Reaction Pressure Swing Adsorption

Figure 4. Units combining reaction and separation (a) reactor with countercurrent moving bed, (b) simulated moving-bed reactor with four catalyst layers (bold lines show gas streams during a quarter of cycle), (c) pressure-swing adsorption reactor separator (on the left i given time dependency of pressure during a cycle)...

Chatsiriwech, D. Alpay, E. Kershenbaum, L.S. Hull, C.P. Kirkby, N.F. Enhancement of catalytic reaction by pressure swing adsorption. Catal. Today 1994, 20, 351. 

Another group of FUSO combines chemical reaction with separation of products. These methods can employ a reactor with circulating bed of catalyst [3,4] or by periodic changes of feed and product ports in a reactor with several fixed beds, known as simulated moving bed reactor [5-7]. Reaction and separation can include periodic pressure changes using the known separation technique of pressure-swing adsorption. 

The pilot unit consists of six reactors, each six meters tall. The reactors contain beds of pellets that simultaneously catalyze the water gas shift reaction and adsorb CO2. The unit is operated as a reactive pressure swing adsorption installation. By switching valves, the reactors are operated in cycles of C02-adsorption and desorption. Since at any time, at least one reactor is in adsorption mode and at least one reactor in desorption mode, a continuous production of purified hydrogen (and CO2) is obtained. Design, engineering, construction, and commissioning of the unit took less than one year. 

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