Non-heating type adsorption apparatus and method which combines separation and purification of air

摘要

PURPOSE: To efficiently execute air sepn. by providing the system with a heaterless pressure swing adsorption zone for adsorption of water vapor and a purge sweep adsorption zone for fractionation of air. CONSTITUTION: The air is pressurized by a compressor 11 and is then admitted through a valve 12 to a column 13 where the water vapor is adsorbed away in the purification zone 14. The air is thereafter subjected to the adsorption of N2 in the fractionation zone 15 and the gas rich in O2 is taken out of an outlet 18 through a valve 19. At this time, the sizes of the respective zones are so determined that the heat front by the adsorption heat does not affect the fractionation zone 15. On the other hand, a part of the formed gas is sent to a column 25 and N2 is desorbed from the fractionation zone 15 by purging and, thereafter, the purge gas flows through the purification zone 14 as well. The water vapor is desorbed by using the adsorption heat at the time of the adsorption for purging and is discharged as a purge discharge gas from a valve 30. This operation is successively repetitively carried out by the columns 13 and 25.