Patent ID: 7311763

Claim:
A highly energy-efficient, radial-flow gas separation vessel apparatus for pressure- or vacuum-swing separation of gaseous components from supplied mixture of feedstock gases during adsorption and desorption cycle operations, the gas separation vessel apparatus configured to enable rapid changes of adsorbent bed material used to separate the gas mixture, the gas separation vessel apparatus comprising: (a) a vessel assembly containing one or more cylindrical-shaped, radial-flow bed cartridge-type adsorbent subassemblies, the vessel assembly having, (1) an outer shell, an inner surface, two ends, and at least one inlet connection, for supplying the feedstock mixture of gases to be separated during the gas separation apparatus's adsorption sequence of operation, (2) two closure means for sealing the vessel assembly's outer shell, one closure means secured to each of the ends of the vessel assembly's outer shell, and (3) at least one outlet connected to the vessel assembly outer shell through which adsorbent-selective gas desorbed from the adsorbent can be exhausted from the gas separation apparatus during the desorption sequence of operation; and (b) one or more axially-positioned and cylindrical-shaped radial-flow bed cartridge-type subassemblies designed for placement into the vessel assembly, each cartridge-type subassembly having two ends, an outer surface, and (1) a cylindrical perforated alloy metal cover sheet having two ends and an inner surface attached wire mesh or other synthetic media material, (2) an end cap on each end of the cartridge-type subassembly that is secured to the ends of the cylindrical cover sheet, (3) an adsorbent bed contained within the cartridge-type subassembly through which the feedstock gases flow radially inward during the adsorption sequence, and through which the adsorbent's desorbed gas or gases mixture flows radially outward during the desorption sequence, the adsorbent bed having a depth that is configured to minimize radial gas velocities to avoid fracturing or attrition degradation of individual adsorbent bed or pellet structures within the adsorbent bed and the resulting loss of overall adsorbent bed performance efficiencies during long-term gas separation operations; and (c) a central pipe having two ends and axially-positioned in the cartridge-type subassembly for collecting the gas flows exiting the adsorbent bed, at least one end of the central pipe connected to the outlet of the vessel subassembly.