HYDROGEN SUPPLY METHOD AND SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method for supplying hydrogen from a salt cavern to assist in meeting end-user demand for hydrogen at a purity of greater than 99% that is supplied by a pipeline, the method comprising:
- removing a crude hydrogen stream from the salt cavern having a first flow rate and containing at least one contaminant imparted by the salt cavern such that the at least one contaminant in the crude hydrogen stream does not meet a pre-established pipeline product purity specification;
mixing the crude hydrogen stream with a hydrogen dilution stream having a second flow rate to form a hydrogen product stream, the hydrogen dilution stream formed from hydrogen in the pipeline and containing each of the at least one contaminants lower than the pre-established pipeline product purity specification;
controlling the first flow rate of the crude hydrogen stream or the second flow rate of the hydrogen dilution stream such that the hydrogen product stream contains hydrogen at the purity of greater than 99% with the at least one contaminant found in the crude hydrogen stream at or below the pre-established pipeline product purity specification; and
supplying the hydrogen product stream to the end-user.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for supplying additional hydrogen from a reservoir of stored hydrogen in a salt cavern to a hydrogen pipeline to assist in meeting customer demand for hydrogen is provided. Contaminants introduced while the stored hydrogen stream is in the salt cavern may cause the crude hydrogen stream to not have the required product purity specification. The stored hydrogen is removed from the salt cavern as a crude hydrogen stream and thereafter diluted with higher purity hydrogen formed from the pipeline to form a hydrogen product stream at or below the product purity specification. The hydrogen product can be formed without removal of any of the contaminants in the crude stream, thereby creating a more cost effective and simplified supply process compared to conventional processes employing a salt cavern for hydrogen supply.
4 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A method for supplying hydrogen from a salt cavern to assist in meeting end-user demand for hydrogen at a purity of greater than 99% that is supplied by a pipeline, the method comprising:
-
removing a crude hydrogen stream from the salt cavern having a first flow rate and containing at least one contaminant imparted by the salt cavern such that the at least one contaminant in the crude hydrogen stream does not meet a pre-established pipeline product purity specification; mixing the crude hydrogen stream with a hydrogen dilution stream having a second flow rate to form a hydrogen product stream, the hydrogen dilution stream formed from hydrogen in the pipeline and containing each of the at least one contaminants lower than the pre-established pipeline product purity specification; controlling the first flow rate of the crude hydrogen stream or the second flow rate of the hydrogen dilution stream such that the hydrogen product stream contains hydrogen at the purity of greater than 99% with the at least one contaminant found in the crude hydrogen stream at or below the pre-established pipeline product purity specification; and supplying the hydrogen product stream to the end-user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for supplying additional hydrogen from a reservoir of stored hydrogen in a salt cavern supplied at a purity of greater than 99% to an end-user through a hydrogen pipeline, the method comprising:
-
removing a first stream from the salt cavern at a first flow rate to discharge crude hydrogen from the salt cavern, the first stream comprising hydrogen and at least one contaminant imparted by the salt cavern such that the crude hydrogen contains the at least one contaminant at a level higher than that allowed by a product purity specification; and mixing the first stream at the first flow rate with a second stream comprising the at least one contaminant at or within the product purity specification at a second flow rate under flow rate conditions that form a third stream having lower levels of the at least one contaminant than contained in the first stream. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for supplying additional hydrogen to a hydrogen pipeline from a salt cavern to assist in meeting end-use demand, the method comprising:
-
removing stored hydrogen from the salt cavern at a first flow rate as a crude hydrogen stream containing at least one contaminant comprising carbon dioxide or water vapor contaminants at a level higher than that allowed by a product purity specification for the hydrogen in the hydrogen pipeline; and mixing the crude hydrogen stream at the first flow rate with a higher purity hydrogen from the hydrogen pipeline having a second flow rate under flow rate conditions to form a hydrogen product stream comprising hydrogen at a purity of greater than 99% with at least the carbon dioxide or the water vapor contaminants at concentrations at or below the product purity specification. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification