A system and method for cryogenic purification of a hydrogen, nitrogen, methane and argon containing feed stream to produce a methane free, hydrogen and nitrogen containing synthesis gas and a methane rich fuel gas, as well as to recover an argon product stream, excess hydrogen, and excess nitrogen is provided. The disclosed system and method are particularly useful as an integrated cryogenic purifier in an ammonia synthesis process in an ammonia plant. The excess nitrogen is a nitrogen stream substantially free of methane and hydrogen that can be used in other parts of the plant, recovered as a gaseous nitrogen product and/or liquefied to produce a liquid nitrogen product.

A system and method for cryogenic purification of a hydrogen, nitrogen, methane and argon containing feed stream to produce a methane free, hydrogen and nitrogen containing synthesis gas and a methane rich fuel gas, as well as to recover an argon product stream, excess hydrogen, and excess nitrogen is provided. The disclosed system and method are particularly useful as an integrated cryogenic purifier in an ammonia synthesis process in an ammonia plant. The excess nitrogen is a nitrogen stream substantially free of methane and hydrogen that can be used in other parts of the plant, recovered as a gaseous nitrogen product and/or liquefied to produce a liquid nitrogen product.

A system and method for cryogenic purification of a hydrogen, nitrogen, methane and argon containing feed stream to produce a methane free, hydrogen and nitrogen containing synthesis gas and a methane rich fuel gas, as well as to recover an argon product stream, excess hydrogen, and excess nitrogen is provided. The disclosed system and method are particularly useful as an integrated cryogenic purifier in an ammonia synthesis process in an ammonia plant. The excess nitrogen is a nitrogen stream substantially free of methane and hydrogen that can be used in other parts of the plant, recovered as a gaseous nitrogen product and/or liquefied to produce a liquid nitrogen product.

A feed gas including neon, nitrogen, and helium is cooled in a heat exchange system to a first temperature to produce a two-phase mixture that is introduced into a first phase separator and separated into a nitrogen-rich liquid and a first gaseous crude neon stream. The pressure is reduced in at least a portion of the nitrogen-rich liquid, which is vaporized in the heat exchange system to generate a portion of the refrigeration therein. The first gaseous crude neon stream is introduced into a first adsorber that removes impurities such as nitrogen. The gaseous crude neon stream is further cooled to a second temperature. A portion of the cooling duty may come from the heat exchange system and another portion may come from a cryocooler to produce a two-phase stream. The two-phase stream is separated in a second phase separator into a crude helium vapor stream and a crude neon liquid stream with the latter being introduced into a distillation column to produce a vent stream containing a helium impurity and a pure liquid neon product. The pure liquid neon product is vaporized in the heat exchange system to generate refrigeration and produce the pure gaseous neon product.

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.

A system and method for argon and nitrogen extraction and liquefaction from a low-pressure tail gas of an ammonia production plant is provided. The preferred tail gas of the ammonia production plant comprises methane, nitrogen, argon, and hydrogen. The disclosed system and method provides for the methane rejection via rectification and hydrogen rejection by way of a side stripper column or phase separator. The resulting nitrogen and argon containing stream is separated and liquefied in a double column distillation system.

In a process in which ammonia is cracked to form a hydrogen gas product and an offgas comprising nitrogen gas, residual hydrogen gas and residual ammonia gas, residual ammonia is recovered from the offgas from the hydrogen recovery process by partial condensation and phase separation, and hydrogen is recovered from the resultant ammonia-lean offgas by partial condensation and phase separation. The recovered ammonia may be recycled the cracking process and the recovered hydrogen may be recycled to the hydrogen recovery process to improve hydrogen recovery from the cracked gas. Overall hydrogen recovery from the ammonia may thereby be increased to over 99%.

A method for separating hydrogen and nitrogen from a gas mixture, including a) thereby partially condensing a hydrogen and nitrogen gas mixture and producing a two-phase stream, b) phase separating the two-phase stream, producing a nitrogen-enriched liquid fraction and a hydrogen-enriched gaseous fraction, c) expanding the nitrogen-enriched liquid fraction, producing a lower-pressure nitrogen-enriched liquid or two-phase stream, d) adding heat to the lower-pressure nitrogen-enriched liquid stream, producing a warm nitrogen enriched gaseous stream, and e) adding heat to the hydrogen-enriched gaseous fraction, producing a hydrogen-rich product stream. Wherein, at least a portion of the heat added in step d) is removed in step a), at least a portion of the heat added in step e) is removed in step a), or at least a portion of the heat added in step d) and at least a portion of the heat added in step e) is removed in step a).