Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen; Reversible storage of hydrogen
  • C01B3/50—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification
  • C01B3/56—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/02—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography
  • B01D53/04—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography with stationary adsorbents
  • B01D53/047—Pressure swing adsorption
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2253/00—Adsorbents used in seperation treatment of gases and vapours
  • B01D2253/10—Inorganic adsorbents
  • B01D2253/102—Carbon
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2253/00—Adsorbents used in seperation treatment of gases and vapours
  • B01D2253/10—Inorganic adsorbents
  • B01D2253/106—Silica or silicates
  • B01D2253/108—Zeolites
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2256/00—Main component in the product gas stream after treatment
  • B01D2256/16—Hydrogen
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2257/00—Components to be removed
  • B01D2257/10—Single element gases other than halogens
  • B01D2257/108—Hydrogen
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2259/00—Type of treatment
  • B01D2259/40—Further details for adsorption processes and devices
  • B01D2259/404—Further details for adsorption processes and devices using four beds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B2203/00—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas
  • C01B2203/04—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas containing a purification step for the hydrogen or the synthesis gas
  • C01B2203/042—Purification by adsorption on solids

Definitions

• the present invention relates to processes for the production / purification of hydrogen by pressure variation adsorption in a PSA unit of a feed gas at a first pressure containing hydrogen with the sending of compressed waste in a distribution network of the mixture gaseous fuel at a second pressure and also containing hydrogen and intended to supply various user stations on or near the site.
• the hydrogen is produced, except for the pressure drops, at the high pressure of the feed gas, the PSA residue being generally removed in low pressure in a distribution network of combustible gas mixture (known as a “fuel gas network”) present on large industrial sites and conveying mixtures of hydrocarbon and hydrogen medium pressure from various purges and intended to be burned, in particular in a boiler to produce steam.
• a fuel gas network combustible gas mixture
• PSA units have the defect of being limited in extraction efficiency, which means that a non-negligible part of the hydrogen in the feed gas is lost in the waste and in the fuel gas mixture network.
• a second approach for improving the yield consists in reducing the regeneration pressure by extracting the waste under a reduced pressure slightly higher than atmospheric pressure, the yield then being able to reach, at the cost of adding a compressor, values of l 'around 90%.
• the object of the present invention is to provide an improved hydrogen production process which makes it possible, without significant additional costs, to obtain yields greater than 95%, reaching or even exceeding 100%.
• the process according to the invention comprises further the step of taking a fraction of combustible gas mixture from the distribution network, compressing it substantially to the pressure of the feed gas and injecting it as additional feed gas into the PSA unit, for example as a mixture in the charge gas.
• the present invention also relates to an installation for implementing this method, comprising: - at least one feed gas supply pipe; - at least one line of a distribution network of combustible gas mixture; - at least one PSA unit for gas separation by adsorption having an inlet connected to the feed gas line, a production gas outlet and at least one waste gas outlet; - a first compressor connecting the waste gas outlet to the fuel gas mixture line; and a second compressor connecting the line of compressible gas mixture to the inlet of the PSA unit, typically to the feed gas line.
• the first and second compressors use common sub-assemblies and constitute, for example, different stages of compression on a common line of shafts.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an installation for implementing the method according to the invention.
• a PSA unit for producing hydrogen by pressure variation adsorption 1 comprising at least four adsorbers each containing at least one adsorbent capable of separating hydrogen from a gaseous mixture containing hydrogen, typically an activated carbon and / or a zeolite.
• the PSA unit 1 has an inlet 2 receiving a high pressure feed gas, typically between 15 and 45 bars, in a pipe 3 coming for example from a catalytic reforming unit and containing at least 60%, advantageously at least 70 % hydrogen.
• the PSA unit 1 has an outlet 4 for supplying a supply line 5, at substantially the same pressure as the high-purity hydrogen feed gas to user stations 6 on the site.
• the PSA unit 1 includes at least one waste gas outlet 7, depleted in hydrogen, conveyed, via a pipe 8 incorporating an extraction compressor 9, to a line 10 conveying on the site a combustible gas mixture intended to supply other user stations, typically burners 11 for heating active or passive elements of the industrial site, and containing at least 30%, advantageously between 35 and 50% of hydrogen.
• the waste gas is extracted, at outlet 7, at a low pressure, of the order of 1.1 to 2 bars, and is compressed, by the compressor 9 to the pressure prevailing in line 10, typically between 3 and 8 bars.
• a pipe 12 incorporating a compressor 13 connects a point of the line 10 upstream of the connection area of the line 10 with the pipe 8 to the feed gas supply pipe 3, the compressor 13 bringing the fraction of the flow of combustible gas mixture sampled in line 10 to the high pressure of line 3 to reinject into the feed gas an additional quantity of hydrogen available in the combustible gas mixture.
• the compressors 9 and 13 are arranged to pool certain subassemblies, for example a common oil power station, a common refrigeration system, or even a common drive system, as illustrated by line 14 in the figure.
• the two compressors 9 and 13 are grouped together in a single machine with one or more stages dedicated to each of the compressors, said stages possibly being pistons, wheels, screws.
• stages possibly being pistons, wheels, screws.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Hydrogen, Water And Hydrids (AREA)
• Separation Of Gases By Adsorption (AREA)
• Solid-Sorbent Or Filter-Aiding Compositions (AREA)
• Pipeline Systems (AREA)

Priority Applications (8)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Families Citing this family (14)

Citations (3)

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• 2003
  • 2003-07-24 FR FR0350368A patent/FR2857884B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2004
  • 2004-06-28 WO PCT/FR2004/050294 patent/WO2005009591A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2004-06-28 DE DE602004026594T patent/DE602004026594D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-06-28 CN CNB2004800213572A patent/CN100420507C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-06-28 CA CA2533383A patent/CA2533383C/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-06-28 JP JP2006520870A patent/JP5101882B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-06-28 BR BRPI0412791-9A patent/BRPI0412791A/pt active Search and Examination
  • 2004-06-28 EP EP04767856A patent/EP1654050B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-06-28 US US10/562,603 patent/US7628843B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-06-28 AT AT04767856T patent/ATE464113T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-06-28 ES ES04767856T patent/ES2343804T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-06-28 MX MXPA06000755A patent/MXPA06000755A/es active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (3)

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