A facility and method for membrane permeation treatment of a feed gas flow containing at least methane and carbon dioxide that includes a compressor, a pressure measurement device, at least one valve, and first, second, third, and fourth membrane separation units for separation of CO.sub.2 from CH.sub.4 to permeates enriched in CO.sub.2 and retentates enriched in CH.sub.4, respectively. A temperature of the first retentate is adjusted at an inlet of the second membrane separation unit with at least one heat exchanger as a function of the measured CH.sub.4 concentration in such a way so as to reduce the determined difference.

The disclosure provides a method and system for extracting carbon dioxide from an exhaust gas. The method includes lowering a temperature of an exhaust gas using a heat exchanger, lowering a concentration of a particulate matter within the lowered temperature exhaust gas, and passing the lowered particulate concentration and lowered temperature exhaust gas through one or more membrane modules to produce a membrane module permeate flow that contains a higher concentration of carbon dioxide compared to a concentration of carbon dioxide in the lowered particulate concentration and lowered temperature exhaust gas. Further, the system includes a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to a particulate filter that is configured to lower a concentration of the particulate matter within the exhaust gas, and one or more membrane modules fluidly coupled to the particulate filter and configured to produce the membrane module permeate flow.

A process for converting post-explosion gases of an inhabitable level, low-oxygen ambient environment to a breathable mixture for human consumption comprises receiving a flow of post-explosion gas with oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and methane. The oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide are removed from the from the flow of post-explosion gas to create both a mixture including oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide; and a residual stream including nitrogen and methane. The oxygen is removed from the mixture of oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, and concentrated in a primary oxygen storage canister. The nitrogen is removed from the residual stream and stored in a nitrogen storage canister separate from the oxygen storage canister. The methane is vented back to the inhabitable level, low-oxygen ambient environment. The stored oxygen and nitrogen are metered through a breathing mask at a habitable level of 19-21% oxygen to a user.

The present invention provides a gas separation system suitable for reducing energy required to separate a gas mixture. A gas separation system of the present invention includes: a first separation membrane unit that separates a gas mixture containing carbon dioxide and nitrogen into a first permeated gas and a first non-permeated gas; a second separation membrane unit that separates the first permeated gas into a second permeated gas and a second non-permeated gas; a first decompression device that decompresses a permeation-side space of the first separation membrane unit; and a second decompression device that decompresses a permeation-side space of the second separation membrane unit.

Systems and methods are provided that obtain the same or better level of performance by using lower operating flow rates and pressures within the system. This extends the life of system components and lower energy consumption. In one embodiment, gas separation (or sieve) beds that are used to separate gaseous components are provided that have lower flow and pressure requirements compared to conventional beds. The sieve beds include, for example, a diffuser having low solid area in cross-section and maximum open area for flow while providing adequate mechanical properties to contain sieve material and support filter media. In another embodiment, systems and methods are provided having an indicator when a component has been serviced or repaired. This provides an indication whether the component has been tampered with in any manner. This allows the manufacturer to determine if the component was serviced, repaired, or tampered with outside the manufacturer's domain.

There is provided a process for effecting separation of an operative material from a gaseous feed material via a membrane that includes a polymeric phase and a liquid phase, comprising: over a first time interval, within a first apparatus, separating a first fraction of the operative material in response to permeation of the first fraction of the operative material through the membrane, with effect that residual material, including unseparated operative material is discharged and, within a second apparatus, from the residual material, separating a second fraction of the operative material in response to permeation of the second fraction of the operative material through the membrane; and after the first time interval, disposing a liquid material relative to the membrane of the first apparatus, such that a first fraction of the liquid material replenishes the liquid phase of the membrane of the first apparatus, and residual liquid material is collected by a redistributor and redistributed such that the residual liquid material becomes disposed relative the membrane of the second apparatus, such that a second fraction of the liquid material replenishes the liquid phase of the membrane of the second apparatus.

Installation for membrane permeation treatment of feed gas flow containing at least methane and carbon dioxide including first, second, and third membrane separation units and at least one compressor B for aspirating the second permeate, a permeate from the first membrane separation unit being fed to the third membrane separation unit, a retentate from the first membrane separation unit being fed to the second membrane separation. After measuring the aspiration pressure and methane concentration of the second permeate before it is recycled to the feed, the pressure of the second permeate is adjusted according to the measured aspiration pressure and methane concentration.

The invention relates to a method for separating gases which comprises: a first step in which a gas fuel stream comprising combustible substances that produce gas products when oxidised, and an oxygen-rich inlet stream are passed through at least two modules of oxygen-separating ceramic membranes, such that the two streams come into contact through the membranes and exchange heat; a second step of selective diffusion of oxygen from the oxygen-rich stream to the fuel stream, such that the outlet streams from the membrane modules are an oxygen-depleted or completely oxygen-free stream and a partially or completely oxidised stream; and a third step of recovery of at least two separate outlet streams of at least two gases selected from oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

In a device for separating methane from a gas mixture containing methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, comprising a gas compressor, two or three membrane separation stages downstream of the compressor and a hydrogen sulfide adsorber, comprising a bed of activated carbon having catalytic activity for oxidizing hydrogen sulfide with oxygen, arranged upstream of the membrane separation stages, oxygen content and relative humidity can be adjusted for optimum adsorption capacity of the hydrogen sulfide adsorber by recycling permeate from the second membrane separation stage, which receives the retentate of the first membrane separation stage, to a point upstream of the hydrogen sulfide adsorber.

A method for low hydrogen content separation from a natural gas mixture includes the following steps: a) providing a stream having hydrogen; b) transferring the stream having hydrogen of a) as an inlet stream to a first membrane unit for obtaining a retentate and a permeate, wherein the molar fraction of hydrogen in the permeate is higher that the molar fraction of hydrogen in the retentate, c) transferring the retentate to an electrochemical hydrogen compressor (EHC) for further hydrogen separation and purification.