Adsorption cycle

Fig. 3. Passage of the adsorption wave through a stationary bed during the course of an adsorption cycle. The progressing S-shaped curves indicate the nonadsorbed vapor concentration by position in the bed at different time periods. represents the maximum permissible oudet concentration for release...

Less propane and butanes are produced compared to natural gas Hquids by the adsorption process than are obtained normally for the same gas by the oil-absorption process. Because adsorption efficiency increases with a decrease in temperature, the adsorption cycle should operate at the lowest temperature that is economically feasible. 

Solid-Bed Dehydration. Sihca gel, bauxite, activated alurnina, or molecular sieves can be used for removing dissolved water to meet propane specifications. The soHd-bed dehydrators are used in a cycHc adsorption process. After an adsorption cycle has completed, the bed is heated with a purge gas or a vaporized Hquid-product stream for regeneration. If the latter is used, the Hquid product is condensed, separated from the free water, and returned to the process. After the beds are regenerated, they are cooled and returned to the adsorption cycle. 

Do not regenerate molecular sieves by steaming water typically is strongly adsorbed and may not be easily displaced by adsorbent in next adsorption cycle. 

The H2S comes out with the reactor products, goes through the product-recovery system of the FCCU, and eventually goes to a Claus plant for sulfur recovery. The metal oxide adsorbent recirculates with the spent cracking catalyst back to the regenerator for the next SO adsorption cycle. 

Adsorption-Control Equipment If a gas stream must be treated for a short period, nsnally only one adsorption unit is necessary, provided, of course, that a sufficient time interval is available between adsorption cycles to permit regeneration. However, this is usually not the case. Since an nninternipted flow of treated gas is often required, it is necessary to employ one or more units capable of operating in this fashion. The units are designed to handle gas flows without interruption and are charac terized by their mode of contact, either staged or continuous. By far the most common type of adsorption system used to remove an objectionable pollutant from a gas stream consists of a number of fixed-bed units operating in such a sequence that the gas flow remains nninternipted. A two- or three-bed system is nsn ly... 

Active carbons can be used in both refrigeration and heat pumping cycles, but their potential for use in these applications does not necessarily merit the development of such systems. Before devoting research and development effort into active carbon-based thermodynamic cycles, the interest in both heat-driven cycles in general, and adsorption cycles in particular, must be justified. 

In summary, heat-driven cycles for cooling or heat pumping can have energy saving and environmental benefits. There are also niche applications in developing countries or remote areas. Adsorption cycles using active carbons are one of a number of approaches that might be economically viable. 

The value of r can be estimated as that of saturated liquid at the same temperature or related to supercritical properties at temperatures above critical. Critoph [2] found that for the practical purposes of modelling ammonia - carbon adsorption cycles, using experimentally determined porosity data, that the complexity of estimating both r and p at sub and supercritical levels was not justified. The measured porosity data could be fitted to a much simpler version of the equation with no loss of accuracy, as follows ... 

Fig. 5a. Vapour compression cycle Fig. 5b. Basic adsorption cycle...

Other refrigerants, including CFCs Rll and R12, HCFC R22, HFC R32 and hydrocarbons such as butane have been evaluated in detail by Critoph [3,4] but are significantly worse in performance than methanol or ammonia. In 1996, these two refrigerants are the only ones used in the major laboratories working on carbon adsorption cycles. 

The cost effectiveness of an adsorption cycle machine depends both on the COP, which will affect the operating costs and also on its size, which will influence the capital cost. The COP in a particular application will be both a function of the adsorbent properties and of the cycle used. Complex cycles described below can deliver high COP s but require more heat transfer area and are therefore larger, leading to a higher capital cost. There is a compromise between efficiency and complexity which determines the optimum design. 

Critoph R.E. and Turner L., Performance of Ammonia-Activated Carbon and Ammonia Zeolite Heat Pump Adsorption Cycles. Tn Proceedings of Pompes a Chaleur Chimiques De Hautes Performances, Perpignan, Sept. 1989, Lavoisier, Paris, 1989, pp 202 211. 

Critoph R.E., Performance limitations of adsorption cycles for solar cooling. Solar Energy, 1988, 41(1), 21 31. 

Douss N. and Meunier F., Experimental study of cascading adsorption cycles. Chemical Engineering Science, 1989,44, 225 235. 

The applieation of aetivated earbons in adsorption heat pumps and refrigerators is diseussed in Chapter 10. Sueh arrangements offer the potential for inereased efficiency because they utilize a primary fuel source for heat, rather than use electrieity, which must first be generated and transmitted to a device to provide mechanical energy. The basic adsorption cycle is analyzed and reviewed, and the ehoiee of refrigerant-adsorbent pairs discussed. Potential improvements in eost effeetiveness are detailed, including the use of improved adsorbent carbons, advanced cycles, and improved heat transfer in the granular adsorbent earbon beds. 

In the desorption step, ammonia is passed downflow through the bed which has completed the adsorption cycle. The ammonia is heated to approximately the same temperature as that of the feed in the adsorption step in order to maintain a nominally isothermal operation. The first portion of the desorbate, although rich in n-paraffms, contains impurities and is recycled to the second bed which is simultaneously operating on the adsorption cycle. The remaining product is condensed and separated from ammonia. The product is freed of dissolved ammonia by distillation. 

In the adsorption cycle, the wet inlet gas flows downward through the tower. The adsorbable components are adsorbed at rates dependent on their chemical nature, the size of their molecules, and the size of the pores. The water molecules are adsorbed first in the top layers of the desiccant bed. Dry hydrocarbon gases are adsorbed throughout the bed, As the upper layers of desiccant become saturated with water, the water in the wet gas stream begins displacing the previously adsorbed hydrocarbons in the lower desiccant layers. Liquid hydrocarbons will also be absorbed and will fill pore spaces that would otherwise be available for water molecules. 

Adsorption Cycle Fig. 2.23 QCM responses on LbL assemblies (a) LbL assembly between dihexadecyl phosphate vesicle and PDDA (b) LbL assembly between anionic cerasome (larger step) and PDDA (smaller step) (c) LbL assembly between anionic cerasome (larger step) and cationic... 

Pressure swing adsorption cycle sequence for a four-bed system. (Adapted from Miller, G.Q. and Stocker,., Selection of a Hydrogen Separation Process, UOP Report, January 1999, available at http //www.uop.com/ objects/SelOfHydroSepProc.pdf Cassidy, R.T., Adsorption and ion exchange with synthetic zeolites, in ACS Symposium Series, ed. W.H. Flank, American Chemical Society, Washington, Vol. 135, p. 275,1980.)... 

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