Patent ID: 9574715
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: B65G,F17C,F17D,Y02E,Y02P,Y10T

Claim:
1. A supply system for supplying additional hydrogen to a hydrogen pipeline from a salt cavern to assist in meeting customer demand for hydrogen, said supply system comprising: an outlet flow network positioned between the pipeline and the salt cavern and having a first leg, a second leg, a third leg, a first control valve and a second control valve, the first leg in flow communication with the salt cavern to discharge a crude hydrogen stream from the salt cavern, the crude hydrogen stream containing contaminants imparted by the salt cavern such that the crude hydrogen stream contains at least one of the contaminants at a level higher than that allowed by a product purity specification; the second leg in flow communication with the pipeline and the first leg such that a hydrogen dilution stream, formed from the hydrogen contained in the pipeline, mixes with the crude hydrogen stream, the hydrogen dilution stream containing each of the contaminants at a concentration less than the product purity specification such that the hydrogen dilution stream dilutes the crude hydrogen stream and thereby forms a hydrogen product stream with lower levels of contaminants than the crude hydrogen stream; the third leg in flow communication with the first leg, the second leg and the pipeline to introduce the hydrogen product stream into the pipeline and thereby to supply the additional hydrogen to the pipeline; the first control valve located in the first leg to control a first flow rate of the crude hydrogen stream to a level that will assist in meeting the customer demand for the hydrogen and the second control valve located in the second leg to control flow of the hydrogen dilution stream at a second flow rate; and a control system connected to the second control valve and configured to control valve opening of the second control valve and, therefore, the second flow rate such that the contaminants are present in the hydrogen product stream at or below the product purity specification.