Separation process and apparatus for light noble gas
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsCory E. Sanderson, Jason Michael Ploeger, Jin Cao, Donald E. Henry, Edward Landis Weist, Jr., Jeffrey Raymond Hufton, Paul Anthony Novosat
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Abstract
Process and apparatus for producing helium, neon, or argon product gas using an adsorption separation unit having minimal dead end volumes. A second separation unit receives a stream enriched in helium, neon, or argon, and a stream is recycled from the second separation unit back to the adsorption separation unit in a controlled manner to maintain the concentration of the helium, neon, or argon in the feed to the separation unit within a targeted range.
Claims20
An apparatus for producing a light noble gas product from a feed gas comprising a light noble gas and at least one other gaseous component, the light noble gas selected from the group consisting of helium, and neon, the apparatus comprising:
- an adsorption separation unit, wherein the adsorption separation unit comprises
- a plurality of vessels each containing a bed of adsorbent;
- a feed gas header in selective fluid communication with each of the plurality of vessels;
- a product gas header in selective fluid communication with each of the plurality of vessels;
- a tail gas header in selective fluid communication with each of the plurality of vessels;
- process gas transfer lines operatively connecting the plurality of vessels to the feed gas header, the product gas header, and the tail gas header;
- each vessel of the plurality of vessels having process gas transfer lines associated therewith;
- a plurality of valves in the process gas transfer lines including a plurality of valves adjacent and associated with each respective vessel;
- wherein the adsorption separation unit has a central volume of process gas transfer lines associated with each of the respective vessels, Vc;
- wherein the central volume for each respective vessel is the sum of
- (i) the volume contained in the process gas transfer lines associated with the respective vessel connecting the respective vessel to each valve adjacent the respective vessel,
- (ii) all dead-end volumes, if any, connected at a junction to the respective vessel, and
- (iii) all dead-end volumes, if any, connected at a junction to any of the process gas transfer lines associated with the respective vessel that connect the respective vessel to any valve adjacent the respective vessel;
- wherein the central volume for each respective vessel includes a secondary volume, V2, where the secondary volume is the sum of
- (i) the volume of all dead-end volumes, if any, connected to the respective vessel;
- (ii) the volume of all dead-end volumes, if any, connected at a junction to any of the process gas transfer lines associated with the respective vessel that connect the respective vessel to any valve adjacent the respective vessel, and
- (iii) the volume of any process gas transfer lines, if any, having a first end terminating in a valve adjacent the respective vessel that is configured to permit transfer of process gas to the tail gas header when open and having a second end terminating at a junction to any other of the associated process gas transfer lines that connect the respective vessel to any other valve adjacent the respective vessel;
- and
- wherein the secondary volume V2 is less than 5% of the central volume Vc for each vessel.
A process for separating a feed gas stream comprising a light noble gas and at least one other gaseous component into a light noble gas-rich stream and a light noble gas-lean stream, the light noble gas selected from the group consisting of helium, and neon, the process comprising:
- combining the feed gas stream with a second gas stream to form a combined gas stream, the second gas stream having higher light noble gas content than the feed gas stream, the second gas stream having a flow rate that is regulated;
- separating a first separation unit feed gas stream in an adsorption separation unit to produce a light noble gas-enriched stream and the light noble gas-lean stream, wherein the first separation unit feed gas stream comprises at least a portion of the combined gas stream;
- and
- separating a second separation unit feed gas stream in a second separation unit to produce the light noble gas-rich stream and a light noble gas-depleted stream, wherein said second separation unit feed gas stream comprises at least a portion of the light noble gas-enriched stream from the adsorption separation unit;
- wherein the flow rate of the light noble gas in the second gas stream is controlled responsive to a measure of the light noble gas content in at least one of the feed gas stream, the combined gas stream, or the first separation unit feed gas stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.