High Purity Oxygen (≥99.

5%) Production using Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption (VPSA)

Notes:
1. Columns 1 & 2 are conventional PSA columns having intake of pressurized atmospheric air
2. Output of colums 1 & 2 is 95% pure oxygen balanced with Argon
3. Columns 1 & 2 are also designed to bring down the water dew point to -40 deg C and the CO2 content to ppm levels (<300 ppm)
4. Columns 1 & 2 are loaded with initial contact beds of highly effective dessicant silica or alumina for removal of moisture
5. The subsequent contact beds for Column 1 & 2 are loaded with commercial zeolites of the type such as NaX-, CaX-, LiX-, LiLSX-type
6. Alternatively, prior to introducing air to the Columns 1 & 2 a separate drying step may be performed using a silica or dessicant
bed column to bring the water dew point of the air to -40 deg C
7. Columns 3 & 4 use a special zeolite adsorbent called AgLILSX for producing high purity (>99.5%) oxygen
8. The combined first stage is also called Kinetic PSA (KPSA) stage and involves six steps of operations called the Skarstrom cycle
Following is the description of the Skarstrom cycle and the accompanying table provides the cycling steps of the Column 1 & 2
The six-step Skarstrom cycle comprises a pressurization step (PR) where the bed is pressurized with feed air to the high operating
pressure; an adsorption step (AD), where high-pressure feed flows through the bed; an equalization step (E) where the two
adsorption beds are top-to-top connected for pressure equalization; a blowdown step (BD) where the feed entrance is
opened and the oxygen adsorbed in the bed is counter-currently depressurized and fed to the second stage; a purge step (PG) where
a fraction of the raffinate stream from the other bed is used to countercurrently purge the bed at atmospheric pressure.
Here raffinate means the gas which is not adsorbed during the AD step, exiting the column through the top. The species desorbed at
low pressure (also known as “extracted”) are called intermediate product or blowdown product.

9. The 2nd stage as illustrated in the above figure involving column is the VPSA stage and involves a seven- step cycle
Following is the description of the 7-step cycle and the accompanying table provides the cycling steps of the Column 3 & 4
During pressurization step (PR), the bed is co-currently pressurized with feed up to high operating pressure.
Following, during the adsorption step (AD), high-pressure feed flows through the bed while argon is selectively
retained thus producing an oxygen-enriched stream. A fraction of the product is used to counter-currently purge the
other bed at low operating pressure, during the purge under vacuum (VP) step. After the adsorption step,
equalization (E) takes place where the two beds are top-to-top connected until pressure equalization. During the
evacuation step (VA), vacuum is applied to the bed feed end while product end is kept closed. After the VA step,
vacuum is maintained while bed is counter-currently purged with a fraction of the product stream. Following,
the second equalization takes place and afterwards the backfill (B) step, where part of the product stored in the
product storage tank is used to counter-currently re-pressurize the adsorption bed.

Prepared by:
Ankur Srivastava
Chemical Engineer
Email: ankurcheme@gmail.com