Patent ID: 8021468

Claim:
An apparatus for purifying a gaseous stream comprising methane, the apparatus comprising a particle accelerator that produces gaseous 11 CO 2 in the presence of nitrogen, oxygen and a push gas; a hydrogen supply tank configured to combine hydrogen with the gaseous 11 CO 2 the nitrogen and the push gas; a methane oven, wherein 11 CH 4 is produced in the methane oven and is present as part of a gaseous stream with oxygen, hydrogen, water, byproducts, push gas and unreacted 11 CO 2 ; a first process filter through which the gaseous stream is passed; a column having a length of 5 feet or less through which the gaseous stream is passed after the first process filter; a valve mechanism coupled to the column and capable of routing said gaseous stream to a product line in a first state and to a waste line in a second state; and a heating mantle positioned to enable heat transfer from the heating mantle to the column, wherein the column is packed with an adsorbent material.