Process for separating nitrogen from methane using microchannel process technology

A process for separating methane or nitrogen from a fluid mixture comprising methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the fluid mixture into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the fluid mixture being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane or nitrogen is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing the methane or nitrogen from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane or nitrogen from the microchannel separator;
• wherein the process microchannels are at a first average sorbent temperature during step (A) and a second average sorbent temperature during step (B), the first temperature being higher than the second temperature.

A process for separating methane or nitrogen from a fluid mixture comprising methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the fluid mixture into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the fluid mixture being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane or nitrogen is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing the methane or nitrogen from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane or nitrogen from the microchannel separator;
• wherein the process microchannels exchange heat with heat exchange channels, fluid flowing through the process microchannels flows in a first direction, and a heat exchange fluid flows through the heat exchange channels in a second direction, the second direction being cocurrent relative to the first direction.

A process for separating methane or nitrogen from a fluid mixture comprising methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the fluid mixture into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the fluid mixture being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane or nitrogen is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing the methane or nitrogen from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane or nitrogen from the microchannel separator;
• wherein the sorption medium is in the form of a flow-by structure with an adjacent gap, a foam with an adjacent gap, a fin assembly with gaps, a washcoat on an inserted substrate, or a gauze that is parallel to the flow direction with a corresponding gap for flow.

A process for separating methane or nitrogen from a fluid mixture comprising methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the fluid mixture into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the fluid mixture being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane or nitrogen is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing the methane or nitrogen from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane or nitrogen from the microchannel separator;
• wherein the sorption medium is derived from Fe(II), Co(II), Cu(I), V(II), Mn(II), Mn(III), Cr(II), Ag(I), Rh(I), Rh(II), Rh(III), U(IV), V(IV), Ru(II), Ru(IV), Ti(III), Cr(IV), Bi(III), Ni(II), W(V), W(IV), Mo(II), Mo(III), Mo(IV), Mo(V), Mo(VI), or a combination of two or more thereof.

A process for separating methane or nitrogen from a fluid mixture comprising methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the fluid mixture into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the fluid mixture being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane or nitrogen is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing the methane or nitrogen from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane or nitrogen from the microchannel separator;
• wherein the sorption medium is derived from:
• dipyridyl;
• 2,6-[1-(2-imidazol-4-ylethylimino) ethyl pyridine];
• cyclen;
• cyclam;
• a Schiff base ligand;
• acetyl acetonate or an oligomer or polymer thereof;
• a carboxylate;
• bipyridyl or an oligomer or polymer thereof;
• a porphyrin or an oligomer or polymer thereof;
• a corin or an oligomer or polymer thereof;
• a polyamide;
• a protein;
• 8-hydroxy quinoline or an oligomer or polymer thereof;
• ethyl cysteinate or an oligomer or polymer thereof;
• an N-alkyl alkanohydroxamic acid;
• dimethyiglyoxime;
• sym-diethylethylenediamine;
• or a combination of two or more thereof.

A process for separating methane or nitrogen from a fluid mixture comprising methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the fluid mixture into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the fluid mixture being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane or nitrogen is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing the methane or nitrogen from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane or nitrogen from the microchannel separator;
• wherein the sorption medium comprises silica gel, foamed copper, sintered stainless steel fiber, alumina, poly(methyl methacrylate), polysulfonate, poly(tetrafluoroethylene), iron, nickel sponge, nylon, polyvinylidene difluoride, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene ethylketone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylate, polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, polybutylene, or a combination of two or more thereof.

A process for upgrading sub-quality methane gas wherein the sub-quality methane gas comprises methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the sub-quality methane gas into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the sub-quality methane gas being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the sub-quality methane gas from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing the methane from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane from the microchannel separator;
• wherein the sub-quality methane gas further comprises water vapor and the water vapor is separated from the sub-quality methane gas prior to step (A).

A process for upgrading sub-quality methane gas wherein the sub-quality methane gas comprises methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the sub-quality methane gas into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the sub-quality methane gas being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the sub-quality methane gas from the microchannel separator;
• and
• (B) desorbing the methane from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane from the microchannel separator;
• wherein the sub-quality methane gas further comprises oxygen and/or carbon dioxide and the oxygen and/or carbon dioxide is separated from the sub-quality methane gas subsequent to step (B).

A process for separating methane or nitrogen from a fluid mixture comprising methane and nitrogen, the process comprising:

• (A) flowing the fluid mixture into a microchannel separator, the microchannel separator comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing a sorption medium, the sorption medium having a preferential affinity for sorbing methane over nitrogen, the fluid mixture being maintained in the microchannel separator until at least part of the methane is sorbed by the sorption medium, and removing non-sorbed parts of the fluid mixture from the microchannel separator;
• (B) desorbing the methane from the sorption medium and removing the desorbed methane from the microchannel separator;
• and
• wherein the sorption medium is in the form of particulate solids which are mixed with heat conductive particulate solids to increase the thermal conductivity of the sorption medium.