Simulation and experiment of six-bed PSA process for air separation with rotating distribution valve

Abstract In this work, a six-bed pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process was investigated to produce medical oxygen from air, which uses the combination of six-way rotating distribution valve and PSA and has the main advantage of effectively saving space compared to the traditional two-bed or four-bed PSA process and can obtain greater productivity. The mathematical model of adsorption beds was developed based on the separation mechanism and the interaction among different equipment. Moreover, a pilot-scale device has been constructed to verify the accuracy of mathematical model by experiment. The oxygen product conformed to the medical standard (> 93vol%) with a recovery of over 57%. Some related parameters were also discussed in detail, such as step time, ratio of length to the diameter, flow rate of product.