Process for treating a gaseous mixture by adsorption
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 022,450, filed Jan. 29, 1987, now abandoned. 
    
    
     The present invention relates to a process for recovering by adsorption at least one preferentially adsorbable constituent of a gaseous mixture. It in particular applies to the production of mixtures having at least 95% CO 2  (carbon dioxide) from gaseous mixtures which contain only about 10 to 30% of CO 2 . 
     An object of the invention is to extract the CO 2  from poor sources such as smoke gases of cement factories or boilers, discharge gases, iron works gases coming from direct reducing processes or biogases, with a good extracting yield and a low consumption of energy. For this purpose, the invention provides a process for recovering by adsorption at least one preferentially adsorbable constituents of a gaseous mixture, this process employing at least one adsorber and being characterized by the following cycle of operations: 
     (a) an isobaric adsorption stage at a high pressure of the cycle in which the mixture to be treated is admitted into the adsorber through a first end, termed inlet end, of the adsorber, circulates through the latter and is withdrawn therefrom through its other end, termed outlet end, the direction of circulation of the mixture being termed cocurrent; 
     (b) a first, cocurrent decompression stage of the adsorber to a medium pressure of the cycle; 
     (c) a second, countercurrent decompression stage of the adsorber to a low pressure of the cycle, the gas withdrawn in the course of this stage being the production gas, and 
     (d) a stage for raising the pressure of the adsorber up to the high pressure of the cycle. 
    
    
     Several examples of carrying out the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a process according to the invention using two adsorbers; 
     FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically a plant for carrying out this process; 
     FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a process according to the invention using three adsorbers; 
     FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically a plant for carrying out the process of FIG. 3; 
     FIGS. 5 to 7, 9 and 11 are diagrams illustrating respectively five processes according to the invention using four adsorbers; 
     FIG. 8 shows diagrammatically a plant for carrying out the process of FIGS. 5 to 7; 
     FIG. 10 shows diagrammatically a plant for carrying out the process of FIG. 9; and 
     FIG. 12 shows diagrammatically a plant for carrying out the process of FIG. 11. 
    
    
     In all the examples described hereinafter, it will be assumed that a gaseous mixture available at around atmospheric pressure is treated. For reasons of economy, it is treated by adsorption at a pressure only slightly higher than atmospheric pressure by using a blower or a fan for its circulation. Thus, the cycle evolves between a high pressure slightly higher than atmospheric pressure and a low pressure constituting a relative vacuum, for example on the order of 0.1 bar. 
     The treated gas contains 10 to 30% CO 2  and 70 to 90% various constituents (N 2 , O 2 , CO, . . . ). The adsorbent used is an active charcoal whose property is to adsorb CO 2  preferentially relative to the other principal constituents of the mixture. 
     Plotted on each of the diagrams of FIGS. 1, 3, 5 to 7, 9 and 11, is the time t as abscissae and the pressure P (in absolute bars) as ordinates. If the process uses n adsorbers (n=2, 3 or 4), these adsorbers are number 1 to n, and the curve represents the variation of the pressure in the adsorber 1 in the course of a complete cycle of duration T. This period is divided into n subperiods of duration T/n, and the operation of the adsorber i is deduced from that represented by shifting the curve to the right of (i-1)×T/n. In the illustrated examples, the duration of the cycles is for example on the order of n x a few minutes. 
     In the aforementioned diagrams, the lines oriented by arrows indicate the movements and destinations of the gaseous currents; when the arrows are parallel to the axis of the ordinates, they also indicate the direction of circulation in an adsorber; when an arrow is in the direction of increasing ordinates (upwardly in the diagram), the current is said to be cocurrent in the adsorber; if the downwardly directed arrow is located below the line indicating the pressure in the absorber, the current enters the adsorber through the inlet end of the adsorber; if the upwardly directed arrow is located above the line indicating the pressure, the current issues from the adsorber through the outlet end thereof, the inlet and outlet ends being respectively those of the gas to be treated and of the gas withdrawn in isobaric adsorption stage; when an arrow is in the direction of decreasing ordinates (toward the bottom of the diagram), the current is said to be countercuurent in the adsorber. If the downwardly directed arrow is located below the line indicating the pressure of the adsorber, the current issues from the adsorber through the inlet end thereof, if the downwardly directed arrow is located above the line indicating the pressure, the current enters the adsorber through the outlet end thereof, the inlet and outlet ends still being those of the gas to be treated and of the gas withdrawn in the isobaric adsorption stage. Further, there have been indicated in full lines the gaseous currents which exclusively concern the adsorber 1 and in dotted lines the gaseous currents from or in the direction of other adsorbers whose numbers are indicated in the diagram. 
     Thus, in FIG. 1, which illustrates a process using two adsorbers 1 and 2, the cycle comprises, for the adsorber 1: 
     from t=0 to t 1 , a final step of rise in pressure from about 0.6 bar to about 1 bar; 
     from t 1  to t 2 , a cocurrent isobaric adsorption stage; 
     from t 2  to T/2, a first step for achieving a depression by balancing with the adsorber 2; 
     from T/2 to t 3 , a second step for achieving a depression by a cocurrent pumping with a vacuum pump 5 to an intermediate pressure on the order of 0.3 bar; 
     from t 3  to t 4 , a third step for producing depression by countercurrent pumping with the same pump 5 to the low pressure of the cycle, on the order of 0.1 bar, and 
     a first step for raising pressure up to about 0.6 bar, by balancing with the adsorber 2, which imposes the equation: 
     
         T-t.sub.4 =T/2-t.sub.2 
    
     As concerns the gaseous flows: 
     from t=0 to t 2 , some mixture to be treated is admitted into the adsorber 1; 
     from t=0 to t 1 , the gas pumped in the course of the cocurrent pumping of the adsorber 2 is recycled and added to the mixture to be treated, either directly from the outlet of the vacuum pump 5 if the outlet pressure of this pump is suitable, or by returning this gas to the inlet of the blower. The equation t 3  -T/2=t 1  is checked; 
     from t=0 to t 1 , no gaseous flow issues from the absorber 1. On the other hand, from t 1  to t 2 , a residual gas, poorer in CO 2 , is withdarwn through the outlet end of the adsorber 1 and released to the air, while this adsorber is charged preferentially with CO 2  ; in other words, in the course of this adsorption stage, the CO 2  is stopped on the adsorbent and its concentration in the coadsorbed state with the other constituents of the mixture is higher than its content in the initial mixture; 
     from t 2  to T/2, the adsorber 1 is decompressed in the cocurrent manner so that there are preferentially eliminated the constituents other than the CO 2 , less adsorbed than the latter, present in the adsorber at the end of adsorption under a partial pressure higher than that of the CO 2 . This fraction poor in CO 2  is used for partially repressurizing in a countercurrent manner the other adsorber in the low pressure state (pressure balancing stage); 
     from T/2 to t 3 , the cocurrent pumping has for effect, as the preceding balancing stage, of still further increasing the concentration of CO 2  of the adsorber by purging it of the other constituents; 
     from t 3  to t 4 , the countercurrent pumping provides a gas whose mean content of CO 2  is equal to at least 95%. 
     It can be seen that, according to this process, the pumping of the adsorber is carried out in two stages providing two separate functions, the first obtained by a cocurrent circulation for extracting a fraction enriched with CO 2  but insufficiently concentrated, the second being effected in a countercurrent manner so as to extract the fraction having the desired content of CO 2  and ensuring the production. 
     Tests comprising a first pumping to 0.55 bar and a second pumping to 0.15 bar have provided, without recycling of the first pumped fraction, a first enriched fraction having about 30% CO 2 , and a second fraction having about 95% CO 2 , with an extraction yield for this second fraction of 66%. The fact that the first fraction is richer in CO 2  than the initial mixture explains the interest of the recycling of this fraction to the inlet of the other adsorber, which still further improves the extraction yield of CO 2 . 
     The plant shown in FIG. 2 enables the process of FIG. 1 to be carried out. It comprises, in addition to the adsorbers 1 and 2 and the pump 5, an inlet line 6 for the mixture to be treated, provided with a blower or a fan 7, a line 8 for putting the residual gas in communication with the air, a pumping line 9 connected to the inlet of the pump 5, a production line 10 and a recycling line 11 connected to the outlet of this pump, and a balancing line 12. 
     The line 6 is connected to the inlet of the adsorbers 1 and 2 through respective valves 6 1  and 6 2 , the line 8 to their outlets through valves 8 1  and 8 2 , the line 9 to the same outlets through valves 9 1 ,1 and 9 1 ,2 and to the inlets of the adsorbers through valves 9 2 ,1 and 9 2 ,2 ; the line 11 is connected to the inlets of the adsorbers through valves 11 1  and 11 2 , the production line 10 includes a valve 13 and the balancing line interconnects the outlets of the two adsorbers and includes a valve 14. It will be easily understood how it is possible to obtain the cycle illustrated in FIG. 1 by means of the various valves. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a process which uses three adsorbers 1 to 3 each of which undergoes, as before and cyclically, the stages of isobaric adsorption under a pressure of about 1 bar, of first decompression by balancing, of first cocurrent pumping with recycling of the pumped gas, of second countercurrent pumping delivering the production gas, and of pressure raising first by balancing then by the admission of the mixture to be treated. However, in this case, two vacuum pumps 5A and 5B ae used, each one being allocated to one of the two pumping operations. More precisely, and considering the adsorber 1: 
     from t=0 to t 1 , the mixture to be treated, to which is added the first pumped fraction coming from the adsorber 3, penetrates through the inlet of the adsorber 1 so as to bring it from about 0.6 to about 1 bar; 
     from t 1  to t 2 , the same gas circulates in a cocurrent manner through the adsorber and the residual gas is put in communication with the air; 
     from t 2  to T/2, first cocurrent decompression by balancing to about 0.6 bar, the discharged gas being sent in a countercurrent manner to the adsorber 2 which is in the low pressure state; 
     from T/3 to t 3  (t 3  &lt;2T/3), first cocurrent pumping by the pump 5A to about 0.3 bar, the pumped gas being recycled to the inlet of the adsorber 2; 
     from t 3  to t 4 , second countercurrent pumping by the pump 5B to about 0.1 bar so as to deliver the production gas, and from t 4  to T, first rise in pressure up to 0.6 bar by balancing with the adsorber 3, the gas being introduced in a countercurrent manner into the adsorber 1. 
     The following equations are checked: 
     
         T/3-t.sub.2 =T-t.sub.4 ; 
    
     
         t.sub.3 -t.sub.2 =t.sub.4 -t.sub.3 =T/3. 
    
     Thus, the pump 5B operates continuously,which is an advantage from the energetic point of view, and the recycling of the first pumped fraction is effected throughout the adsorption stage. If, moreover, as indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 3, the mixture to be treated is admixed in a cocurrent manner into the adsorber 1 also during the first pressure raising stage (from t 4  to T), the blower also operates continuously. 
     The plant of FIG. 4 enables the cycle of FIG. 3 to be carried out. With notations similar to those of FIG. 2: 
     line 6 is connected to the inlet of the adsorbers through valves 6 1 , 6 2 , 6 3  respectively, and the line 8 is connected to their outlets through valves 8 1 , 8 2 , 8 3  ; 
     the inlet of the pump 5A is connected to the outlet of the adsorbers through valves 5A 1 ,1, 5A 1 ,2, 5A 1 ,3, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the adsorbers through valves 5A 2 ,1, 5A 2 ,2, 5A 2 ,3 ; 
     the inlet of the pump 5B is connected to the inlet of the adsorbers through valves 5B 1 , 5B 2 , 5B 3  ; 
     three balancing lines 12 1 ,2, 12 2 ,3, 12 3 ,1 are provided with respective lines 14 1 ,2, 14 2 ,3, 14 3 ,1. 
     Note that, since the pump 5B operates continuously, no valve is provided in the production pipe 10. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a process using four adsorbers 1 to 4 each of which undergoes cyclically the same stage as before, with the use of wo vacuum pumps 5A and 5B. More precisely, there occurs, considering the adsorber 1: 
     from t=0 to t 1  : end of the pressure rise from about 0.6 bar to about 1 bar, by the admission of the mixture to be treated through the inlet of the adsorber; 
     from t 1  to T/4: isobaric adsorption stage with a cocurrent circulation of the mixture and the putting of the residual gas in communication with the air; 
     from T/4 to t 3  &lt;T/2: cocurrent circulation of the first fraction pumped in the adsorber 4 and recycled; 
     from t 3  to T/2: first cocurrent decompression by balancing to about 0.6 bar, the gas issuing from the outlet of the adsorber 1 being introduced into the adsorber 3 in a countercurrent manner; 
     from T/2 to t 4  &lt;3T/4: first cocurrent pumping to about 0.3 bar, the pumped fraction being recycled to the inlet of the adsorber 2; 
     from t 4  to t 5  : second countercurrent pumping to about 0.1 bar and delivery of the production gas; 
     from t 5  to T: first rise in pressure to about 0.6 bar by a countercurrent balancing with the gas coming from the adsorber 3. 
     The following equations are checked: 
     
         T-t.sub.5 =T/2-t.sub.3 ; 
    
     
         t.sub.4 -t.sub.3 =t.sub.5 -t.sub.4 =T/4. 
    
     Thus, in the process of FIG. 5, each adsorber first treats the mixture (from t 1  to T/4), then the whole of the recycled first fraction coming from another adsorber, which fraction is richer in CO 2  than the initial mixture. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates in dot-dash lines two possible variants of this cycle: 
     (a) from time t=0 to time t 1 , i.e. during the second step of raising the pressure, the adsorber 1 in addition receives through its outlet in a countercurrent manner, residual gas issuing from the adsorber 4. Likewise, from time T/4 to time t 2  such that t 2  -T/4=t 1 , all or a part of the residual gas issuing from the outlet of the adsorber 1 is sent in a countercurrent manner to the adsorber 2. Thus, as each adsorber is fed from t=0 to t 1  both with the mixture to be treated and the residual gas, it is more rapidly returned to the high pressure of the cycle before the start of the adsorption stage; 
     (b) the balancing stage is accompanied by the start of the first cocurrent pumping step. This permits continuously operating not only the mixture-introducing blower and the pump 5B, but also the pump 5A, which is advantageous from the energetic point of view. In this case, the pressure drops more rapidly from t 3  to T/2 and the balanced pressure is lower than the aforementioned value 0.6 bar. 
     The cycle illustrated in FIG. 6 differs from the variant (a) of the cycle of FIG. 5 only in that the second pressure raising step is effected entirely by a countercurrent introduction, from t=0 to t 1 , of the residual gas produced by the adsorber 4 from T/4 to t 2 . Consequently, the introduction of the mixture to be treated is effected in an entirely isobaric manner at the high pressure of the cycle, solely during the adsorption stage of this mixture, namely from t 1  to T/4. 
     In this case, in order to once again ensure a continuous operation of the blower, the admission of the mixture may be continued to time t 2 , as indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 6. 
     The cycle illustrated in FIG. 7 differs from the variant (a) of the cycle of FIG. 5 only by the elimination of the balancing stage, i.e. the isobaric adsorption of the first recycled fraction coming from the adsorber 4 is continued at the high pressure of the cycle from T/4 to T/2. Consequently, the whole of the rise in pressure from the low pressure to the high pressure of the cycle is effected by simultaneous introduction, on one hand, of the mixture to be treated through the inlet of the adsorber, and, on the other hand, of the residual gases coming from the adsorber 4 through the outlet of the absorber 1. The cocurrent pumping occurs from T/2 to 3T/4, and the countercurrent pumping from 3T/4 to T. This cycle enables the blower and the pumps 5A and 5B to be operated continuously. 
     The plant diagrammatically shown in FIG. 8 enables the cycles illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7 to be carried out. 
     As concerns the cycle of FIG. 7, devoid of a balancing step and with notations similar to those of FIG. 4, there are shown the lines 6, 8, 10 and the pumps 5A and 5B with the same connections as before. The plant further comprises a line 15 provided with a flow controller element 16 which leads from the line 8 and enables the residual gas to be sent back, through respective valves 15 1  to 15 4 , to the outlet of each adsorber 1 to 4 so as to raise the pressure. 
     The same plant may be used for carrying out the cycles of FIGS. 5 and 6 by adding thereto two balancing lines 12 1 ,3 and 12 2 ,4 provided with valves 14 1 ,3 and 14 2 ,4 connecting the outlets of the adsorbers 1 and 3 on one hand, and 2 and 4 on the other hand. 
     The cycle illustrated in FIG. 9 differs from that of FIG. 7 only in that, in a final step for the isobaric adsorption of the mixture to be treated (from t 1  &#39; to T/4), there is added to this mixture, before its entry into the adsorber 1, residual gas (for example, as shown, the whole of this gas) coming from the adsorber 4, which is at the end of the adsorption of the first recycled fraction coming from the adsorbers 3 (t 2  &#39; to T/2). Correspondingly, from t 2  &#39; to T/2, the residual gas issuing from the adsorber 1 is recycled in a similar manner to the adsorber 2. 
     This second recycling is of interest when the content of CO 2  of the thus recycled gas is sufficiently high, namely higher than that of the mixture to be treated, which presupposes that the front of CO 2  is distinctly extracted from the adsorber toward the end of the isobaric stage, so as to preconcentrate the adsorber with CO 2  before its decompression. 
     By means of the two recycling employed, the quality of the production of CO 2 , i.e. the content of CO 2  of the production gas, is improved while maintaining its extraction yield at a high level. 
     The plant diagrammatically shown in FIG. 10 permits carrying out the cycle of FIG. 9. It is similar to that of FIG. 8, without the balancing lines 12 1 ,3 and 12 2 ,4 but with in addition four second recycling pipes 17 1 ,2, 17 2 ,3, 17 3 ,4, 17 4 ,1 provided with respective valves 18 1 ,2, 18 2 ,3, 18 3 ,4, 18 4 ,1. 
     The two recyclings of FIG. 9 are again found in the cycle of FIG. 11, but within the framework of the process with balancing of the type of the variant (a) of FIG. 5. Owing to the first decompression by balancing from t 3  to T/2, the second recycling of the residual gas at the end of the isobaric stage, occurs, on the admission, between two instants t 1  &#39; and t 1  &#34; prior to T/4, with T/4-t 1  &#34;=T/2-t 3  and t 1  &#34;-t 1  &#39;=t 3  -t 2  &#39;. 
     It will be observed in FIG. 11, that, as the residual gas is, at the end of the isobaric stage, richer in CO 2  than the mixture to be treated, the decompression by balancing is carried out by sending the gas from the outlet of the adsorber 1 to the inlet of the absorber 3, in other words, the first rise in pressure by balancing, from t 5  to T, occurs by the introduction of gas in a cocurrent manner and not in a countercurrent manner, as in the previously-described cycles with balancing. 
     The plant diagrammatically shown in FIG. 12 enables the cycle of FIG. 11 to be carried out. It differs from the plant of FIG. 8 only in that the balancing lines 12 1 ,3 and 12 2 ,4 of the latter are replaced by a single line 12A which enable, owing to the eight valves 12A 1  to 12A 8 , the inlet or the outlet of any adsorber to be put in communication with the inlet or the outlet of any other adsorber. By suitably acting on the valves, it will be understood that it is thus possible to effect the recyclings of residual gas and the balancings with cocurrent pressure raising described hereinbefore. 
     In its various forms described hereinbefore, the process according to the invention is particularly applicable to the recovery of CO 2  from poor sources, i.e. sources containing only about 10 to 30% CO 2 . Generally, the process is applicable to the recovery of one or more of the most adsorbable constituents of a mixture, as, for example, the recovery of an active gas which is diluted in its utilization.