Pressure swing adsorption: Experimental study of an equilibrium theory

✍ Scribed by John C. Kayser; Kent S. Knaebel

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 815 KB
• Volume: 41
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2509(86)80024-0

✦ Synopsis

theoretical model of pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes that is based on local, linear equilibrium ofa binary gas mixture with an adsorbent was experimentally tested under conditions supportive of the inherent assumptions and constraints. The components studied were nitrogen, oxygen and argon with SA zeolite molecular sieve, at temperatures from 20 to WC. Simple breakthrough experiments were analysed to predict the slopes of the isotherms within 5.4 oA (mean absolute error) of actual equilibrium values. Ln twohed PSA experiments at pressure ratios from 6.5 to 840, the recoveries of the light component (oxygen and argon) were within 7.1 o/0 (mean absolute error) of those predicted by theory. Typically, the feed rate to the process was about 275 1 (STP)/kg h, based on the total mass of adsorbent. The light-component product purity averaged 99.6 y0 (based on volume) and was never less than 99.2 %, while theory predicts complete separation is possible. The results support the validity of the theoretical model for the conditions of the experiments.