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High pressure adsorption isotherms of nitrogen onto granular activated carbon for a single bed pressure swing adsorption refrigeration system

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Abstract

Adsorption characteristics of nitrogen onto granular activated carbon for the wide range of temperature (303–323 K) and pressure (0.2027–2.0265 MPa) have been reported for a single bed pressure swing adsorption refrigeration system. The experimental data were fitted to Langmuir, Dubinin-Astakhov and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherms. The Langmuir and D-R isotherm models were found appropriate in correlating experimental adsorption data with an average relative error of ±2.0541% and ±0.6659% respectively. The isosteric heat of adsorption data were estimated as a function of surface coverage of nitrogen and temperature using D-R isotherm. The heat of adsorption was observed to decrease from 12.65 to 6.98 kJ.mol−1 with an increase in surface concentration at 303 K and it followed the same pattern for other temperatures. It was found that an increase in temperature enhances the magnitude of the heat of adsorption.

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Abbreviations

A:

Van der Waals constant in Pa·m6.kmol−2

ARE:

Average relative error in percentage

B:

Van der Waals constant in m3.kmol−1

b:

Measure of affinity of the nitrogen in the activated carbon in MPa−1

b0 :

Pre-exponential factor in MPa−1

dq:

The differential change in energy

E:

Characteristic energy in kJ.mol−1

Hads :

Heat of adsorption in kJ.mol−1

Ms. :

The mass of adsorbent (activated carbon) in kg

m:

The structural parameter of carbon

N:

Number of data points

n:

Number of moles of nitrogen adsorbed in mol.kg−1

n0 :

Maximum monolayer surface adsorption capacity of activated carbon in mol.kg−1.

n* :

The surface energy heterogeneity factor

ncal :

Calculated number of moles of nitrogen adsorbed in mol.kg−1

nexp :

Experimental number of moles of nitrogen adsorbed in mol.kg−1

P:

Pressure in MPa

Pc :

Critical pressure in MPa

P0 :

Saturation pressure in MPa

R:

The universal gas constant in J. K−1 mol−1

r:

The space enclosed by the adsorbate molecule and the adjacent adsorptive site in m

rm. :

The minimum distance between adsorbent-adsorbate molecules in m

T:

Temperature in K

Tc :

Critical temperature in K

t:

The constant

V:

Volume of nitrogen gas in m3

x :

Ratio of the operating pressure and saturation pressure

Z:

Compressibility factor

∆ n:

Change in number of moles of nitrogen gas in mol.kg−1

∆Hads :

Change in heat of adsorption in kJ.mol−1

θ :

Fractional surface coverage of nitrogen onto activated carbon

ϕ :

Adsorption potential

ϕ m :

Minimum adsorption potential in J.mol−1

γ :

Correction factor

ads:

Adsorption

c:

Critical

cal:

Calculated

exp.:

Experimental

f:

Final

i:

Initial

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India for the financial assistance through the project DST/ FTYS/ Dec. 9-10. Authors are also grateful to Anoar Ali Khan and Sumit Dhawane, research scholars of Department of Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology Durgapur for their immense technical support during the execution of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, M. G. Avenue, Durgapur, West Bengal, 713209, India

    Avinash V. Palodkar, Kumar Anupam, Zunipa Roy & G. N. Halder

  2. Physical Chemistry, Pulping and Bleaching Division, Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute, Himmat Nagar, Sharanpur, Uttarpradesh, 247001, India

    Kumar Anupam

  3. International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    B. B. Saha

  4. Mechanical Engineering Department, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    B. B. Saha

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  1. Avinash V. Palodkar
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  2. Kumar Anupam
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Correspondence to G. N. Halder.

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Palodkar, A.V., Anupam, K., Roy, Z. et al. High pressure adsorption isotherms of nitrogen onto granular activated carbon for a single bed pressure swing adsorption refrigeration system. Heat Mass Transfer 53, 3155–3166 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-017-2057-9

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