The invention relates to a method and a device for generating electrical energy in a combined system consisting of a power plant and an air handling system. The power plant comprises a first gas expansion unit connected to a generator. The air handling system comprises an air compression unit, a heat exchange system, and a fluid tank. In a first operating mode, feed air is compressed in the air compression unit and cooled in the heat exchange system. A storage fluid is generated from the compressed and cooled feed air and is stored as cryogenic fluid in fluid tank. In a second operating mode, cryogenic fluid is removed from fluid tank and is vaporized, or pseudo-vaporized, at superatmospheric pressure. The gaseous high pressure storage fluid generated is expanded in the gas expansion unit. Gaseous natural gas is introduced into the heat exchange system (21) to be liquefied.

A method for low-temperature air separation, in which an air-separation system having a column system is used that has a first column, a second column, a third column, and a fourth column, wherein fluid from the first column is fed at least into the second column, fluid from the second column is fed at least into the third column, fluid from the third column is fed at least into the fourth column, and fluid from the fourth column is fed at least into the third column, and wherein the fluid fed from the third column into the fourth column includes at least a portion of a side flow, which is withdrawn from the third column and has a lower oxygen content and a higher argon content than the third sump liquid. The present invention also relates to a corresponding system.

In a method for separating a mixture containing carbon dioxide, the mixture is cooled in a heat exchanger and partially condensed and a first liquid is separated from the mixture in a first system operating at low temperature comprising at least one first phase separator and a gas from the first system is treated in a membrane system to produce a permeate and a non-permeate, the gas from the first system being divided into two portions, a first portion being sent to the membrane system without being heated and a second portion being heated to at least an intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger and then sent to the membrane system without being cooled.

A hydrogen feed stream comprising oxygen and one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water, is purified by first removing oxygen using a copper oxide and/or manganese oxide getter, then using a cryogenic temperature swing adsorption (CTSA) process with high overall recovery of hydrogen. The oxygen getter prevents an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen from occurring in the CTSA during regeneration.

A hydrogen feed stream comprising one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water, is contacted with liquid hydrogen in a cryogenic wash column (CWC) process that produces pure hydrogen with high overall recovery. The waste liquid stream leaving the CWC may be used to improve the performance of upstream hydrogen processing steps.

A hydrogen feed stream comprising oxygen and one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water, is purified using a cryogenic temperature swing adsorption (CTSA) process with high overall recovery of hydrogen. The CTSA is regenerated using an inert gas to prevent an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen from occurring.

A process for cryogenic separation of a feed stream containing methane and air gases in which: the feed stream is cooled in order to produce a cooled stream, at least one portion of the cooled stream is sent to one level of a distillation column, a bottom stream is drawn off from the distillation column, the bottom stream being enriched in methane relative to the feed stream, a stream enriched in oxygen and in nitrogen relative to the feed stream is drawn off from the distillation column, at least one noncombustible dilution stream that is more volatile than oxygen is introduced into the distillation column at at least one level lower than the one at which the cooled stream is introduced. The dilution stream is extracted from the feed stream. Facility for producing biomethane by purification of biogases derived from non-hazardous waste storage facilities (NHWSF) implementing the process.

A hydrogen feed stream comprising one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water, is purified using a cryogenic temperature swing adsorption (CTSA) process with high overall recovery of hydrogen. The waste gas from regenerating the CTSA may be used to improve the performance of upstream hydrogen processing steps.

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).

Process and apparatus for producing a low-nitrogen synthesis gas from a natural gas containing nitrogen and carbon dioxide, from which water and carbon dioxide are removed in a first temperature swing adsorption plant and subsequently nitrogen is removed in a cryogenic gas fractionator, to give a low-nitrogen, water-free and carbon dioxide-free natural gas, which is next supplied to a thermochemical conversion, so as to recover a crude syngas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water and carbon dioxide, from which the low-nitrogen synthesis gas is obtained at least by the removal of water and carbon dioxide in a second temperature swing adsorption plant. The characteristic feature here is that at least a part of the low-nitrogen, water-free and carbon dioxide-free natural gas prior to its thermochemical conversion is used as regenerating gas in the regeneration of the first and/or second temperature swing adsorption plant.