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 fluid product from natural gas containing helium, such as processes that produce ammonia, methanol, or liquid hydrocarbons.

A method of recycling helium from a waste gas generated in a semiconductor process includes forming a first treatment gas by treating helium-containing waste gas emitted from a semiconductor process facility by using a scrubber module, transporting the first treatment gas to a purification facility, forming a first helium gas with a first purity by fractionating the first treatment gas in the purification facility, forming a second helium gas with a second purity by treating the first helium gas by using a back-end purification module in the purification facility, and providing the second helium gas to the semiconductor process facility.

Disclosed is a method for purifying a main gas, in particular helium, from a source gas stream comprising the main gas, a main impurity, in particular nitrogen, and optionally another, secondary impurity, in particular oxygen, the method comprising a step of partial condensation of the gas stream in order to extract therefrom impurities in liquid form, in particular the main impurity, and to produce a gas stream enriched with main gas, characterized in that the method comprises, before the partial condensation step, a step of injecting into the gas stream a compound in which the main impurity of the gas to be treated is soluble and having a saturation vapor pressure lower than the saturation vapor pressure of the main impurity.

The present invention provides systems and methods for simultaneously producing a high-purity helium gas product, a methanol-water liquid mixture, and a methane-rich fuel product from a hydrogen-rich feedstock gas containing helium by treating the hydrogen-rich feedstock gas containing helium and carbon dioxide in a reverse water gas shift unit (1500) to produce carbon monoxide, which is then treated in a methanol production unit (300) and a methanol absorption unit (400) to produce a methanol-aqueous solution and a methanol-free gas. The methanol-free gas is then treated in a methane production unit (500) to produce methane, which is then treated in a carbon dioxide recovery membrane unit (1100) and a cryogenic nitrogen rejection unit (600) to produce the methanol-water liquid mixture, the methane-rich fuel product, and a helium-rich gas. The helium-rich gas is then treated to produce the high-purity helium gas product.

A process to purify helium from a feed gas stream containing a mixture of at least nitrogen, methane and helium including introducing the feed gas stream into a first helium membrane separation unit, thereby producing a first helium membrane permeate and a first helium membrane residue; introducing at least part of the first residue into a first nitrogen membrane separation unit thereby producing a first nitrogen membrane permeate stream; introducing a stream derived from the first helium membrane permeate into a hydrogen PSA unit thereby producing a helium rich product stream. Wherein a stream derived from the first nitrogen membrane permeate stream exits the system as a fuel gas product stream. Wherein the feed gas stream has a higher heating value, and wherein the first nitrogen membrane permeate stream has a higher heating value at least 5% higher than the higher heating value of the feed gas.

A hydrogen production system for producing a hydrogen gas product includes a geologic hydrogen source configured to provide a feedstock comprising hydrogen, nitrogen, and helium and purification equipment comprising two or more of: a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) device; a guard bed; a separation membrane; a reactive membrane; or a cryogenic separation device. The purification equipment is configured to receive the feedstock from the geologic hydrogen source and produce a hydrogen gas product, and production of the hydrogen gas product exhibits a carbon intensity score less than 3.0 kg CO.sub.2 eq/kg H.sub.2.

The present invention relates to a cryogenic process to produce crude helium from pretreated natural gas. The pretreated natural gas is processed in two flash stages using the helium free process stream as a stripping agent, and a distillation column with the identified operating conditions and process scheme to ensure 100% helium recovery with reduced capital and operating cost for producing the crude helium. The integration of the cryogenic process with the already known purification system to produce pure helium is demonstrated to ensure high helium recovery in a hybrid process.