Patent ID: 7390412

Claim:
A method of managing opening of valves of a simulated moving bed component separation system working under closed loop conditions with optimized flow rates, comprising at least one column of a succession of beds containing adsorbent solid, each bed being provided with connections for at least one draw-off valve and at least one injection valve, the column having at least one feed point for a feedstock containing at least one component to be separated, an extract draw-off point, a raffinate draw-off point and an eluent injection point, and being subdivided into zones each comprising beds, each zone being defined any time by a position of an injection point and of a draw-off point surrounding the zone, with all of the draw-off and injection points moving forward by one bed at predetermined time intervals, the method comprising: selecting an opening and closing law of first and second consecutive valves, the law meeting a symmetry condition guarantying a constancy of a sum of a flow rate passing through the first valve closing according to the law and a flow rate passing simultaneously through the second valve opening according to the law; and during a chosen overlap time, closing the first valve located at one end of one of the zones according to the law, while opening the second valve according to the law, the second valve being located downstream from the first valve in relation to a direction of recirculation flow through the zones.