(93a) Industrial Application of Process Intensification in Adsorptive Systems

Process intensification is commonly defined as " any chemical engineering development that leads to a substantially smaller, cleaner, safer, and more energy efficient technology is process intensification"1 or "to create new processes through: reduced size, use of extreme forces or unusual contacting phases, process combinations and reconfigurations"2. Stankiwicz and Moulijn3 proposed to define the field into two areas: process intensifying equipment and process intensifying methods. Successful industrial application of process intensification requires thorough understanding of both process intensifying equipment and process intensifying methods.

Industrial application of process intensification for adsorptive system often focused on smaller system, short cycle time, and fast rate adsorbent.

To design an intensified pressure swing adsorption system, ideally, we will need fast adsorbent material with high capacity and selectivity, high efficiency equipment, reliable control system, accurate process model to size the system and predict the performance.

However, many times, equipment and design tools used for the conventional system are not suitable or adequate for the intensified system.

The presentation will cover the development of pressure swing adsorption system for industrial gas separation. The improvements on process modeling in mass transfer and kinetic constant for fast cycles, selection and balancing of equipment capability, process cycle, and adsorbent materials chacracterics will be discussed.

Examples of industrial application will be shared to illustrate the need of improved process intensifying equipment and process intensifying methods to achieve the intensified pressure swing adsorption system.

References:

1. Reay, Ramshaw, Harvey, Process Intensification, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, p.21 (2008)

2. P.R. Westmoreland, Workshop on Process Intensification, Sept 30-Oct 1, (2014)

3. A.J. Stankiewicz, J.A.Moulijn, "Process Intensification: Transforming Chemical Engineering", Chemical Engineering Progress, 96, pg 22-34, (2000)