Depressurization

Steps. A pressure-swing cycle has at least three steps adsorption, blowdown, and repressurization. Although not always necessary, a purge step is normally used. In finely tuned processes, cocurrent depressurization and pressure-equalization steps are frequendy added. 

At the completion of adsorption, the less selectively adsorbed components have been recovered as product. However, a significant quantity of the weaMy adsorbed species are held up in the bed, especially in the void spaces. A cocurrent depressurization step reduces the bed pressure by allowing dow out of the bed cocurrendy to feed dow and thus reduces the amount of product retained in the voids (holdup), improving product recovery, and increases the concentration of the more strongly adsorbed components in the bed. The purity of the more selectively adsorbed species has been shown to depend strongly on the cocurrent depressurization step for some appHcations (66). A cocurrent depressurization step is optional because a countercurrent one always exists. Criteria have been developed to indicate when the use of both is justified (67). 

None of the selectively adsorbed components is removed from the adsorption vessel until the countercurrent depressurization (blowdown) step. During this step, the strongly adsorbed species are desorbed and recovered at the adsorption inlet of the bed. The reduction in pressure also reduces the amount of gas in the bed. By extending the blowdown with a vacuum (ie, VSA), the productivity of the cycle can be greatiy increased. 

Pressure equalization steps are used to conserve gas and compression energy. They are appHed to reduce the quantity of feed or product gas needed to pressurize the beds. Portions of the effluent gas during depressurization, blowdown, and purge can be used for repressurization. 

Fig. 15. Four-bed PSA system cycle sequence chart (64). EQ, equalization C D A, cocurrent depressurization C D T, countercurrent depressurization R, repressurization A, cocurrent flow T, countercurrent flow. Courtesy of American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

The patented system (15) has stationary disks mounted inside a pressure vessel (horizontal vessel, vertical disks) which is mounted on rollers and can rotate slowly about its axis. A screw conveyor is mounted in the stationary center of rotation it conveys the cake, which is blown off the leaves when they pass above the screw, to one end of the vessel where it falls into a vertical chute. The cake discharge system involves two linear sHde valves that sHde the cake through compartments which gradually depressurize it and move it out of the vessel without any significant loss of pressure. The system rehes entirely on the cake falling freely from one compartment to another as the valves move across. This may be an unrealistic assumption, particularly with sticky cakes when combined with lots of sliding contact surfaces which are prone to abrasion and jamming, the practicality of the system is questionable. 

Another possibiUty is to enclose only the working, top part of the horizontal belt in a pressure vessel and pass the belt through the sides of the vessel. The operation must be intermittent because the belt cannot be dragged over the support surface with the pressure on, and the entrance and exit ports for the belt must be sealed during operation to prevent excessive losses of air. The movement of the belt is intermittent and is synchronized with decompression in the vessel therefore, the entire vessel volume must be depressurized in every cycle and this is wasteful. There is also an inevitable downtime. There are no problems with discharging the cake because this is done at atmospheric pressure. 

Guide fior Pressure Relieving and Depressuring Systems, RP 521, 2nd ed., 1982 Safie Maintenance Practices in Refineries, RP 2007, 2nd ed., 1983. 

Supercritical and Freeze Drying. To eliminate surface tension related drying stresses in fine pore materials such as gels, ware can be heated in an autoclave until the Hquid becomes a supercritical fluid, after which drying can be accompHshed by isothermal depressurization to remove the fluid (45,69,72) (see Supercritical fluid). In materials that are heat sensitive, the ware can be frozen and the frozen Hquid can be removed by sublimation (45,69). 

Polyester (Textured or Filament) Dyed Under Pressure. The dyebath (50°C) is set with water conditioning chemicals as required, acetic acid to ca 5 pH, properly prepared disperse dyes, and 1—3 g carrier/L. The bath is mn for 10 minutes, then the temperature is raised at 2°C/min to 88°C and the equipment is sealed. Temperature is raised at l°C/min to 130°C, and the maximum temperature held for 1/2—1 h according to the fabric and depth of shade required. Cooling to 82°C is done at 1—2°C/min, the machine is depressurized, and the color sampled. The shade is corrected if needed. Slow cooling avoids shocking and setting creases into the fabric. Afterscour is done as needed. 

Other Cycle Steps A PSA cycle may have several other steps in addition to the basic adsorption, depressurization, and repressuriza-tion. Cocurrent depressurization, purge, and pressure-equalization steps are normally added to increase efficiency of separation and recoveiy of product. At the end of the adsorption step, the more weakly adsorbed species have been recovered as product, but there is still a significant amount held up in the bed in the inter- and intra-... 

Additional stripping of the adsorbates from the adsorbent and purging of them from the voids can be accomplished by the addition or a purge step. The purge can begin toward the end of the depressurization or immediately afterward. Purging is accomphshed with a flow of produc t countercurrent to adsorption to provide a lower residual at the product effluent end of the bed. 

The repressurization step that returns the adsorber to feed pressure and completes the steps of a PSA cycle should be completed with pressure equalization steps to conserve gas and compression energy. Portions of the effluent gas during depressurization, blowdown, and enrichment purge can be used for repressurization to reduce the quantity of feed or product gas needed to pressurize the beds. The most efficient cycle is one that most closely matches available pressures and adsorbate concentration to the appropriate portion of the bed at the proper point in the cycle. 

Solids may be processed continuously or semicontinuously by pumping slurries or by using lock hoppers. An example is the separation of insoluble polymers by floatation with a variable-density SCF. For liquid feeds, multistage separation may be achieved by continuous counter-current extraction, much like conventional liquid-hquid extraction. The final produces may be recovered from the extract phase by a depressurization, a temperature change, or by conventional distillation. 

For glassy polymers, sorption isotherms are more complex and hysteresis oetween the pressurization and depressurization steps may... 

In the last few years, Idemitsu commercialized a 5000 metric ton/year integrated reaction and separation process in SCR isobutene, as shown in Rig. 22-24. The reaction of isobutene and water takes place in the water phase and is acid catalyzed. The product, sec-butanol, is extracted into the isobutene phase to drive the reversible reaction to the right. The. s c-butanol is then recovered from the isobutene by depressurizing the SCR phase, and the isobutene is recompressed and recycled. 

Other plant-scale apphcations to pohution control include the flotation of suspended sewage particles oy depressurizing so as to release dissolved air [Jenkins, Scherfig, and Eckhoff, Applications of Adsorp-... 

Physical methods such as osmotic shock, in which the cells are exposed to high salt concentrations to generate an osmotic pressure difference across the membrane, can lead to cell-wall disruption. Similar disruption can be obtained by subjecting the cells to freeze/thaw cycles, or by pressuriziug the cells with an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen) followed by a rapid depressurization. These methods are not typically used for large-scale operations. 

API RP 521. 1990. Guidefor Pressure-Relieving and Depressuring Sy.stems, 3d ed., American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C. 

Runaway reaction or polymerization—e.g., vinyl chloride monomer (Kim-E and Reid, The Rapid Depressurization of Hot, High Pressure Liquids or Supercritic Fluids, chap. 3, in M. E. Paulaitis et al., eds.. Chemical engineering at Supercritical Fluid Conditions, Ann Arbor Science, 1983, pp. 81-100)... 

Discharge Flow Regimes Upon developing a puncture in either the vessel or a line attached to the vessel, as in Fig. 26-62, the subsequent depressurization can cause a volatile liqmd to flash and develop bubbles in the liquid. These bubbles cause an expansion, or. 9well, which raises the two-phase, or frothy, level. If the puncture is in the vapor space of a vessel or on a line from the vapor space, the discharge will be at least initially all vapor. This is the simplest discharge case and is treated here as a special case. 

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