A method of obtaining helium from a helium-containing feed gas. Helium-containing feed gas is fed to a prepurifying unit that uses a pressure swing adsorption process to remove undesirable components from the helium-containing feed gas and obtain a prepurified feed gas. The prepurified feed gas is fed to a membrane unit connected downstream of the prepurifying unit and that has at least one membrane more readily permeable to helium than to at least one further component present in the prepurified feed gas. A pressurized low-helium retentate stream that has not passed through the membrane is fed to the prepurifying unit. The pressurized low-helium retentate is used to displace helium-rich gas from an adsorber that is to be regenerated into an already regenerated adsorber.

A low carbon-emission hydrogen production process may be achieved by first separating carbon dioxide from a reformer syngas stream, followed by separating the carbon dioxide-depleted syngas stream using a semi-permeable membrane to produce a hydrogen-enriched permeate and a hydrogen-depleted retentate. The hydrogen-enriched permeate is purified to produce a hydrogen product and a hydrogen-depleted tail gas stream. The hydrogen-depleted retentate stream may be recycled to the feed and the hydrogen-depleted tail gas stream may be used as fuel in the reformer burners.

The present invention is to provide a carbon dioxide adsorbent that can collect carbon dioxide generated during a natural gas reforming process at a high concentration and has an excellent adsorption working capacity, a manufacturing method of the same, and a device and process using the same. The carbon dioxide adsorbent according to various examples of the present invention is characterized by including X-type or Y-type zeolite in which at least a part of alkali metal cations or alkali earth metal cations is replaced with H.sup.+ ions.

A hydrocarbon production apparatus includes a synthesis gas production unit structured to produce a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen by using carbon dioxide and hydrogen, a hydrocarbon production unit structured to produce a hydrocarbon by using the synthesis gas, and a first separator structured to separate a recycle gas containing a light hydrocarbon having 4 or less carbon atoms from an effluent from the hydrocarbon production unit. The synthesis gas production unit is structured to receive supply of the recycle gas and also use the recycle gas for production of the synthesis gas.

Recovering helium from a gaseous stream includes contacting an acid gas removal membrane with a gaseous stream to yield a permeate stream and a residual stream, removing a majority of the acid gas from the residual stream to yield a first acid gas stream and a helium depleted clean gas stream, removing a majority of the acid gas from the permeate stream to yield a second acid gas stream and a helium rich stream, and removing helium from the helium rich stream to yield a helium product stream and a helium depleted stream. A helium removal system for removing helium from a gaseous stream including hydrocarbon gas, acid gas, and helium includes a first processing zone including a first acid gas removal unit, a second processing zone including a second acid gas removal unit, a third processing zone, and a helium purification unit.

A neon recovering/purifying system including: a recovery vessel that is arranged on an exhaust gas route and stores exhaust gas, the exhaust gas route being branched and extending from a discharge line; a compressor that increases a pressure of the exhaust gas sent out from the recovery vessel, to a third pressure; an exhaust gas flow rate regulating unit that regulates a flow rate of the exhaust gas whose pressure has been increased by the compressor; a first impurity removing unit that removes a first impurity from the exhaust gas; a second impurity removing unit that removes a second impurity from the exhaust gas from which the first impurity has been removed; a pressure increasing vessel that stores purified gas that has been processed by the first impurity removing unit and the second impurity removing unit; a pressure reducing valve that reduces a pressure of the purified gas sent out from the pressure increasing vessel, to the first pressure; and a purified gas flow rate regulating unit that regulates a flow rate of the purified gas supplied to a supply line of a manufacturing system.

A method and system for collecting xenon (Xe) is described. A microchannel heat exchanger is used in combination with a mechanical cooler and an absorbent. A combination of components makes up a Xe Collection Subsystem that is adapted for use in an efficient process for collecting, purifying, and measuring Xe isotopes collected from air as part of the International Monitoring System.

In a method for separating a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, a synthesis gas flow from a synthesis gas source is compressed in a compressor and separated into at least three gaseous products. If there is insufficient synthesis gas, at least three separation products are recycled in the compressor in order to separate said products.

A carbon dioxide absorbent of an embodiment includes a solid resin compound containing a structural unit expressed by the following formula (1). X in the formula (1) is a halogen element.

A feed stream is heated to a preheat temperature. The feed stream includes hydrogen sulfide. After heating the feed stream, at least a portion of the hydrogen sulfide in the feed stream is converted into hydrogen and sulfur to form a mixed product stream. The mixed product stream includes the hydrogen, the sulfur, and a remaining, unconverted portion of the hydrogen sulfide. The preheat temperature is a temperature that is sufficiently hot to maintain a desired reaction temperature while converting at least the portion of the hydrogen sulfide in the feed stream into hydrogen and sulfur. At least a portion of the mixed product stream is cooled to condense the sulfur to form a sulfur stream. The sulfur stream includes the sulfur that has condensed from the portion of the mixed product stream.