METHOD FOR PRODUCING OXYGEN VIA O2 VSA, MINIMIZING VALVE OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

Abstract

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.

Claims

1.-7. (canceled)

8. 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 comprising the steps of production, decompression, purge and recompression, with the 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 comprising: providing 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 providing 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.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein during the cycles that do not have a dead time sub-step, the decompression rate is between 300-100 mbar/s.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein during the cycles that do have a dead time sub-step, the decompression rate is between 150 and 5 mbar/s.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the decompression step comprises a dead time substep for at least one cycle in two.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the two adsorbers follow the pressure cycle with an offset of half a cycle time.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the balancing valve used during the first decompression sub-step and the dead time sub-step is a valve of the butterfly valve or globe valve type.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the opening of the balancing valve is regulated according to the desired oxygen production output.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] For a further understanding of the nature and objects for the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein:

[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates one aspect of a VSA cycle as known in the art.

[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates another aspect of a VSA cycle as known in the art

[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates a VSA cycle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates a VSA cycle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0044] FIG. 3 depicts an O2 VSA cycle according to the invention.

[0045] The opening of the balancing valve is reduced when the RR mode (dead time substep) is activated so that the final pressure at the end of the dead time is the same as that at the end of substep 3 in normal operating mode, namely in the case of a cycle with the balancing valve closed during the dead time substep (see FIG. 2). As a result, the balancing valve does not reclose between the balancing substeps, thus making the unit more reliable and limiting drops in performance or difficulties with settings of the cycle which are associated with the valve opening times of durations comparable with that of the steps. Of course, implementation of this solution entails a suitable control strategy for controlling the opening of the balancing valve, namely slaving the opening of the balancing valve to make it dependent on the production output of the unit.

[0046] Mirroring that which occurs during steps 3 and 4, the pressure at the end of the dead time step 11 when the RR mode is activated will be the same as that at the end of step 10 for cycles that do not have the dead time step.

[0047] Activation of the RR mode involves adding the dead time to each cycle and, for reasons concerned with the minimum duration of the dead time, activation of the RR mode occurs only for a sufficient reduction in O2 production (prior to that, the production output simply leads to an increase in the O2 purity). In order to trigger the RR mode for smaller reductions in production output, the addition of the dead time is performed not every cycle but for 1 cycle in every N cycles (N=1 to 5) The introduction of this solution, coupled with the idea put forward previously, significantly reduces the disadvantages associated with the RR mode.

[0048] As the case may be, the method according to the invention can exhibit one or more of the features below: [0049] during the cycles that do not have a dead time substep, the decompression rate is comprised between 300-100 mbar/s. [0050] during the cycles that do have a dead time substep, the decompression rate is comprised between 150 and 5 mbar/s. [0051] the decompression step comprises a dead time substep for at least one cycle in two. [0052] the two adsorbers follow the pressure cycle with an offset of half a cycle time. [0053] the balancing valve used during the first decompression substep and the dead time substep is a valve of the butterfly valve or globe valve type. [0054] the opening of the balancing valve is regulated according to the desired oxygen production output, and therefore according to the ensuing dead-time duration.

[0055] FIG. 4 schematically depicts a V(P)SA installation to which the invention applies.

[0056] In the example depicted, the installation essentially comprises two adsorbers 1A and 1B, a compressor or a blower 2, a vacuum pump 3 and a collection of pipes and valves, as well as control and regulation means which have not been depicted, suitable for implementing the cycle described later. The compressor and the pump are positive-displacement machines of the Roots type and permanently rotate at constant speed.

[0057] FIG. 4 schematically indicates: [0058] an atmospheric-air supply pipe 4 which begins at the delivery side of the compressor 2 and splits into two branches 4A, 4B equipped with respective supply valves 5A, 5B and connected respectively to the lower inlets 6A, 6B of the adsorbers; [0059] a purge/elution pipe 7 which splits into two branches 7A, 7B equipped with purge/elution valves 8A, 8B and beginning respectively at the inlets 6A, 6B of the adsorbers; [0060] a production pipe 9 which splits into two branches 9A, 9B equipped with production valves 10A, 10B and beginning respectively at the upper outlets 11A, 11B of the adsorbers. A buffer volume 12 is mounted in the pipe 9; and [0061] a balancing/elution pipe 13 which directly connects together the outlets 11A and 11B and which is equipped with a balancing/elution valve 14.

[0062] The intake side of the compressor 2 and the delivery side of the vacuum pump 3 are in permanent communication with the surrounding atmosphere. The adsorbers 1A to 1B each contain at least one bed of an adsorbent designed to selectively adsorb the nitrogen from the air, and which in this example is a molecular sieve of the CaA type or a lithium-exchanged zeolite. In addition, bypasses 15 and 16, equipped with a respective valve 17, 18, are respectively tapped off the pipes 4 and 7 just downstream of the compressor 2 and just upstream of the pump 3. These bypasses, which are notably both used during the dead time step corresponding to the Reduced Run mode, open onto the surrounding atmosphere.

[0063] The invention consists in limiting the openings/closings of the balancing valve when the Reduced Run mode (dead time) of an O2 VSA is active. Beyond a certain percentage reduction in production, the number of cycles per unit of time is reduced via a step referred to as a dead time step in which the machines are in recirculation mode and therefore disconnected from the adsorbers. In certain cycles, activation of this dead time imposes an opening/closing of the balancing valve in a time that may be very short, leading to fatigue of this valve and difficulties with mastering the performance of the method. The solution according to the invention therefore makes it possible to improve the reliability of the units or reduce the cost or frequency of maintenance thereof, by avoiding fully closing this valve and then opening it.

[0064] It will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments in the examples given above.