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US 5,787,730 AGranted
Thermal swing helium purifier and process
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsCarl Joseph Heim, James Joseph Maloney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and a system for producing helium from a helium-bearing feed gas that is purified in a cryogenic processing unit to produce cryogenic crude helium containing at least 10% helium. The cryogenic crude helium is directly introduced into a thermal swing helium refinery where it is refined. Refrigeration is supplied to the refinery by the cryogenic crude helium from the cryogenic processing unit.
Claims19
A process for producing helium comprising:
- purifying a helium-bearing feed gas in a cryogenic processing unit to produce cryogenic crude helium comprising at least 10% helium;
- providing said cryogenic crude helium directly to a thermal swing helium refinery;
- providing refrigeration for said thermal swing helium refinery by said cryogenic processing unit;
- and
- refining said crude helium in said thermal swing helium refinery at cryogenic temperature to produce refined helium.
2 more elements
A system for producing helium comprising:
- a cryogenic processing unit for purifying a helium-bearing feed gas to produce cryogenic crude helium comprising at least 10% helium;
- a thermal swing helium refinery unit for refining said cryogenic crude helium to produce refined helium, said thermal swing helium refinery unit having a precooling zone, an adsorption zone, and a desorption zone;
- a first conduit for providing cryogenic crude helium from the cryogenic processing unit to the adsorption zone of the thermal swing helium refinery unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.