Production of carbon monoxide-free hydrogen and helium from a high-purity source
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsTimothy Christopher Golden, Thomas Stephen Farris
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Abstract
The invention provides vacuum swing adsorption processes that produce an essentially carbon monoxide-free hydrogen or helium gas stream from, respectively, a high-purity (e.g., pipeline grade) hydrogen or helium gas stream using one or two adsorber beds. By using physical adsorbents with high heats of nitrogen adsorption, intermediate heats of carbon monoxide adsorption, and low heats of hydrogen and helium adsorption, and by using vacuum purging and high feed stream pressures (e.g., pressures of as high as around 1,000 bar), pipeline grade hydrogen or helium can purified to produce essentially carbon monoxide -free hydrogen and helium, or carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and methane-free hydrogen and helium.
Claims36
A process for generating an essentially carbon monoxide-free hydrogen gas stream, the process comprising:
- (a) (i) feeding a high-purity hydrogen gas feed stream for around 30 minutes or more through a first of two adsorbers that are fluidly connected in parallel or in series and that are each packed with an adsorbent consisting of a zeolite which is cation exchanged with a metal other than a transition metal and which contains less than about 0.5% by weight of a transition metal, and (ii) recovering a first essentially carbon monoxide-free hydrogen gas stream from the first adsorber;
- (b) thereafter purging the first adsorber by (1) depressurizing it to less than atmospheric pressure, and by (2) (i) recycling a portion of the first essentially carbon monoxide-free hydrogen gas stream through the first adsorber, and/or (ii) feeding an inert gas stream through the first adsorber;
- and
- (c) as the first adsorber is purged, feeding a second portion of the high-purity hydrogen gas feed stream for around 30 minutes or more through the second of the two adsorbers and recovering a second essentially carbon monoxide-free hydrogen gas stream from the second adsorber.
A process for generating an essentially carbon monoxide-free hydrogen gas stream, the process comprising:
- (a) (i) feeding a high-purity hydrogen gas feed stream for around 30 minutes or more through an adsorber that is packed with an adsorbent consisting of a zeolite which is cation exchanged with a metal other than a transition metal and which contains less than about 0.5% by weight of a transition metal, and (ii) recovering an essentially carbon monoxide-free hydrogen gas stream from the adsorber;
- and
- (b) thereafter purging the adsorber by (1) depressurizing it to less than atmospheric pressure, and by (2) (i) recycling a portion of the essentially carbon monoxide-free hydrogen gas stream through the adsorber, and/or (ii) feeding an inert gas stream through the first adsorber.
A process for generating an essentially carbon monoxide-free helium gas stream, the process comprising:
- (a) (i) feeding a high-purity helium gas feed stream for around 30 minutes or more through a first of two adsorbers that are fluidly connected in parallel or in series and that are each packed with an adsorbent consisting of a zeolite which is cation exchanged with a metal other than a transition metal and which contains less than about 0.5% by weight of a transition metal, and (ii) recovering a first essentially carbon monoxide-free helium gas stream from the first adsorber;
- (b) thereafter purging the first adsorber by (1) depressurizing it to less than atmospheric pressure, and by (2) (i) recycling a portion of the first essentially carbon monoxide-free helium gas stream through the first adsorber, and/or (ii) feeding an inert gas stream through the first adsorber;
- and
- (c) as the first adsorber is purged, feeding a second portion of the high-purity helium gas feed stream for around 30 minutes or more through the second of the two adsorbers and recovering a second essentially carbon monoxide-free helium gas stream from the second adsorber.
The process for generating an essentially carbon monoxide-free helium gas stream, the process comprising:
- (a) (i) feeding a high-purity helium gas feed stream for around 30 minutes or more through an adsorber that is packed with an adsorbent consisting of a zeolite which is cation exchanged with a metal other than a transition metal and which contains less than about 0.5% by weight of a transition metal, and (ii) recovering an essentially carbon monoxide-free helium gas stream from the adsorber;
- and
- (b) thereafter purging the adsorber by (1) depressurizing it to less than atmospheric pressure, and by (2) (i) recycling a portion of the essentially carbon monoxide-free helium gas stream through the adsorber, and/or (ii) feeding an inert gas stream through the first adsorber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.