Process for separating gas mixtures by pressure swing adsorption in a two-bed adsorption system

摘要

The constituent gases of a gas mixture esp. air are separated by an inorganic absorptive molecular sieve zeolite using pressure vacuum swing adsorption (PVSA) in a two-bed adsorber system. The novelty is that: (i) after the adsorption process in adsorber unit, pressure falls from the process end-value to either 600 mbar or 0.2 bar; (ii) the adsorber inlet is either (a) closed, (b) opened to the ambient atmosphere or (c) an air compressor remains connected to the unit; (iii) residual product gas is released from the outlet of adsorber A into the outlet of adsorber B; (iv) at this point, the pressure in adsorber B is at its lowest point of 100 to 600 mbar; (v) adsorber B is simultaneously evacuated via its inlet; (vi) the pressure in adsorber B either increases, remains constant or declines.