US 11,986,770 B2
Method and arrangement for recovering a helium product from natural gas by membrane unit
Martin Bauer, Munich (DE); and Konstantinos Rallis, Munich (DE)
Assigned to Linde GmbM, Pullach (DE)
Appl. No. 17/266,145
Filed by Linde GmbH, Pullach (DE)
PCT Filed Aug. 7, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/025260
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 5, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/035169, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 20, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18020392 (EP), filed on Aug. 17, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0291110 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B01D 53/22 (2006.01); B01D 51/10 (2006.01); B01D 53/02 (2006.01); C01B 23/00 (2006.01); C10L 3/10 (2006.01); F25J 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 53/229 (2013.01) [B01D 51/10 (2013.01); C01B 23/0042 (2013.01); C01B 23/0052 (2013.01); C10L 3/101 (2013.01); F25J 1/0007 (2013.01); F25J 1/0022 (2013.01); B01D 53/02 (2013.01); B01D 2256/18 (2013.01); C01B 2210/001 (2013.01); C01B 2210/0014 (2013.01); C01B 2210/0031 (2013.01); C01B 2210/007 (2013.01); C10L 2290/548 (2013.01); F25J 2205/40 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for recovering a helium product comprising:
supplying a first natural gas stream (1) containing helium to a first natural gas processing unit (10),
supplying at least one second natural gas stream (2) containing helium is to at least one second natural gas processing unit (20),
wherein at least the first natural gas processing unit (10) comprises helium recovery means (11) via which helium product is formed from at least a part of the first natural gas stream (1),
at least temporarily transferring helium from the at least one second natural gas stream (2) to the first natural gas stream (1) before the first natural gas stream (1) is supplied to the first natural gas processing unit (10) and before the at least one second natural gas stream (2) is supplied to the at least one second natural gas processing unit (20), and
wherein the transferring of helium is carried out by a helium transfer arrangement comprising a membrane unit (30) wherein at least a portion of the at least one second natural gas stream (2) is sent to the membrane unit (30) and the membrane unit removes helium from the at least one second natural gas stream (2) and the removed helium is transferred to the first natural gas stream (1).