US3923477A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adsorption system
Assignee: BOC Group Ltd
•
Filing: 1974-10-22
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Granted: 1975-12-02
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Expires: 1994-10-22
Abstract
Abstract A process for enriching the proportion of a gas in a gas mixture by passing the mixture through an adsorbent bed under pressure, reducing the pressure by countercurrently venting the adsorbed gas, evacuating residual gas from the bed, restoring the pressure in the adsorbent bed by introducing product quality gas, finally introducing partly enriched gas and then repeating the sequence. Choice of appropriate adsorbents allows enrichment of either oxygen or nitrogen from an air feed.
Inventors
- 👤 John Walter Armond
- 👤 David Arthur Webber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:59
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/02; B01D53/04; B01D53/047; B01D53/0476; B01D2253/00; B01D2253/10; B01D2253/104; B01D2253/106; B01D2253/108; B01D2253/116; B01D2253/25; 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; B01D2259/40013; B01D2259/40015; B01D2259/40028; B01D2259/4003; B01D2259/40058; B01D2259/40064; B01D2259/403; B01D2259/406; B01D2259/4062; B01D53/26; B01D53/261; Y; Y02; Y02C; Y02C20/00; Y02C20/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
AN ADSORPTION PROCESS FOR INCREASING THE PROPORTION OF A DESIRED GAS IN A MIXTURE OF WHICH IS IS A CONSTITUENT WHICH COMPRISES THE SEQUENTIAL STEP OF PASING THE GAS MIXTURE AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE 1.1 TO 10.0 BARS THROUGH AN ADSORPTION BED THAT PREFERENTIALLY ADSORBS ONE OR MORE OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF THE MIXTURE, RETURNING THE BED TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE BY VENTING THE ABSORBED GAS IN A DIRECTION COUNTER TO THE DIRECTION OF PASSING THE GAS MIXTURE, EVACUATING RESDUAL GAS FROM THE BED BY MEANS OF A VACUUM PUMP IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE VENTING, RESTORING THE ADSORPTION PRESSURE IN THE BED BY INTRODUCING GAS OF THE DESIRED PRODUCT QUALITY IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE VENTING, INTRODUCING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE GAS MIXTURE A PARTLY ENRICHED GAS HAVING A CONTENT OF THE DESIRED GAS LESS THAN THE DESIRED PRODUCT BUT GREATER THAN THE GAS MIXTURE AND THEN REPEATING THE SEQUENCE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
AN ADSORPTION PROCESS FOR INCREASING THE PROPORTION OF A DESIRED GAS IN A MIXTURE OF WHICH IS IS A CONSTITUENT WHICH COMPRISES THE SEQUENTIAL STEP OF PASING THE GAS MIXTURE AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE 1.1 TO 10.0 BARS THROUGH AN ADSORPTION BED THAT PREFERENTIALLY ADSORBS ONE OR MORE OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF THE MIXTURE, RETURNING THE BED TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE BY VENTING THE ABSORBED GAS IN A DIRECTION COUNTER TO THE DIRECTION OF PASSING THE GAS MIXTURE, EVACUATING RESDUAL GAS FROM THE BED BY MEANS OF A VACUUM PUMP IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE VENTING, RESTORING THE ADSORPTION PRESSURE IN THE BED BY INTRODUCING GAS OF THE DESIRED PRODUCT QUALITY IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE VENTING, INTRODUCING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE GAS MIXTURE A PARTLY ENRICHED GAS HAVING A CONTENT OF THE DESIRED GAS LESS THAN THE DESIRED PRODUCT BUT GREATER THAN THE GAS MIXTURE AND THEN REPEATING THE SEQUENCE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the desired gas is oxygen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the desired gas is nitrogen.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein the adsorbent is a synthetic zeolite molecular sieve.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the adsorbent is zeolite 5A, 4A, 10A or 13X.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as claimed in claim 3 wherein the adsorbent is a molecular sieve carbon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein impurity gases are removed in an adsorbent bed separate from the main adsorbent bed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the separate bed is located in a vessel separate from the vessel containing the main adsorbent bed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein several adsorption beds are employed so as to permit continuous introduction of the gas mixture.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adsorption pressure is within the range 1.1 to 5.0 bars.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as claimed in claim 10 wherein the adsorption pressure is within the range 0.3 to 2.0 bars.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the level of vacuum is within the range 30 to 300 torr.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein product is withdrawn during the step which partly enriched gas is introduced into the bed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the partly enriched gas is withdrawn from a bed undergoing a different part of the sequence.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein partly enriched gas entering the main bed has not passed through a purification bed.
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) | 1978-12-01 | 1979-06-02 | 1979-12-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-01 | 1983-06-02 | 1983-12-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-01 | 1987-06-02 | 1987-12-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |