HELIUM RECOVERY FROM GASEOUS STREAMS

• Main Authors: Rithauddeen, Megat A, Hamad, Feras, Vaidya, Milind, Duval, Sebastien A, Abang, Taib
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.02.2021
• Subjects: ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE ORUNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; FIRELIGHTERS; FUELS; FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; LUBRICANTS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT; NATURAL GAS; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; SEPARATION; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

Recovering helium from a gaseous stream includes contacting an acid gas removal membrane with a gaseous stream to yield a permeate stream and a residual stream, removing a majority of the acid gas from the residual stream to yield a first acid gas stream and a helium depleted clean gas stream, removing a majority of the acid gas from the permeate stream to yield a second acid gas stream and a helium rich stream, and removing helium from the helium rich stream to yield a helium product stream and a helium depleted stream. A helium removal system for removing helium from a gaseous stream including hydrocarbon gas, acid gas, and helium includes a first processing zone including a first acid gas removal unit, a second processing zone including a second acid gas removal unit, a third processing zone, and a helium purification unit.