Design of a Bed Seal System for an Adsorber Vessel

1. Design of a Bed Seal System for an Adsorber Vessel Amy Boyce JR Daversa Ben Gatto Jake Mattern Brian Smith

2. Introduction • Background • Explanation of an adsorber vessel and adsorbent material • Problem • Discussion of material leakage issues • Sources of leakage

3. The adsorber vessel and material • Air separation process • Role of adsorbent material • Temperature Swing Adsorption (20-170ºC)

4. Material Leakage • What is happening? • Thermal expansion (0.14 inch difference) • Adsorbent material is slipping through seal • Why is this such a big problem? • Reduces efficiency • Requires periodic shutdown

5. Sources of Leakage • Key locations • Wall-grate interface • Flange-grate interface • What causes the gaps? • Thermal cycling • Poor material choice (Brass wool) • Bending

6. Our Design • Ways it addresses the problem • Key features

7. Ways it addresses the problem • Bending eliminated in hold down ring • Seal optimized between bed support components • Travel paths of beads eliminated • Thermal expansion no longer contributes to leakage

8. Key features • Banding of grate • Overlapping hold-down ring • Even mating surface between components • Change of sealant material: brass wool to PTFE

9. Testing • Prototype description • Life-size model • Straight Section • Testing mechanism • Mechanical simulation • Crank-rocker (0.25 inch motion) • Will simulate 20 years at 6 cycles a day

10. Off-Design Performance • Extra 0.1 inch of motion in the prototype • Demonstrates that a greater temperature swing would still work with this design

11. Conclusions If successful: • New design will work not only for current process but for expanded temperature range • Leakage will be eliminated • Shut-down times will be eliminated due to downstream absorbent material