Hydrogen supply method and system
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for supplying additional hydrogen to a hydrogen pipeline from a salt cavern to assist in meeting customer demand for hydrogen, said method comprising:
- removing a crude hydrogen stream from the salt cavern at a first flow rate that will assist in meeting the customer demand, the crude hydrogen stream containing contaminants imparted by the salt cavern such that the crude hydrogen stream contains at least one of the contaminants at a level higher than that allowed by a product purity specification of the hydrogen in the pipeline;
withdrawing a portion of hydrogen from the hydrogen contained in the pipeline to form a hydrogen dilution stream when supply is less than demand, the hydrogen dilution stream containing each of the contaminants at a concentration less than that of the product purity specification;
mixing the hydrogen dilution stream with the crude hydrogen stream to dilute the crude hydrogen stream and thereby form a hydrogen product stream having lower levels of the contaminants than the crude hydrogen stream;
controlling a second flow rate of the hydrogen dilution stream such that the contaminants are present in the hydrogen product stream at or below the product purity specification; and
introducing at least part of the hydrogen product stream into the pipeline to supply the additional hydrogen to the pipeline.
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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.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for supplying additional hydrogen to a hydrogen pipeline from a salt cavern to assist in meeting customer demand for hydrogen, said method comprising:
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removing a crude hydrogen stream from the salt cavern at a first flow rate that will assist in meeting the customer demand, the crude hydrogen stream containing contaminants imparted by the salt cavern such that the crude hydrogen stream contains at least one of the contaminants at a level higher than that allowed by a product purity specification of the hydrogen in the pipeline; withdrawing a portion of hydrogen from the hydrogen contained in the pipeline to form a hydrogen dilution stream when supply is less than demand, the hydrogen dilution stream containing each of the contaminants at a concentration less than that of the product purity specification; mixing the hydrogen dilution stream with the crude hydrogen stream to dilute the crude hydrogen stream and thereby form a hydrogen product stream having lower levels of the contaminants than the crude hydrogen stream; controlling a second flow rate of the hydrogen dilution stream such that the contaminants are present in the hydrogen product stream at or below the product purity specification; and introducing at least part of the hydrogen product stream into the pipeline to supply the additional hydrogen to the pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for supplying additional hydrogen from a salt cavern to assist in meeting customer demand for hydrogen, said method comprising:
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removing a crude hydrogen stream from the salt cavern at a first flow rate that will assist in meeting the customer demand, the crude hydrogen stream containing contaminants imparted by the salt cavern such that the crude hydrogen stream contains at least one of the contaminants at a level higher than that allowed by a product purity specification of the hydrogen; withdrawing a portion of hydrogen from hydrogen contained in a pipeline to form a hydrogen dilution stream when supply is less than demand, the hydrogen dilution stream containing each of the contaminants at a concentration less than that of the product purity specification; mixing the hydrogen dilution stream with the crude hydrogen stream to dilute the crude hydrogen stream and thereby form a hydrogen product stream having lower levels of the contaminants than the crude hydrogen stream; and controlling a second flow rate of the hydrogen dilution stream such that the contaminants are present in the hydrogen product stream at or below the product purity specification.
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Specification