Educational Pressure Swing Adsorption Ethylene Capture Unit Operations Pilot Plant

Introduction

The Pressure Swing Adsorption Ethylene Capture Educational Unit Operations Pilot Plant is a highly integrated, pilot-scale laboratory system designed specifically for higher education. It provides undergraduate and graduate students in engineering disciplines with hands-on experience in complex gas separation processes. By simulating the industrial-scale separation of a multi-component gas mixture (specifically nitrogen, ethylene, and ethane), this unit bridges the gap between theoretical gas-solid adsorption kinetics and practical industrial operations.

To accommodate varying laboratory footprints, curriculum structures, and research objectives, this pilot plant is fully customizable. Both the hardware configurations and the software control systems can be tailored to meet the specific pedagogical and technical requirements of your institution.

Key Teaching Functions and Engineering Pedagogy

• Multi-Tower Industrial Process Replication: The unit utilizes an eight-tower pressure swing adsorption (PSA) configuration, allowing students to study complex cycle steps such as adsorption, co-current depressurization, counter-current desorption, and purging in a real-world multi-column sequence.
• Precision Process Monitoring: Equipped with high-resolution temperature and pressure sensors, the system allows students to analyze thermal effects during adsorption/desorption cycles and track pressure drop behavior across the adsorbent beds.
• Automated Data Acquisition & Control: An integrated 12-channel control system and a 15.6-inch touchscreen interface allow real-time monitoring of up to 24 separate signal channels. This provides students with direct exposure to industrial process automation, mass flow control, and safety interlocks.
• Engineering Scalability and Robustness: Built on an industrial-grade aluminum alloy frame with heavy-duty casters, the pilot plant is designed for durability and mobility within a university unit operations laboratory.

Detail & Parts

Technical Specifications and Experimental Modules

Curriculum Integration and Textbook Alignment

This pilot plant is engineered to align directly with core curricula in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Materials Science. By integrating this equipment into laboratory coursework, instructors can easily demonstrate the practical applications of fundamental principles detailed in standard academic textbooks.

Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering

The pilot plant serves as a practical demonstration of gas separation technologies, specifically addressing the fundamentals of adsorption and gas-solid separation processes. Students can observe the operational principles of pressure swing cycles, directly relating physical observations to the theoretical transport equations and mass-transfer zone concepts presented in this classic text.

Transport Processes and Unit Operations

By measuring concentration changes and temperature profiles across the adsorbent beds during adsorption cycles, students can calculate mass transfer coefficients and study diffusion mechanisms in porous materials. The system provides real-world data to evaluate breakthrough curve equations and solid-gas mass transfer resistance.

Chemical Engineering Design

The unit serves as an excellent case study for process design, instrumentation, and control. Using the integrated touchscreen interface and multi-channel signal modules, students gain practical insight into process control loops, valve sequencing, safety interlocks, and the scale-up considerations necessary when transitioning from laboratory scale to industrial production.

To ensure this equipment aligns with your specific teaching methodology, both the hardware setup (including column dimensions and sensor placement) and the software interfaces (including data logging features and control algorithms) can be customized to match your department's specific syllabus.

About LABPARK

LABPARK has been a dedicated partner to higher education institutions for over 20 years, focusing on developing and manufacturing advanced educational equipment for laboratory instruction. Our product portfolio spans six key academic fields: Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Food Engineering, Pharmaceutical Engineering, and Environmental Engineering.

With a commitment to engineering excellence, our solutions are supported by 209 technical patents. We have collaborated with more than 289 universities and colleges worldwide to modernise their engineering laboratories. Our state-of-the-art production and R&D facility covers 49,000 square meters, ensuring that all our pilot plants are built to the highest safety and pedagogical standards.

Trusted by Industry Leaders