Methods and systems for helium recovery
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorMohamed Safdar Allie Baksh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to processes and systems for recovering helium from low helium-containing feed gases (i.e., containing less than about 10 volume % helium and more typically, less than about 5% helium by volume). The present invention more particularly relates to processes and systems for recovering helium from low helium-containing feed gases using temperature swing adsorption (TSA) systems and multiple (e.g. two) stage vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) systems. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the first stage VPSA system is configured to provide regeneration gas for the TSA system, and/or the VPSA second stage tail gas is recycled to the first stage VPSA system.
Claims19
A system for helium recovery, the system comprising:
- a temperature swing adsorption system configured to receive a helium-containing feed gas and configured to produce a helium-containing pretreated feed gas;
- a stage one pressure swing adsorption system configured to receive the helium-containing pretreated feed gas and configured to produce a stage one helium-containing purified feed gas and a stage one tail gas;
- and
- a stage two pressure swing adsorption system configured to receive the stage one helium-containing purified feed gas and configured to produce a helium-containing product stream and a stage two tail gas,
- wherein the temperature swing adsorption system is further configured to receive at least a portion of the stage one tail gas.
A system for hydrogen recovery, the system comprising:
- a temperature swing adsorption system configured to receive a hydrogen-containing feed gas and configured to produce a hydrogen-containing pretreated feed gas;
- a stage one pressure swing adsorption system configured to receive the hydrogen-containing pretreated feed gas and configured to produce a stage one hydrogen-containing purified feed gas and a stage one tail gas;
- and
- a stage two pressure swing adsorption system configured to receive the stage one hydrogen-containing purified feed gas and configured to produce a hydrogen-containing product stream and a stage two tail gas,
- wherein the temperature swing adsorption system is further configured to receive at least a portion of the stage one tail gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.