Enhanced helium recovery
First Claim
1. A method for the separation of helium from an input gas stream containing helium and other gases comprising feeding said input gas from a source to a membrane separation unit at an elevated pressure, flowing a residue stream from said membrane separation unit, a first portion of said residue gas stream being flowed to the source of said input gas and flowing a permeate gas stream enriched in helium from said membrane separation unit to a first stage of a first stage and a second stage pressure swing adsorption unit and after processing said permeate gas in said first stage of pressure swing adsorption flowing the non-adsorbed portion of said permeate gas from said first stage of pressure swing adsorption to said second stage of pressure swing adsorption, said first stage of pressure swing adsorption and said second stage of pressure swing adsorption each containing a plurality of interconnected adsorbent beds, the first stage of pressure swing adsorption concentrating the helium in said input gas stream to greater than about 50 percent helium by volume and in said second stage of pressure swing adsorption concentrating said input gas stream to greater than about 95 percent helium by volume, a second portion of said residue gas stream being fed to said first stage of pressure swing adsorption as a processing gas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed hybrid membrane and pressure swing adsorption process can recover helium from source streams of about 0.5 to 5 percent by volume helium and concentrate the helium to a concentration of greater than about 98 percent by volume. The process comprises a membrane separation followed by two stages of pressure swing adsorption which are used in series. The source gas will primarily contain hydrocarbons but will contain some nitrogen. The membrane unit will contain a semipermeable membrane which is permeably selective for helium and will to the extent feasible reject hydrocarbons. The permeate gas will be increased in helium content by 2 to 10 times. Part of the residue gas is used in the regeneration of the adsorbent beds in the first stage of pressure swing adsorption. Each stage of pressure swing adsorption will contain a plurality of adsorbent beds, and will be cycled through multiple phases. In the first stage the adsorbent beds will sequentially undergo the phases of adsorption, recycle, depressurization, evacuation, helium pressurization and recycle feed pressurization. The product gas from the first stage is flowed to the second stage and in the second stage sequentially will undergo the phases of adsorption, depressurization, evacuation, purge, and helium pressurization. The offgas from the evacuation and purge in the second stage is flowed to input to the first stage. The process efficiently produces a product stream with a helium content of more than 98 percent by volume.
111 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A method for the separation of helium from an input gas stream containing helium and other gases comprising feeding said input gas from a source to a membrane separation unit at an elevated pressure, flowing a residue stream from said membrane separation unit, a first portion of said residue gas stream being flowed to the source of said input gas and flowing a permeate gas stream enriched in helium from said membrane separation unit to a first stage of a first stage and a second stage pressure swing adsorption unit and after processing said permeate gas in said first stage of pressure swing adsorption flowing the non-adsorbed portion of said permeate gas from said first stage of pressure swing adsorption to said second stage of pressure swing adsorption, said first stage of pressure swing adsorption and said second stage of pressure swing adsorption each containing a plurality of interconnected adsorbent beds, the first stage of pressure swing adsorption concentrating the helium in said input gas stream to greater than about 50 percent helium by volume and in said second stage of pressure swing adsorption concentrating said input gas stream to greater than about 95 percent helium by volume, a second portion of said residue gas stream being fed to said first stage of pressure swing adsorption as a processing gas.
- 13. A method for the separation of helium from an input gas stream containing helium and other gases comprising feeding said input gas from a source to a membrane separation unit at an elevated pressure, flowing a first portion of a residue gas stream from said membrane separation unit to the source of said input gas and flowing a permeate gas stream to a first stage of a first stage and second stage of pressure swing adsorption, each stage containing a plurality of interconnected adsorbent beds, said first stage of pressure swing adsorption concentrating the helium in said gas stream to greater than about 75 percent helium by volume and in said second stage of pressure swing adsorption concentrating said gas stream to greater than about 95 percent helium by volume, at least some of an off gas from the evacuation of an adsorbent bed in said second stage to below about ambient pressure being fed along with said input gas stream to the input of the first stage of pressure swing adsorption, said first stage consisting of at least four interconnected adsorbent beds, each adsorbent bed undergoing six phases for each complete cycle of pressure swing adsorption, said six phases comprising in sequence an adsorption phase, a recycle phase, a depressurization phase, an evacuation phase, a helium pressurization phase and a recycle feed pressurization phase, feeding said input gas stream to the input end of a first adsorbent bed of said first stage entering on said adsorption phase and selectively adsorbing said other gases, collecting a gas enriched in helium flowing from said first adsorbent bed of said first stage and flowing a portion thereof to a second adsorbent bed of said first stage that has completed said evacuation phase and that has entered said helium pressurization phase, concurrently depressurizing a fourth adsorbent bed of said first stage and collecting a first effluent gas, flowing a second portion of said residue gas to said first adsorbent bed of said first stage upon the completion of said adsorption phase and the initiation of said recycle phase, flowing the effluent from said first adsorbent bed of said first stage during said recycle phase to a second adsorbent bed of said first stage upon the completion of said helium pressurization phase and that is to enter said adsorption phase to pressurize said second adsorbent bed of said first stage to about input gas stream pressure, concurrently evacuating a third adsorbent bed of said first stage that has completed said depressurization phase to remove said other gases therefrom and to collect a second effluent gas, flowing another portion of said gas enriched in helium to a second stage of pressure swing adsorption which consists of at least four interconnected adsorbent beds, each such adsorbent bed undergoing five phases for each complete cycle of pressure swing adsorption, said five phases comprising in sequence an adsorption phase, a depressurization phase, an evacuation phase, a purge phase and a helium pressurization phase, feeding said enriched helium gas from said first stage as a feed gas to a first adsorbent bed in said second stage and collecting three portions of a further enriched helium gas therefrom, concurrently depressurizing a fourth adsorbent bed of said second stage which has completed the production of said further enriched helium and which contains substantial amounts of said other gases, depressurizing and recovering an effluent second stage recycle gas from said fourth adsorbent bed of said second stage and pressurizing said second stage recycle gas to about the pressure of said feed gas to said second stage and flowing said second stage recycle gas to said first adsorbent bed of said second stage, concurrently reducing the pressure in a third adsorbent bed of said second stage to less than about ambient pressure and removing a portion of said other gases therefrom, concurrently flowing a first portion of further enriched helium from said first adsorbent bed of said second stage to a third adsorbent bed of said second stage which has completed said evacuation phase as a purge gas and further removing said other gases therefrom, concurrently flowing a second portion of said further enriched helium to a second adsorbent bed of said second stage to increase the pressure within such adsorbent bed, and flowing some of said other gases from said third adsorbent bed of said second stage to at least one of said first adsorbent bed in said first stage and the input gas to said membrane separation unit.
- 16. A method for the separation of a component gas from an input gas stream containing said component gas and other gases comprising feeding said input gas from a source to a membrane separation unit at an elevated pressure, flowing a residue gas stream from said membrane separation unit, flowing a permeate gas stream from said membrane separation unit to a pressure swing adsorption separation unit, and flowing a portion of said residue gas to said pressure swing adsorption unit for use in regenerating said pressure swing adsorption unit.
Specification