Integration of industrial gas site with liquid hydrogen production

• US 10,634,425 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Original Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Inventors: Guillard, Alain, Franc, Pierre-Etienne, Turney, Michael A., Andreev, Kirill, Roesch, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Ma, Kun Kai
• Application Number:
  US15/414,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20180038638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/16 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0244 the reforming step being an autothermal reforming step, e.g. secondary reforming processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/042 Purification by adsorption on solids
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/043 Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/046 Purification by cryogenic separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/061 Methanol production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/34 by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/56 by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids C01B3/508 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/001 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0015 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0022 Hydrocarbons, e.g. natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0035 by gas expansion with extraction of work
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0037 of a return stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/004 by flash gas recovery F25J1/0267 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0045 by vaporising a liquid return stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/005 by expansion of a gaseous refrigerant stream with extraction of work
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0067 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0072 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0082 : Methane
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0221 : using the cold stored in an external cryogenic component in an open refrigeration loop
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0225 : using other external refrigeration means not provided before, e.g. heat driven absorption chillers
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0227 : within a refrigeration cascade
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0229 : Integration with a unit for using hydrocarbons, e.g. consuming hydrocarbons as feed stock
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/023 : for the combustion as fuels, i.e. integration with the fuel gas system
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0232 : integration within a pressure letdown station of a high pressure pipeline system
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0234 : Integration with a cryogenic air separation unit cryogenic separation of air F25J3/04
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0236 : providing refrigeration for different processes treating not the same feed stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0274 : Retrofitting or revamping of an existing liquefaction unit
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2200/06 : in a classical double column flow-sheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2205/60 : using adsorption on solid adsorbents, e.g. by temperature-swing adsorption [TSA] at the hot or cold end
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2205/64 : by pressure-swing adsorption [PSA] at the hot end
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2210/06 : Splitting of the feed stream, e.g. for treating or cooling in different ways
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2210/12 : Refinery or petrochemical off-gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2210/40 : Air or oxygen enriched air, i.e. generally less than 30mol% of O2
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2210/42 : Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2210/60 : Natural gas or synthetic natural gas [SNG]
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2215/40 : Air or oxygen enriched air, i.e. generally less than 30mol% of O2
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2220/02 : Separating impurities in general from the feed stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/20 : Integrated compressor and process expander; Gear box arrangement; Multiple compressors on a common shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/30 : Compression of the feed stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/42 : the fluid being nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2240/04 : Multiple expansion turbines in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2240/12 : the fluid being nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2245/02 : Recycle of a stream in general, e.g. a by-pass stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2245/40 : the recycled stream being air
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2245/42 : the recycled stream being nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2250/02 : Bath type boiler-condenser using thermo-siphon effect, e.g. with natural or forced circulation or pool boiling, i.e. core-in-kettle heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2260/44 : using nitrogen for cooling purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/04 : Internal refrigeration with work-producing gas expansion loop
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/06 : with multiple gas expansion loops
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/14 : External refrigeration with work-producing gas expansion loop
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/16 : with mutliple gas expansion loops of the same refrigerant
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2290/34 : Details about subcooling of liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/04018 : of main feed air
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/04024 : of purified feed air, so-called boosted air
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/04121 : Steam turbine as the prime mechanical driver
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/04412 : in a classical double column flowsheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/04563 : Integration with a nitrogen consuming unit, e.g. for purging, inerting, cooling or heating
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/04593 : The air gas consuming unit is also fed by an air stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/046 : Completely integrated air feed compression, i.e. common MAC

Abstract

The method for producing liquid hydrogen can include the steps of: introducing pressurized natural gas from a high pressure natural gas pipeline to a gas processing unit under conditions effective for producing a purified hydrogen stream; and introducing the purified hydrogen stream to a hydrogen liquefaction unit under conditions effective to produce a liquid hydrogen stream, wherein the hydrogen liquefaction unit provides a warm temperature cooling and a cold temperature cooling to the purified hydrogen stream, wherein the warm temperature cooling is provided by utilizing letdown energy of a pressurized stream selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen stream sourced from a nitrogen pipeline, a natural gas stream sourced from the high pressure natural gas pipeline, an air gas sourced from an air separation unit, and combinations thereof, wherein the cold temperature is provided by utilizing letdown energy of the purified hydrogen stream.

Claims

1. A method for liquefying a pressurized hydrogen gas originating from a pressure swing adsorber unit, the method comprising the steps of:

withdrawing a hydrogen containing gas from a methanol production unit;

introducing the hydrogen containing gas to the pressure swing adsorber (PSA) unit under conditions effective for purifying the hydrogen containing gas to produce a purified hydrogen stream; and

sending the purified hydrogen gas to a hydrogen liquefaction unit under conditions effective for the liquefaction of hydrogen thereby producing a liquefied hydrogen stream, wherein the purified hydrogen gas is sent from the PSA unit to the hydrogen liquefaction unit, wherein there is an absence of a motor-driven compressor downstream the PSA unit and upstream the liquefaction unit, such that the purified hydrogen gas is sent from the PSA unit to the liquefaction unit without using the motor-driven compressor,

wherein the hydrogen liquefaction unit is configured to provide a first refrigeration source and a second refrigeration source, wherein the first refrigeration source provides refrigeration using expansion of a high pressure nitrogen stream, wherein the second refrigeration source provides refrigeration using expansion of the purified hydrogen gas stream to produce a warm hydrogen gas stream.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the PSA unit is part of an existing methanol facility or is an add-on PSA to the existing methanol facility.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high pressure nitrogen is expanded in one or more turboexpanders.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one or more turboexpanders are arranged in series with each other.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one or more turboexpanders are arranged in parallel with each other.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the high pressure nitrogen is expanded to a pressure of at least 4 bara and utilized as a utility gas.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein warm hydrogen gas stream is used as a fuel gas within the methanol production unit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second refrigeration source comprises:

expanding a first portion of the high pressure hydrogen gas stream in a first expansion turbine to a first pressure; and

expanding a second portion of the high pressure hydrogen gas stream in a second expansion turbine to a second pressure,

wherein the first pressure is higher than the second pressure.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first refrigeration source provides warm temperature cooling and the second refrigeration source provides cold temperature cooling.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a third source of refrigeration is provided using natural gas letdown energy.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the third refrigeration source provides warm temperature cooling.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fourth source of refrigeration is provided using letdown energy of an air gas originating from an air separation unit (ASU), wherein the air gas comprises compressed air from a booster air compressor within the ASU.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the air gas originating from the ASU further comprises a nitrogen stream, such that the composition of the air gas is at or below a combustibility limit of oxygen in methane or hydrogen.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the purified hydrogen stream is at a pressure of at least 15 bara.

15. A method for producing liquid hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of:

introducing pressurized natural gas from a high pressure natural gas pipeline to a gas processing unit under conditions effective for producing a purified hydrogen stream; and

introducing the purified hydrogen stream to a hydrogen liquefaction unit under conditions effective to produce a liquid hydrogen stream, wherein the purified hydrogen gas is sent from the gas processing unit to the hydrogen liquefaction unit, wherein there is an absence of a motor-driven compressor downstream the PSA unit and upstream the liquefaction unit, such that the purified hydrogen gas is sent from the PSA unit to the liquefaction unit without using the motor-driven compressor,

wherein the hydrogen liquefaction unit provides a warm temperature cooling and a cold temperature cooling to the purified hydrogen stream,

wherein the warm temperature cooling is provided by utilizing letdown energy of a pressurized stream selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen stream sourced from a nitrogen pipeline, liquid nitrogen, a natural gas stream sourced from the high pressure natural gas pipeline, an air gas sourced from an air separation unit, and combinations thereof,

wherein the cold temperature refrigeration is provided by utilizing letdown energy of the purified hydrogen stream.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the gas processing unit comprises a methanol production plant.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the gas processing unit comprises an ammonia production plant.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein argon and/or nitrogen are removed from a first portion of the purified hydrogen stream being liquefied and a second portion of the purified hydrogen stream used to provide the cold temperature refrigeration in a common adsorber unit.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cold temperature refrigeration is provided by at least two turbines operating in a series arrangement.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein one or more of the at least two turbines are configured to drive one or more boosters, wherein the one or more boosters are used to pressurize the purified hydrogen stream, the expanded pressurized hydrogen stream or combination thereof.

21. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cold refrigeration provided by the letdown of hydrogen is provided by three turbines, wherein, hydrogen is expanded in a first turbine producing a first expanded hydrogen stream, a first portion of the first expanded hydrogen stream is further expanded in a second turbine producing a second expanded hydrogen stream, a second portion of the first expanded hydrogen stream is cooled and expanded in a third turbine producing a third expanded hydrogen stream, wherein the second and third expanded hydrogen streams are warmed by heat exchange with the hydrogen stream being cooled.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the second and third expanded hydrogen streams are combined before or during the warming step.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the hydrogen to the first turbine is partially cooled by refrigeration only from hydrogen streams before the first turbine, wherein the hydrogen streams providing the cooling consist of the first, second, and third expanded hydrogen streams, a fourth expanded hydrogen stream, storage tank boil off and combination thereof.