Effects of bed aging on temperature signals from fixed-bed adsorbers during industrial operation

The capacity of adsorber beds used in industrial-scale temperature-swing adsorption diminishes over time due to bed aging. Here, we present industrial data on the temperature signals from fixed-bed adsorbers using activated carbon designed to remove benzene and other impurities from the gas produced in biomass gasification. The aging of the adsorber beds proceeds due to irreversible adsorption of trace species and manifests itself via two simultaneous effects: a decrease in the availability of active adsorption sites over time and an increase in the overall thermal mass of the bed. Both effects tend to dampen the temperature response of the beds during operation, implying that they are easily confounded. Model descriptions of bed aging should account for both effects.