Patent ID: 7160367

Claim:
An adsorption apparatus that produces at least one product fluid enriched in a first component relative to a second component from a feed fluid using an adsorption process, the feed fluid including at least the first and second components, comprising: a stator and a rotor relatively rotatable with respect to the stator, the stator and rotor mutually defining a rotary valve surface and operating at a process cycle frequency of at least 10 cycles per minute; at least one adsorber operatively associated with the stator and the rotor, the adsorber having a feed end and a product end, and including at least one contaminant-sensitive adsorbent material used to produce the at least one product fluid; a product conduit fluidly coupled to the at least one adsorber through which product fluid flows, the product conduit including at least one product conduit valve; and contaminant flow control means for controlling flow of at least one contaminant to the at least one contaminant-sensitive adsorbent.