Patent ID: 8900347

Claim:
A temperature swing adsorption method for separating a fluid mixture comprising at least first and second fluid components, the method comprising: admitting said fluid mixture into an adsorptive separation system comprising at least one parallel passage adsorbent contactor, said parallel passage adsorbent contactor comprising a plurality of substantially parallel fluid flow passages oriented in a first axial direction between an inlet and an outlet end thereof; cell walls situated between said fluid flow passages comprising at least one adsorbent material; and a plurality of axially continuous thermally conductive filaments oriented in said axial direction and in direct contact with said at least one adsorbent material; admitting said fluid mixture into said inlet end of said parallel passage adsorbent contactor to flow towards said outlet end in said first axial direction; adsorbing at least a portion of said first fluid component on said at least one adsorbent material; transferring heat from a heat of adsorption of said first fluid component on said at least one adsorbent material along at least a portion of said thermally conductive filaments in a second axial direction towards said inlet end and opposite to said first axial direction during said adsorbing step; recovering a first product fluid depleted in said first fluid component relative to said fluid mixture from said outlet end; desorbing at least a portion of said first fluid component adsorbed on at least one said adsorbent material by heating at least one said adsorbent material; transferring heat along at least a portion of said thermally conductive filaments in either of said first or second axial directions to provide at least a portion of the heat of desorption of said first fluid component during said desorbing step; and recovering a desorbed second product fluid enriched in said first fluid component from at least one of said inlet and said outlet ends.