An oxygen separator for generating an oxygen-enriched gas from an oxygen comprising gas, said oxygen separator comprising: a) an oxygen separator device comprising i) a sorbent material for sorbing at least one component of the oxygen comprising gas; and ii) at least two controllable interfaces, comprising a first controllable interface and a second controllable interface, for controlling the communication of gas between the inside and the outside of the oxygen separator device, b) a processor for controlling the oxygen separator such that a plurality of phases are sequentially carried, amongst them a purging phase; wherein the processor is configured to control the at least two controllable interfaces such that a flow of gas is generated between the first controllable interface and the second controllable interface during at least the purging phase, wherein the second controllable interface is located and/or controlled such that it controls the fluidic coupling between the inside of the oxygen separator device and a volume of non-oxygen-enriched gas during the purging phase.

The present invention is directed to a dryer provided with an inlet for receiving a flow of compressed gas and an outlet for providing dry air, said dryer comprising: a first and a second adsorption vessel connected in parallel, a depressurization unit connectable to the inlet flow conduit of each of said first and second adsorption vessels; whereby the dryer further comprises a flow reducer connectable to the inlet flow conduit of each of the first and second adsorption vessels and whereby said control valves are adapted to be switched in a first state, and a second state.

A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system for purifying a feed gas is provided. The PSA system may have a first adsorber bed and a second adsorber bed, each having a feed port, a product port, and adsorbent material designed to adsorb one or more impurities from the feed gas to produce a product gas. The PSA system may also have a first valve configured to direct flows of the feed gas and the product gas through a network of piping. The PSA system may further have a first orifice configured to regulate a flow rate of gas between the first adsorber bed and the second adsorber bed during the pressure equalization step and a second orifice configured to regulate a flow rate of gas between the first adsorber bed and the second adsorber bed during the purge step.

Provided is an oxygen concentration device which, as an oxygen concentration device having a reduced difference in flow rates of gas which flows through a pressure equalization valve of a pressure equalization path during a purge step and a pressure equalization step, is provided at at least one end side of the pressure equalization valve with a pressure control member having a difference in pressure loss due to the direction of gas flow so that pressure loss of the gas which flows through the pressure equalization path in one direction becomes nearly equal to that of the gas which flows therethrough in the opposite direction.

A portable pressure swing adsorption method and system for low flow rate gas processing. A method of processing of hydrocarbon gas includes feeding hydrocarbon gas through a first adsorption bed of a pressure swing adsorption system, recovering light product from the first adsorption bed during the feed time, obtaining heavy product from a second adsorption bed during the feed time, wherein the second adsorption bed depressurizes to about vacuum during the feed time, compressing the heavy product to obtain natural gas liquid and vapor, sending a volume of reflux gas through the first adsorption bed after the feed time to obtain additional light product, and adjusting the feed flowrate, the feed time, or the volume of reflux gas based on a gross heating value of the feed gas, wherein adjusting the volume of reflux gas includes combining NGL storage tank vapor with the reflux gas.

The invention relates to an oxygen separator for generating a flow of oxygen-enriched gas, said oxygen separator comprising at least two oxygen separation devices arranged to separate oxygen from an oxygen comprising gas, said at least two oxygen separation devices each comprising a first end for receiving the oxygen comprising gas and a second end for delivering an oxygen-enriched gas. The oxygen separator further comprising an equalization duct fluidically coupled to the respective second end of said at least two oxygen separation devices, a first gas sensor is provided in the equalization duct such that the first gas sensor is arranged to monitor at least one component of the oxygen-enriched gas in the equalization duct; and control device arranged to control the oxygen separator based on the monitoring by the first gas sensor.

A gas concentration device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an air supplier supplying pressurized air; a plurality of adsorption beds which separate pressurized air supplied from the air supplier into product gas and purge gas by a pressure swing adsorption method and discharge the separated product gas and purge gas; a flow passage regulating valve unit which regulates flow passages so as to allow the pressurized air to be supplied to the adsorption bed from the air supplier and so as to reduce pressure of the adsorption bed so that a nitrogen adsorption process and a nitrogen desorption process are alternately performed; and a pressure boosting unit which is configured to be fed with the purge gas and the product gas discharged from the adsorption bed and is configured to pressurize the product gas in multi-stage sequentially using the purge gas and the product gas.

The present invention relates to a process cycle that allows for the stable production of mid-range purity oxygen from air, using traditional system designs. Typical cycles have a limited production benefit when generating O.sub.2 at lower than 90% purity, however they suffer a production loss at higher purity. The process cycles of the invention are capable of producing significantly more contained O.sub.2 at a lower purity. In addition to enhanced production capacity, lower power consumed per mass of product and more stable product purity and flow are realized by the process of the invention compared to traditional alternatives.

An oxygen separator for generating an oxygen-enriched gas from an oxygen comprising gas, said oxygen separator comprising: a) an oxygen separator device comprising i) a sorbent material for sorbing at least one component of the oxygen comprising gas; and ii) at least two controllable interfaces, comprising a first controllable interface and a second controllable interface, for controlling the communication of gas between the inside and the outside of the oxygen separator device, b) a processor for controlling the oxygen separator such that a plurality of phases are sequentially carried, amongst them a purging phase; wherein the processor is configured to control the at least two controllable interfaces such that a flow of gas is generated between the first controllable interface and the second controllable interface during at least the purging phase, wherein the second controllable interface is located and/or controlled such that it controls the fluidic coupling between the inside of the oxygen separator device and a volume of non-oxygen-enriched gas during the purging phase.

A gas concentration device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an air supplier supplying pressurized air; a plurality of adsorption beds which separate pressurized air supplied from the air supplier into product gas and purge gas by a pressure swing adsorption method and discharge the separated product gas and purge gas; a flow passage regulating valve unit which regulates flow passages so as to allow the pressurized air to be supplied to the adsorption bed from the air supplier and so as to reduce pressure of the adsorption bed so that a nitrogen adsorption process and a nitrogen desorption process are alternately performed; and a pressure boosting unit which is configured to be fed with the purge gas and the product gas discharged from the adsorption bed and is configured to pressurize the product gas in multi-stage sequentially using the purge gas and the product gas.