Vacuum Swing Adsorption Process Research Articles

Induction vacuum swing adsorption over magnetic sorbent monoliths and extrudates for ethylene/ethane separation

AbstractElectrification of adsorption processes is emerging as an adaptable solution for future gas separations. This study develops magnetic sorbent structures for use in induction vacuum swing adsorption (IVSA) process specifically designed for olefin/paraffin separation. Two sorbents, namely Fe3O4/ZIF‐7 (ethane‐selective) and Fe3O4/13X (ethylene‐selective) were developed and formulated into extrudates (Fe20/ZIF‐7‐P) and monoliths (Fe20/13X‐M), and tested under different regeneration scenarios, including simultaneous and subsequent induction‐evacuation, induction only, and evacuation only. The dynamic adsorption results demonstrated that regeneration under subsequent induction‐evacuation improves desorption rate and capability. Under this regeneration scenario, Fe20/ZIF‐7‐P achieved an ethane desorption rate of 0.24 mmol/g.min, representing a remarkable 37.5% enhancement over the induction‐only scenario. Similarly, Fe20/13X‐M exhibited an ethylene desorption rate of 0.35 mmol/g.min, indicative of a 34.2% enhancement. Moreover, the IVSA cyclic runs highlighted the excellent regeneration capability and stability of both Fe20/ZIF‐7‐P and Fe20/13X‐M with Fe20/13X‐M exhibiting ethylene purity, recovery, and productivity of 99.4%, 99.6%, and 39.9 mol/kg.h, respectively. Overall, these findings underscore the potential of the hybrid induction/vacuum process as an effective technique for achieving efficient regeneration of sorbents in olefin/paraffin separation.

Separation of hydrogen from 10 % hydrogen + methane mixtures using double-stage Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA)

Transportation of hydrogen by blending it into the existing natural gas infrastructure is one economical way of having a green future. After co-transportation of hydrogen this way, hydrogen deblending from natural gas is needed at various locations for different end-users. The hydrogen content in pipelines at the primary injection phase will be low (<20 %) which makes the separation challenging. The goal of the current study is to investigate the extraction of high purity hydrogen from a 10 % hydrogen + natural gas mixture using Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA). A four-bed VSA plant using activated carbon was used to conduct the experiments in our lab using a binary mixture of 10 % H2 + CH4 (% mol/mol). High purity hydrogen (99 %) was achieved at 102 kPa feed pressure. After validation of our simulation tool with experimental results, Aspen Adsorption software was used to assess the performance of producing 99 % hydrogen purity using a double-stage VSA process at small scale. Results revealed that achieving high-purity hydrogen using a double-stage VSA, by upgrading H2 from 10 % to 50 % in the first stage and then to 99 % H2 in the second stage leads to better separation performance and less energy consumption than a single stage VSA for the same separation target. Afterwards, a five-bed double VSA system at industrial scale was simulated using Aspen Adsorption, to produce high hydrogen purity from a representative 10 % hydrogen + natural gas mixture. High purity hydrogen (>99 %) along with high recovery (>82 %) were achieved at a feed pressure of 110 kPa.

Improving energy estimation in VSA processes through integration of vacuum pump characteristics: A carbon capture case study

This study introduces a novel approach to enhance the precision of energy estimation in Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA) processes. To address this, a mathematical model was developed that incorporates the vacuum pump's characteristic curve, allowing for a more realistic representation of the VSA process. The model was rigorously validated against published data from a pilot plant study, where power consumption had been directly metered. Our results demonstrate that the isentropic work of gas compression, which is commonly used to estimate the evacuation energy, underestimates energy consumption by a significant factor, approximately threefold. The root cause of this divergence is the allocation of efficiency at a moderate vacuum (e.g. 20 kPa) to the entire range of evacuation pressure (below 10 kPa). A novel electromechanical efficiency factor (hereafter ηEM) that accounts for transforming power to the required shaft work was introduced. This factor, which incorporates vacuum pump characteristics into the calculations, not only rectifies the underestimation in energy consumption but also serves as a tool to evaluate the impact of the vacuum pump type on process performance.

High throughput screening of pure silica zeolites for CF4 capture from electronics industry gas.

The capture and separation of CF4 from CF4/N2 mixture gas is a crucial issue in the electronics industry, as CF4 is a commonly used etching gas and the ratio of CF4 to N2 directly affects process efficiency. Utilizing high-throughput computational screening techniques and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations, we comprehensively screened and assessed 247 types of pure silicon zeolite materials to determine their adsorption and separation performance for CF4/N2 mixtures. Based on screening, the relationships between the structural parameters and adsorption and separation properties were meticulously investigated. Four indicators including adsorption selectivity, working capacity, adsorbent performance score (APS), and regenerability (R%) were used to evaluate the performance of adsorbents. Based on the evaluation, we selected the top three best-performing zeolite structures for vacuum swing adsorption (LEV, AWW and ESV) and pressure swing adsorption (AVL, ZON, and ERI) processes respectively. Also, we studied the preferable adsorption sites of CF4 and N2 in the selected zeolite structures through centroid density distributions at the molecule level. We expect the study may provide some valuable guidance for subsequent experimental investigations on adsorption and separation of CF4/N2.

Life cycle assessment of fluorinated gas recovery from waste refrigerants through vacuum swing adsorption

The refrigeration industry is facing a challenge due to stricter regulations on the use of fluorinated gases (F-gases) with high Global Warming Potential (GWP). In many cases, the design of alternative refrigerants requires the recycling of low and moderate GWP compounds from existing refrigerant blends, but currently there is no a standardized technology available to recover them, and finally most gases are incinerated at the end of the equipment's life cycle. Recently, Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA) has been proposed as a possible solution for the complex separation of F-gas mixtures. The environmental sustainability of the recovery of R-32 from R-410A blend using a VSA process (circular economy scenario), was analysed through a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, and it was compared to the conventional R-32 production (benchmark scenario). The results show that the VSA technology can achieve a 30.9% recovery of 97 mol% R-32 suitable for further reuse, with a reduction in the environmental loads ranging from 58 to 99% compared to industrial R-32 production. The carbon footprint of the recovery process is 4.81 kg CO2 equiv., while for the industrial production of R-32 is 10.9 kg CO2 equiv. This study proves that the development of adsorption-based technologies for F-gas recovery can improve the environmental impact of these compounds from a circular economy perspective.

Design and assessment of a novel mobile carbon capture system: Energy and exergy analyses

In this work, we designed a mobile carbon capture (MCC) system that can effectively capture CO2 from the exhaust gas of diesel engines for applications in commercial vehicles. We present the results of energy and exergy analyses conducted on this system, which includes an energy recovery unit, a cooling unit, CO2 adsorption and desorption units, and a CO2 liquefaction unit. Three processes were considered to capture CO2: temperature vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA), vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA), and vacuum swing adsorption (VSA). Energy is produced using turbines and generators, which supply the necessary power to run the MCC system, thus overcoming the limitation of mobile devices, i.e., lack of energy source. The energy requirement for each process was found to be in the order of VPSA > TVSA > VSA. In terms of specific energy consumption (SEC) and exergy efficiency, VSA was the most suitable process. As an MCC system, the VSA process consumes a small amount of energy in the designed system, and CO2 can be captured, liquefied, and stored by utilizing the energy contained in the exhaust gas. Because the TVSA process is expected to operate with less additional energy input, it can be used as an MCC system to improve the efficiency of each process unit. Our study can serve as a basis for advancing carbon capture technologies that can be implemented in commercial vehicles to reduce the greenhouse effect and help control global warming.

CO2 Adsorption on Biomass-Derived Carbons from Albizia procera Leaves: Effects of Synthesis Strategies.

CO2 capture is a useful strategy for controlling the risks associated with global warming. The design of an adsorbent is essential for clean and potentially energy-efficient adsorption-based carbon capture processes. This study reports a facile and moderately temperature single-stage combined pyrolysis and activation strategy for the synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbons for high-performance CO2 capture. Using nitrogen-rich Albizia procera leaves as the precursor and carrying out single-stage pyrolysis and activation at temperatures of 500, 600, and 700 °C in the presence NaHCO3 as an activating agent, carbons with different surface characteristics and ultrahigh weight percentage (22-25%) of nitrogen were obtained. The subtle differences in surface characteristics and nitrogen content had a bearing on the CO2 adsorption performance of the resultant adsorbents. Outstanding results were achieved, with a CO2 adsorption capacity of up to 2.5 mmol/g and a CO2 over N2 selectivities reaching 54. The isotherm results were utilized to determine the performance indicators for a practical vacuum swing adsorption process. This study provides a practical strategy for the efficient synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbons for various adsorption applications.

How Can (or Why Should) Process Engineering Aid the Screening and Discovery of Solid Sorbents for CO2 Capture?

ConspectusAdsorption using solid sorbents is emerging as a serious contender to amine-based liquid absorption for postcombustion CO2 capture. In the last 20+ years, significant efforts have been invested in developing adsorption processes for CO2 capture. In particular, significant efforts have been invested in developing new adsorbents for this application. These efforts have led to the generation of hundreds of thousands of (hypothetical and real) adsorbents, e.g., zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Identifying the right adsorbent for CO2 capture remains a challenging task. Most studies are focused on identifying adsorbents based on certain adsorption metrics. Recent studies have demonstrated that the performance of an adsorbent is intimately linked to the process in which it is deployed. Any meaningful screening should thus consider the complexity of the process. However, simulation and optimization of adsorption processes are computationally intensive, as they constitute the simultaneous propagation of heat and mass transfer fronts; the process is cyclic, and there are no straightforward design tools, thereby making large-scale process-informed screening of sorbents prohibitive.This Account discusses four papers that develop computational methods to incorporate process-based evaluation for both bottom-up (chemistry to engineering) screening problems and top-down (engineering to chemistry) inverse problems. We discuss the development of the machine-assisted adsorption process learning and emulation (MAPLE) framework, a surrogate model based on deep artificial neural networks (ANNs) that can predict process-level performance by considering both process and material inputs. The framework, which has been experimentally validated, allows for reliable, process-informed screening of large adsorbent databases. We then discuss how process engineering tools can be used beyond adsorbent screening, i.e., to estimate the practically achievable performance and cost limits of pressure vacuum swing adsorption (PVSA) processes should the ideal bespoke adsorbent be made. These studies show what conditions stand-alone PVSA processes are attractive and when they should not be considered. Finally, recent developments in physics-informed neural networks (PINNS) enable the rapid solution of complex partial differential equations, providing tools to potentially identify optimal cycle configurations. Ultimately, we provide areas where further developments are required and emphasize the need for strong collaborations between chemists and chemical engineers to move rapidly from discovery to field trials, as we do not have much time to fulfill commitments to net-zero targets.

CO2 Adsorption on Pore-Engineered Carbons Derived from Jute Sticks.

CO2 capture is a practical approach to mitigating the impacts of global warming. Adsorption-based carbon capture is a clean and potentially energy-efficient method whose performance greatly depends on adsorbent design. In this study, we explored the use of jute-derived carbon as a high-performance adsorbent for CO2 capture. The carbons were produced by pyrolyzing powdered jute sticks with NaHCO3 as an activating agent at 500-700 °C. Impressive adsorption capacities of up to 2.5 mmol ⋅ g-1 and CO2 /N2 selectivities of up to 54 were achieved by adjusting the pore size distribution and surface functionalization. Based on the isotherm results, the working capacities, regenerabilities, and potentials for CO2 separation were determined for a practical vacuum swing adsorption process. The adsorbent materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR, Raman, FESEM and N2 sorption at 77 K. This study provides a general approach for designing adsorbents for various gas-separation applications.

Carbon capture from humid gases using alkaline-promoted polypyrrole by a vacuum swing adsorption process

Post-combustion carbon capture from humid flue gas is one of the urgent research projects for achieving the target of carbon neutrality in near future. Nitrogen-containing polymers are considered as a promising adsorbent for carbon capture in flue gases due to their potential water resistance. Here, two-step synthesis of alkaline-promoted polypyrrole (AP-PPy) with water resistance was investigated as an adsorption material for carbon capture and separation. It was found from chemical and physical analysis that the alkaline-promoted sample kept the similar morphological structure as the pristine polypyrrole but possessed more amino groups. The adsorption of single component gases revealed that the adsorption amounts of CO2, CH4, and N2 were 1.31, 0.28 and 0.065 mmol/g at 303 K respectively, among which the CO2 uptake was 80% higher compared with the original polypyrrole. The breakthrough point of AP-PPy in moisture is comparable to that of dry mixture, but the dynamic CO2 adsorption capacity is calculated to be larger than that of dry condition. A single-bed three-step vacuum swing adsorption cycling device was constructed in the laboratory and the effect of adsorption time, vacuum pressure and feed flowrate on product purity and recovery were explored with over 50 cycles in each condition to ensure cyclic steady adsorption, thereby also verifying the recyclability of AP-PPy. The excellent CO2 adsorption and separation properties demonstrated that AP-PPy can be a promising material for post combustion carbon capture.

Separation of ethylene and ethane using Co-Gallate pellets in a vacuum swing adsorption process

This work reports a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process that utilizes Co-gallate pellets to produce high-purity ethylene. The process is tested on two feed streams generated from the pyrolysis of naphtha and steam cracking of ethane, respectively. The VSA cycle consists of four steps: pressurization, adsorption, replacement with ethylene product and blowdown. A cyclic steady state (CSS) is reached for every test condition, verified by checking the profiles of column pressure, gas composition, and solid loading, which remain constant for ten subsequent cycles. Through analysis of the independent decision variables that affect the performance of the 80/20 (v/v) ethylene/ethane mixture separation, we identify desorption pressure and the replacement flowrate to feed flowrate ratio as the most significant factors. By optimizing these variables, we achieve an exceptional purity of 99.90% for ethylene with a 46.45% recovery and a productivity of 1.05 mol kg−1 per cycle. The Co-gallate adsorbent has a high affinity for ethylene and a low diffusion limitation, thus demonstrating superior potential for industrial ethylene/ethane separation compared to zeolite 4A and Ag+-Amberlyst 35.

Vacuum swing adsorption for R-32 recovery from R-410A refrigerant blend

The recovery of high purity fluorinated gases from refrigerant blends is vital to promote a circular economy in the field of refrigeration and air conditioning. In this work, we evaluate the performance of a four-step Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA) process using activated carbon for the recovery of R-32 (difluoromethane) from a R-410A refrigerant blend: a binary mixture of R-125 (pentafluoroethane) and R-32 (yR−32=0.7; yR−125=0.3). Breakthrough curves were performed using dilute and bulk feed concentrations to determine mass and heat transfer parameters, which were then employed in simulations of fixed-bed adsorber dynamics. The mathematical model employed successfully predicts the experimental results of a four-step VSA cycle (feed, blowdown, purge, pressurization). The VSA performance was evaluated using process simulation. For a cycle time of 800 s (each step taking 200 s) and feed and regeneration pressures of 1.01 and 0.01 bar, respectively, R-32 is obtained with 97.0 mol-% purity and 30.9% recovery, with process productivity of 4.06 mol h−1 per kilogram of adsorbent, and energy consumption of 123.2 kJ/mol. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using VSA processes for the recovery of R-32 from the near-azeotropic R-410A refrigerant blend.

Process analysis of temperature swing adsorption and temperature vacuum swing adsorption in VOCs recovery from activated carbon

• The adsorption process of TSA and TVSA for VOCs in waste gas was studied, and the parameters of process purification and recovery of VOCs were discussed. • The dynamic adsorption experiment was completed,The adsorption isotherm of benzene on activated carbon was determined. • A mathematical model was established to simulate the process of TSA and TVSA. • The initial range of the optimal hot-cold purge ratio is determined. • The influence of vacuum step on adsorption and desorption step is discussed. • Under the condition of low grade heat source, TVSA will be an environmental protection process. In order to better guide the design of industrial process for purification and recovery of VOCs, Temperature swing adsorption (TSA) and Temperature vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA) process for VOCs purification and recovery were studied systematically with activated carbon adsorbent. The adsorption and desorption behaviors of benzene on activated carbon in above two processes were investigated systematically. Effects of operating parameters on process performances were further analyzed, including as regeneration temperature, purging feed ratio and hot-cold purging ratio. The results showed that the increase of hot-cold purging ratio (HP/CP) could obtain the same regeneration effect as the increase of desorption temperature. Increasing the feed purge ratio without increasing the hot-cold purging ratio is not conducive to bed regeneration, because a large number of cold purge gases cannot utilize the residual heat of temperature wave, thus reducing the desorption effect of the cooling step on the bed. In addition, the vacuum step can enhance the regeneration ability of hot nitrogen to the bed at the same regeneration temperature, making the bed regeneration of TVSA process more thorough. Temperature in the middle and lower part of the bed in TVSA process was higher and the regeneration was more thorough. In conclusion, TVSA has more obvious advantages than TSA in terms of energy consumption, hot or cold purge volume and bed regeneration.

In Silico Screening of Metal-Organic Frameworks and Zeolites for He/N2 Separation.

In silico screening of 10,143 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and 218 all-silica zeolites for adsorption-based and membrane-based He and N2 separation was performed. As a result of geometry-based prescreening, structures having zero accessible surface area (ASA) and pore limiting diameter (PLD) less than 3.75 Å were eliminated. So, both gases can be adsorbed and pass-through MOF and zeolite pores. The Grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) methods were used to estimate the Henry's constants and self-diffusion coefficients at infinite dilution conditions, as well as the adsorption capacity of an equimolar mixture of helium and nitrogen at various pressures. Based on the obtained results, adsorption, diffusion and membrane selectivities as well as membrane permeabilities were calculated. The separation potential of zeolites and MOFs was evaluated in the vacuum and pressure swing adsorption processes. In the case of membrane-based separation, we focused on the screening of nitrogen-selective membranes. MOFs were demonstrated to be more efficient than zeolites for both adsorption-based and membrane-based separation. The analysis of structure-performance relationships for using these materials for adsorption-based and membrane-based separation of He and N2 made it possible to determine the ranges of structural parameters, such as pore-limiting diameter, largest cavity diameter, surface area, porosity, accessible surface area and pore volume corresponding to the most promising MOFs for each separation model discussed in this study. The top 10 most promising MOFs were determined for membrane-based, vacuum swing adsorption and pressure swing adsorption separation methods. The effect of the electrostatic interaction between the quadrupole moment of nitrogen molecules and MOF atoms on the main adsorption and diffusion characteristics was studied. The obtained results can be used as a guide for selection of frameworks for He/N2 separation.

Process-informed adsorbent design guidelines for direct air capture

Direct air capture using solid adsorbents is a proven technology critical to reducing our net greenhouse gas emissions to zero and beyond. Currently, academic research into the technology mainly focuses on the development of new adsorbents. However, there is a discord between the adsorbent design and process performance. Many materials scientists focus on maximising metrics such as the CO2 capacity of their adsorbent. Here, we combine detailed process modelling, machine learning, and extensive global sensitivity analysis, which entails varying all of the model parameters together, on a direct air capture process to show that the dry CO2 adsorption capacity does not influence process performance for an amine-functionalised adsorbent operating in a temperature vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA) process, while it is important in a steam-assisted TVSA (S-TVSA) process. In fact, adsorption kinetics, density, and thermal conductivity are all critical attributes to obtaining a low energy penalty and reduced costs. The analysis also highlights the importance of heat transfer, directing process engineers to (alternative) adsorber designs that maximise this. By an in-depth evaluation of how process performance indicators are affected by materials properties and process operating parameters, this work provides guidance to both material scientists and process engineers towards the design of a “unicorn adsorbent” and intensified DAC processes. This will improve the performance of solid adsorbent direct air capture and help drive down the costs of this vital technology to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Techno-economic analysis of MOF-based adsorption cycles for postcombustion CO2 capture from wet flue gas

In this study, we present a scale-up design, scheduling, and costing of a single-stage MOF (Metal-Organic Framework)-based 5-step temperature swing adsorption (TSA) process, which was recently shown to be effective for carbon capture and concentration (CCC) from wet flue gas containing 5 to 15 mol% CO2 without any pre-drying (Peh et al., 2022). This TSA process is also compared with a two-stage process at two feed conditions. In the two-stage process, the wet flue gas is first dried in a TSA process, and then CCC from the dry flue gas is carried out in a MOF-based 6-step vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process. The TSA-based pre-drying process is also analyzed in detail. The two-stage process has lower minimum capture costs at both feed conditions ($91 versus $104.1 per tonne of CO2 captured at 25 °C and $113.3 versus $146.9 per tonne of CO2 captured at 40 °C).

Performance of TSA and VSA post-combustion CO2 capture processes with a biomass waste-based adsorbent

Carbon capture in post-combustion flue gases is vital on the grounds that most of the energy requirement of the world is supplied by non-renewable energy sources. Biomass-based CO2 adsorbents are of interest due to their high potential of adsorption capacity and contribution to the sustainable circular economy. In the current study, Temperature Swing Adsorption (TSA) and Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA) configurations were carried out to evaluate the CO2 capture performance of a hazelnut shell-based activated carbon adsorbent from dry simulated flue gases in cyclic operation. A fixed-bed reactor with a single column is used to test the adsorption performance for CO2 concentrations of 14% and 30% and temperatures of 30 °C and 50 °C at atmospheric pressure, which resemble the conditions of industrial processes. Various TSA and VSA configurations are designed and the influence of cyclic steps on the product (CO2) purity, recovery, productivity, and specific energy consumption at different CO2 concentration and temperature are evaluated. For the VSA process, the highest purity and recovery obtained are 92% and 100%, respectively; while they are 86% and 82% for TSA process, revealing the highest TSA cycle CO2 adsorption performance of a biomass-based adsorbent reported in literature.

Enrichment of Low-Quality Methane by Various Combinations of Vacuum and Temperature Swing Adsorption Processes

Enrichment of Low-Quality Methane by Various Combinations of Vacuum and Temperature Swing Adsorption Processes

New hybrid membrane vacuum swing adsorption process for CO2 removal from N2/CO2 mixture: modeling and optimization by genetic algorithm.

In this study, a new innovative hybrid membrane/vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process is developed, modeled, and optimized for removal of CO2 from flue gases. The process benefits from the advantages of membrane simplicity and the high product quality of the adsorption system. The main advantage of this new process is the simultaneous increases of both CO2 purity and its recovery. To achieve this objective, in the first step, a membrane system using PEBAX nano-composite membrane was modeled. In the second step, a VSA system using zeolite 13X was modeled. The adsorption equilibrium was predicted by the Toth isotherm. To increase the modeling accuracy, the mass transfer rate was calculated based on the quasi-second-order model. At the final step, the hybrid membrane/VSA process was modeled. Comparison of the new hybrid membrane/VSA with the stand-alone VSA process shows that the CO2 product concentration was increased by 39% and the recovery was improved by 8%. To study the process limitations and increase the product quality, a sensitivity analysis was performed on vacuum pressure, membrane stage cut, and recycle ratio. Based on the results, decreasing the membrane stage cut to 15% and applying a recycle ratio equal to 2 will increase the product quality with the cost of increasing the equipment size. Finally, to achieve the required purity and recovery specification in industrial applications, the process was optimized using the genetic algorithm. Based on these results, it is possible to produce CO2 with 94.7% purity and 99% recovery and N2 with 99.9% purity and 97.3% recovery by regenerating the adsorbents at 0.01 bar, setting the membrane stage cut equal to 11%, keeping the recycle ratio at 1.89, and adjusting the purge-to-feed ratio to 2%.

Separation of hydrogen from methane by vacuum swing adsorption

One option for economical storage and transportation of hydrogen in near future is to add it to the existing natural gas pipelines. Hydrogen co-transported in this way can be extracted from the natural gas to produce either pure hydrogen or natural gas for different applications. The goal of this study is to assess experimentally the production of high purity hydrogen and/or natural gas products from hydrogen/natural gas mixtures using a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process at low pressure terminals. A four-bed VSA apparatus filled with Norit RB4 activated carbon was used in the lab for the experiments. High purity hydrogen (>99%) was achieved with the VSA process for hydrogen feed concentrations of 30% and 50% at 102 kPa feed pressure. After the experimental results were used to validate the simulations, a six-bed three-layered pressure vacuum swing adsorption (PVSA) system was developed in Aspen Adsorption software to separate hydrogen from a representative natural gas mixture. High purity hydrogen (>99%) and high purity natural gas (>98%) were simultaneously achieved with the PVSA system for different hydrogen concentrations (10 to 50%) in the feed at a feed pressure of 4 bar. We also demonstrate that hydrogen can be replaced with helium for safer process operations in laboratory. The required power to produce hydrogen purity above 99% decreased as the H2 feed concentration and desorption vacuum pressure increased, and bed productivity increased as H2 feed concentration increased. This study suggests it is viable to produce high purity H2/natural gas at low pressure terminal users.