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US 5,329,775 AGranted
Cryogenic helium production system
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsBrian C. Fiedler, James J. Maloney, James R. Handley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cryogenic helium production system wherein a feed which includes carbon dioxide is processed in a dual temperature system including an upstream higher temperature and higher pressure column or dephlegmator, thus eliminating the need for a separate non-cryogenic carbon dioxide removal step.
Claims16
A cryogenic rectification method for producing crude helium comprising:
- (A) cooling a feed comprising helium, hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide to a temperature sufficient to cool but not to freeze carbon dioxide in the feed;
- (B) passing cooled feed into a column and separating the feed within the column by cryogenic rectification into a helium-enriched fluid and a first residue fluid;
- (C) warming first residue fluid by indirect heat exchange with feed to cool the feed;
- (D) partially condensing helium-enriched fluid taken from the column to produce crude helium vapor and a second residue fluid;
- (E) warming second residue fluid by indirect heat exchange with partially condensing helium-enriched fluid;
- (F) condensing vapor from the column by indirect heat exchange with second residue fluid and providing resulting liquid to the column;
- and
- (G) recovering crude helium vapor as product crude helium.
5 more elements
Apparatus for producing crude helium comprising:
- (A) a higher temperature heat exchanger, a cryogenic rectification column having a condenser, and means for passing feed from the higher temperature heat exchanger into the cryogenic rectification column;
- (B) a lower temperature heat exchanger and means for passing fluid from the upper portion of the cryogenic rectification column to the lower temperature heat exchanger;
- (C) means for passing fluid from the lower portion of the cryogenic rectification column to the higher temperature heat exchanger;
- (D) a phase separator and means for passing fluid from the lower temperature heat exchanger to the phase separator;
- (E) means for passing fluid from the liquid side of the phase separator to the lower temperature heat exchanger;
- (F) means for passing fluid from the lower temperature heat exchanger to the condenser;
- and
- (G) means for recovering fluid taken from the vapor side of the phase separator.
5 more elements
A cryogenic separation method for producing crude helium comprising:
- (A) cooling a feed comprising helium, hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide to a temperature sufficient to cool but not to freeze carbon dioxide in the feed;
- (B) passing cooled feed into a separation system comprising a dephlegmator and separating the feed within the separation system into a helium-enriched fluid and a first residue fluid;
- (C) warming first residue fluid by indirect heat exchange with feed to cool the feed;
- (D) partially condensing helium-enriched fluid taken from the dephlegmator to produce crude helium vapor and a second residue fluid;
- (E) warming second residue fluid by indirect heat exchange with partially condensing helium-enriched fluid;
- (F) condensing vapor within the dephlegmator by indirect heat exchange with second residue fluid;
- and
- (G) recovering crude helium vapor as product crude helium.
5 more elements
Apparatus for producing crude helium comprising:
- (A) a higher temperature heat exchanger, a separation system comprising a dephlegmator, and means for passing feed from the higher temperature heat exchanger into the separation system;
- (B) a lower temperature heat exchanger and means for passing fluid from the dephlegmator to the lower temperature heat exchanger;
- (C) means for passing fluid from the separation system to the higher temperature heat exchanger;
- (D) a phase separator and means for passing fluid from the lower temperature heat exchanger to the phase separator;
- (E) means for passing fluid from the liquid side of the phase separator to the lower temperature heat exchanger;
- (F) means for passing fluid from the lower temperature heat exchanger to the dephlegmator;
- and
- (G) means for recovering fluid taken from the vapor side of the phase separator.
5 more elements
A cryogenic rectification method for producing crude helium comprising:
- (A) cooling a feed comprising helium, hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide to a temperature sufficient to cool but not to freeze carbon dioxide in the feed;
- (B) passing cooled feed into a column and separating the feed within the column by cryogenic rectification into a helium-enriched fluid and a first residue fluid;
- (C) warming first residue fluid by indirect heat exchange with feed to cool the feed;
- (D) partially condensing helium-enriched fluid taken from the column to produce crude helium vapor and a second residue fluid;
- (E) warming second residue fluid by indirect heat exchange with partially condensing helium-enriched fluid;
- (F) condensing vapor from the column by indirect heat exchange with second residue fluid and providing resulting liquid to the column;
- (G) recovering crude helium vapor as product crude helium;
- and
- (H) passing some first residue fluid in indirect heat exchange with the condensing vapor of step (F).
6 more elements
Apparatus for producing crude helium comprising:
- (A) a higher temperature heat exchanger, a cryogenic rectification column having a condenser, and means for passing feed from the higher temperature heat exchanger into the cryogenic rectification column;
- (B) a lower temperature heat exchanger and means for passing fluid from the upper portion of the cryogenic rectification column to the lower temperature heat exchanger;
- (C) means for passing fluid from the lower portion of the cryogenic rectification column to the higher temperature heat exchanger;
- (D) a phase separator and means for passing fluid from the lower temperature heat exchanger to the phase separator;
- (E) means for passing fluid from the liquid side of the phase separator to the lower temperature heat exchanger;
- (F) means for passing fluid from the lower temperature heat exchanger to the condenser;
- (G) means for recovering fluid taken from the vapor side of the phase separator;
- and
- (H) means for passing fluid from the lower portion of the column to the condenser.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.