Multiple bed pressure swing adsorption method and apparatus

[0002] This invention relates generally to gas concentrator apparatus for separating gas mixtures by pressure swing adsorption (“PSA”) and more particularly to apparatus for the efficient and quiet production of oxygen for various industrial, commercial and/or medical purposes. Priority is claimed in co-pending provisional patent application No. 60/202,898, filed May 10, 2000.

[0003] The general type and operating principles of PSA, or pressure swing adsorption, apparatus with which this invention is concerned are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,564,816; 3,636,679; 3,717,974; 4,802,899; 5,531,807 and 5,871,564, among others. For example, a pressure swing adsorption apparatus may include two or more adsorbers, each having a fixed sieve bed of adsorbent material to fractionate at least one constituent gas from a gaseous mixture by adsorption into the bed, when the gaseous mixture from a feed stream is sequentially directed through the adsorbers in a co-current direction. While one adsorber performs adsorption, another adsorber is simultaneously purged of its adsorbed constituent gas by part of the product gas that is withdrawn from the first or producing adsorber and directed through the other adsorber in a counter-current direction. Once the other adsorber is purged, the feed stream at a preset time is then directed to the other adsorber in the co-current direction, so that the other adsorber performs adsorption. The first adsorber then is purged either simultaneously, or in another timed sequence if there are more than two adsorbers, all of which will be understood from a reading of the above described patents.

[0004] When, for example, such apparatus is used to produce a high concentration of oxygen from ambient air for use in various applications, whether medical, industrial or commercial, air which enters the apparatus typically contains about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, and a variable amount of water vapor. Principally, most of the nitrogen is removed by the apparatus to produce a gas product, which for medical purposes, for example, typically may contain at least about 80% oxygen.

[0005] The present invention provides a new and improved pressure swing adsorption (“PSA” or “oxygen concentrator”) apparatus, and especially the method of operating the apparatus, that can attain the required concentrations of oxygen for the desired application(s), yet be more productive, more energy efficient and quieter in operation than known multiple bed systems. This is accomplished at least in part by our inventive multiple bed PSA apparatus not exceeding three beds, and an operating cycle that includes operational steps in which beds are purged principally by gases from a then non-producing or “inactive” bed, rather than the useful product gas generated by the then producing “active” bed.

[0006] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a PSA apparatus according to the invention;

[0008] FIGS. 2, 2A and 2B comprise a chart illustrating the sequence and timing of the steps for operating a PSA apparatus according to the invention;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a chart showing the timing of the valves used to control the operation of a PSA apparatus according to the invention;

[0010] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relevant pressure changes through the operating cycle of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

[0011] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of the invention and including optional product gas diverter lines to optimize both the purge and the pressure equalization functions.

[0012] Turning now to the drawing and in accordance with the present invention, there is shown in FIG. 1 an embodiment, generally indicated as 20, of a pressure swing adsorption, or PSA, apparatus used for fractionating at least one component, namely nitrogen, from a gaseous mixture, generally but not necessarily ambient air, by pressure swing adsorption. The gaseous air mixture labeled “AIR” is supplied to the apparatus 20 through a particle and vapor filter 21 of an intake resonator 58 to decrease the noise for the intake of the feed stream. From resonator 58, the feed stream continues through fluid line 106 by means of a pump or compressor assembly 24. Compressor assembly 24 containing electrically powered compressor 110, heat exchanger 108, and pressure relief valve 112 selectively moves the feed stream through fluid line 107 which is branched to direct the feed stream alternately and sequentially through three input lines 114a,114band 114c,respectively, by the sequential operation of corresponding feed valves 116a,116band 116c.

[0013] If, for example, feed valve 116ais open, the feed stream enters an inlet 82aof a first adsorber A in a “co-current” direction, which in FIG. 1 is the upward direction. While passing through a sieve bed 83acontained in adsorber A, the feed stream is fractionated into the desired concentration of product gas by virtue of the substantial portion of nitrogen in the feed stream having been adsorbed by the sieve bed 83a,while the balance of the feed stream, consisting, for example, of about 95% oxygen proceeds as product gas through outlet 84aof first adsorber A. As described in this specification, an adsorber, while it is producing the product gas for delivery to a user of the apparatus, is referred to as the “active” bed whereas each other bed is referred to as an “inactive” bed.

[0014] When the internal pressure in adsorber A is at a sufficiently high level, the substantial volume of the product gas exiting adsorber A is then directed through line 150aand a common product supply line 150 to a flow control assembly 68, to be described, to constitute part of the usable product gas available to the user. A check valve 144ais positioned in line 150 to prevent the back flow of product gas from control assembly 68 to adsorber A. Corresponding check valves 144band 144care also provided to prevent back flow into adsorbers B and C. The check valves 144a,144band 144care also important because they assist in delaying the delivery of product gas from their respective adsorbers to supply line 150 until the output pressure of the respective adsorber is at least as high as the line pressure, thereby operating the adsorber beds at higher and more efficient pressures.

[0015] While adsorber A is functioning as the active bed, adsorber B is an inactive bed but is still pressurized from having been the active bed prior to adsorber A. According to the invention, a purge control valve 136bcis opened to release the pressurized gas in the inactive adsorber B to flow through the corresponding diverter line 132bcand in a countercurrent direction through outlet 84cof inactive adsorber bed C both to complete purging and to begin repressurization of absorber C, the purging of which had begun immediately prior to adsorber A having become the active adsorber.

[0016] At the end of the portion of the operating cycle in which adsorber A is the active bed, a portion of the product gas produced by adsorber A also is diverted to inactive adsorber C through diverter line 132acby opening purge control valve 136ac,in order to continue pressurization of adsorber C. At the same time sequence, purge control valve 136bcis closed and a discharge valve 120bis opened in order to cause the remaining pressure in adsorber B to discharge its adsorbed nitrogen by exiting inlet 82band to be discharged through line 90b,as shown in FIG. 1 as EXHAUST, to the atmosphere through a suitable sound muffler or silencer 126.

[0017] Similarly, depending on the sequence of valve openings as controlled by a suitable micro-controller (not shown), the adsorber beds C and B in sequence become the active beds to produce product gas in sieve beds 83cand 83bby the sequential opening of the corresponding feed valves 116cand 116bin lines 114cand 114b,respectively, and the process repeated in the sequence and for the cycle as will be described.

[0018] To control the volume of diverted product gas flowing through lines 132, there are provided corresponding purge orifices 140ab,140acand 140bchaving openings that can be adjusted in size to fix the desired volume and flow of product gas in the counter-current direction through the adsorbers. As shown in a second embodiment in FIG. 5, it also is possible to adjust the pressure equalization rate between adsorbers by adding separate time controlled bi-directional valves 156ab,156ac,156bcin lines 152ab,152bc,152acin parallel with each of diverter lines 132ab,132bc,132ac.In this second embodiment, each of valves 136 is selectively opened when its corresponding adsorber is being purged, but is closed and the corresponding valve 156 open with corresponding orifices 153ab,153acand 153bcof a size to optimize the appropriate pressure equalization steps when purging is complete and the adsorber is being repressurized. Alternatively, the parallel diverter lines 152ab,152bc,152acin the second embodiment may for certain PSA capacities be used to supplement diverter lines 132ab,132bc,132ac,in which case valves 136 are not closed during the equalization step, but rather the orifices 153ab,153acand 153bcare of a size to supplement flow through purge orifices 140ab,140acand 140bcby adding the appropriate amount of additional flow for which of the purge or equalization steps will require the greater flow rate for that PSA design.

[0019] Flow control assembly 68, which receives the usable portion of the product gas produced by the three adsorbers A, B, and C, may include a mixing tank 154, a test block component 169, a pressure regulator 170, a conventional flow controller valve 92, check valve 190a,a conventional bacteria filter 198 and an outlet connector 100. Mixing tank 154 may be used to average the product gas to the desired concentration. Once through mixing tank 154, the product gas is directed under pressure through line 167 and monitored by pressure regulator 170 until it reaches the flow controller valve 92. The product gas flow rate then is independently controlled by the flow controller valve 92 to proceed through lines 172 and check valve 190ato outlet connector 100. Also shown is a check valve 190bat which an alternate or supplemental gas supply or pressurized medicant may be attached to the apparatus.

[0020] When each adsorber is saturated with nitrogen, the valve sequence operates to first close its respective feed valve 116 to cause a drop in pressure in, or depressurization of, the adsorber as the balance of the generated product gas exits that adsorber. Once partially depressurized, the waste or exit valve 120 for that adsorber is opened, and part of the product gas produced in another of the inactive adsorbers in a repressurized state is then caused by the appropriate valve sequences to flow in the countercurrent direction to purge the first adsorber, in order to again condition the first adsorber to produce oxygen concentrated product gas in the appropriate sequence in the next cycle of operation.

[0021] As will now be evident to those skilled in the art, each adsorber A, B and C comprises a substantially elongated vessel attached to a suitable support structure and has an interior cavity which is substantially filled with a bed of adsorption material adapted to adsorb nitrogen from air routed therethrough. Furthermore, the inlets 82a,82b,82cand outlets 84a,84b,84c,respectively, of each adsorber are in flow communication with each other through the bed of adsorption material. Hence, the feed stream of air directed into each adsorber inlet 82 in the co-current direction is exposed to the adsorption material, by which nitrogen in the air is adsorbed. To regenerate the adsorber, diverted product gas flowing in the counter-current direction (downward as shown in FIG. 1) causes the adsorbed nitrogen to be released by the adsorption material and be discharged to the atmosphere from the corresponding adsorber through its respective inlet 82 and corresponding discharge line 90a,90b,90cwhen its waste valve 120a,120b,120cis opened.

[0022] The adsorption beds of the adsorbers A, B, and C may be comprised of any of a number of suitable adsorbent materials, such as a molecular sieve material known as sodium alumina silicate with, for example, a bead size of 20/40 mesh. Characteristically, the type and quantity of the adsorbent material are selected to adsorb the appropriate amount of nitrogen from the air processed in the corresponding adsorber A, B, and C in order to produce the product oxygen gas in the desired concentration.

[0023] In the embodiments shown, each of the adsorber beds for a medical application may be about 10.0 inches in length and 3.0 inches in diameter, with the sieve material weighing about 649 grams each. Preferably, the beds are spring biased in order not to “fluidize” as the beds are in their depressurization or pressure equalization stages. The feed stream of air is provided at about 1.071 scfm, and the orifice openings in the purge lines are set to about 0.052 inches. As can be seen, when a respective purge control valve 136ab,136ac,or 136bcis open, a “power purge” phase is initiated for the adsorber A, B, or C receiving output gas from another of the adsorbers, and the size of the orifice will determine the rate of pressure equalization of the beds affected by the open purge valve. Alternately, it may be possible to properly size the seats of the purge valves 136 so as to function as both the purge valve and the purge orifice, and in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 5, also to properly size valves 156 to eliminate the orifices 153.

[0024] As indicated earlier, it is known to use PSA apparatus for medical uses with two adsorber beds, in which only one of the adsorbers performs adsorption at any one time while the other adsorber undergoes regeneration. Because such apparatus for medical uses are in many circumstances either too large or not sufficiently quiet, we have solved the problem by the introduction of a third adsorber bed and inventing a correct sequence and timing, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, of a minimum of operating valves and control orifices to enable the use of three smaller sized beds.

[0025] As shown by FIG. 2, a three bed PSA apparatus according to our invention is operated to provide about 3 liters per minute of about 93% oxygen concentrated gas in operating cycles of twelve sequential steps each. In each such cycle, step 1 (as shown to be about 0.5 sec. long), takes place with valves 116a,136aband 120cbeing open. During step 1, adsorber A is being repressurized from about 9 psi to about 14 psi, both by diverted product gas of higher pressure delivered in the counter-current direction from adsorber B and by the feed stream in the co-current direction from line 114a.At the same time, with feed valve 116bbeing closed and no further feed stream air being provided to adsorber B through closed valve 116b,adsorber B is in the process of being de-pressurized from about 22.5 psi to about 20 psi. At the same time and with waste valve 120cbeing open, adsorber C (which earlier began its depressurization after having delivered product gas from an earlier cycle) is in the process of completing its depressurization from about 2.5 psi to about 1.0 psi.

[0026] In the next step 2, about 1.20 seconds in length and according to the invention, valves 116a,136bcand 120care open. By this valve sequence, active adsorber A continues to repressurize to about 21.5 psi while it begins to supply product gas to line 150, and at substantially the same time, inactive adsorber B is being depressurized through adsorber C in which the remaining product gas from adsorber B is diverted to adsorber C through valve 136bcto flow in the counter current direction through adsorber C to purge and discharge the previously adsorbed nitrogen in adsorber C. From this step 2, it can be seen that delivery of product gas is delayed until a higher pressure is achieved, which results in an even more consistent purity in the product gas.

[0027] In step 3, for about 1.0 second, discharge valve 120cis closed. Adsorber A continues to supply product gas while adsorber B continues its depressurization to about 9.0 psi and continues to supply product gas to adsorber C to repressurize adsorber C to about 5.0 psi.

[0028] In step 4, for about 0.8 seconds, with valves 116a,136acand 120bbeing open, adsorber A continues to supply product gas to line 150 while some of that gas now is diverted to adsorber C to continue repressurization of the latter. With only valve 120bopen for adsorber B, some of the remaining gases in adsorber B are discharged through valve 120bto reduce its internal pressure to about 2.5 psi.

[0029] As can now be seen, during the first four steps of the operating cycle, adsorber A is the active adsorber principally to supply the product gas, inactive adsorber B is used principally to purge nitrogen from and repressurize inactive adsorber C while adsorber C completes its purge cycle and begins to repressurize.

[0030] Similarly, in steps 5 through 8, and in the same sequence of timed steps and corresponding valve openings, adsorber C is the active adsorber principally supplying the product gas to output line 150, while the remaining product gas in the pressurized and now inactive adsorber A is diverted to adsorber B to purge adsorber B of its adsorbed nitrogen and begin repressurization of the latter.

[0031] In the final steps 9 through 12, again with similar times and corresponding valve sequences, adsorber B is the active adsorber, pressurized gas from now inactive adsorber C is diverted in the countercurrent direction to purge inactive adsorber A and begin repressurization of the latter.

[0032] The sequence of twelve steps is then repeated through continued cycles of operation of the apparatus.

[0033] FIG. 3 is another illustration of the timed sequence of valve openings (shown in black) for the various valves used to control the three bed PSA apparatus according to our invention. FIG. 4 in turn illustrates the changes in pressure in each of the adsorbers A, B and C during the twelve step cycle, as well as the operable pressures in the feed stream supply line 107 attest point 124 and of the product gas in flow controller 68 at test point 169 before regulator 170.

[0034] As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 4, the preferred embodiment, when operating at about 3 liters per minute (lpm) will result in product gas of about 93% oxygen concentration being delivered from the three adsorbers to control assembly 68 under a pressure of at least about 19 psi and as high as about 24 psi. As such, at least about 43-45% of the oxygen in the ambient air feed stream can be recovered for the product gas, whereas a typical 2-bed oxygen concentrator will recover only about 30-35% of the supplied oxygen from air. The increased efficiency is in part possible because the adsorbers in our 3-bed system are able to depressurize at about 9 psi, while a typical 2-bed system requires at least about 18 psi to depressurize. The energy efficiency is increased even further because the lower depressurization pressure requires only a smaller sound silencer. Moreover, a typical 2-bed system delivers product gas at only about 13 psi, or as much as about 10 psi less than our 3-bed system.

[0035] To provide for higher or lower nominal product flow rates in an oxygen concentrator according to our invention, it is possible to change the physical dimensions of the adsorber beds, i.e., their diameters and lengths, and to adjust the flow rate of the air supply and the sizes of the purge orifices. The operational times for each of the twelve steps in the operating cycles will be correspondingly increased or decreased, but the number of steps in each cycle and the function of each step will remain unchanged. One relevant criteria in determining bed size resides in maintaining a pressure drop of about Ipsi across the entire bed length. Thus, it also is possible to construct an oxygen concentrator according to the invention with higher rated outputs, as for example at about 50 psi product delivery pressures used for operating rooms and anesthesia and for use as respirators.

[0036] Using the method according to our invention, a PSA apparatus can be constructed for a wide range of purposes and in a wide range of operating parameters and operating atmospheres. It is particularly useful in medical applications because of its efficiency and quiet operation. The range of operation can be at operating pressures having a minimum of less than 10 psi to a maximum of about 100 psi, with cycle times from about 3 seconds to about 3 minutes, and producing a product gas with an oxygen concentration from about 38% to about 96%. The invention also enables the apparatus to be operated at higher pressures which make the adsorber beds even more effective.

[0037] It also may be possible to use only two beds in using the method according to the invention, in which the purging gas is provided by a supply tank rather than by an inactive adsorber and the supply tank filled by excess product gas. However, a multiple bed system with three beds will be more efficient by as much as 40% and, as seen in FIG. 4, supply the product gas at a more consistent oxygen concentration throughout the operating cycle, thereby providing a design which can eliminate the need for a mixing tank to average the concentration.

[0038] Although the apparatus according to our invention is shown in schematic only, those skilled in the art will be able, from the description of our invention as herein provided, to produce a multiple bed PSA apparatus using conventional fluid, electric and electronic components and controls as are well known in the art. In addition, those skilled in the art will be able to include known visual indicators and safety features common to such apparatus when used for monitored and/or unmonitored medical purposes. If it also is desired to be able to variably control the concentration of oxygen in the product gas, then it also may be possible to incorporate into the invention a set of second adjustable purge loops in parallel with lines 132ab,132acand 132bc,not shown but described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,564.

[0039] Operation of the oxygen concentrator 20 can be understood by reviewing the sequencing of the valving means of the concentrator 20 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. At start-up of the apparatus, all of valves 116, 120, and 136 are open to eliminate any back pressure and then either left open or closed in the sequence shown in FIG. 3 through a timing mechanism of conventional switches and relay switches printed, e.g., in a programmable circuit (not shown). Each of the feed, waste, and equalization valves is preferably a solenoid-type valve responsive to a turning on or shutting off of power to the valve. Hence, product-producing and regeneration operations are automatically controlled in the concentrator 20 by automatically controlling the amount of time that each of the feed, waste, and equalization valves are opened and closed.

[0040] The timing mechanism used to control the valves may be designed using conventional circuitry and switches known to skilled practitioners with power to the compressor, switches and valves provided by a suitable electrical connection, and in case of an emergency, with a back-up battery unit.

[0041] As will be apparent hereinafter, the apparatus 20 is specifically described and illustrated in relation to the application of pressure swing adsorption to the fractionation of air to produce an oxygen-rich stream. Hence, the feed stream used for apparatus 20 is compressed atmospheric air. Although the present description is limited to the production of desired concentration of oxygen product gas, it is apparent that skilled practitioners could use this pressure swing adsorption apparatus to produce other product gases as well.

[0042] It will be thus understood that various modifications and substitutions may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is possible to include timed solenoid valves in lines 150a,b,cin lieu of or in addition to check valves 144a,b,cto control the timing and delivery of product gas from each of the adsorbers to line 150. Accordingly, the described embodiment is intended for purposes of illustration and not as a limitation.