US 12,258,527 B2
Continuous desulfurization process based on metal oxide-based regenerable sorbents
Raghubir Prasad Gupta, Durham, NC (US); and Brian Scott Turk, Durham, NC (US)
Filed by SUSTEON INC., Cary, NC (US)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/578,262.
Application 17/578,262 is a division of application No. 17/425,868, granted, now 11,225,618, previously published as PCT/US2020/015432, filed on Jan. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/797,541, filed on Jan. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0135894 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. C10K 1/32 (2006.01); B01D 53/04 (2006.01); B01D 53/22 (2006.01); B01D 53/34 (2006.01); B01D 53/52 (2006.01); B01D 53/82 (2006.01); B01D 53/96 (2006.01); B01J 8/02 (2006.01); B01J 19/00 (2006.01); B01J 20/02 (2006.01); B01J 20/28 (2006.01); B01J 20/30 (2006.01); C10K 1/00 (2006.01); C10K 1/26 (2006.01)
CPC C10K 1/32 (2013.01) [B01D 53/0438 (2013.01); B01D 53/0446 (2013.01); B01D 53/22 (2013.01); B01D 53/346 (2013.01); B01D 53/52 (2013.01); B01D 53/82 (2013.01); B01D 53/96 (2013.01); B01J 8/02 (2013.01); B01J 19/0033 (2013.01); B01J 20/0203 (2013.01); B01J 20/28011 (2013.01); B01J 20/28059 (2013.01); B01J 20/28071 (2013.01); B01J 20/28073 (2013.01); B01J 20/3078 (2013.01); C10K 1/004 (2013.01); C10K 1/26 (2013.01); B01D 2253/1124 (2013.01); B01D 2253/306 (2013.01); B01D 2253/311 (2013.01); B01D 2257/304 (2013.01); B01D 2257/306 (2013.01); B01D 2257/308 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00051 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00162 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00164 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00186 (2013.01); B01J 2220/56 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A continuous operation desulfurization system for desulfurizing a gas stream containing reduced sulfur species at concentration in a range of from about 5 to about 5000 ppmv, wherein said reduced sulfur species is hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbonyl sulfide (COS), carbon disulfide (CS2), thiol with four or less carbon atoms, disulfide with four or less carbon atoms, or a mixture of two or more of the foregoing reduced sulfur species, said system comprising:
at least two primary adsorbent beds of desulfurization sorbent selective for said reduced sulfur species, constructed and arranged in relation to one another so that each of said adsorbent beds in operation undergoes a cyclic alternating and repeating sequence of (i) onstream desulfurization operation including contacting of said gas stream with the sorbent in the sorbent bed to produce a sulfur-reduced gas stream, and (ii) offstream regeneration operation including (a) contacting the sorbent in the sorbent bed with oxygen-containing regeneration gas to remove adsorbed sulfur species to produce a sulfur dioxide-containing regeneration gas, and optionally one or both of (b) heating of the sorbent in the sorbent bed and (c) purging of the adsorbent bed;
a sulfur dioxide conversion unit constructed and arranged to process the sulfur dioxide-containing regeneration gas to remove sulfur dioxide therefrom and produce sulfur dioxide-depleted regeneration vent gas;
valved flow circuitry constructed and arranged to selectively: (1) connect an onstream one of said at least two adsorbent beds of desulfurization sorbent in gas-receiving relationship with a source of the gas stream containing reduced sulfur species; (2) connect an offstream one of said at least two adsorbent beds of desulfurization sorbent in gas-receiving relationship with a source of the oxygen-containing regeneration gas; (3) flow the sulfur dioxide-containing regeneration gas from the offstream one of said at least two adsorbent beds of desulfurization sorbent to said sulfur dioxide conversion unit, and discharge sulfur dioxide-depleted regeneration vent gas from said sulfur dioxide conversion unit; and
a controller constructed and arranged to operate valves of the valved flow circuitry in response to at least one of (A) a monitored system operating condition, and (B) a cycle time program, so that each one of said at least two adsorbent beds of desulfurization sorbent cyclically, alternatingly and repetitively undergoes said sequence of (i) onstream desulfurization operation and (ii) offstream regeneration operation, in the continuous operation of the system,
wherein the system is characterized by any one of the following characteristics (I)-(III):
(I) said source of the oxygen-containing regeneration gas includes oxygen-containing regeneration gas containing from 1% by volume to 15% by volume oxygen, based on volume of the oxygen-containing regeneration gas;
(II) the system further comprising: a compressor constructed and arranged to draw air from the atmosphere to produce a compressed air stream; an oxygen-selective membrane module constructed and arranged to receive the compressed air stream from the compressor, to produce an oxygen-reduced gas stream; and an oxygen reactor constructed and arranged to receive fuel from a fuel source and to receive the oxygen-reduced gas stream produced by the oxygen-selective membrane module, to produce an oxygen-depleted nitrogen-based inert gas for use in purging of the offstream adsorbent bed in the offstream regeneration operation; and
(III) the system further comprising: a compressor constructed and arranged to draw air from the atmosphere to produce a compressed air stream; an oxygen-selective membrane module constructed and arranged to receive the compressed air stream from the compressor, to produce an oxygen-reduced gas stream; and an oxygen reactor constructed and arranged to receive fuel from a fuel source and to receive the oxygen-reduced gas stream produced by the oxygen-selective membrane module, to produce an oxygen-depleted nitrogen-based inert gas for use in purging of the offstream adsorbent bed in the offstream regeneration operation, wherein the oxygen reactor is constructed and arranged to produce said oxygen-depleted nitrogen-based inert gas, with an oxygen concentration less than 0.1 ppmv.