Carbon monoxide production process
AssigneeThe BOC Group, Inc.
InventorGraeme John Dunn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides for a process for producing carbon monoxide. A feed gas stream of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide is directed to a membrane unit which separates the feed gas stream into two streams. The stream containing carbon monoxide is directed to second membrane unit for further purification and the steam containing the carbon dioxide and hydrogen is fed to a reverse shift reactor to produce more carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide recovered from the reverse shift reactor is purified in a third membrane unit and directed back to the first membrane unit and is further purified and recovered as additional carbon monoxide product.
Claims12
An improved process for producing carbon monoxide from a monolith reactor comprising the steps:
- a) directing a feed gas mixture to said monolith reactor;
- b) directing a first product gas from said monolith reactor comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a first membrane unit;
- c) separating said carbon monoxide from said first product gas in said first membrane unit;
- d) directing said carbon monoxide to a second membrane unit;
- e) directing the carbon dioxide and hydrogen from said first membrane unit to a reverse shift reactor;
- f) directing a second product gas from said reverse shift reactor comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a third membrane unit;
- g) separating the carbon monoxide from the carbon dioxide and hydrogen in said third membrane unit;
- h) feeding the carbon monoxide rich stream recovered from said third membrane unit to said first membrane unit for further purification;
- i) directing the carbon dioxide and hydrogen from said third membrane unit to said reverse shift reactor;
- and
- j) recovering the carbon monoxide from step c.
An improved process for purifying carbon monoxide comprising the steps:
- a) directing a gas stream comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a first membrane unit;
- b) separating said carbon monoxide from said carbon dioxide and hydrogen in said first membrane unit;
- c) directing said carbon monoxide to a second membrane unit, wherein impurities are removed from said carbon monoxide;
- d) directing said carbon dioxide and hydrogen from said first membrane unit to a reverse shift reactor;
- e) directing a product gas from the reverse shift reactor comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a third membrane unit;
- e) separating the carbon monoxide from said product gas in said third membrane unit;
- f) feeding the carbon monoxide rich stream recovered from said third membrane unit to said first membrane unit for further purification;
- g) directing the carbon dioxide and hydrogen from said third membrane unit to said reverse shift reactor;
- and
- h) recovering said carbon monoxide from step c.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.