Energy & Fuels | 2019
Adsorbent Characteristic Regulation and Performance Optimization for Pressure Swing Adsorption via Temperature Elevation
Abstract
Physical adsorbents are conventionally supposed to work at a normal temperature (298 K). However, elevating the working temperature can also restrain the adsorption of effective gas and may improve the adsorbent performance. Temperature variation is demonstrated to be a way to regulate the adsorbent performance. In this study, a coal-based activated carbon was synthesized and characterized. The CO2 and H2 adsorption capacities are inversely associated with the adsorption temperature, and a larger adsorption heat does not mean a higher adsorption capacity. Although the CO2 adsorption capacity is much higher than that of H2, sometimes the H2 adsorption capacity is more sensitive to the temperature. The adsorption selectivity for CO2 over H2 improves when the temperature rises from 298 to 353 K. A four-bed pressure swing adsorption (PSA) model was developed on the basis of an on-site pilot-scale PSA apparatus to determine the practical separation performance of adsorbents under different working conditions. ...