AD Adsorbing

PR Pressurizing

PG Purging

Pressurizing pressure equalization (PPE)

Depressurizing pressure equalization (D

Blowdown (BD) Damp

Pressurizing pressure equalization (PPE)

First depressurizing pressure equalization (FDPE)

First pressurizing pressure equalization (FPPE)

Second depressurizing pressure equalization (SDPE)

Second pressurizing pressure equalization (SPPE).

depressurizing pressure equalization (DPE) corresponding to the PPE step, (iv)

countercurrent depressurization/blowdown to atmosphere(BD), (v) purge with H2
product (PG), and (vi) pressurizing
pressure equalization (PPE) up to an average pressure between the beds.
In the present study, the experiments are focused on making improvements in both the
purity and recovery instead of only the purity. Because a high-pressure H2 mixture was
supplied to the PSA process, a large H2 loss was expected from the two-bed PSA
process. To recognize the improvement degree in the recovery by increasing the
number of adsorption beds and pressure equalization steps, the four-bed PSA process
with twice the pressure equalization steps was designed as shown in Fig. 2(b). In
addition, the following additional four steps were added to the cyclic sequence of the
two-bed PSA: first depressurizing pressure equalization (FDPE), first pressurizing
pressure equalization (FPPE), second depressurizing pressure equalization (SDPE),
and second pressurizing pressure equalization (SPPE). Therefore, the bed could be
pressurized using a three-stage pressurization (the first and second pressurizing
pressure equalization steps and feed pressurization step). One of the important
operating parameters in PSA operation is the purge-to-feed flow-rate ratio (P/F ratio),
which was calculated with the following equation: P=F ratio ¼