Modular True Moving Bed Apparatus for Gas Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional true moving bed reactors face issues such as particle attrition, gas leakage, and disruptive maintenance cycles due to the movement of adsorbent particles, which affect the efficiency and continuity of gas separation processes.
Innovation Solution
A modular true moving bed apparatus with carriages containing sorbent particles that move sequentially through adsorption, desorption, and cooling zones without relative motion, using a locomotion mechanism to maintain gas-tight seals and enable continuous operation, thereby preventing particle attrition and gas leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If adsorbent particles move freely in traditional true moving bed reactors, then gas separation efficiency is improved, but particle attrition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reactor is divided into multiple compartments or zones, each containing adsorbent particles that are contained within specific regions. This segmentation allows particles to remain stationary within their compartments while still enabling mass transfer and separation functionality, thereby reducing particle attrition while maintaining gas separation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary mechanism such as a moving partition or shuttle system is introduced between the adsorbent particle beds. This intermediary allows for the transfer of adsorbent material between zones without requiring the particles themselves to move freely, thus reducing attrition while maintaining the true moving bed separation capability.
2Reliability
If adsorbent bed is replaced with new sorbent bed in existing reactors, then adsorption capacity is restored, but operational continuity is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The adsorbent bed is divided into multiple replaceable modules or cartridges. When one module becomes depleted, it can be individually replaced or regenerated while other modules continue to operate, maintaining operational continuity while restoring adsorption capacity in the replaced module.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed with multiple parallel adsorbent beds or modules that can operate in sequence or simultaneously. While one module is being replaced or regenerated, other modules continue to perform adsorption, ensuring uninterrupted operation and maintaining productivity throughout the maintenance cycle.
3Reliability
If gas-tight seals are maintained in moving bed apparatus, then gas leakage is reduced, but mechanical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible membranes or seals are used at the interfaces between moving and stationary components. These flexible elements can accommodate the movement of adsorbent beds or partitions while maintaining gas-tight sealing, reducing gas leakage without requiring complex mechanical sealing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of sealing around moving parts, the design inverts the approach by creating sealed chambers or compartments that move as integrated units. This reduces the number of sealing interfaces required, simplifying the mechanical complexity while maintaining gas-tight integrity throughout the movement cycles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus minimizes particle attrition and gas leakage, ensuring high efficiency and continuous operation by maintaining gas-tight seals and allowing for seamless replacement of depleted sorbent carriages, thus enhancing the overall performance and reliability of gas separation processes.
Implementation Method 1
adsorption technique that uses porous material to separate pure components from a gaseous mixture
Implementation Method 2
desorption technique that uses heated sorbent to release the target gas
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to modular true moving bed apparatus for gas separation and method of same. Traditional gas separation processes utilizing absorption techniques are energy intensive. The present disclosure provides gas separation process where a plurality of carriages carrying a sorbent material are in motion through a plurality of zones. Further, a gaseous mixture over the plurality of carriages carrying the sorbent material are fed via at least one inlet port of the adsorption zone. Then, a target gas is adsorbed from the gaseous mixture by the sorbent material while passing through the adsorption zone. The target gas from the sorbent material are desorbed inside each carriage in the desorption zone. Finally, using a suitable sealing mechanism, the inlet one-way valve and the outlet one-way valve of each carriage carrying the sorbent material are sealed during exit from at least one zone to prevent leakage with the adjoining zones.