Pressure Swing Adsorption Return Gas Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Pressure swing adsorption systems face challenges in maintaining satisfactory removal performance and recovery rates due to varying gas component concentrations and periodic changes in raw material gas composition, leading to inefficiencies in product gas generation.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that selectively adsorb and desorb gas components in pressure swing adsorption, where one of the permeated or desorbed gases is returned to the adsorbing device based on operating cycles and gas component concentrations, prioritizing the removal of specific gas components to maintain optimal performance and prevent reduction in recovery rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the time interval for switching between adsorption and desorption is shortened to secure removal performance, then the removal performance is improved, but the recovery rate of the recovery object gas component declines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a return gas pathway that acts as an intermediary mechanism. The return gas (either permeated or desorbed gas) is fed back to the inlet of the adsorption vessel, creating a buffer zone that prevents the direct mixing of desorbed gas with product gas. This intermediary pathway allows the system to maintain short switching intervals for removal performance while protecting the recovery rate by separating the contamination pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the gas flow pathways into distinct streams: raw material gas inlet, permeated gas outlet, desorbed gas outlet, and return gas inlet. By segmenting these pathways and selectively returning specific gas streams to the adsorption vessel inlet, the system can optimize removal performance independently from recovery rate, resolving the contradiction between switching frequency and gas component recovery.
2Ease of operation
If the adsorption vessel is operated continuously without returning gas, then the operation is simple, but the removal performance and recovery rate cannot be maintained under varying gas composition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic gas returning system where the decision to return permeated gas or desorbed gas is made based on real-time operating conditions and gas composition variations. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to changing raw material gas composition while maintaining a relatively simple base configuration, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback control by monitoring the composition of raw material gas and adjusting the return gas strategy accordingly. When the concentration of removal object gas component varies, the system can switch between returning permeated gas or desorbed gas to maintain optimal removal performance and recovery rate, providing adaptability without significantly complicating the operation.
3Reliability
If permeated gas is returned to maintain removal performance, then the removal performance is improved, but the recovery rate may be reduced due to mixing with desorbed gas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies an inverted logic by returning the gas stream that is typically considered waste (desorbed gas or permeated gas) to the inlet rather than discarding it. This inversion transforms a potential contamination source into a beneficial return stream that enhances removal performance while the system design prevents it from contaminating the product gas, thus improving removal performance without sacrificing recovery rate.
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
This approach enhances the efficiency of product gas generation by securing removal performance and recovery rates, while minimizing the need for frequent switching between adsorption and desorption, thus preventing declines in recovery rates and improving overall system efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a raw material gas containing a removal object gas component and a recovery object gas component is fed to an adsorbing device and a permeated gas is sent out from the adsorbing device
Implementation Method 2
a pressure of the adsorbing device is made lower than the pressure in the adsorbing step and a desorbed gas is sent out from the adsorbing device
Data Source
AI summary
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a gas separation method by which a removal performance to remove a removal object gas component and a recovery rate to recover a recovery object gas component can be satisfied at the same time, and furthermore, a generation efficiency of a product gas can be improved. A raw material gas g0 is fed to one adsorption vessel 11 of an adsorbing device 10 and a permeated gas g1 is sent out. A pressure of the other the adsorption vessels 12 is made lower than a pressure during adsorption and a desorbed gas g2 is sent out. In accordance with an operating cycle of the adsorbing device 10 or according to a condition of the raw material gas g0 or the like, one of the permeated gas g1 and the desorbed gas g2 that has a lower concentration of a priority removal object gas component than the raw material gas g0 is provided as a return gas to the adsorbing device 10, the priority removal object gas component being a gas component to be preferentially removed.