CO Enrichment from Low-Concentration Syngas by a Layered-Bed VPSA Process

Abstract

A layered-bed vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) process with a hybrid packing of Cu(I)AC and Cu(I)Y adsorbents was developed to recover CO from a low-concentration syngas mixture (2.4%CH4–32.3%CO–1.0%CO2–46.0%H2–18.3%N2). Prior to performing a sequential separation VPSA process design, the statical adsorption equilibrium isotherms of pure CH4, CO, CO2, H2, and N2 on two dissimilar improved copper-supported adsorbents of Cu(I)AC and Cu(I)Y were first determined under four different temperature values (293.15, 303.15, 313.15, and 323.15 K) with pressures up to 500 kPa. The experimental adsorption equilibrium data of the pure component were then proved to be well fitted by a Langmuir isotherm model. Further, multicomponent breakthrough curves were separately measured by experiments and simulations with a fixed-bed adsorption mathematical model to obtain a successful prediction for multicomponent adsorption dynamics and equilibrium. On the basis of these, a pilot-scale multibed VPSA simulation work with...