Patent ID: 7591879

Claim:
A method for operating a rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption (RCPSA) system having a cycle time, t TOT , to separate a feed gas into product gas and tail (exhaust) gas with a high rate of recovery, comprising: (a) passing said feed gas having purity F % into a sorbent bed for time, t F , which selectively adsorbs said tail gas and passes said product gas out of said bed, wherein said product gas has a purity of P % and a rate of recovery of R %, (b) co-currently depressurizing said bed for a time, t CO , (c) counter-currently depressurizing said bed for a time, t CN , (d) purging said bed for a time, t P , wherein desorbate (tail gas or exhaust gas) is released from said bed at a pressure greater than 30 psig, and (e) repressurizing the bed for a time, t RP , wherein the cycle time, t TOT , is equal to the sum of the individual cycle times comprising the total cycle time, t TOT =t F +t CO +t CN +t P +t RP and, wherein 0 <t CO /t F ≦1/3, and t CN /t F ≦1/4, and 1/5 ≦t CO /t P , such that the rate of recovery, R %>80% for a product purity to feed purity ratio, P %/F %≧1.1, and/or a rate of recovery, R %>90% for a product purity to feed purity ratio, 0<P %/F %<1.1.