Abstract: Using zeolites as the active adsorbent, adsorbent laminates have been fabricated with various sheet supports. These adsorbent laminates have been successfully operated for oxygen enrichment at high PSA cycle frequencies, such as upwards of at least 150 cycles per minute. Methods for making suitable adsorbent laminates are described. The methods generally involve forming a slurry comprising a liquid suspending agent, an adsorbent and a binder. Laminates are made by applying the slurry to support material or admixing support material with the slurry. The slurry can be applied to support material using a variety of techniques, including roll coaters, split roll coaters, electrophoretic deposition, etc. One method for making laminates by mixing support material with the adsorbent slurry comprises depositing the slurry onto a foraminous wire, draining the slurry material, and pressing the material to form a ceramic adsorbent paper. Spacers can be formed on adsorbent laminates to space one laminate from another.

Abstract: An inventive adsorptive gas separation process is provided capable of producing a purified methane product gas as a light non-adsorbed product gas as opposed to a heavy desorbed exhaust gas component, from a feed gas mixture comprising at least methane, and carbon dioxide. In an embodiment of the invention, the feed gas mixture may comprise at least about 10% carbon dioxide, and the purified methane product gas may be desirably purified to contain less than about 5000 ppm carbon dioxide. In another embodiment of the invention, the feed gas mixture may comprise at least about 50% carbon dioxide, and the purified methane product gas may be desirably purified to contain less than about 5000 ppm carbon dioxide.

Abstract: Embodiments of a rapid cycle PSA apparatus are described that are useful for producing a hydrogen enriched product gas comprising not more than about 50 ppm carbon monoxide by volume and with a hydrogen gas recovery of at least about 70% by adsorptive separation from a syngas feed gas mixture comprising at least about 50 percent hydrogen and at least about 1 percent carbon monoxide by volume. One disclosed embodiment of a rapid cycle PSA apparatus comprised at least 3 adsorber elements each having at least one thin adsorbent sheet material which comprises at least one adsorbent material therein, and a bed size factor less than about 4.0 seconds. Embodiments of a rapid cycle PSA process also are described that utilize disclosed embodiments of the rapid-cycle PSA device.

Abstract: An electrical generating system consists of a fuel cell, and an oxygen gas delivery. The fuel cell includes and anode channel having an anode gas inlet for receiving a supply of hydrogen gas, a cathode channel having a cathode gas inlet and a cathode gas outlet, and an electrolyte in communication with the anode and cathode channel for facilitating ion exchange between the anode and cathode channel. The oxygen gas delivery system is coupled to the cathode gas inlet and delivers oxygen gas to the cathode channel. The electrical current generating system also includes gas recirculation means couple to the cathode gas outlet for recirculating a portion of cathode exhaust gas exhausted from the cathode gas outlet to the cathode gas inlet.

Abstract: A chemical reaction is performed with separation of the product(s) and reactant(s) by pressure swing adsorption (PSA), using an apparatus having a plurality of adsorbers cooperating with first and second valve assemblies in a PSA module. The PSA cycle is characterized by multiple intermediate pressure levels between higher and lower pressures of the PSA cycle. Gas flows enter or exit the PSA module at the intermediate pressure levels as well as the higher and lower pressure levels, entering from compressor stage(s) or exiting into exhauster or expander stages, under substantially steady conditions of flow and pressure. The PSA module comprises a rotor containing the adsorbers and rotating within a stator, with ported valve faces between the rotor and stator to control the timing of the flows entering or exiting the adsorbers in the rotor. The reaction may be performed within a portion of the rotor containing a catalyst.

Abstract: A process and system for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to a fuel cell anode that includes providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream that includes carbon monoxide, introducing the hydrogen-containing gas stream into a pressure swing adsorption module that includes at least one carbon monoxide-selective adsorbent to produce a purified hydrogen-containing gas stream, and introducing the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream to the fuel cell anode. The pressure swing adsorption module can also include a second adsorbent and/or catalyst. Also disclosed is a fuel cell system coupled to an internal combustion engine and a fuel cell system that utilizes fuel cell waste heat for vaporizing a hydrocarbon/water mixture.

Abstract: Improved adsorbent sheet based parallel passage adsorbent structures for enhancing the kinetic selectivity of certain kinetic-controlled adsorption processes, such as PSA, TSA and PPSA processes, and combinations thereof, are provided. The enhancements in kinetic selectivity made possible through the implementation of the present inventive improved adsorbent structures may unexpectedly enable significant intensification of selected kinetic adsorption processes relative to attainable performance with conventional adsorbent materials in beaded or extruded form. Such process intensification enabled by the present inventive adsorbent structures may provide for increased adsorption cycle frequencies, and increased gas flow velocities within the adsorbent beds, which may increase the productivity and/or recovery of a kinetic adsorption system incorporating the inventive adsorbent structures.

Abstract: A gas dryer having an inlet for receiving a wet gas; at least one vessel containing at least a desiccant for absorbing moisture from a wet gas passing through the desiccant in a first direction under pressure and for desorbing the desiccant by passing a second gas under a partial vacuum in a direction counter to the first direction during a warming and a cooling phase of regeneration; a means for generating a partial vacuum in the vessel; and an outlet for expelling dried gas from the vessel.