Patent ID: 6878186
Filing Date: 2005-04-12
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
1. A highly energy-efficient pure vacuum swing gas adsorption and separation process for separating a predominate oxygen gas mixture from air feedstock gas, the process comprising: (a) supplying the air feedstock gas from which the predominate oxygen gas mixture will be separated to two horizontally-oriented adsorption-desorption vessels in communication with an inner connecting conduit, each vessel and the inner connecting conduit configured to alternatively perform adsorption and desorption cycles and the vessels having nitrogen-selective adsorbent material capable of separating a predominate oxygen gas mixture from the air feedstock gas; (b) inducing the flow of air feedstock gas into the first adsorption-desorption vessel during the adsorption cycle and extracting the flow of the gross product predominate oxygen gas mixture out of the first adsorption-desorption vessel exclusively through vacuum pressure created by a first compressor in communication with and positioned downstream of the first and second adsorption-desorption vessels; (c) removing residual predominate nitrogen and lesser oxygen contained in the second adsorption-desorption vessel during the desorption cycle by inducing vacuum extraction of the predominate nitrogen and lesser oxygen through a second compressor and by purging the second adsorption-desorption vessel with a portion of the gross product predominate oxygen gas mixture supplied upstream from the first compressor, thereby leaving a net product predominate oxygen gas mixture to be collected downstream of the first compressor; (d) sequencing the first and second adsorption-desorption vessels such that after one vessel completes an adsorption cycle it begins a desorption cycle and as the other vessel completes a desorption cycle it begins an adsorption cycle, with each cycle being of approximately equal time duration; and (e) continuing this series of steps to produce a desired amount of separated predominate oxygen gas mixture.