Cryogenic gas separator

A method, comprising:

• providing a cryogenic cell including
• an inlet,
• a first vessel containing a first cryogen, the first vessel maintaining the first cryogen in a cryogenic condition,
• a space in selective, partial thermal communication with the first vessel, the space being at least substantially airtight and adapted to be filled or evacuated with a compressible fluid that (1) increases or decreases thermal communication with the first vessel in accordance with a pressure of the compressible fluid within the space, and (2) places contents of the space under the pressure of the compressible fluid, the cryogenic cell having a temperature setpoint and a pressure setpoint that are related to the pressure of the compressible fluid within the space,
• a conduit connected to the inlet, at least a portion of the conduit lying within the space such that the conduit does not make physical contact with the first vessel, and
• an outlet connected to the conduit;
• circulating a gas stream through the conduit of the cryogenic cell with the temperature setpoint and the pressure setpoint of the cryogenic cell set such that at least one component of the gas stream will undergo a phase change, creating a mixed-phase gas stream;
• and
• separating the phase-changed component from the mixed-phase gas stream to create a component-stripped gas stream.

An apparatus comprising:

• a first stage, including
• a first-stage input adapted to accept a raw gas stream,
• a first-stage manifold connected to the first-stage input,
• a first-stage cryogenic cell adapted to place the raw gas stream under defined temperature and pressure conditions so as to cause a component of the raw gas stream to change phase, creating a mixed stream,
• a first-stage separator adapted to accept the mixed stream containing gas and the phase-changed component and to separate the phase-changed component from the mixed stream, creating a component-stripped gas stream,
• a first-stage component detector adapted to measure a quantity of the component in the component-stripped gas stream,
• a first-stage, multi-way valve coupled to at least (1) an output of the first stage separator, (2) the first-stage manifold, and (3) a second-stage input, and
• a controller that controls the first-stage multi-way valve in accordance with the measured quantity of the component in the component-stripped gas stream, such that the first-stage, multi-way valve is opened to the first-stage manifold when the measured quantity of the component in the component-stripped gas stream is greater than a predefined threshold and the first-stage, multi-way valve is opened to the second-stage input when the measured quantity of the component in the component-stripped gas stream is less than a predefined threshold;
• and
• a second stage, including
• a second-stage cryogenic cell in fluid communication with the second-stage input and adapted to place the component-stripped gas stream under second defined temperature and pressure conditions so as to cause a second component of the component-stripped gas stream to change phase, creating a second mixed stream, the second defined temperature and pressure conditions being different from the defined temperature and pressure conditions of the first-stage cryogenic cell, and
• a second-stage separator adapted to accept the second mixed stream containing gas and the phase-changed second component and to separate the phase-changed second component from the second mixed stream, creating a second component-stripped gas stream.