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Upgrading Methane Using Ultra-Fast Thermal Swing Adsorption,
Quarterly Report October 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003

Anna Lee Tonkovich

Velocys

In this pdf format, this document has 36 pages and is 226kb.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 1
Experimental 3
Task 1.1 Adsorbent Ranking 3
Task Objective 3
Adsorbent Criteria 3
Preferential Methane Adsorption 4
Preferential Nitrogen Adsorption 4
Competitive Adsorption in Mixtures 8
Recommended Adsorbents from Industrial Partner 8
Selection of Adsorbents for Experimental Validation 9
Task 1.2 Adsorbent Validation 9
Task Objective 9
Adsorbent Testing 9
Calculating Capacity 12
Results and Discussion 13
Task 1.1 Adsorbent Ranking 13
Task 1.2 Adsorbent Validation 13
Experimental System Upgrades 18
Conclusions 19
Acronyms 20
 
Appendix I - Adsorbent Ranking, Open Literature Reference List 21
Appendix II - Adsorbent Ranking, Patent Literature Reference List I 27
Appendix III - Velocys Press Release 29
 

FIGURES
Figure 1. Adsorbent testing apparatus 10
Figure 2. Adsorbent testing system flow diagram 10
Figure 3. Outlet molar flow rate of nitrogen and methane for equimolar feed mixture, 6 C and 2 psig 15
Figure 4. Outlet molar flow rate of nitrogen and methane for 90% methane and 10% nitrogen at 6 C and 2 psig 15
Figure 5. Outlet molar flow rate of nitrogen and methane for equimolar feed mixture, 6 C and 100 psig 16
Figure 6. Outlet molar flow rate of nitrogen and methane for 90% methane and 10% nitrogen at 6 C and 100 psig 16
Figure 7. Outlet molar flow rate of nitrogen and methane for 90% methane and 10% nitrogen at 40 C and 100 psig 17
Figure 8. CH4 and N2 Concentrations at the exit of the adsorbent bed (left axis) and total outlet flow rate (right axis) for equimolar inlet mixture at 6 C and 100 psig 17
 

TABLES
Table 1. Adsorbents for methane and nitrogen at low pressure - open literature 5
Table 2. Adsorbents for methane and nitrogen at modest pressure (~ 100 psig) - open literature 6
Table 3. Adsorbents for methane and nitrogen at high pressure (300 psig) - open literature 7
Table 4. Adsorbents for methane and nitrogen separation - patent literature 8
Table 5. PICA Carbon MGN-101, capacity as a function of temperature and mixture composition near 1 atm 14
Table 6. PICA Carbon MGN-101, capacity as a function of temperature and mixture composition near 100 psig 14