摘要 |
Helium contaminated with minor amounts of air, water vapor and carbon dioxide and from an envelope (10) is compressed in a compressor (12) and thereafter cooled in cooler (18) and fed via water separator (20) to a first of two substantially helium-permeable, oxygen/nitrogen-impermeable membranes (28,34), the permeate from which is substantially pure helium. The impermeate still containing helium is fed to the second membrane (34), the permeate from which is recycled to the first membrane while the impermeate is rejected with little loss of helium. The method is useful in purifying helium in an airship or balloon.
|