Temperature swing adsorption compression: Effects of nonuniform heating on bed efficiency

A temperature swing adsorption system is considered for the capture and pressurization of CO2CO2 from a gas mixture consisting of N2,O2N2,O2, and 0.26% CO2CO2. Alternating desorption and adsorption half-cycles are modeled until a periodic state is reached in order to determine the impact that nonuniform heating has on the efficacy of desorption. The coupled material and energy balances are solved numerically using finite elements at various time steps so that temperature, loading, and CO2CO2 fluid-phase mole fraction profiles can be developed and investigated. The regeneration efficiency is found to approach the ideal value when the heaters are spaced optimally and operated uniformally. The results are useful in that they depict a strong necessity of strict heating controls and optimal heater spacing in order to maximize the regeneration efficiency during a temperature swing desorption half-cycle.