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Study of a novel rapid vacuum pressure swing adsorption process with intermediate gas pressurization for producing oxygen

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Abstract

A novel rapid vacuum pressure swing adsorption process with intermediate gas pressurization for producing oxygen is proposed to improve the performance of miniature oxygen concentrator based rapid pressure swing adsorption technology. The effects of intermediate gas pressurization and desorption pressure on the performance of the process are evaluated by experiments and simulations. Results showed that pressurization with intermediate gas from product end can effectively improve the oxygen purity of the product. The pressure and oxygen purity of intermediate gas before pressurization were key parameters that affected the oxygen purity of the product. When the adsorption pressure was 240 kPa and the desorption pressure was 60 kPa, the test unit for the process produced 0.75 L min−1 of ~90% O2 with 29.45% of oxygen recovery from compressed air. The minimum bed size factor (BSF) for ~90% O2 product was 82.84 kg TPD−1. The BSF could be effectively reduced by lowering the desorption pressure. Moreover, oxygen recovery could be improved by lowering the desorption pressure.

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Abbreviations

b i :

Langmuir parameter (kPa−1)

b 0 i :

Langmuir parameter (kPa−1)

c :

Molar concentration (mol m−3)

c i :

Component i molar concentration (mol m−3)

C f :

Gas heat capacity (J kg−1 K−1)

C s :

Solid heat capacity (J kg−1 K−1)

d p :

Particle diameter (m)

d in :

Column diameter (m)

D ax :

Axial dispersion coefficient (m2 s−1)

D e :

Effective lumped diffusivity (m2 s−1)

D m :

Molecular diffusion coefficient (m2 s−1)

D K :

Knudsen diffusivity (m2 s−1)

l :

Nitrogen adsorbents loading height (m)

L :

Column height (m)

Nu :

Nusselt number

h f :

Gas–solid heat transfer coefficient (W m−2 K−1)

h w :

Internal gas-wall convective heat transfer coefficient (W m−2 K−1)

k i :

LDF mass transfer coefficient for adsorbate i (s−1)

K f :

Gas thermal dispersion coefficient (W m−1 K−1)

K s :

Solid phase thermal conductivity (W m−1 K−1)

P :

Pressure (kPa)

P i :

Gas partial pressure (kPa)

P H :

Adsorption pressure (kPa)

P L :

Desorption pressure (kPa)

P RE :

Pressure at end of RE step (kPa)

P IPP :

Pressure at end of IPP step (kPa)

Pe ∞ :

Limiting Peclet number

Pr(=μC f/K f):

Prandtl number

q 0 /c 0 :

Dimensionless Henry’s law constant

q i :

Adsorbed concentration of the component i (mol kg−1)

q i * :

Equilibrium adsorption concentration of the component i (mol kg−1)

q s :

Saturation adsorbed concentration (mol kg−1)

R :

Gas constant (J mol−1 K−1)

Re(=d p ρ f u/μ):

Reynolds number

S 12 :

Adsorbent selectivity

t :

Time (s)

t C :

Cycle time (s)

T :

Temperature (K)

T f :

Gas temperature (K)

T F :

Feed temperature (K)

T RE :

Intermediate gas temperature (K)

T s :

Solid temperature (K)

T w :

Wall temperature (K)

u :

Interstitial gas velocity (m s−1)

u in :

Feed velocity (m s−1)

y :

Oxygen purity of gas

y F :

Oxygen purity of feed gas

y RE :

Oxygen purity of intermediate gas

z :

Axial position (m)

μ :

Dynamic viscosity (Pa s)

ρ f :

Gas density (kg m−3)

ρ p :

Apparent density (kg m−3)

ρ b :

Bulk density (kg m−3)

ε b :

Inter-particle porosity

ε p :

Particle porosity

ε t :

Total bed porosity

γ 1 :

Axial tortuosity factor

τ p :

Pore tortuosity

ΔH i :

Heat of adsorption (J mol−1)

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51306017) and Key Technology and Industrialization Project of Emergency Rescue Breathing Equipment (Z141100000714007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Xianqiang Zhu, Yingshu Liu, Xiong Yang & Wenhai Liu

  2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Saving and Emission Reduction for Metallurgical Industry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Yingshu Liu

  3. Jiangsu Oxtek Air Equipment & Technology Co., Ltd., Danyang, 212300, China

    Xianqiang Zhu

Authors
  1. Xianqiang Zhu
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  2. Yingshu Liu
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  4. Wenhai Liu
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Correspondence to Yingshu Liu.

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Zhu, X., Liu, Y., Yang, X. et al. Study of a novel rapid vacuum pressure swing adsorption process with intermediate gas pressurization for producing oxygen. Adsorption 23, 175–184 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10450-016-9843-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10450-016-9843-4

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