The present invention relates to an intensified 5-bed and 6-bed PSA process cycles features, as well as fast rate adsorbents that enable the intensified PSA system to meet cost and performance target are identified. The proposed capital efficient H.sub.2PSA system offers opportunity to reduce PSA capital expenditure by ten percent (10%).

This disclosure relates to the adsorption and separation of fluid components, such as oxygen, in a feed stream, such as air, using zeolite ITQ-55 as the adsorbent. A process is disclosed for adsorbing oxygen from a feed stream containing oxygen, nitrogen and argon. The process comprises passing the feed stream through a bed of an adsorbent comprising zeolite ITQ-55 to adsorb oxygen from the feed stream, carrying out an equalization step to improve recovery, thereby producing a nitrogen product stream depleted in oxygen as well as a waste stream can be collected to have enriched oxygen. The kinetic selectivity and related mass transfer rates can be tuned by varying the mean crystal particle size of zeolite ITQ-55 within the range of from about 0.1 microns to about 40 microns, or by varying the adsorption temperature within the range from about -195° C. to about 30° C., or by varying the adsorption pressure within the range from about 1 bar (~14.7 psi) to about 30 bar (~435 psi), or combinations thereof. The feed stream is exposed to the zeolite ITQ-55 at effective conditions for performing a rapid cycle of kinetic separation, in which oxygen exhibits greater kinetic selectivity than nitrogen and argon.

A pressure swing adsorption type hydrogen manufacturing apparatus includes a process control unit that controls operation of adsorption towers that generate a product gas by adsorbing, using adsorbents, adsorption target components other than hydrogen components from a source gas, in a state where an adsorption process, a pressure-equalization discharge process, a desorption process, and a pressure-restoration process are successively repeated. The process control unit is configured to control operation of the adsorption towers in such a manner that a prior pressure-equalization process is performed in an initial stage of a unit processing period, a subsequent pressure-equalization process is performed in a final stage of the unit processing period, a pressurization process of introducing a product gas to perform pressurization is performed, as the pressure-restoration process, subsequently to the prior pressure-equalization process, and the pressurization process is performed while overlapping with the subsequent pressure-equalization process.

The current disclosure provides systems and methods for multiple beds undergoing a feed step at the same time with the same feed flow rate and multiple beds undergoing a light reflux step at the same time with the same light reflux flow rate to process a gas stream in a multi-bed, multi-unit vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process using reasonably sized beds.

The current disclosure provides systems and methods for multiple beds undergoing a feed step at the same time with the same feed flow rate and multiple beds undergoing a light reflux step at the same time with the same light reflux flow rate to process a gas stream in a multi-bed, multi-unit vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process using reasonably sized beds.

A method for producing oxygen from air using vacuum swing adsorption by means of a unit including at least two adsorbers each following, with an offset a pressure cycle, with a decompression step including at least a co-current first decompression sub-step for the partial balancing of pressure with the other adsorber which is performing counter-current recompression by means of a balancing valve, and, at least for one cycle out of three, a dead time sub-step which succeeds the first decompression sub-step, the method including a pressure of X bar at the end of the first decompression sub-step for the cycles that do not have a dead time sub-step, and a pressure of X bar at the end of the dead time sub-step, opening the balancing valve identically during the first decompression sub-step and the dead time sub-step, for the cycles that do have a dead time sub-step.

The present invention relates to an intensified 5-bed and 6-bed PSA process cycles features, as well as fast rate adsorbents that enable the intensified PSA system to meet cost and performance target are identified. The proposed capital efficient H.sub.2PSA system offers opportunity to reduce PSA capital expenditure by ten percent (10%).

A method for producing oxygen from air using vacuum swing adsorption by means of a unit comprising at least two adsorbers each following, with an offset a pressure cycle, with a decompression step comprising at least a co-current first decompression sub-step for the partial balancing of pressure with the other adsorber which is performing counter-current recompression by means of a balancing valve, and, at least for one cycle out of three, a dead time sub-step which succeeds the first decompression sub-step, the method including a pressure of X bar at the end of the first decompression sub-step for the cycles that do not have a dead time sub-step, and a pressure of X bar at the end of the dead time sub-step, opening the balancing valve identically during the first decompression sub-step and the dead time sub-step, for the cycles that do have a dead time sub-step.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a pressure swing adsorption process of a hydrogen production system is provided. The hydrogen production system includes a desulfurization process for removing sulfur components from raw natural gas; a reforming reaction process for producing a reformed gas containing hydrogen generated by the reaction of natural gas through the desulfurization process and steam; and a pressure swing adsorption process of concentrating the hydrogen using a pressure swing adsorption from the reformed gas. In a desorption step of the pressure swing adsorption process, a cocurrent depressurization and a countercurrent depressurization are simultaneously performed.

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.