A system and method of pre-purification of a feed gas stream is provided that is particularly suitable for pre-purification of a feed air stream in cryogenic air separation unit. The disclosed pre-purification systems and methods are configured to remove substantially all of the hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water, and carbon dioxide impurities from a feed air stream and is particularly suitable for use in a high purity or ultra-high purity nitrogen plant. The pre-purification systems and methods preferably employ two or more separate layers of hopcalite catalyst with the successive layers of the hopcalite separated by a zeolite adsorbent layer that removes water and carbon dioxide produced in the hopcalite layers. Alternatively, the pre-purification systems and methods employ a hopcalite catalyst layer and a noble metal catalyst layer separated by a zeolite adsorbent layer that removes water and carbon dioxide produced in the hopcalite layer.

A system and method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.

A system including: an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that includes a high magnetic field section in which a hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, and a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed; a first conduit fluidly coupled between the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section and the cold side of the high magnetic field section; and a second conduit fluid coupled to the first conduit, an expander and at least one liquefied hydrogen storage module.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods useful in capture of one more moieties (e.g., carbon dioxide) from a gas stream (i.e., direct air capture). In various embodiments, the systems and methods can utilize at least a scrubbing unit, a regeneration unit, and an electrolysis unit whereby an alkali solution can be used to strip the moiety (e.g., carbon dioxide) from the gas stream, the removed moiety can be regenerated and optionally purified for capture or other use, and a formed salt can be subjected to electrolysis to recycle the alkali solution back to the scrubber for re-use with simultaneous production of one or more further chemicals.

In a helium purification process, a stream containing at least 10% of helium, at least 10% of nitrogen in addition to hydrogen and methane is separated to form a helium-enriched stream containing hydrogen, a first stream enriched in nitrogen and in methane and a second stream enriched in nitrogen and in methane, the helium-enriched stream is treated to produce a helium-rich product and a residual gas containing water, the residual gas is treated by adsorption (TSA) to remove the water and the regeneration gas from the adsorption is sent to a combustion unit (O).

The present disclosure provides systems and methods useful in capture of one more moieties (e.g., carbon dioxide) from a gas stream (i.e., direct air capture). In various embodiments, the systems and methods can utilize at least a scrubbing unit, a regeneration unit, and an electrolysis unit whereby an alkali solution can be used to strip the moiety (e.g., carbon dioxide) from the gas stream, the removed moiety can be regenerated and optionally purified for capture or other use, and a formed salt can be subjected to electrolysis to recycle the alkali solution back to the scrubber for re-use with simultaneous production of one or more further chemicals.

A method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The disclosed cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.

A system including: an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that includes a high magnetic field section in which a hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, and a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed; a first conduit fluidly coupled between the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section and the cold side of the high magnetic field section; and a second conduit fluid coupled to the first conduit, an expander and at least one liquefied hydrogen storage module.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods useful in capture of one more moieties (e.g., carbon dioxide) from a gas stream (i.e., direct air capture). In various embodiments, the systems and methods can utilize at least a scrubbing unit, a regeneration unit, and an electrolysis unit whereby an alkali solution can be used to strip the moiety (e.g., carbon dioxide) from the gas stream, the removed moiety can be regenerated and optionally purified for capture or other use, and a formed salt can be subjected to electrolysis to recycle the alkali solution back to the scrubber for re-use with simultaneous production of one or more further chemicals.

A liquefier device which may be a retrofit to an air separation plant or utilized as part of a new design. The flow needed for the liquefier comes from an air separation plant running in a maxim oxygen state, in a stable mode. The three gas flows are low pressure oxygen, low pressure nitrogen, and higher pressure nitrogen. All of the flows are found on the side of the main heat exchanger with a temperature of about 37 degrees Fahrenheit. All of the gasses put into the liquefier come out as a subcooled liquid, for storage or return to the air separation plant. This new liquefier does not include a front end electrical compressor, and will take a self produced liquid nitrogen, pump it up to a runnable 420 psig pressure, and with the use of turbines, condensers, flash pots, and multi pass heat exchangers. The liquefier will make liquid from a planned amount of any pure gas oxygen or nitrogen an air separation plant can produce.