Guerin-Domine cycle

The basic PSA cycle was described by Skarstrom in 1960 (Skarstrom, 1960 1972). A similar cycle was the Guerin-Domine Cycle, invented at about the same time (Guerin-Domine, 1964 see a detailed account of these inventions in Yang, 1987). The latter was the basis for the modem vacuum swing cycle. The major additions to these cycles are co-current depressurization (CD) and pressure equalization (PE) steps. The CD step was added to increase product recovery, whereas the pressure equalization step was added to conserve the mechanical energy. 

Co-Current Depressurization. The first major process improvement after the invention of the Skarstrom and Guerin-Domine cycles was the introduction of the co-current depressurization step. To incorporate this step into the Skarstrom cycle, the adsorption step is cut short well before the breakthrough point, that is, the concentration front is far from reaching the outlet of the bed. The adsorption step is immediately followed by co-current depressurization before the bed is desorbed by further blowdown and purge, as required in the Skarstrom cycle. 

Although the Guerin-Domine cycle proved to be more effective for the separation of air than the Skarstrom cycle, the former cycle was not economic. The main improvements over the basic two-bed cycle which have occurred in the last three decades are the introduction to the cycle of cocurrent depressurization and pressure equalization. Extension of the number of beds in series and the sequence of operational steps in the cycle have led to major process improvements. 

The PSA concept is the most rapidly developing adsorption cycle. According to Yang (1987), the original idea for a PSA cycle was disclosed by Guerin de Montgareuil and Domine in France in 1957, and in a somewhat different form by Skarstrom in the U.S. in 1958. 

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