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 system and method of pre-purification of a feed gas stream is provided that is particularly suitable for pre-purification of a feed air stream in cryogenic air separation unit. The disclosed pre-purification systems and methods are configured to remove substantially all of the hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water, and carbon dioxide impurities from a feed air stream and is particularly suitable for use in a high purity or ultra-high purity nitrogen plant. The pre-purification systems and methods preferably employ two or more separate layers of hopcalite catalyst with the successive layers of the hopcalite separated by a zeolite adsorbent layer that removes water and carbon dioxide produced in the hopcalite layers. Alternatively, the pre-purification systems and methods employ a hopcalite catalyst layer and a noble metal catalyst layer separated by a zeolite adsorbent layer that removes water and carbon dioxide produced in the hopcalite layer.

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.

Provided are apparatus and systems for performing a swing adsorption process. In particular, the method and system involves swing adsorption processes and systems designed to lessen the temperature, pressure and product stream composition fluctuations in the adsorption step of a swing adsorption process, particularly involving preparation of the adsorption bed unit using feed stream cooling in conjunction with splitting the cooled feed stream to the adsorption bed units during adsorption steps while staggering the timing of back-to-back adsorption steps in the swing adsorption process. The process may be utilized for swing adsorption processes, such as rapid cycle TSA and/or rapid cycle PSA, which are utilized to remove one or more contaminants from a gaseous feed stream.

A carbon capture system can include a plurality of CO.sub.2 thermal swing adsorption (TSA) beds. The plurality of CO.sub.2 TSA beds can include at least a first TSA bed, a second TSA bed, and a third TSA bed configured to capture CO.sub.2 within a capture temperature range and to regenerate the captured CO.sub.2 at a regeneration temperature range above the capture temperature range. The carbon capture system can include a plurality of valves and associated flow paths configured to allow switching operational modes of each of the first, second, and third TSA beds.

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 system and method of pre-purification of a feed gas stream is provided that is particularly suitable for pre-purification of a feed air stream in cryogenic air separation unit. The disclosed pre-purification systems and methods are configured to remove substantially all of the hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water, and carbon dioxide impurities from a feed air stream and is particularly suitable for use in a high purity or ultra-high purity nitrogen plant. The pre-purification systems and methods preferably employ two or more separate layers of hopcalite catalyst with the successive layers of the hopcalite separated by a zeolite adsorbent layer that removes water and carbon dioxide produced in the hopcalite layers. Alternatively, the pre-purification systems and methods employ a hopcalite catalyst layer and a noble metal catalyst layer separated by a zeolite adsorbent layer that removes water and carbon dioxide produced in the hopcalite layer.

Process and apparatus for producing helium, neon, or argon product gas using an adsorption separation unit having minimal dead end volumes. A purification unit receives a stream enriched in helium, neon, or argon, and a stream is recycled from the purification unit back to the adsorption separation unit in a controlled manner to maintain the concentration of the helium, neon, or argon in the feed to the separation unit within a targeted range.

Disclosed herein are multi-bed rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption (RCPSA) processes for separating O.sub.2 from N.sub.2 and/or Ar, wherein the process utilizes at least five adsorption beds each comprising a kinetically selective adsorbent for O.sub.2 having an O.sub.2 adsorption rate (1/s) of at least 0.20 as determined by linear driving force model at 1 atma and 86 F.

A method for continuous pressure swing adsorption separation of a pressurized feed gas stream, including separating hydrocarbons heavier than methane from the pressurized feed gas stream by applying an adsorbent porous material to produce at least two product streams, a first product stream being substantially pure methane suitable for transport by natural gas pipeline, and a second product stream being substantially comprised of components with a greater molecular weight than methane.