Simulation of Pressure Swing Adsorption System for Separation of Hydrogen from Catalytic Reforming Effluent Gas

Abstract

A numerical simulation for the separation of hydrogen gas from effluent gas mixture in a catalytic reforming unit of Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company (PHRC) is presented for a basic two bed pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process. The model equations adopted involve partial differential equations (PDEs) in time and space with periodic boundary conditions that link the processing steps together. MatlabR 2014a software was then used to simulate the model equations and the simulation results validated with the experimental data obtained from the PSA system used for the separation of effluent gas mixture in Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company (PHRC). It was observed that the simulation results compared favourably. Based on the simulation results, the effect of adsorption pressure, cycle time, feed temperature and adsorption duration on hydrogen purity and recovery were investigated and optimum values of these process parameters proposed in order to maximize the product purity and recovery.