Patent ID: 6527831
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: B01D,C01B

Abstract:
A method for purifying, in a two bed pressure swing adsorption column cycle, a pressurized crude feed gas containing a non-preferentially adsorbable first gas and minor amounts of one or more selectively adsorbable second gas(es) and the method comprising the steps of:(1) providing a first and a second bed, each bed housing adsorbent(s) for the second gas(es); (2) introducing crude feed gas into a first end of the first bed to pressurize said bed, and evacuating the second bed from a first end thereof; (3) adsorbing second gas(es) from the crude feed gas in the pressurized first bed to produce product gas of purified first gas, and delivering product gas from a second end of the first bed to a product gas storage container; (4) introducing product gas to a second end of the second bed to purge the second bed from the first end thereof; (5) after completion of the purge of the second bed, evacuating the second bed from the first end thereof; (6) discontinuing the evacuation of the second bed, terminating delivery of product gas from the first bed to the product gas storage container, and simultaneously equalizing pressure in the first and second beds at the first and second ends thereof in first-to-first end and second-to-second end equalizations thereby lowering the pressure in the first bed and raising the pressure in the second bed while introducing crude argon feed into the first end of the second bed; (7) terminating the pressure equalization of step (6) and evacuating the first bed from the first end thereof; (8) adsorbing second gas(es) from the crude feed gas in the pressurized second bed to produce product gas of purified first gas, and delivering such product gas from the second end of the second bed to the product gas storage container; (9) introducing product gas to the second end of the first bed to purge the first bed from the first end thereof; (10) after completion of the purge of the first bed, evacuating the first bed from the first end thereof; and (11) discontinuing the evacuation of the first bed, terminating delivery of product gas from the second bed to the product gas storage container, and simultaneously equalizing pressure on the first and second beds at the first and second ends thereof in first-to-first end and second-to-second end equalizations thereby lowering the pressure in the second bed and raising the pressure in the first bed while introducing crude argon feed into the first end of the first bed.