Methods of preparing an impurity-depleted hydrogen stream, methods of analyzing content of an impurity-depleted hydrogen stream, and pressure swing adsorption apparatuses

摘要

Methods of preparing an impurity-depleted hydrogen stream, methods of analyzing content of an impurity-depleted hydrogen stream from a pressure swing adsorption process, and pressure swing adsorption apparatuses are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of analyzing content of an impurity-depleted hydrogen stream from a pressure swing adsorption process includes providing a hydrogen-containing feed stream to a pressure swing adsorption zone. The hydrogen-containing feed stream further includes an impurity content including methane and carbon monoxide. Methane and carbon monoxide are adsorbed from the hydrogen-containing feed stream in the pressure swing adsorption zone. The impurity-depleted hydrogen stream is withdrawn from the pressure swing adsorption zone, with the impurity-depleted hydrogen stream having a residual methane content and a residual carbon monoxide content. The residual methane content of the impurity-depleted hydrogen stream is sensed.

主权项

1. A method of analyzing content of an impurity-depleted hydrogen stream from a pressure swing adsorption process, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a hydrogen-containing feed stream to a pressure swing adsorption zone, wherein the hydrogen-containing feed stream further comprises an impurity content comprising methane and carbon monoxide; adsorbing methane and carbon monoxide from the hydrogen-containing feed stream in the pressure swing adsorption zone; withdrawing the impurity-depleted hydrogen stream from the pressure swing adsorption zone, wherein the impurity-depleted hydrogen stream has a residual methane content and a residual carbon monoxide content; wherein withdrawing the impurity-depleted hydrogen stream comprises terminating flow of the hydrogen-containing feed stream to the pressure swing adsorption zone and cocurrently depressurizing the pressure swing adsorption zone; sensing the residual methane content of the impurity-depleted hydrogen stream; wherein the pressure swing adsorption zone comprises a multi-bed adsorption unit comprising a first adsorption bed and a second adsorption bed, and wherein the impurity-depleted hydrogen stream produced during cocurrent depressurizing of the first adsorption bed is provided as a purge stream to the second adsorption bed for regenerating the second adsorption bed; wherein sensing the residual methane content comprises sensing the residual methane content of the purge stream and further comprising providing a product stream from the multi-bed adsorption unit and sensing the residual carbon monoxide content of the product stream.