US3796022A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of and installation for the fractionation of a gaseous mixture by adsorption
Assignee: Air Liquide SA
•
Filing: 1972-11-20
•
Granted: 1974-03-12
•
Expires: 1992-11-20
Abstract
Abstract A method of fractionation of a gaseous mixture by adsorption, utilizing at least one adsorption line including an adsorption zone having an adsorbent mass adsorbing primarily a first constituent and secondarily a second constituent of said mixture, said method employing at least one elementary adsorption cycle employing said adsorption line, and further comprising an adsorption phase in which said mixture is introduced into the adsorption zone at an adsorption pressure, an elution phase in which a gaseous fraction enriched in said first constituent circulates in the adsorption zone at a pressure lower than said adsorption pressure while enriching said fraction in said second desorbed constituent, a desorption phase in which a gaseous fraction enriched in said first constituent is extracted from the inlet of said adsorption zone under a pressure lower than said elution pressure, and a pressure-rise or inflation phase in which the pressure in the adsorption zone is increased to the adsorption pressure. The invention also covers the installations for carrying the method and its alternatives into effect, and is especially applicable to the fractionation of atmospheric air into nitrogen, oxygen and water.
Inventors
- 👤 G Simonet
- 👤 C Pivard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 16:28
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/02; B01D53/04; B01D53/047; B01D53/0476; C; C01; C01B; C01B21/00; C01B21/02; B01D2253/00; B01D2253/10; B01D2253/104; B01D2253/106; B01D2253/108; B01D2256/00; B01D2256/10; B01D2256/12; B01D2257/00; B01D2257/10; B01D2257/102; B01D2257/104; B01D2257/50; B01D2257/504; B01D2257/80; B01D2259/00; B01D2259/40; B01D2259/40011; B01D2259/40043; B01D2259/4005; B01D2259/40052; B01D2259/40058; B01D2259/4006; B01D2259/40062; B01D2259/401; B01D2259/403; B01D2259/406; B01D2259/4062; B01D2259/65; B01D2259/655; B01D53/26; B01D53/261; Y; Y02; Y02C; Y02C20/00; Y02C20/40; Y02P; Y02P20/00; Y02P20/151
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
59 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said adsorption phase comprises a constant-pressure extraction phase during which said gaseous mixture is circulated from the inlet to the outlet of at least said adsorption zone, at the adsorption pressure in said zone, obtaining at the outlet of said zone a fraction impoverished in at least said first constituent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said pressure-rise phase includes an inflation phase, during which said gaseous mixture is introduced into at least said adsorption zone, while increasing at least the pressure existing in said zone, to the adsorption pressure for that zone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, in which, during said inflation phase, the pressure existing in said adsorption zone is increased from the desorption pressure to the adsorption pressure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, in which said adsorption phase comprises said inflation phase.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method aS claimed in claim 1, utilized for the fractionation of air freed from water and carbon dioxide, in which said first constituent is nitrogen and said second constituent is oxygen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
184 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said adsorption line comprises an auxiliary adsorption zone which includes an auxiliary adsorbent mass preferably adsorbing at least one further constituent of said gaseous mixture, and wherein during the adsorption phase, said gaseous mixture is introduced in a direction of adsorption, first into said auxiliary adsorption zone and then into said main adsorption zone, while adsorbing on the auxiliary adsorbent mass at least one further constituent of said gaseous mixture, and at the end of said phase, the auxiliary adsorption pressure existing in said auxiliary adsorption zone is at least equal to said adsorption pressure; during the elution phase, the gaseous fraction evacuated from the outlet of said adsorption zone is circulated from the outlet to the inlet of said auxiliary adsorption zone in counter-flow to the direction of adsorption, at the elution pressure, obtaining at the outlet of said zone a gaseous fraction enriched in at least said further constituent desorbed; during the desorption phase, the fraction enriched in at least said first constituent is exclusively extracted from the inlet of said extraction zone.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, in which, at the end of the adsorption phase, the auxiliary adsorption pressure is higher than the adsorption pressure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
77 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, in which said adsorption phase includes a constant-pressure extraction phase, during which said gaseous mixture is circulated from the inlet to the outlet of said auxiliary adsorption zone at the auxiliary adsorption pressure, and then from the inlet to the outlet of the adsorption zone at the adsorption pressure, obtaining at the outlet of the latter zone a fraction impoverished in at least said first constituent and said further constituent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, in which said pressure-rise phase includes an inflation phase during which said gaseous mixture is introduced into the auxiliary adsorption zone and then into the adsorption zone, while increasing the pressure existing in said auxiliary adsorption zone to the auxiliary adsorption pressure, and in said adsorption zone to the adsorption pressure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, in which, during said inflation phase, the pressure existing in said auxiliary adsorption zone is increased from the elution pressure, and the pressure existing in the adsorption zone is increased from the desorption pressure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, in which said inflation phase is included in the adsorption phase.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, and applied to the fractionation of atmospheric air, in which said first, second and further constituents are respectively constituted by nitrogen, oxygen and water.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
126 words
An installation for the fractionation of a gaseous mixture by adsorption, comprising at least one adsorption line including an auxiliary adsorber having an auxiliary adsorbent mass and a main adsorber having a main adsorbent mass, the inlet of said main adsorber being connected to the outlet of said auxiliary adsorber, in which the inlet of said auxiliary adsorber is connected at the same time to the downstream side of a first gas circulation means and to the upstream side of a second gas circulation means, the outlet of said main adsorber being connected to the outlet of said auxiliary adsorber by a conduit external to said main adsorber, while the outlet of said main adsorber is connected to the upstream side of a third gas-circulation means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
An installation as claimed in claim 14, and further comprising expansion means provided between the inlet of said main adsorber and the outlet of said auxiliary adsorber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
An installation as claimed in claim 14, and further comprising a thermal-accumulation mass disposed in the adsOrption line between said auxiliary adsorbent mass and the main adsorbent mass.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
An installation as claimed in claim 16, in which said thermal-accumulation mass is disposed in said auxiliary adsorber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-11 | 1977-09-10 | 1978-03-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-11 | 1981-09-10 | 1982-03-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-11 | 1985-09-10 | 1986-03-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |