Predictive Dynamic Model of Air Separation by Pressure Swing Adsorption

A general dynamic model is developed for separation of air over a carbon molecular sieve and a zeolite adsorbent for production of nitrogen and oxygen. The proposed model is validated using experimental data from working laboratory scale N2–PSA and laboratory scale O2–PSA systems. Simulations studies are performed to investigate the effect of changing various process variables, such as the duration of PSA steps, bed length and feed inlet velocity. The pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process is attractive, because it requires no separate desorption steps that need heat input, and because it runs continuously with automatic regeneration of the adsorbent. A general dynamic model is developed for separation of air over a carbon molecular sieve and a zeolite adsorbent for production of nitrogen and oxygen. Simulations studies are performed to investigate the effect of changing various process variables.