Systems for recovering neon from used neon are provided. The systems can include a pretreatment component operatively coupled to receive used neon gas from a system for producing UV light using neon, and a capture component operatively coupled to the pretreatment component. Methods for recovering neon from used neon are also provided.

A mobile mining platform for operation on a lunar surface can excavate and deposit regolith into a mill. The mill can agitate at least a portion of the excavated regolith to release volatile gases from the portion of the excavated regolith, without heat being applied to the portion of the excavated regolith. A refinery can perform molecular separation of the released volatile gases. In some embodiments, pressure in the mill can be increased through introduction of a diluent gas into the mill, to improve the efficiency of pumping the released volatile gases from the mill to the refinery. In some embodiments, volatile liquids stored on the platform and/or generated by the refinery can be used to cool the released volatile gases prior to molecular separation of the released volatile gases. In some embodiments, the mill can separate and collect regolith material of different sizes for different uses.

A method of obtaining helium from a process gas. The process gas is at a pressure less than 15 bar to a first membrane separation stage having a first membrane more readily permeable for helium than for at least one other component in the process gas. A first retentate stream is fed to a second membrane separation stage having a second membrane more readily permeable for helium than for at least one other component in the process gas. Helium is separated from a first helium-containing permeate stream using a pressure swing adsorption to obtain a helium-containing product stream. A second helium-containing permeate stream is recycled to the first membrane separation stage. A purge gas from the pressure swing adsorption is also recycled to the first membrane separation stage.

A method of obtaining helium from a helium-containing feed gas. Helium-containing feed gas is fed to a prepurifying unit that uses a pressure swing adsorption process to remove undesirable components from the helium-containing feed gas and obtain a prepurified feed gas. The prepurified feed gas is fed to a membrane unit connected downstream of the prepurifying unit and that has at least one membrane more readily permeable to helium than to at least one further component present in the prepurified feed gas. A pressurized low-helium retentate stream that has not passed through the membrane is fed to the prepurifying unit. The pressurized low-helium retentate is used to displace helium-rich gas from an adsorber that is to be regenerated into an already regenerated adsorber.

Techniques for treating a natural gas feed stream include receiving a natural gas feed stream that includes one or more acid gases, one or more hydrocarbon fluids, and one or more non-hydrocarbon fluids; circulating the natural gas feed stream to a membrane module; separating, with the membrane module, at least a portion of the one or more acid gases into a permeate stream and at least a portion of the one or more hydrocarbon fluids into a reject stream; circulating the permeate stream to a distillation unit; and separating, in the distillation unit, the one or more acid gases from the one or more non-hydrocarbon fluids.

Recovering helium from a gaseous stream includes contacting an acid gas removal membrane with a gaseous stream to yield a permeate stream and a residual stream, removing a majority of the acid gas from the residual stream to yield a first acid gas stream and a helium depleted clean gas stream, removing a majority of the acid gas from the permeate stream to yield a second acid gas stream and a helium rich stream, and removing helium from the helium rich stream to yield a helium product stream and a helium depleted stream. A helium removal system for removing helium from a gaseous stream including hydrocarbon gas, acid gas, and helium includes a first processing zone including a first acid gas removal unit, a second processing zone including a second acid gas removal unit, a third processing zone, and a helium purification unit.

A process for purifying a helium containing stream, including introducing a feed gas stream into a first membrane separation unit, thereby producing a first permeate stream, and a first residue stream. Introducing the first permeate stream into a first dehydrogenation unit, thereby producing a first dehydrogenated gas stream. Introducing the first dehydrogenated gas stream into a second membrane separation unit, thereby producing a second permeate stream, and a second residue stream. Introducing the second permeate stream into a second dehydrogenation unit, thereby producing a second dehydrogenated gas stream. And introducing the second dehydrogenated gas stream into a helium pressure swing adsorption unit, thereby producing a product helium stream, and a helium-lean stream. Wherein the product helium stream contains more than 99.9% mol helium, and less than 0.1% mol hydrogen.

The present invention relates a process and apparatus that recovers a helium rich stream from a mixed gas having low concentrations of helium therein. More specifically, the invention relates to an integrated process and apparatus for treating a mixed feed gas from an operating process that produces a liquid product from natural gas containing helium, such as processes that produce ammonia, methanol, or liquid hydrocarbons.

Process gas(es), such as but not limited to helium, can be used in the manufacture of a variety of objects. Described herein are methods to collect, reuse, and recycle the process gas(es) that are used in the production process rather than treat these materials as waste.

This disclosure presents a new device for the removal and separation of isotopes of Helium in Compressed Natural Gas, based on a system with two cascades operating together to increase, in the first cascade, the concentration of Helium in the cascade head, and at the tail of the same cascade, Helium-depleted Compressed Natural Gas is discharged, while the second cascade, fed from the head of the first cascade, allows separation of the isotopes of Helium-3 and Helium-4, discharging Helium-3 through the head of the second cascade, while Helium-4 is discharged through the tail of the second cascade, with a configuration that is efficient from the energy consumption standpoint, while using a small number of rotating parts.