A process for removal of unwanted components from a feed gas mixture, wherein a temperature swing adsorption unit comprising at least two adsorption vessels is used, the method comprising cyclically operating the temperature swing adsorption unit in successive operation modes in each of which a different one of the at least two adsorption vessels is operated in an adsorption mode while a further one of the at least two adsorption vessels previously operated in the adsorption mode is operated in a regeneration mode, the adsorption mode comprising forming an adsorption gas stream using a part of the feed gas mixture and passing the adsorption gas stream through the adsorption vessel operated in the adsorption mode, and the regeneration mode comprising passing a regeneration gas stream through the adsorption vessel operated in the regeneration mode, thereby forming the purified gas mixture.

The invention relates to a cyclical method for producing a nitrogen fraction, the purity of which is greater than or equal to 95 mol %, and a hydrocarbon-enriched fraction from a filler containing nitrogen and a hydrocarbon, said method using a specific class of porous hybrid solids as an adsorbent in a pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) process. The invention also relates to equipment for implementing said method.

A method for operating an adsorption-based system for removing water and potentially other components from a feed stream. The system includes at least two dehydration units each comprising an adsorption bed. The method includes the steps of: i) obtaining process data from one or more sensors at a predetermined time resolution, the sensors at least comprising at least one moisture sensor at a specified location in each of the dehydration units; ii) dehydrating the feed stream by operating the adsorption-based system in regenerative mode, wherein at least one active unit of the at least two dehydration units is in an adsorption cycle, and wherein at least another one of the at least two dehydration units is being regenerated; iii) estimating an adsorption bed water adsorption capacity during every adsorption cycle; and iv) using the process data to update the estimated adsorption bed water adsorption capacity.

Disclosed in certain embodiments are methods of removing water from a gas feed stream comprising hydrocarbons and water during an adsorption step of an adsorption cycle.

A sorbent bed assembly of a fuel cell system, including a first sorbent bed, a second sorbent bed and at least one third sorbent bed, the second sorbent bed disposed between the first sorbent bed and the at least one third sorbent bed, a cover plate on the plurality of sorbent beds and configured to connect the sorbent beds to one another, a fuel inlet connector on the cover plate and configured to receive a fuel, a manifold having a first fluid conduit configured to transport fuel between the first sorbent bed and at least one third sorbent bed, and a second fluid conduit configured to transport fuel between at least one third sorbent bed and the second sorbent bed, and a fuel outlet connector on the cover plate and configured to receive fuel that has passed through each of the sorbent beds.

The present invention relates to a gas-filtering system (1000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000) comprising: an input (1100) for the gas, a reactor (1301, 1302, 1303) for filtering the gas at the input (1100) and thus obtaining a filtered gas, an output (1200) for the filtered gas, a vacuum generator (1401, 1402) for generating a vacuum inside the reactor (1301, 1302, 1303), where the vacuum generator (1401, 1402) is configured so as to apply a first predetermined vacuum value (VI) in a first vacuum phase (T2) and so as to apply a second predetermined vacuum value (V2) in a second vacuum phase (T3); the filtering system (1000, 3000, 4000) further comprising a flow controller (1501, 1502, 1503) connected at the output to the reactor (1301, 1302, 1303), where the flow controller (1501, 1502, 1503) is configured so as to block the introduction of the filtered gas into the reactor (1301, 1302, 1303) during the first vacuum phase (T2), and where the flow controller (1501, 1502, 1503) is configured so as to allow the introduction of the filtered gas and/or a second gas into the reactor (1301, 1302, 1303), starting from the output (1200) during the second vacuum phase (T3).

The process of the present invention provides high recovery and low capital cost giving it an economic advantage over previously known purification processes. The present process has particular applicability to the purification of synthesis gases comprising at least hydrogen (H.sub.2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH.sub.4), CO.sub.2, and H.sub.2O to obtain a gas stream including at least H.sub.2, CO, and CH.sub.4, that is substantially free of H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2. The process also has applicability to the purification of natural gases inclusive of at least CH.sub.4, N.sub.2, CO.sub.2, and H.sub.2O to produce a gas stream including at least CH.sub.4 and N.sub.2, but which is substantially free of H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2.

A three-product PSA system which produces three product streams from a feed gas mixture comprising a light key component, at least one heavy key component, and at least one intermediate key component is described. The three-product PSA system produces a high pressure product stream enriched in the light key component, a low pressure tail gas stream enriched in the at least one heavy key component, and an intermediate pressure vent gas stream enriched in the at least one intermediate key component.

A method for adjusting a gas stream separation unit having N adsorbers, where N≥2, each following a PSA, VSA or VPSA adsorption cycle, with a time lag of a phase time, said adjustment method including continuously measuring a physical parameter associated with the gas stream entering and/or leaving the adsorber; for at least one step of the adsorption cycle, determining at least one characteristic value of the step chosen in step a) which is selected from the values of the physical parameter measured in step a) or a function of those values; comparing this characteristic value with a target value; and modifying the flow of the gas stream in order to obtain the target value, in the event of a variation between the value of this (these) difference(s) and the target values.

A radial flow adsorption vessel comprising a cylindrical outer shell having a top end and a bottom end, the top end is enclosed by a vessel head that provides a centrical opening usable as a port to introduce or remove adsorbent particles into or from the vessel; at least one annular adsorption space disposed inside the shell, the at least one annular adsorption space defined by an outer and inner cylindrical porous wall, both co-axially disposed inside the shell; and a loading device for the adsorbent particles positioned above the at least one annular adsorption space at the top end of the vessel, the loading device comprises at least one conical element that extends radially to the outer cylindrical porous wall, the at least one conical element provides a plurality of orifices arranged at least in a region sitting above the at least one annular adsorption space.