Adsorption separation process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PURIFYING A FLUID STREAM WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A FEED FLUID STREAM CONTAINING AN ADMIXTURE OF IMPURITY AND PRODUCT FLUID; PROVIDING AN ADSORPTION ZONE HAVING AN INLET AND A DISCHARGE END AND CONTAINING THEREIN A BED OF ADSORBENT PARTICLES CAPABLE OF SELECTIVELY ADSORBING SAID IMPURITY FROM SAID FEED FLUID STREAM, SAID BED HAVING VOIDS BETWEEN THE ADSORBENT PARTICLES; INTRODUCING SAID FEED FLUID STREAM TO SAID INLET END OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE AND CONTACTING SUCH STREAM WITH SAID BED AT A FIRST HIGHER PRESSURE THEREBY ADSORBING SAID IMPURITY WITHIN SAID BED AND TRAPPING PART OF SAID FEED FLUID IN SAID VOIDS; CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGING AN IMPURITY-DEPLETED PRODUCT FLUID STREAM FROM SAID ADSORPTION ZONE DISCHARGE END AT SUBSTANTIALLY SAID FIRST HIGHER PRESSURE DURING THE INTRODUCTION OF SAID FEED FLUID STREAM TO THE ADSORPTION ZONE INLET END; ESTABLISHING AN IMPURITY ADSORPTION FRONT AT SAID INLET END OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE; PROGRESSIVELY MOVING SUCH FRONT LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID ADSORPTION ZONE TOWARD SAID DISCHARGE END TO A PREDETERMINED LOCATION WITHIN SAID ADSORPTION ZONE; TERMINATING THE INTRODUCTION OF SAID FEED FLUID STREAM AT SAID FIRST HIGHER PRESSURE TO SAID INLET END OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE; REMOVING AT LEAST MOST OF THE TRAPPED PRODUCT FLUID COMPONENT OF THE FEED FLUID IN SAID VOIDS THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE END OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE AS A SEPARATE FLUID STREAM THEREBY COCURRENTLY DEPRESSURIZING SAID ADSORPTION ZONE FROM SAID FIRST HIGHER PRESSURE TO A SECOND LOWER PRESSURE AND THEREBY FURTHER MOVING SAID IMPURITY ADSORPTION FRONT TOWARD SAID DISCHARGE END OF SAID ADSORPTION ZONE; AND THEREAFTER DESORBING SAID ADSORPTION ZONE TO REMOVE SAID IMPURITY THEREFROM.