Swing adsorber and process cycle for fluid separations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10016716-B2
Application number	US-201615258097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for performing a swing adsorption process, such as a temperature swing adsorption process. During portions of a swing cycle where one or more components are being desorbed, a vibration or other perturbation can be induced in the adsorbent and/or in the adsorbent structure to assist with desorption. Inducing a vibration or other perturbation in the adsorbent structure can provide a way to introduce additional energy into the adsorbent system without having to increase the temperature of the adsorbent structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing a swing adsorption process, comprising:
exposing an input fluid comprising a first gas component to an adsorbent structure comprising an adsorbent at a first temperature and a first pressure to adsorb at least a portion of the first gas component;
desorbing at least a portion of the adsorbed first gas component under desorption conditions, the desorption conditions comprising at least one of a desorption temperature higher than the first temperature and a desorption pressure lower than the first pressure; and
inducing, after the exposing, a plurality of perturbations in the adsorbent, in the adsorbent structure, or a combination thereof, the a plurality of perturbations being induced prior to a subsequent exposing of input fluid to the adsorbent structure; wherein the plurality of the induced perturbations have an overlap in time period.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising exposing a utility fluid to the adsorbent of the adsorbent structure.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the utility fluid is exposed to the adsorbent during the exposing the input fluid to the adsorbent, during the desorbing, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the adsorbent structure comprises separate channels for the utility fluid.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the perturbation are induced during the desorbing, during the exposing the utility fluid to the adsorbent, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent structure comprises a surface, at least a portion of the adsorbent being coated on the surface of the adsorbent structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of perturbations comprise a vibration induced as a mechanical vibration, an electromechanical vibration, an acoustic vibration, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of perturbations comprise an electromagnetic perturbation, a magnetic perturbation, a thermoacoustic perturbation, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first time period for a first perturbation is contained within a second time period for a second perturbation.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the swing adsorption process comprises a temperature swing adsorption process.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent structure comprises a plurality of plates, a plurality of modules, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent structure comprises a flexible structure, a curtain-like structure, a fabric-like structure, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one induced perturbation varies during the inducing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the variation in the at least one induced perturbation comprises a variation in a perturbation frequency, a variation in a perturbation amplitude, a variation in a perturbation type, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the induced perturbations result in a perturbation-induced temperature increase in the adsorbent structure of about 5° C. or less.

16. A system for inducing perturbations in an adsorbent structure, comprising:
an adsorbent structure comprising an adsorbent;
a perturbation source for inducing a perturbation in the adsorbent, at least a portion of the adsorbent structure, or a combination thereof, the perturbation source comprising at least one of an actuator, an electromagnetic radiation source, an acoustic source, a thermoacoustic source, a magnet, and an electromagnet;
a controller for activating the perturbation source; and
a sensor for detecting a perturbation in the adsorbent, at least a portion of the adsorbent structure, or a combination thereof, the sensor being in communication with the controller to adjust the induced perturbation based on the detected perturbation.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a vessel containing the adsorbent structure, the vessel further comprising at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system comprises a plurality of perturbation sources, at least one perturbation source comprising an actuator, an acoustic source, or a combination thereof.

19. A method for performing a swing adsorption process, comprising:
exposing an input fluid comprising a first gas component to an adsorbent structure comprising an adsorbent at a first temperature and a first pressure to adsorb at least a portion of the first gas component;
desorbing at least a portion of the adsorbed first gas component under desorption conditions, the desorption conditions comprising at least one of a desorption temperature higher than the first temperature and a desorption pressure lower than the first pressure; and
inducing, after the exposing, one or more perturbations in the adsorbent, in the adsorbent structure, or a combination thereof, the one or more perturbation being induced prior to a subsequent exposing of input fluid to the adsorbent structure; wherein at least one induced perturbation varies during the inducing.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising exposing a utility fluid to the adsorbent of the adsorbent structure.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the utility fluid is exposed to the adsorbent during the exposing the input fluid to the adsorbent, during the desorbing, or a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the adsorbent structure comprises separate channels for the utility fluid.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein at least one perturbation is induced during the desorbing, during the exposing the utility fluid to the adsorbent, or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the adsorbent structure comprises a surface, at least a portion of the adsorbent being coated on the surface of the adsorbent structure.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein at least one perturbation comprises a vibration induced as a mechanical vibration, an electromechanical vibration, an acoustic vibration, or a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 19 , wherein at least one perturbation comprises an electromagnetic perturbation, a magnetic perturbation, a thermoacoustic perturbation, or a combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 19 , wherein a plurality of the one or more induced perturbations have an overlap in time period.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein a first time period for a first perturbation is contained within a second time period for a second perturbation.

29. The method of claim 19 , wherein the swing adsorption process comprises a temperature swing adsorption process.

30. The method of claim 19 , wherein the adsorbent structure comprises a plurality of plates, a plurality of modules, or a combination thereof.

31. The method of claim 19 , wherein the adsorbent structure comprises a flexible structure, a curtain-like structure, a fabric-like structure, or a combination thereof.

32. The method of claim 19 , wherein the variation in the at least one induced perturbation comprises a variation in a perturbation frequency, a variation in a perturbation amplitude, a variation in a perturbation type, or a combination thereof.

33. The method of claim 19 , wherein the induced perturbation results in

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Res & Eng Co

Inventors

• Sundaram Narasimhan
• Thomann Hans

Classifications

• B01D2259/40011

  Methods relating to the process cycle in pressure or temperature swing adsorption · CPC title

• B01J20/3441

  Regeneration or reactivation by electric current, ultrasound or irradiation, e.g. electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays, UV, light, microwaves · CPC title

• B01D53/047

  Pressure swing adsorption · CPC title

• B01D53/0462 Primary

  Temperature swing adsorption · CPC title

• B01J20/34

  Regenerating or reactivating · CPC title