EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDY ON H<SUB>2</SUB>/CO<SUB>2</SUB> SEPARATION BY A FIVE-STEP ONE-COLUMN PSA PROCESS

Kim WG; Yang J; Han S; Cho C; Lee CH; Lee H

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.12, No.5, 503-511, November, 1995

EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDY ON H₂/CO₂ SEPARATION BY A FIVE-STEP ONE-COLUMN PSA PROCESS

Kim WG, Yang J, Han S, Cho C, Lee CH, Lee H

An experimental and theoretical study is performed for bulk separation of H₂/CO₂ mixture (70/30 volume%)by PSA process with zeolite 5A, a process widely used commercially in conjunction with the catalytic steam reforming of natural gas or naphtha. For the optimized adsorption. For the optimized adsorption conditions of PSA, the characteristics of adsorption/desorption characteristics have been studied through breakthrough and desorption experiments under various conditions. The purge-to-feed ratio is important to the H₂ product purity only at a long adsorption step time. H₂ could be concentra-ted from 70% in the feed to 99.99% at H₂ recovery of 67.5%. The results of all five steps in PSA are successfully predicted by the LDF model considering an energy balance and nonlinear isotherm. For the model, the effective diffusivities(D_e) are obtained separately from the uptake curves of H₂ and CO₂. The Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm is used to correlate the experimental equilibrium data and is very well fitted to the results.

Keywords:Pressure Swing Adsorption;H₂/CO₂ System;LDF Model;P/F Ratio;Adsorption Time

[References]

Carter JW, Wyszynski ML, Chem. Eng. Sci., 38, 1093 (1983)
Cen P, Yang RT, Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam., 25, 758 (1986)
Cheng HC, Hill FB, ACS Symp. Ser., 223, 195 (1983)
Doong SJ, Yang RT, AIChE J., 32, 397 (1986)
Farooq S, Ruthven DM, Chem. Eng. Sci., 46, 2213 (1991)
Fernandez GF, Kenney CN, Chem. Eng. Sci., 38, 827 (1983)
Glueckauf E, Trans. Faraday Soc., 51, 1540 (1955)
Huang CC, Fair JR, AIChE J., 34, 1861 (1988)
Kapoor A, Yang RT, Chem. Eng. Sci., 44, 1723 (1989)
Kikkinides ES, Yang RT, Cho SH, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 32, 2714 (1993)
Liow JL, Kenney CN, AIChE J., 36, 53 (1990)
Lu ZP, Loureiro JM, LeVan MD, Rodrigues AE, AIChE J., 38, 857 (1992)
Ritter JA, Yang RT, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 30, 1023 (1991)
Ruthven DM, Farooq S, Knaebel KS, "Pressure Swing Adsorption," VCH Publisher, Inc. (1994)
Ruthven DM, "Principles of Adsorption and Adsorption Processes," John Wiley & Sons, New York (1984)
Skarstrom CW, Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 72, 751 (1959)
Stewart HA, Heck JL, Chem. Eng. Prog., 65, 78 (1969)
Wankat PC, "Large-Scale Adsorption and Chromatography," CRC Press, Boca Raton (1986)
Yang RT, "Gas Separation by Adsorption Processes," Butterworths (1987)
Yang RT, Doong SJ, AIChE J., 31, 1829 (1985)

[Referenced By]

[1] Carter JW, Wyszynski ML, Chem. Eng. Sci., 38, 1093 (1983)

[2] Cen P, Yang RT, Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam., 25, 758 (1986)

[3] Cheng HC, Hill FB, ACS Symp. Ser., 223, 195 (1983)

[4] Doong SJ, Yang RT, AIChE J., 32, 397 (1986)

[5] Farooq S, Ruthven DM, Chem. Eng. Sci., 46, 2213 (1991)

[6] Fernandez GF, Kenney CN, Chem. Eng. Sci., 38, 827 (1983)

[7] Glueckauf E, Trans. Faraday Soc., 51, 1540 (1955)

[8] Huang CC, Fair JR, AIChE J., 34, 1861 (1988)

[9] Kapoor A, Yang RT, Chem. Eng. Sci., 44, 1723 (1989)

[10] Kikkinides ES, Yang RT, Cho SH, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 32, 2714 (1993)

[11] Liow JL, Kenney CN, AIChE J., 36, 53 (1990)

[12] Lu ZP, Loureiro JM, LeVan MD, Rodrigues AE, AIChE J., 38, 857 (1992)

[13] Ritter JA, Yang RT, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 30, 1023 (1991)

[14] Ruthven DM, Farooq S, Knaebel KS, "Pressure Swing Adsorption," VCH Publisher, Inc. (1994)

[15] Ruthven DM, "Principles of Adsorption and Adsorption Processes," John Wiley & Sons, New York (1984)

[16] Skarstrom CW, Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 72, 751 (1959)

[17] Stewart HA, Heck JL, Chem. Eng. Prog., 65, 78 (1969)

[18] Wankat PC, "Large-Scale Adsorption and Chromatography," CRC Press, Boca Raton (1986)

[19] Yang RT, "Gas Separation by Adsorption Processes," Butterworths (1987)

[20] Yang RT, Doong SJ, AIChE J., 31, 1829 (1985)