System and method for purging contaminants from a salt cavern
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for reducing a concentration of one or more contaminants in a salt cavern, comprising:
- introducing a purge fluid into an interior region of the salt cavern;
purging at least a portion of said one or more contaminants from the interior region of the salt cavern with the purge fluid, said one or contaminants comprising at least one of CO2, H2O, sulfur-containing compounds and THC; and
reducing the concentration of said one or more contaminants within the interior region of the salt cavern such that a hydrogen stream withdrawn from the salt cavern comprises at least one of the CO2, H2O, sulfur-containing compounds and total hydrocarbons (THCs) at a concentration that is at or below a product purity specification of the hydrogen stream withdrawn from the salt cavern.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A novel system and method for removing contaminants in a salt cavern is provided. A purge fluid is used to purge one or more contaminants from the cavern on a continuous or intermittent basis before or during operation of the cavern. The cavern can be cycled one or more times with purging operations to create a cleaner cavern less susceptible to contaminating stored hydrogen during the operational lifetime of the cavern.
56 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method for reducing a concentration of one or more contaminants in a salt cavern, comprising:
-
introducing a purge fluid into an interior region of the salt cavern; purging at least a portion of said one or more contaminants from the interior region of the salt cavern with the purge fluid, said one or contaminants comprising at least one of CO2, H2O, sulfur-containing compounds and THC; and reducing the concentration of said one or more contaminants within the interior region of the salt cavern such that a hydrogen stream withdrawn from the salt cavern comprises at least one of the CO2, H2O, sulfur-containing compounds and total hydrocarbons (THCs) at a concentration that is at or below a product purity specification of the hydrogen stream withdrawn from the salt cavern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for removing one or more contaminants from a salt cavern, comprising:
-
introducing fresh or unsaturated brine into the cavern; dissolving a portion of said one or more contaminants into the brine; removing hydrogen product from a hydrogen pipeline; compressing the hydrogen product to produce a compressed hydrogen product; introducing the compressed hydrogen product into the salt cavern; and displacing at least a portion of the brine comprising the portion of said one or more contaminants dissolved therein with the compressed hydrogen product to purge the portion of said one or contaminants from the cavern. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for reducing a concentration of one or more contaminants in a salt cavern, comprising:
-
introducing a purge fluid into an interior region of the salt cavern; purging at least a portion of said one or more contaminants from the interior region of the salt cavern with the purge fluid, said one or contaminants comprising at least one of CO2, H2O, sulfur-containing compounds and total hydrocarbons (THCs); and reducing the concentration of at least one of the CO2, H2O, sulfur-containing compounds and THCs within the interior region of the salt cavern (i) to not more than about 5 ppm CO2;
(ii) to not more than about 3000 ppm H2O;
(iii) to not more than about 2000 ppm sulfur-containing compounds; and
(iv) to not more than about 5% total hydrocarbons (THCs). - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification