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US 4,732,583 AGranted
Gas separation
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorsBradley W. DeLong, Jeffrey R. Burkinshaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
By incorporating a gas permeable membrane into a hydrogen purification process at the front end of the cryogenic unit, the low purity hydrogen can be made into a high purity stream and a low purity stream. The critical pressure of the low purity stream is such that the low purity stream can be purified cryogenically without depressurization.
Claims12
A process for separating a gas stream containing a high concentration of hydrogen gas from a high-pressure first gas stream containing a low concentration of hydrogen gas, said process comprising:
- (a) introducing the high-pressure first gas stream into a separation zone containing a membrane which is selectively permeable to hydrogen and divides said separation zone into a high-pressure first chamber and a low pressure second chamber, wherein the first gas stream is introduced into the first chamber;
- (b) withdrawing low-pressure high purity hydrogen gas permeate from the second chamber;
- (c) withdrawing a second gas stream from the first chamber which has a lower concentration of hydrogen gas than the first gas stream, and is at a lower pressure than the first gas stream;
- (d) cooling the second gas stream sufficiently to condense substantially all condensable components in the second gas stream and provide a high purity hydrogen third gas stream.
1 more element
Apparatus comprising:
- (a) a source of hydrogen containing gas;
- (b) a separator having a first chamber and a second chamber separated by a membrane which is selectively permeable to hydrogen;
- (c) a conduit means connecting the source of hydrogen containing gas with the first chamber of the separator;
- (d) a conduit means connected to the second chamber for withdrawing hydrogen therefrom;
- (e) a cooler;
- (f) a source of coolant connected to the cooler;
- (g) a conduit means connected to the first chamber for withdrawing hydrogen depleted gas from the first chamber and conveying said hydrogen depleted gas through the cooler;
- (h) a means for phase separating a hydrogen rich gas from a hydrogen depleted liquid;
- (i) a conduit means connecting the cooler with the means for phase separating for conveying the hydrogen depleted liquid from the cooler to the means for phase separating.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.