(423d) Optimization of Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption Process for O2 Production

Traditionally process designs for O2 vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) processes have focused on reduction of capital to lower the product cost. Lower capital costs have been achieved by running faster cycles or better adsorbents to reduce the adsorbent inventory (lower bed size factors) and lower desorption pressures to increase recovery. The other component of product cost is operating cost or power consumption. There has been less focus on process development to achieve reduction in unit power. This paper presents a scenario where a VPSA cycle was optimized for lower power consumption per unit of product at the expense of recovery and bed size factor. Modeling results will be presented and adsorber performance in two different cases will be compared.