Patent ID: 8262772
Filing Date: 2012-09-11
Classification: B01D,C01B,F25J

Abstract:
1. A process for recovering high purity hydrogen and optionally one or more hydrocarbon-rich products from a feed gas containing less than 50 mole % hydrogen comprising the steps of: a) cooling a feed gas in one or more heat exchangers and producing a partially condensed feed gas; b) separating the partially condensed feed gas to produce a hydrogen-enriched stream and a hydrocarbon-enriched stream; c) generating refrigeration by Joule-Thomson expansion of the hydrocarbon-enriched stream and producing a colder hydrocarbon-rich stream; d) further cooling the hydrogen-enriched stream to produce a partially condensed hydrogen-enriched stream; e) separating the partially condensed hydrogen-enriched stream into a hydrogen-rich stream and a hydrocarbon-rich stream; f) generating refrigeration by Joule-Thomson expansion of hydrogen-rich stream and hydrocarbon-rich stream; g) recovering refrigeration from hydrogen-rich stream to cool the hydrogen-enriched stream in step (d) and the feed gas in step (a); h) recovering a gas stream containing at least 60 mole % hydrogen from the hydrogen-rich stream; i) feeding the gas stream containing at least 60 mole % hydrogen to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system and recovering high purity hydrogen; j) recovering refrigeration from the cold hydrocarbon-rich stream to cool the hydrogen-enriched stream in step (d); k) producing a recontacting stream from the partially condensed hydrogen-enriched stream; l) feeding the cold hydrocarbon-enriched stream and the recontacting stream to a wash column and producing a methane-rich vapor stream and a hydrocarbon-rich liquid stream; m) recovering refrigeration from the methane-rich vapor stream and compressing it to produce a methane-rich vapor product; and n) recovering refrigeration from the hydrocarbon-rich liquid stream and compressing it to produce a raw liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) product.