Description

The SORBTEST pilot plant is a skid-mounted mono-reactor unit developed by Vinci Technologies for studying adsorption and desorption processes in gas and liquid phases under industrially representative conditions. It integrates liquid and gas feed systems, a high-pressure fixed-bed reactor, pressure control, phase separation, and product recovery. Liquid feeds (water, oxygenates, light to medium hydrocarbons) are delivered from a nitrogen-blanketed vessel using a high-pressure HPLC pump controlled by a Coriolis mass flow meter, while gas feeds for adsorption, desorption, purging, and blanketing are regulated by high-pressure mass flow controllers up to 120 barg. The reactor handles up to 200 cm³ of adsorbent, operates up to 400 °C and 100 barg, and supports up-flow or down-flow operation. Heating is provided by a four-zone furnace enabling isothermal or pseudo-adiabatic operation with axial temperature monitoring. Downstream pressure control and gas–liquid separation ensure stable operation, with gas and liquid products accurately measured and sampled. The unit is built mainly from 316/316L stainless steel, designed for more than 48 hours of unattended operation, and fully automated via a PLC-based control and supervision system with integrated safety functions.