 13x adsorbent had the highest n 2 mass transfer coefficient , but this adsorbent did not show the best psa performance as shown in example 2 . the other three adsorbents had nearly the same mass transfer coefficient . these results show that the equilibrium adsorption properties are very important in determining optimum psa performance in rapid cycle psa processes .
. . . moreover , only feed compression constitutes the key energy requirements for the process , which can be significantly low for precombustion capture since feed is already available at high pressure [ 32 ] [ 33 ] [ 34 ] . an overview of how the psa units can be integrated in complex flowsheets of power plants and steam reformers for precombustion co 2 capture is presented in the work of voss [ 35 ] . . . .
. . . over the years it has been demonstrated that psa technology can be used in a large variety of applications : hydrogen purification [ 58 ] [ 59 ] [ 60 ] [ 61 ] [ 62 ] [ 63 ] [ 64 ] [ 65 ] [ 66 ] [ 67 ] [ 68 ] [ 69 ] [ 70 ] [ 71 ] [ 72 ] , air separation [ 57 , 73– 80 ] , obogs ( on - board gas generation system ) [ 81 ] , co 2 removal [ 82 ] [ 83 ] [ 84 ] , noble gases ( he , xe , ar ) purification [ 85– 87 ] , ch 4 upgrading [ 31 , 34 , 37 , 40 , 42 , [ 88 ] [ 89 ] [ 90 ] [ 91 ] [ 92 ] [ 93 ] [ 94 ] [ 95 ] [ 96 ] , n - iso paraffin separation [ 5 , [ 97 ] [ 98 ] [ 99 ] , and so forth . the psa processes are normally associated to low energy consumption when compared to other technologies [ 12 , 55 , [ 100 ] [ 101 ] [ 102 ] . as a rule of thumb , pressure swing adsorption is preferred to other processes when the concentration of the components to be removed is quite important ( more than a few per cent ) . . . .
. the feed pressure was 120 psig , the feed temperature was 70° f . , and the feed time was 24 seconds . the adsorbent vessels were filled with 60 vol % activated carbon ( calgon type pcb ) on the feed end of the vessel and 40 vol % zeolite on the product end of the vessel . in this rapid cycle testing , the average particle diameters were about 1 mm . the results of the testing are shown in table 2 and
the design and operation of these psa systems can present complex engineering challenges because of the large number of variables and parameters involved . these variables and parameters may include , for example , adsorbent type , adsorbent particle size , bed length / diameter ratio , gas flow velocities , gas residence times , type of psa operating cycle , duration of steps in the psa cycle , number of adsorbent beds , feed gas pressure , feed gas composition , product throughput , and product purity .
in a psa process , the terms “feed step” and “adsorption step” as used herein are equivalent and are defined as the introduction of feed gas into an adsorbent bed while withdrawing product gas from the bed . this step occurs during a feed time or a feed time period . when a specific adsorbent material is described herein as being selective for a specific component or components in a gas mixture , this means that the specific component or components are adsorbed on the adsorbent material to a greater extent than the other components in the gas mixture . henry ' s law constant , k h , is the well - known parameter that defines the limiting slope of an adsorption isotherm at low pressures where the isotherm is essentially linear . the selectivity of an adsorbent for one component relative to another component is defined as the ratio of the henry ' s law constants of the two components .
method for the separation of a gas mixture comprising providing a psa system with at least one adsorber vessel containing adsorbent material that is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen , passing a feed gas mixture containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide and optionally containing nitrogen through the adsorbent material in a feed step and withdrawing a purified hydrogen product from the adsorber vessel , wherein the feed step has a duration or feed time period of about 30 seconds or less . the adsorbent material is characterized by any of ( 1 ) a henry ' s law constant for carbon monoxide between about 2 . 5 and about 5 . 5 ( mmole / g ) / atm ; ( 2 ) a carbon monoxide heat of adsorption between about 6 . 0 and about 7 . 5 kcal / gmole ; ( 3 ) a henry ' s law constant for nitrogen greater than about 1 . 5 ( mmole / g ) / atm ; and ( 4 ) a selectivity of carbon monoxide to nitrogen between about 5 . 0 and about 8 . 0 .
different surfaces are more adept at attracting different gases , meaning target - rich gases can be attained by selecting the most suitable material – and differences in properties such as molecular structure , size and mass are exploited to achieve the desired degree of product purity . carbon molecular sieve technology , for example , separates nitrogen and oxygen and is able to adsorb oxygen under pressure and allow nitrogen to pass through as the product . oxygen concentrators are mainly comprised of two separation vessels – zeolites – filled with molecular sieve absorbers that essentially retain nitrogen and release oxygen straight to the generator outlet . exercising two adsorbent vessels warrants almost permanent production of the target gas .
the purpose of this example is to demonstrate the improved product recovery that results from the present invention ' s recycling of the second stage desorbed gas to the first stage . this was accomplished by simulating 4 cases for comparison : a base case representing fig . 1 ' s embodiment where no recycle of the desorbed gas from the second stage is implemented and cases a , b and c representing fig . 1 ' s embodiment wherein recycle options a , b and c ( as discussed above ) are implemented respectively . to ensure the accuracy of the comparison , each case produces ( 1 ) an intermediate nitrogen product stream containing 99 % nitrogen ; ( 2 ) a final nitrogen product stream containing 20 ppm oxygen ; and ( 3 ) a desorbed gas stream from the second stage containing 96 % nitrogen . table 1 summarizes the overall product recovery ( final product / feed to the first stage x 100 % ) . as shown in table 1 , recycle options a , b and c enjoy , respectively , a 5 % , 9 % and 15 % advantage in product recovery over the base case . in addition to providing improved product recoveries over the base case , cases a , b and c also provide an improved adsorption bed productivity over the base case thereby enabling a size reduction for the first stage adsorption bed .
the adsorbent material described herein may be in the form of particulate material such as granules , extrudates , pellets , beads , and powders . the particulate adsorbent materials described herein may use a binder or binders , or alternatively may be binderless . a binder is a material used to effectively bind fine zeolite powders together to give the required size , shape , and mechanical strength of the final particles . typical binders include clays , alumina , silica , and silica / alumina . typical binder quantities include 5 to 25 wt % . when a particulate adsorbent material is used in a rapid cycle psa process having feed times of about 30 seconds or less , the average particle diameter may be selected advantageously to give an acceptable balance between mass transfer characteristics and pressure drop . for example , the average particle diameter of the adsorbent material may be between about 0 . 7 and about 1 . 3 mm .
the adsorbent materials described herein may be utilized in any appropriate rapid cycle psa system known in the art for hydrogen purification . a rapid cycle is defined as any adsorption cycle wherein the duration of the feed step is 30 seconds or less . for example , a typical psa system with multiple parallel beds may be used wherein each bed proceeds in turn through a feed step , one or more depressurization steps with gas transfer to another bed or other beds undergoing pressurization , a provide purge depressurization step wherein the depressurization gas is used to purge another bed , a waste gas blowdown step , a purge step , one or more pressurization steps with gas transfer from another bed or other beds undergoing depressurization , and a final pressurization step using feed gas . the rapid cycle psa process used in embodiments of the present invention may have a feed step duration or feed time period of about 30 seconds or less .
the present invention also provides for the efficient integration of the two stages in that the desorbed gas which is produced during depressurization of the second stage is recycled to the first stage ( as additional feed for example ) to improve the performance of the first stage . the reason that such a recycle scheme improves the performance of the first stage is that , because the first stage will already have removed most of the more adsorbable component from the fresh feed to the process , the desorbed gas from the second stage will consist primarily of the desired less adsorbable component . indeed , the concentration of the desired component will be higher in the desorbed gas from the second stage vis - a - vis the fresh feed to the process . thus , by recycling the second stage desorbed gas to the fresh feed to the process , the concentration of the desired component in the feed to the first stage is made higher than it would be otherwise . this gives the first stage a
head start
in concentrating the desired component which improves the performance of the first stage . the closest art to such recycling of the second stage desorbed gas is probably uk patent 2 , 227 , 685 by garrett et al . which teaches a single stage adsorption process wherein the desorbed gas from the latter part of the depressurization step is recycled to the feed .
conventional psa systems used today in industry are made up of four to sixteen large vessels , connected by a complex network of piping and valves to switch the gas flows between the vessels . despite their widespread use in industry , xebec believes that conventional psa systems suffer from a number of inherent disadvantages . these psa systems typically operate at slow cycle speeds of 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 cycles / minute since faster cycle speeds would cause the adsorbent beads to float or fluidize in the vessel , causing the beads to wear and ultimately fail . to meet customer demands for capacity , conventional psa systems must utilize large vessels to compensate for the slow cycle speeds , leading to higher costs and a large equipment footprint . the use of large vessels also means that these psa systems are typically erected in the field , increasing installation costs . the network of piping and valves used in large scale psa systems , with the associated instrumentation and process control equipment , also adds cost to the overall system .
oxymat on - site oxygen and nitrogen generators allow for an uninterrupted supply of gas with a high purity output . this means that you can produce gas where and when you need it , and in the exact quantity and quality you need .
an oxymat generator is composed of two cylinders storing either zeolite pellets or carbon molecular sieves ( cms ) . zeolite is used to produce oxygen . cms is used to produce nitrogen .
our psa nitrogen generators can produce purities between 95 - 99 . 9999 % ( 1 ppm ) nitrogen . our psa oxygen generators produce purities between 92 - 95 % oxygen .
„the faroese salmon industry has not always been successful . additionally , we have also been affected by diseases over the years . but for the past 6 - 8 years , the salmon industry has made great progress . the good and close cooperation between leif mohr and oxymat has made it possible for our company today to look back with joy that we have supplied psa systems to all the new smolt production facilities in the faroe islands . we have also replaced some of the old psa systems with newer models . we look forward to the future and hope that the cooperation between leif mohr and oxymat also can benefit to optimize our customers ' needs . ”
„oxymat is vand and teknik’s preferred supplier of psa oxygen generators , when we develop and build the fresh water plants of the future in denmark . so far more than 10 generators are operating all over the country and more is to come . vand og teknik has chosen oxymat as our psa supplier , because of the high product quality and the reliability of the psa generator . “
„a customer in galway has a high purity oxymat nitrogen generator , which is used for cutting stainless steel almost constantly , and the nitrogen supply has been highly reliable and economical . this addition to their engineering works allows them to reduce their production costs , while at the same time , reduce the ordering and handling burden of buying in nitrogen . the target specification was 10 parts per million ( ppm ) and the plant always exceeds that target . we can recommend oxymat nitrogen generators to any laser cutting operation .
„in intensive aquaculture , oxygen is an indispensable addition . hesy aquaculture , worldwide supplier of turn key recirculation aquaculture systems , and oxymat have a solid cooperation of more than 20 years .
„most healthcare providers in kenya face challenges in ensuring reliable supply of medical oxygen in their facilities . those who have bought oxymat on - site psa oxygen generating plants , now do not have this difficulty . their facilities now have consistent supply with the overall effect of lowering mortality associated with inefficient oxygen supply . our partnership with oxymat is therefore of great benefit to the country .
„we have 3 oxymat oxygen generators for our 3 lines of production in our company . the first oxygen generator has made a reference for the others we purchased and we are happy as a user . gaz - lab ' s ( oxymat local partner ) technical support when needed is another satisfaction point for us . we also ordered a nitrogen generator recently .
„oxymat nitrogen generating system combined with our container solution have served non - stop in several coal mines in the silesian region . this combination provides a high safety level in operation and at lower costs and minimal downtime .
„introduction of oxygen in cyanidation process significantly increased gold recovery thus roi for oxymat psa plant was just a few months .
„at lst we design and produce ecological ozone generation systems for the textile industry worldwide . we have been using oxymat oxygen generators to feed our systems for several years and we have always been very happy with their reliability and efficiency .
melih özcelik , ceo lst lazer sistemleri teknolojisi san . ve tic . a . s .
„the dalkarby plant of ålands supplies 475 m³ of drinking water to nearly 27 . 000 inhabitants of åland , and twice that during summer peak season . oxymat supplied us with a generator that delivered on key features : reliable supply of oxygen , 93 % purity and low energy consumption .
„oxygen is crucial to aquaculture and industrial fish farming . in norway , transporting large quantities of bulk liquid gas over vast distances has an enormous impact on the environment . when energy consumption can be reduced by 30 % , this is just an added benefit to controlling capacity and optimizing production that makes a psa plant investment worthwhile .
„we chose a psa system because it gave us several advantages to a membrane system . the system is more reliable with both higher quantity and purity output . at the same time , maintenance is simpler with reduced cost for replacing parts , especially membrane filters .
horst baumann , ahrenkiel consulting services gmbh & co . kg , suisse outremer ahrenkiel & co .
„oxymat onsite oxygen generator system for medical oxygen has helped us save time , charges pertaining to delivery and transportation and manpower required during running out of gas . after installing the oxymat unit we are getting uninterrupted gas and can save energy efficiently , above all we are getting supply in exact quantity and quality needed . now we realised , why buy expensive bottles or bulk oxygen from gas companies when we can make our own .
oxymat is iso 9001 , iso 13485 , iso 14001 , ac 2009 , ped 2014 / 68 / eu module b + d , iso 7396 , iso 18001 ( ohsas ) , ce , mdd 93 / 42 / ec , gost , us pharmacopoeia , european pharmacopoeia certified .
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red envelope entertainment ( originally netflix first ) was a film production and distribution arm of netflix , designed to generate content for netflix 's dvd-by-mail service .

the company produced and/or distributed over 100 films , before ultimately being closed .

in 2012 , netflix returned to producing original content , starting with the series lilyhammer .

red envelope entertainment

new york , ny – august 22 , 2007 – ifc entertainment and red envelope entertainment jointly announced today that they have partnered for us rights to christophe honore’s musical drama love songs ( les chansons d’amour ) . the announcement was made today by ifc entertainment president jonathan sehring and bahman naraghi head of red envelope entertainment , a net flix company .
for netflix to re - enter the content business . it is time to revive red envelope entertainment and start making great episodic programs .
the la times reports that netflix is closing the red envelope entertainment division because
. . . the red envelope entertainment unit competed with its main suppliers , hollywood studios .
a netflix spokesperson told hackingnetflix that only 4 employees will be moving on ( the l . a . netflix office has 77 employees ) .
netflix ' s red envelope entertainment invested in more than 100 films , including sherry baby , helvetica , confessions of a superhero , john waters : this filthy world , and cowboy del amor . you can view the entire list of red envelope entertainment movies on the netflix website ( many are available through through netflix ' s watch instantly ) .
red envelope entertainment , who also jointly acquired shane meadows’s 2007 film this is england with ifc entertainment , continues to be a significant force of innovation in film distribution , giving its consumers entre to little known films while providing filmmakers a platform to expose less commercial projects to a broad audience . with its acquisition and distribution of original content , red envelope entertainment offers consumers a wide variety of films they might not otherwise see .
netflix has closed down its all - rights acquisitions venture red envelope entertainment ( ree ) and feature production activities , citing a desire to focus on its core business of online distribution .
about red envelope entertainment red envelope entertainment ( ree ) , a netflix company , seeks to acquire and fund original content projects to increase consumer options and provide an innovative method for film distribution . ree works to democratize film distribution by providing films and filmmakers with a platform to expose less commercial projects to a broader audience . red envelope entertainment looks to leverage its proprietary technology to offer this unique and original content to netflix’s more than six million subscribers . the initiative creates a national distribution channel for films and entertainment programming otherwise not available to broad audiences . the company’s name and logo were inspired by the company’s iconic red mailers . for more information , visit www . netflix . com .
new york - - in a move that could have a big impact on indie film sales and distribution , online film rental service netflix is shuttering its film financing and acquisition arm red envelope entertainment .
red envelope provided negligible competition , but the fact that they were putting any money at all into marginal indies gave the fish a larger barrel .
this is such a lie . red envelope did not compete with any hollywood studio . i never heard a single major studio complain about losing a film to red envelope . this was a last chance distribution deal to films that had completely fallen through the cracks that nobody saw any potential in purchasing . if red envelope passed on your film , that pretty much was the signal to just burn dvd - rs and sell them out of the back of your car .
this is not a great loss . the vast majority of red envelope titles i recieved were substandard at best , and
coaster worthy
was the norm .
arianna bocco , vice president of acquisitions and production at ifc and rob williams from red envelope entertainment negotiated the deal with olivier aknin from financing agency backup films on behalf of alma films as backup films also provided production finance through its coficup fund .
netflix inc . is shutting down a division that invested in low - budget films and documentaries , saying the red envelope entertainment unit competed with its main suppliers , hollywood studios . red envelope , with about 50 employees , invested in more than 100 films , including
the bituminous coal queens of pennsylvania ,
a documentary about a small - town beauty pageant , and
favela rising ,
a documentary about rio de janeiro street musicians .
orange sky golden harvest entertainment co . ltd . / wins’ movie production & i / e co . ( 1991 )
netflix inc . has become a hollywood player , turning to star - studded promotions and teaming with a - list actors on movie projects to raise itself above a cluttered market for online movie delivery . los gatos , calif . - based netflix , best known for pioneering dvd rentals by mail , also owns a content acquisition firm called red envelope entertainment .
i only yesterday got the chance to watch a red envelope film called
super high me
( recommended ! ) . i didn ' t even know until yesterday that netflix was in the biz of buying indie films . sad that it ' s come to an end .
thats a link to the red envelope movies . . . there were some good ones i was impressed with . . . . but overall , nothing to cry about . . . i guess you can say the losing of another indie movie producer is a sad day indeed . . .
i had a film that red envelope was interested in . i enjoyed my talks with their people . i understand why they had to back away from the table ( idiot director hadn ' t secured rights to a variety of high profile clips ) . i feel bad that they shut re down . but right now the market is dead .
i was born and raised in southern california . i have been practicing law since 1988 . before that , i was in music , media and advertising . my law practice is focused on representing entertainment investors in evaluating and closing transactions . i am also an active film producer , and i continue to represent other creative and business personnel in the entertainment industry .
since then , the division , called red envelope entertainment after the packaging the discs are delivered in , has boosted the careers of many filmmakers . it struck a deal to distribute born into brothels on dvd six months before the movie won an oscar for best documentary . sarandos also points to the success of open hearts , a picture by susanne bier , whom he calls
the most popular romantic - comedy director in denmark .
it bombed theatrically in the us but did so well on netflix that sony is considering picking it up for wider dvd distribution .
about ifc entertainment ifc entertainment consists of ifc films , a leading theatrical film distribution company bringing the best of independent and specialized films to theaters ; ifc first take and ifc in theaters , the operations that together make up ifc entertainment’s theatrical and on - demand day and date initiative ; ifc productions , a feature film production company that provides financing for select independent film projects ; the ifc center , an art house in nyc and ifc films on demand , video - on - demand offerings . recent films included ken loach’s the wind that shakes the barley , and shane meadows’s
hastings says red envelope is something of a mission for sarandos .
for him , it & apos ; s as much about giving back to the film community as it is about growing the netflix content base ,
he says . but , sarandos insists ,
this isn & apos ; t philanthropy . we & apos ; re not & apos ; supporting the arts . & apos ; this is a market - based solution using technology .
about rainbow media holdings llc rainbow media holdings llc is a subsidiary of cablevision systems corporation ( nyse : cvc ) . rainbow media is a leading producer of targeted , multi - platform content for global distribution , creating and managing some of the world’s most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands , including amc , ifc , we tv , lifeskool , sportskool , and voom hd networks . through its ifc entertainment division , rainbow media also owns and manages the following : ifc films , a theatrical feature film distribution company ; ifc first take / ifc in theaters , a day and date theatrical feature film / vod initiative ; the ifc center in new york city ; ifc productions , a feature film production company ; and ifc entertainment , which owns and operates a film library . rainbow media also operates rainbow advertising sales corporation , its advertising sales division , and rainbow network communications , its full service network programming origination and distribution company .
“lyrical and beautiful , love songs joins a select , high quality , original and daring collection of international films that ree has been rapidly building” , said naraghi . “we are extremely proud to introduce this latest gem from christophe honore to the us audience in partnership with our friends at ifc entertainment , and very excited to offer it to its widest possible audience through the netflix service . ”
access denied economists , politicians , anti - poverty activists and impoverished citizens discuss whether the true nature of contemporary poverty is rooted in colonialism and its consequences . featuring amartya sen , joseph stiglitz , susan george , eric toussaint , john perkins . directed by philippe diaz . cinema libre studio , october . blindsight six blind tibetan teenagers are inspired to climb a 23 , 000 - foot peak near mt . everest . directed by lucy walker . robson entertainment , march 14 .
filmed in paris , love songs was directed by french filmmaker christophe honore , whose most recent film , dans paris , is currently in release through ifc entertainment . the modern day musical , which was a huge box office success in france , features some of the most exciting new talent of this generation including louis garrel , ludivine sagnier , clotilde hesme , gregoire leprince - ringuet and chiara mastroianni . the film will be screening at the upcoming toronto international film festival . love songs was produced by paulo branco at alma films .
in 1999 , sarandos bought his first dvd player . inside the box was a red flyer advertising a new rent - by - mail service . netflix was a dream come true for the cinephile . he wrangled a meeting with netflix ceo reed hastings and coo bill henderson to discuss opening a line of retail stores . hastings and henderson didn & apos ; t bite , but they found sarandos & apos ; enthusiasm infectious . soon after , he was working for the company .
he had a gleam in his eye ,
hastings recalls .
he & apos ; d spent his whole life in the business as a film fanatic .
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ree ' s key staff of four including acquisitions and distribution chief liesl copland will be moving on .
in recent months ree had focused on acquiring rights for netflix ' s streaming facility and executives had begun to question the purpose of acquiring single films for theatrical distribution while netflix enjoyed comprehensive relationships with independent distributors .
' we experimented with it for two and a half years and we acquired some really outstanding titles and released some movies that we ' re really proud of , ' a spokesperson for netflix said .
' however netflix is a distribution company and we can bring these films to members without having to acquire them . we were running into our studio partners in the same acquisitions meetings and we want to focus on our core business . '
new boss warns staff of challenges ahead as cable channel looks to boost viewers’ ’hours of engagement’ .
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tell us we & apos ; re brilliant ,
mark duplass says . he and his brother jay are standing in front of an audience that & apos ; s just seen the puffy chair , a movie the brothers wrote , directed , produced , and starred in . their euphoria is understandable : the indie film they made has finally been released in theaters , and this is their publicity tour .
this article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links . contact wiredlabs @ urltoken to report an issue .
the post - screening q & a session at mezzanine , a san francisco club , gets under way , but the first question isn & apos ; t about the movie & apos ; s quirky plot ( a guy buys an overstuffed recliner on ebay and hauls it cross - country to give to his dad as a surprise birthday gift ) . it isn & apos ; t about the shoestring production , either – the $ 15 , 000 budget , the crew of one , the free catering by the lead actress & apos ; s mom . what the audience really wants to know is how these scruffy twentysomething neophytes ever got a distribution deal .
it was really painful ,
mark tells the crowd .
every studio came to us after the screenings and said , & apos ; we love this movie . & apos ; we thought we were gonna be millionaires .
the puffy chair toured festivals or more than a year , drawing raves and racking up awards . but no studio believed the audience would be big enough , so no theatrical deal . finally , in january , the brothers were approached by a film distributor that loved the picture and knew exactly how to find an audience for it . but it wasn & apos ; t fox or universal . it was netflix .
netflix & apos ; s move into distribution and production calls to mind early miramax . back in the 1980s and & apos ; 90s , bob and harvey weinstein , the founders of the company , toured independent film festivals like sundance , signed innovative movies ( early distribution deals included sex , lies , and videotape and reservoir dogs ) , created savvy marketing campaigns , and – eventually – produced their own box office gold . netflix is pursuing a similar model , and in just a few years it has distributed as many exclusives as miramax did in its first 15 years of existence .
last year we acquired four new titles from sundance , and this year we & apos ; re working on about 12 deals ,
says ted sarandos , chief content officer of netflix .
eventually we & apos ; ll be coming to sundance and saying , & apos ; we can buy everything . & apos ; there & apos ; s a deal for every film .
sarandos , 42 , oversees all of the company & apos ; s dvd purchases . he has an annual budget north of $ 100 million and a mission to keep expanding the company & apos ; s library of more than 60 , 000 titles . it & apos ; s a job he was born to do .
as a youth , sarandos fell in love with video stores because they exposed him to indie cinema even though he lived in the
very secondary movie market
of phoenix . by 30 , he was a regional sales director for etd , a company that buys videos for blockbuster , and he was observing firsthand the effects that big chain stores were having on the video rental business .
it mirrored what was happening in theaters ,
he says .
eighty percent of the business was coming from the 10 top - grossing movies each year .
at first , sarandos spent all his time securing rights to rent out films that were playing in theaters . but he was hoping to do more . he floated what he now calls
a harebrained idea
to produce original content to supplement the company & apos ; s dvd library . but higher - ups gave him only $ 100 , 000 for the project –
this way you won & apos ; t feel so bad if it doesn & apos ; t work out ,
hastings told him – so sarandos started small . he used the funds to sign obscure , overlooked films that had no theatrical or video distribution .
the first deal – a simple revenue - sharing agreement – was for a low - budget romantic comedy called nice guys sleep alone . he & apos ; d seen it at the 2000 us comedy arts festival , in aspen , colorado , and knew that it had languished unsigned for two years .
it was very funny ,
he says .
nothing groundbreaking , but it deserved to be seen .
sarandos told the film & apos ; s director , stu pollard ,
send me 500 dvds . every time it rents , we & apos ; ll pay you something .
pollard was eager to comply – he had thousands of copies of the film in his louisville , kentucky , garage . nice guys sleep alone fared so well with subscribers that netflix doubled and then quadrupled the order .
an awful lot of people started renting this no - name title with zero marketing budget ,
pollard says .
as a result , it was picked up by hbo .
knowing so much about your customers makes acquiring unknown film properties a little less risky . it & apos ; s also how netflix determined that a critical mass of subscribers across the country – particularly the ones who loved garden state and sideways – would probably like the puffy chair , and that a critical mass of subscribers in boston , san francisco , and five other cities would actually trek to theaters to see it .
funding the production of new films is the next step . the company has partnered with the independent film channel to coproduce several shows , and netflix is executive producer of six original features , including john waters & apos ; this filthy world and the documentary this film is not yet rated . ifc general manager evan shapiro says money from netflix has allowed him to triple the number of his original productions , and he gushes about the reach of his business partner .
they buy and move more independent film than anybody else on the planet ,
he says .
they & apos ; re the google of dvd . they are fedex .
so how long until netflix becomes the new miramax ? both companies started out acquiring movies and ended up making them . bahman naraghi saw this transition six years ago , when he was named executive vp of finance and operations at miramax .
it was a fascinating period . miramax shifted from being an independent distributor to producing shakespeare in love .
now naraghi may see it happen again : he & apos ; s gone from being
the guy harvey and bob would throw ashtrays at ,
he says , to the new vp of original content at netflix , where he & apos ; ll work under sarandos .
there & apos ; s a link two clicks away from the urltoken homepage where anyone can submit a movie for possible distribution . netflix will not only rent it out , but may get it into theaters and then help you shoot your next flick . soon the only barrier to success for filmmakers will be lack of talent .
erin biba ( erbiba @ urltoken ) wrote about a superhero reality show in issue 14 . 07 .
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since it was founded two years ago , ree invested in more than 100 films and partnered on key acquisitions for small distributors . until this january , the division typically put up half of a film ' s total acquisition and theatrical release costs in return for netflix disc and digital streaming rights and half the total profits . these partnerships allowed indie studios to take risks on smaller projects and fueled many buys during and after film festivals .
in january , ree changed its general approach to pay a flat fee for dvd rights and nonexclusive netflix online rental streaming , done day - and - date with the retail dvd release , typically taking less risk for less money . ree ' s closure means smaller distributors have lost a key partner which allowed them to purchase and give a theatrical release to riskier low - budget films .
some of the acquisitions ree partnered on include the war docu
no end in sight
with magnolia pictures and the romantic comedy
two days in paris
with samuel goldwyn pictures .
according to a los angeles times report , the company said the reason for its shuttering was that the buys put it in competition with its hollywood studio partners . ree employed approximately 50 people .
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eric kohn and anne thompson discuss their favorite films of the year so far . they also debate several new releases and share some streaming recommendations .
in an episode dedicated to the show within the show , “glow” illustrates its grand capacity for storytelling , and the very good tv podcast breaks down how .
rules weren’t meant to be broken when it comes to tv episode lengths , but these 10 examples — introduced on the very good tv podcast — are clear exceptions .
after studying under cinematographer ed lachman , shevaun mizrahi forged her own unique filmmaking path with its own set of rules .
the actress and director both love the genre , but as they told indiewire , they also knew it needed to be retrofitted to tell the true story of catherine weldon and sitting bull .
lane and schoenbrun discuss how her interest in morgellons disease patients ( “the pain of others” ) and his exploration of the slenderman myth ( “a self - induced hallucination” ) led them to make archival films from youtubes .
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friday across the universe the songs of the beatles score this love story set against the political and social upheaval of the 1960s . julie taymor ( broadway ' s
the lion king
) directs . with evan rachel wood , jim sturgess ( below ) , joe anderson . written by dick clement & ian la frenais from a story by taymor & clement & la frenais .
friday choking man a shy ecuadorean dishwasher strives for a tentative bond with a chinese waitress in this mix of psychological drama and magical realism at a queens diner . with octavio gomez berrios , eugenia yuan , aaron paul and mandy patinkin . written and directed by steve barron . international film circuit - - fred claus up at the north pole , st . nick ( paul giamatti ) gets an unwelcome visit from his no - account brother ( vince vaughn ) in this holiday - themed comedy .
friday american pastime a japanese american family , interned at utah ' s topaz camp during world war ii , finds hope , strength and transcendence through the game of baseball . written and directed by desmond nakano . with gary cole , leonardo nam , aaron yoo , masatoshi nakamura , judy ongg , sarah drew and jon gries . t & c ; pictures * so ? line drive chalk morgan spurlock presents this faux documentary about the comic ups and downs of an awkward year in the lives of three schoolteachers .
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i ' m really disappointed that netflix has decided to stop buying independent films . there are so many great small films that languish because they can ' t find an audience or get funding , and netflix was able to provide both . in a 2006 wired story , ted sarandos , netflix ' s chief content officer , said that he eventually wanted to buy every film at sundance .
netflix ' s stake in streaming films unfortunately makes them much more subject to hollywood whim .
right of first sale
is now meaningless , they need licenses !
and if netflix isn ' t supplying that infusion of cash during production , it means they ' ll probably be able to pick up the same indies in even cheaper packages somewhere up the road .
i wonder which studio strong armed them . this has to be some kind of concession for a deal . hopefully , something along the lines of more movies added to
watch instantly
.
i ' ve seen things like this play out plenty of times .
you can be my supplier , distributer , whatever , but you will not be my competition .
i only say that this can ' t be the real story because the hollywood studios have no problem in hbo & showtime owning films and shows . while you might say that ' s apples and oranges , in contracts , watch now is on par with cable ' s ondemand .
this has gotta be a cost saving effort . retool the direction to get out of theatrical aspect . they ' ll just make a deal with the producers of these festival projects that can ' t get a proper distribution deal to supply them with dvds for rental .
why should netflix even pay $ 20 , 000 for the rights and the costs of manufacturing ? this way netflix can tell the indie producer that they ' ll get 40 cents a rental . right now the profit margin in indie film ( especially indie docs ) is a lost hope . when risk outweighs reward - make someone else pay for it .
seems like netflix will become the itunes for indie producers who can ' t secure a deal with magnolia or an even smaller distributor .
i go to full frame in durham . for the last several years , the panel about the marketplace has been a celebration of riches . every distributor on the panel had a success story . this year ' s panel was like a wake . all the hot films from the year before had completely stiffed theatrically .
actually , studios own hbo ( timewarner ) and showtime ( part of cbs ) . big difference .
i ' m going to either guess weinstein , maybe thinkfilm . . . it has to be a strong indy studio or a major with a strong indy division . i guess if we see a rush of films from a particular studio , we ' ll know .
it ' s too bad this happened , but i ' m not surprised .
the weinsteins have an exclusive deal with blockbuster . and they are dead fish at this point . they can ' t even afford to make a tarantino film . thinkfilm is barely in the game as they owe way too much money to filmmakers . these two are cripples at this point .
while hbo is owned by time - warner , they also run films from other studios . same with showtime . and they put those films on their ondemand channel . netflix through watchnow and the little box have become a cable channel .
this was a hobby that never struck box office gold . seems like netflix will just go for streaming rites and your company provides the dvds ,
interesting . . . what about the 26 half hour programs of the little known classic tv series
the court of last resort
? try and find more than the single dvd out there . as gatekeeper to the complete series we ask . . . anyone interested in streaming the entire series ? hook us up and win a prize ! bman
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third state / harbor men pictures / vanessa prods . / anonymous content / paramount television / epix ( 2016 )
“we have such a great admiration for christophe honore and are excited to be working with him again after dans paris . this film is such a unique and different musically narrated drama , ” said sehring . “ love songs is about a love triangle gone awry following an unexpected tragedy . each character copes differently with the loss and brings to life their innermost thoughts and desires through song . in competition at the 2007 cannes film festival , love songs truly re - defines the romantic drama with its musical edge and unexpected intrigue . ”
love songs is a musical tale of a love triangle cut into three acts ; the departure , the absence and the return . at the start of the film the audience is introduced to the weakening love affair of ismael and julie . to spice up the relationship , julie decides to enhance their relationship into a threesome by inviting alice , ismael’s co - worker at a small newspaper , into sleepovers at their flat in paris . soon after , tragedy strikes suddenly with julie’s death and her family , friends and lovers struggle to deal with the loss . alice moves on but remains concerned for ismael . while searching his soul for healing , ismael is desperately pursued by erwann in a cat and mouse game which ultimately forces ismael to unleash a passion he had kept protected .
the film , which was a huge box office success in france , will be released theatrically and on local cable’s on demand platform .
about backup films backup films acts as a producer’s agent enabling selected films to access tailored international financing solutions including co - productions , distribution , equity and bank finance worldwide . backup films also operates the coficup tax film fund dedicated to the financing of french - qualifying films including minority co - productions . coficup global funds exceeds the us $ 5m figure and will grow regularly on a yearly basis .
over the last five years backup films has contributed , among others , to the films of acclaimed directors such as apichatpong weerasethakul , radu mihaileanu , rodolphe marconi , andrei konchalovsky and talented first timers such as zoe cassavetes , fabrice du welz and jorge sanchez cabezudo . backup films’ references include more than fifty production companies with films regularly selected to the main international festivals .
discussing how netflix gained its power , who is threatened by it and why . on the one hand , the article feels a bit trite in that it looks at the recent offering of a streaming - only package as netflix '
move onto the web .
however , in the body of the article , it becomes clear that digital distribution has been a part of the netflix business for over a decade .
for me , the intriguing discussion is about how netflix threatens the cable television business . again , this is a somewhat obvious point , but still worth making . as online content migrates to the living room tv , it is clearly an alternative to cable . that ' s not just netflix , but hulu and vudu and amazon and cinemanow and apple and googletv and . . . . . the point is that online media delivery to the television is making cable systems potentially obsolete , or at least less relevant . ( i covered this point in more detail a few weeks back in
two points : first , cable needs to change . it needs to be as flexible as netflix and find a fresh strategy that capitalizes on its unique qualities . i ' ll give that some thought and perhaps comment on some possibilities in a future post .
the other interesting question is what netflix can do to continue its cutting edge success . believe it or not , i think netflix should be developing original short - form programming . netflix really is
, and hbo made its best move when it went beyond simply showing movies and developed its own cutting edge programming . netflix has an installed user base of 15 million households many of who actively use the online aspect of the service . neflix has a very good user interface and first - rate streaming technology . it can best capitalize on all of these assets by offering some exclusive programs .
reed hastings has always viewed netflix as a content distributor . well , every big distributor uses its distribution system to move some of its own content . netflix is a $ 10 billion company . it is big enough to tackle that strategy and it should be doing that right now . i renew
from david poland of movie city news . this guy really does his homework and makes some excellent observations .
very insightful , roger . i agree that netflix needs to get into the programming development and production areas .