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US 10,890,376 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for separating a synthesis gas
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsBertrand Demolliens, Antoine Hernandez, Jean-Marc Tsevery
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a method for separating a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, a synthesis gas flow from a synthesis gas source is compressed in a compressor and separated into at least three gaseous products. If there is insufficient synthesis gas, at least three separation products are recycled in the compressor in order to separate said products.
Claims12
A method for separating a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen wherein:
- i) compressing a synthesis gas flow originating from a synthesis gas source in a compressor;
- ii) purifying the compressed synthesis gas in a purification unit to remove water and/or carbon dioxide;
- iii) cooling the compressed purified synthesis gas flow;
- iv) separating the cooled synthesis gas flow in a separation unit by a separation process selected from the group consisting of scrubbing, distillation at a cryogenic temperature, adsorption, and combinations thereof,
- v) producing at least the following three gases in the separation unit:
- a carbon monoxide-enriched gas, a hydrogen-enriched gas, a residual gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen which contains less carbon monoxide than the carbon monoxide-enriched gas and less hydrogen than the hydrogen-enriched gas, and
- vi) determining that the synthesis gas flow passed to the compressor is below a threshold or zero, and then introducing at least a portion of at least two the gases selected from the group consisting of the carbon monoxide-enriched gas, the hydrogen-enriched gas, the residual gas, and combinations thereof, at a location downstream of the source and upstream of the purification unit,
- wherein at least a portion of at least each of the three gases from stage v) downstream of the source is introduced downstream of the source and upstream of the compressor only if the flow of synthesis gas is below the threshold, or if none of the flow of the synthesis gas comes from the source.
5 more elements
A method for separating a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of:
- i) compressing a synthesis gas flow originating from a synthesis gas source in a compressor;
- ii) purifying the compressed synthesis gas in a purification unit to remove water and/or carbon dioxide;
- iii) cooling the compressed purified synthesis gas flow;
- iv) separating the cooled synthesis gas flow in a separation unit by a separation process selected from the group consisting of scrubbing, distillation at a cryogenic temperature, adsorption, and combinations thereof;
- v) producing at least the following three gases in the separation unit:
- a carbon monoxide-enriched gas, a hydrogen-enriched gas, a residual gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen which contains less carbon monoxide than the carbon monoxide-enriched gas and less hydrogen than the hydrogen-enriched gas, and
- vi) determining that the synthesis gas flow passed to the compressor is below a threshold or zero, and then introducing at least a portion of at least two the gases selected from the group consisting of the carbon monoxide-enriched gas, the hydrogen-enriched gas, the residual gas, and combinations thereof, at a location downstream of the source and upstream of the purification unit,
- wherein a portion of the carbon monoxide-enriched gas is stored in a storage unit and the rest of the carbon monoxide-enriched gas is sent to a customer if the flow of synthesis gas is above the threshold and the carbon monoxide-enriched gas originating from the storage unit is sent to the customer if the flow of synthesis gas is below the threshold.
5 more elements
A method for separating a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of:
- i) compressing a synthesis gas flow originating from a synthesis gas source in a compressor;
- ii) purifying the compressed synthesis gas in a purification unit to remove water and/or carbon dioxide;
- iii) cooling the compressed purified synthesis gas flow;
- iv) separating the cooled synthesis gas flow in a separation unit by a separation process selected from the group consisting of scrubbing, distillation at a cryogenic temperature, adsorption, and combinations thereof;
- v) producing at least the following three gases in the separation unit:
- a carbon monoxide-enriched gas, a hydrogen-enriched gas, a residual gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen which contains less carbon monoxide than the carbon monoxide-enriched gas and less hydrogen than the hydrogen-enriched gas, and
- determining that the synthesis gas flow passed to the compressor is below a threshold or zero, and then introducing at least a portion of at least two the gases selected from the group consisting of the carbon monoxide-enriched gas, the hydrogen-enriched gas, the residual gas, and combinations thereof, at a location downstream of the source and upstream of the purification unit,
- wherein if the flow of synthesis gas is above the threshold, a portion of the synthesis gas is stored in a storage unit and if the flow of synthesis gas is below the threshold, the synthesis gas is passed from the storage unit to the compressor.
5 more elements
A method for separating a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of:
- i) compressing a synthesis gas flow originating from a synthesis gas source in a compressor;
- ii) purifying the compressed synthesis gas in a purification unit to remove water and/or carbon dioxide;
- iii) cooling the compressed purified synthesis gas flow;
- iv) separating the cooled synthesis gas flow in a separation unit by a separation process selected from the group consisting of scrubbing distillation at a cryogenic temperature, adsorption, and combinations thereof;
- v) producing at least the following three gases in the separation unit;
- a carbon monoxide-enriched gas, a hydrogen-enriched gas, a residual gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen which contains less carbon monoxide than the carbon monoxide-enriched gas and less hydrogen than the hydrogen-enriched gas, and
- vi) determining that the synthesis gas flow passed to the compressor is below a threshold or zero, and then introducing at least a portion of at least two the gases selected from the group consisting of the carbon monoxide-enriched gas, the hydrogen-enriched gas, the residual gas, and combinations thereof, at a location downstream of the source and upstream of the purification unit,
- wherein the carbon monoxide-enriched gas is compressed in a product compressor and passed to the customer and, if the flow of synthesis gas is below the threshold and the carbon monoxide-enriched gas flow which has to be compressed is below another threshold, nitrogen gas is passed to the product compressor to be compressed with the carbon monoxide-enriched gas.
5 more elements
A method for separating a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of:
- i) compressing a synthesis gas flow originating from a synthesis gas source in a compressor;
- ii) purifying the compressed synthesis gas in a purification unit to remove water and/or carbon dioxide;
- iii) cooling the compressed purified synthesis gas flow;
- iv) separating the cooled synthesis gas flow in a separation unit by a separation process selected from the group consisting of scrubbing, distillation at a cryogenic temperature, adsorption, and combinations thereof;
- v) producing at least the following three gases in the separation unit:
- a carbon monoxide-enriched gas, a hydrogen-enriched gas, a residual gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen which contains less carbon monoxide than the carbon monoxide-enriched gas and less hydrogen than the hydrogen-enriched gas, and
- vi) determining that the synthesis gas flow passed to the compressor is below a threshold or zero, and then introducing at least a portion of at least two the gases selected from the group consisting of the carbon monoxide-enriched gas, the hydrogen-enriched gas, the residual gas, and combinations thereof, at a location downstream of the source and upstream of the purification unit,
- wherein the carbon monoxide-enriched gas is compressed in a product compressor, then divided into two, a compressed portion serving as product and a compressed portion being recycled downstream of the source and/or the hydrogen-enriched gas is compressed in a product compressor, then divided into two, a compressed portion serving as product and a compressed portion being recycled downstream of the source.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.