Method of operating a pressure swing adsorption system having a plurality
of parallel adsorber vessels and a plurality of valves and gas manifolds
adapted to introduce gas into each adsorber vessel and withdraw gas from
each adsorber vessel in a cyclic series of sequential process steps. A
leaking valve may be identified by (1) determining a value of an
operating parameter that is a function of the mass of gas provided to a
receiving adsorber vessel or withdrawn from an adsorber vessel during a
selected process step, portion of a process step, or series of process
steps; (2) determining the deviation of the value of the operating
parameter from a predetermined reference value; and (3) using the
magnitude and direction of the deviation to determine whether any valves
are leaking.