| Method and apparatus for treating a gas by adsorption in particular for purifying atomspheric air -> Monitor Keywords |
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Method and apparatus for treating a gas by adsorption in particular for purifying atomspheric airRelated Patent Categories: Gas Separation: Processes, Solid Sorption, Including Reduction Of Pressure, With Heating Or CoolingMethod and apparatus for treating a gas by adsorption in particular for purifying atomspheric air description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060156922, Method and apparatus for treating a gas by adsorption in particular for purifying atomspheric air. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/492,491, filed Apr. 9, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. SUMMARY [0002] The present invention provides a process and apparatus for treating a gas by adsorption wherein additional heat is provided to the regeneration fluid by external means prior to its use in the regeneration process. The device and process of the present invention comprise the steps of: [0003] (a) compressing the gas to be treated; [0004] (b) making the gas to be treated from step (a) flow through an adsorber in adsorption phase; [0005] (c) making a stream of regeneration fluid flow through the adsorber in the regeneration phase, and [0006] (c1) during a first part of the adsorber regeneration phase, indirect heat exchange between the gas to be treated from step (a) and the refrigeration fluid stream is established in a heat exchanger so as to cool the gas to be treated from step (a) and intended for step (b) and to heat the regeneration fluid intended for step (c); [0007] (c2) during a second part of the adsorber regeneration phase, the regeneration fluid is made to flow through the adsorber without making it undergo the heat exchange of step (c1); and [0008] (d) auxiliary refrigeration of the gas to be treated during said step (c2) is carried out. [0009] The invention applies in particular to the separation of atmospheric air by distillation, said separation comprising an air compression step with a view to a subsequent step of cooling this air, and a step of stripping water and carbon dioxide from said air by flowing through an adsorber for the purpose of preventing the formation of ice and/or dry ice in the heat exchanger that brings the air to the cryogenic distillation temperatures. [0010] When the gas treatment process in question is not carried out on an occasional basis but is intended, on the contrary, to be repeated or even operated continuously, the adsorber must be periodically regenerated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] 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: [0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus similar to that described in EP 0 456 575, FIG. 3; [0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a novel variant of the apparatus of the present invention; [0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a cryogenic air separation installation incorporating the apparatus of FIG. 1; and [0015] FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate three alternative embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0016] For this purpose, it is known to use a regeneration gas that is made to flow through the adsorber. At least two adsorbers are then used, which switch alternately between an adsorption phase and a regeneration phase. [0017] In the intended application, the cryogenic distillation produces a waste gas that is dry and decarbonated, and consequently capable of regenerating the adsorber. [0018] The available mean flow rate of regeneration fluid may be limited. It may also be desirable to intentionally limit the consumption of regeneration fluid. [0019] It is also known to improve the regenerability of the regeneration fluid by heating it, for example by electrical heating means or by steam, before making it flow through the adsorber. [0020] However, this solution is expensive as it consumes energy. [0021] To reduce the amount of energy consumed and/or the amount of regeneration fluid consumed, for the same result in terms of quantity and treatment quality of the heated gas, EP 0 456 575 proposes (FIG. 3) a process of the aforementioned type in which there is heat exchange between the compressed gas and the regeneration fluid for the adsorber. [0022] It is an object of the invention to improve this known process in order to allow it to carry out regeneration in two successive steps, one with heated regeneration fluid, without adding a further exchanger, the other with unheated regeneration fluid. [0023] For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a treatment process of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the process furthermore includes a step consisting in additionally heating the regeneration fluid coming from step (c1) by means of an auxiliary heat injection, before this regeneration fluid is made to pass through the adsorber. [0024] According to other features of this process: [0025] said auxiliary refrigeration step (d) consists in refrigerating the gas to be treated by an auxiliary cold source; [0026] said auxiliary refrigeration step (d) consists in refrigerating the gas to be treated by at least one part of the stream of regeneration fluid that has passed through the adsorber; [0027] said auxiliary refrigeration is carried out in the heat exchanger; [0028] said refrigeration is carried out outside the heat exchanger; [0029] a flow of gas to be treated and of regeneration fluid is maintained in the heat exchanger during said auxiliary refrigeration step (d); [0030] the process furthermore includes a step consisting in additionally cooling the gas to be treated coming from step (c1), before this gas to be treated is made to pass through the adsorber; and [0031] the gas to be treated is atmospheric air, the function of step (b) is to strip water and carbon dioxide from the air to be treated coming from step (a), said process includes an additional step consisting in separating the air coming from step (b) by distillation in order to produce at least one of its constituents and also a waste gas, and the waste gas forms said regeneration fluid. [0032] The subject of the invention is also an apparatus for treating a gas by adsorption, of the type comprising: [0033] a compressor for compressing the gas to be treated, the delivery side of which compressor is designed to be connected to the inlet of at least one adsorber during an adsorption phase of the latter; [0034] means for making a regeneration fluid flow through the adsorber during a regeneration phase of the latter; and [0035] means for heating the regeneration fluid entering the adsorber in regeneration mode; the heating means comprising a heat exchanger designed to bring the regeneration fluid into indirect heat exchange relationship with the gas coming from the compressor, the apparatus furthermore including branch-off means for sending the regeneration fluid into the adsorber in regeneration mode without passing through the heat exchanger, and auxiliary refrigerating means for refrigerating the gas to be treated when said branch-off means are activated, characterized in that the heating means furthermore comprise an auxiliary heat source 14 designed to carry out additional heating on the regeneration fluid. [0036] The apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a compressor 2, a heat exchanger 3 and an adsorption unit 4. A first line 5 forms a circuit for flow of the gas to be treated, which links the compressor 2 with the exchanger 3 and the adsorption unit 4. Said line is arranged in such a way that the gas to be treated, drawn in by the compressor 2, is discharged by the latter, then passes through the exchanger 3 and then the adsorption unit 4. Continue reading about Method and apparatus for treating a gas by adsorption in particular for purifying atomspheric air... 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