Preliminary evaluation of a concept using microwave energy to improve an adsorption-based, natural gas clean-up process.

摘要

This report describes the results of a preliminary evaluation performed to: (1) determine if microwave energy could be used to regenerate a zeolite adsorbent and (2) to evaluate the feasibility of using microwave energy to improve the desorption phase of a pressure swing adsorption process applied to upgrading natural gas (methane) contaminated with nitrogen. Microwave regeneration was evaluated by comparing the adsorption characteristics of a zeolite preconditioned by heating under vacuum to the characteristics of the same zeolite after various lengths of exposure to microwave energy. The applicability of microwave regeneration to natural gas cleanup was evaluated by measuring the rise in adsorbent temperature resulting from the microwave exposure. Microwave energy consumed by heating the adsorbent is not productive and must therefore be minimal for a process to be economically viable. Exposure of the methane-saturated chabazite for 2 minutes to microwave energy effectively regenerated the adsorbent, but resulted in a 75(degrees)F (42(degrees)C) rise in adsorbent temperature. This temperature rise indicates that the concept is unacceptable for natural gas processing due to excessive energy consumption.