A method and device for extracting high-purity helium from hydrogen-helium mixture

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of helium recovery, and specifically relates to a method and apparatus for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture. The method and apparatus comprise a primary separation system, a secondary separation system, and a tertiary separation system. The primary separation system comprises a primary compressor, a first one-way valve, a first flowmeter, a primary hydrogen storage tank, a primary hydrogen storage tank support, a first two-way valve, a primary heat exchange device, a second two-way valve, a second one-way valve, a hydrogen discharge vacuum pump, and a third one-way valve. The primary compressor and the primary hydrogen storage tank are connected via a pipeline, and the first one-way valve and the first flowmeter are installed on the pipeline. After the three-stage separation, helium with a purity of 5N and a pressure of 35 bar can be provided. At the same time, the hydrogen recovery rate reaches 99%. By utilizing a hydrogen storage alloy, helium and hydrogen in the mixed gas can be preferably separated, and the separated hydrogen can also be recycled, thereby improving resource utilization efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of helium recovery, and in particular relates to a method and a device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture. Background Art

[0002] Hydrogen is a readily available, green, low-carbon, and widely applicable secondary energy source. It can facilitate the large-scale consumption of renewable energy, enable large-scale peak load regulation on the power grid, and provide cross-seasonal and cross-regional energy storage, accelerating the decarbonization of industries, construction, transportation, and other sectors. Hydrogen plays a crucial role in its use. During the hydrogen production and purification process, small amounts of impurities can still be present, impacting its usability.

[0003] The main impurities in the produced hydrogen are helium, argon, nitrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. These gases can be removed through various methods, including adsorption, chemical reactions, and membrane separation. Helium, with a relative atomic mass similar to hydrogen and chemically inactive, is difficult to separate using traditional methods. However, it has high economic value and is widely used in refrigeration, healthcare, energy, aerospace, and other fields.

[0004] Since the molecular weights of hydrogen and helium are very close, it is difficult to achieve effective separation of hydrogen and helium using traditional pressure swing adsorption processes, which also results in waste of helium resources and directly affects its direct economic value and use value. Therefore, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to make up for the deficiencies of the prior art, at least one technical problem raised in the background technology is solved.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: the method and device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture described in the present invention include a primary separation system, a secondary separation system and a tertiary separation system; the primary separation system includes a primary compressor, a first one-way valve, a first flowmeter, a primary hydrogen storage tank, a primary hydrogen storage tank bracket, a first two-way valve, a primary heat exchange device, a second two-way valve, a second one-way valve, a hydrogen discharge vacuum pump and a third one-way valve; the primary compressor and the primary hydrogen storage tank are connected by a pipeline, and the first one-way valve and the first flowmeter are installed on the pipeline, the primary hydrogen storage tank is installed in the primary hydrogen storage tank bracket, the primary hydrogen storage tank and the primary heat exchange device are connected by a pipeline, and the first two-way valve is installed on the pipeline, the primary heat exchange device is installed with a connecting pipe, the other end of the connecting pipe is connected to the The primary hydrogen storage tank is connected to the primary compressor, and a second two-way valve is installed on the connecting pipe. The primary compressor is connected to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) impurity removal device via a pipeline. The primary hydrogen storage tank is also connected to a hydrogen degassing vacuum pump via a pipeline, and a first one-way constant pressure valve is installed on the pipeline. The hydrogen degassing vacuum pump is also equipped with a third one-way valve. The PSA impurity removal device removes impurities other than hydrogen and helium from the feed gas, reducing the concentration of these impurities to below 1 ppm. The gas then enters the primary compressor via the pipeline, with a pressure increase ratio of 1:5. After passing through the compressor, the gas enters the primary hydrogen storage tank. The operating pressure of the primary hydrogen storage tank is 80 bar. The hydrogen storage tank alloy is Ti0.8Zr0.2Cr0.8Mn1.2, with a hydrogen absorption plateau pressure of approximately 5 bar at 25°C and a maximum hydrogen storage capacity of approximately 1.8wt%. The total designed hydrogen storage capacity is 96 kg, divided into three individual tanks, each with a hydrogen storage capacity of 32 kg. The hydrogen absorption operating temperature is ≤25°C. The designed working time is 2 hours, and the total hydrogen content in the incoming gas is approximately 80 kg. After passing through the first-stage separation system, the outlet partial pressure of hydrogen drops to 5 bar and the flow rate drops to 2.58 kg / h. The partial pressure of helium drops to 1.4 bar and the flow rate drops to 0.72 kg / h. The hydrogen recovery rate reaches 93%. After the hydrogen storage tank system is saturated, it is heated to 50°C and can provide high-purity hydrogen with a pressure of >10 bar to the outside world. The hydrogen is discharged through the hydrogen circuit. The hydrogen discharge circuit consists of a one-way valve 10 and a hydrogen discharge vacuum pump 13. The helium and unseparated hydrogen in the first-stage hydrogen storage tank are then separated by the second-stage separation system and the third-stage separation system. The hydrogen in the first-stage separation system is heated by the first-stage heat exchange device and then supplied to the outside world for hydrogen recovery and utilization. The above-mentioned device achieves the separation of hydrogen and helium in the hydrogen-helium mixture, thereby obtaining high-purity helium, and can also recover and utilize the hydrogen.

[0007] Preferably, the secondary separation system includes a fourth one-way valve, a secondary compressor, a first one-way constant pressure valve, a fifth one-way valve, a second flow meter, a secondary hydrogen storage tank, a secondary hydrogen storage tank bracket, and a secondary heat exchange device. The secondary compressor is connected to the primary hydrogen storage tank through a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a first one-way constant pressure valve. The secondary compressor is connected to the secondary hydrogen storage tank through a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a fifth one-way valve and a second flow meter. The secondary heat exchange device is connected to the secondary hydrogen storage tank through a pipeline, and the secondary hydrogen storage tank is installed on the secondary hydrogen storage tank bracket. The pipeline connecting the secondary compressor and the secondary hydrogen storage tank is connected to the secondary hydrogen storage tank. A pipeline connected to a hydrogen degassing vacuum pump is connected to the road, and a fourth one-way valve is installed on the pipeline connected to the hydrogen degassing vacuum pump. The gas processed by the primary separation system can enter the secondary compressor through the pipeline. The secondary compressor has a pressure ratio of 1:5. After passing through the compressor, the gas enters the secondary hydrogen storage tank through the pipeline. The secondary hydrogen storage tank has an operating pressure of 40 bar. The secondary hydrogen storage tank alloy is La0.78Ce0.22Ni4.20Co0.60Mn0.2. At 25°C, the hydrogen absorption plateau pressure is approximately 1 bar, the maximum hydrogen storage capacity is approximately 1.4wt%, and the reaction enthalpy is -29.5kJ / mol H2. The secondary hydrogen storage tank has a designed hydrogen storage capacity of 6kg and a hydrogen absorption operating temperature of ≤25°C. After being pressurized by the secondary compressor, the hydrogen partial pressure reaches 25 bar and the He partial pressure reaches 7 bar. After passing through the secondary hydrogen storage tank, the hydrogen's outlet partial pressure drops to 1 bar and its flow rate drops to 0.1 kg / h. The helium's partial pressure drops to 7 bar and its flow rate drops to 0.72 kg / h. The hydrogen is recovered through a dehydrogenation circuit consisting of a fifth one-way valve and a dehydrogenation vacuum pump, with a recovery rate of 99.75%. Once the hydrogen storage tank system is saturated, it is heated to 50°C using a secondary heat exchange device, providing high-purity hydrogen at a pressure greater than 1 bar to the outside world. This device allows for further separation of hydrogen and helium, resulting in even higher-purity hydrogen and helium gases.

[0008] Preferably, the three-stage separation system includes a second one-way constant pressure valve, a three-stage compressor, a third two-way valve, a third flow meter, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank valve, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank body, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket, a heating device, a vacuum gauge, a one-way valve, a vacuum pump and a third one-way constant pressure valve. The three-stage hydrogen storage tank body is a single-tank detachable and replaceable design, consisting of a three-stage hydrogen storage tank valve and a three-stage hydrogen storage tank body, and is placed in a three-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket. The vacuum gauge, the one-way valve, and the vacuum pump body constitute a vacuum pumping circuit, and the one-way constant pressure valve constitutes a helium exclusion circuit for the gas. The three-stage hydrogen storage tank body is connected to the heating device through a pipeline, the three-stage compressor is connected to the secondary compressor through a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a second one-way constant pressure valve, the three-stage compressor is connected to the three-stage hydrogen storage tank body through a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a third two-way valve and a third flow meter; after the gas in the secondary hydrogen storage tank body is pressurized by the three-stage compressor, the partial pressure of hydrogen reaches 5 bar, and the partial pressure of He gas reaches 35 bar. After passing through the three-stage hydrogen storage tank, the hydrogen pressure drops to 0.001Pa, the helium partial pressure reaches 35bar, and the flow rate reaches 0.72kg / h, with a purity exceeding 99.999%. After the three-stage hydrogen storage device is saturated with hydrogen, it is heated and vacuumed to remove the hydrogen, regenerating the alloy to obtain high-purity hydrogen and helium. The present invention has a simple structure and utilizes a hydrogen storage alloy to effectively separate helium and hydrogen from the mixed gas. The separated hydrogen can also be recycled, improving resource utilization efficiency.

[0009] Preferably, the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device is equipped with a feed pipe, a connecting ring is provided inside the feed pipe, a filter screen is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the connecting ring, a discharge trough is provided on the side wall of the feed pipe corresponding to the connecting ring, a chute connected to the discharge trough is provided in the feed pipe, a sealing plate for sealing the discharge trough is provided on the inner wall of the chute, a first spring is fixedly connected between the side of the sealing plate close to the connecting ring and the inner wall of the chute, the sealing plate is made of magnetic material, and an electromagnet magnetically attracted to the sealing plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the chute; due to the raw material The gas may contain particulate impurities, which need to be pretreated before entering the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device. The raw gas can be injected into the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device from the feed pipe through the above-mentioned mechanism. When the gas passes through the feed pipe, it will be filtered by the filter, thereby improving the purity of the gas. Some of the filtered impurities will fall onto the sealing plate. When a large amount of impurities accumulates, the electromagnet can be started to suck the sealing plate, so that the impurities on the sealing plate are scraped off by the inner wall of the discharge trough. At the same time, the scraped impurities can be discharged from the discharge trough to prevent impurities from accumulating in the feed pipe.

[0010] A method for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture, the method using the above-mentioned device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture, the method comprising the following steps:

[0011] S1: Inject the raw gas from the feed pipe into the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device. The pressure swing adsorption device will remove impurities such as Ar, N2, CH4, CO2 in the raw gas and reduce the impurity concentration to below 1ppm;

[0012] S2: The gas after the pressure swing adsorption device is a hydrogen-helium mixture, in which the H2 partial pressure is 7.85 MPa, the flow rate is 40 kg / h, and the helium partial pressure is 0.14 MPa, the flow rate is 0.72 kg / h;

[0013] S3: The hydrogen-helium mixture then passes through a first-stage compressor, a first-stage hydrogen storage system, a second-stage compressor, a second-stage hydrogen storage system, a third-stage compressor, and a third-stage hydrogen storage system, achieving a hydrogen removal rate of up to 99.999%;

[0014] S4: The high-purity hydrogen treated in the above S3 can be heat-exchanged with the help of a primary heat exchange device and a secondary heat exchange device, so that the hydrogen can be regenerated and used.

[0015] After the three-stage separation, helium with a purity of 5N and a pressure of 35 bar can be provided; at the same time, the recovery rate of hydrogen reaches 99%.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0017] 1. After three-stage separation, the present invention can provide helium with a purity of 5N and a pressure of 35 bar; at the same time, the recovery rate of hydrogen reaches 99%. The use of hydrogen storage alloy can better achieve the separation of helium and hydrogen in the mixed gas. At the same time, the separated hydrogen can also be recycled, thereby improving resource utilization efficiency.

[0018] 2. In the present invention, the raw gas is injected into the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device from the feed pipe. When the gas passes through the feed pipe, it will be filtered by the filter, thereby improving the purity of the gas. Some of the filtered impurities will fall onto the sealing plate. When a large amount of impurities accumulates, the electromagnet can be started to suck the sealing plate, so that the impurities on the sealing plate are scraped off by the inner wall of the discharge trough. At the same time, the scraped impurities can be discharged from the discharge trough to prevent the impurities from accumulating in the feed pipe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 is a device distribution diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of point A;

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B;

[0024] Figure 5 It is a flow chart of the method in the present invention.

[0025] In the figure: 1, pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device; 2, first-stage compressor; 3, first one-way valve; 4, first flow meter; 5, first-stage hydrogen storage tank; 6, first-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket; 7, first two-way valve; 8, first-stage heat exchange device; 9, second two-way valve; 10, second one-way valve; 11, first one-way constant pressure valve; 12, second-stage compressor; 13, hydrogen discharge vacuum pump; 14, third one-way valve; 15, fourth one-way valve; 16, fifth one-way valve; 17, second flow meter; 18, second-stage hydrogen storage tank; 19, second-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket; 20, second-stage heat exchange device; 21, second one-way constant pressure valve; 22, Three-stage compressor; 23. Third two-way valve; 24. Third flow meter; 25. Three-stage hydrogen storage tank valve; 26. Three-stage hydrogen storage tank body; 27. Three-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket; 28. Heating device; 29. Vacuum gauge; 30. One-way valve 30; 31. Vacuum pump body; 32. Third one-way constant pressure valve; 33. Feed pipe; 34. Slide; 35. Sealing plate; 36. Connecting ring; 37. Filter; 38. Electromagnet; 39. Mounting slot; 40. Pressure sensor; 41. Elastic sheet; 42. Conduit; 43. Slide rod; 44. Push plate; 45. Connecting slot; 46. Slider; 47. Connecting plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects achieved by the present invention easier to understand, the present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific implementation methods.

[0027] Example 1: Figure 1As shown, a method and device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a primary separation system, a secondary separation system and a tertiary separation system; the primary separation system includes a primary compressor 2, a first one-way valve 3, a first flowmeter 4, a primary hydrogen storage tank 5, a primary hydrogen storage tank bracket 6, a first two-way valve 7, a primary heat exchange device 8, a second two-way valve 9, a second one-way valve 10, a hydrogen discharge vacuum pump 13 and a third one-way valve 14; the primary compressor 2 and the primary hydrogen storage tank 5 are connected by a pipeline, and the first one-way valve 3 and the first flowmeter 4 are installed on the pipeline, the primary hydrogen storage tank 5 is installed in the primary hydrogen storage tank bracket 6, the primary hydrogen storage tank 5 and the primary heat exchange device 8 are connected by a pipeline, and the first two-way valve 7 is installed on the pipeline, the primary heat exchange device 8 is installed with a connecting pipe, the other end of the connecting pipe is connected to the primary hydrogen storage tank The first-stage compressor 2 is connected to the first-stage hydrogen storage tank 5 through a pipeline, and a first one-way constant pressure valve 11 is installed on the pipeline, and a third one-way valve 14 is installed on the first-stage hydrogen storage tank 5. The impurity gas other than hydrogen and helium in the raw gas is removed by means of the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device 1, and the concentration of the impurity gas is reduced to below 1ppm. After that, the gas enters the first-stage compressor 2 from the pipeline. The pressure ratio of the first-stage compressor 2 is set to 1:5. After passing through the first-stage compressor 2, the gas enters the first-stage hydrogen storage tank 5. The working pressure of the first-stage hydrogen storage tank 5 is 80bar. The alloy of the hydrogen storage tank is Ti0.8Zr0.2Cr0.8Mn1.2. The hydrogen absorption platform pressure is about 5bar at 25°C, and the maximum hydrogen storage capacity is about 1.8wt%. The total designed hydrogen storage capacity is 96 kg, divided into three single tanks, each with a storage capacity of 32 kg. The hydrogen absorption operating temperature is 25°C. The designed operating time is 2 hours, and the total hydrogen content in the incoming gas is approximately 80 kg. After passing through the first-stage separation system, the hydrogen outlet partial pressure drops to 5 bar and the flow rate drops to 2.58 kg / h. The helium partial pressure is 1.4 bar and the flow rate is 0.72 kg / h. The hydrogen recovery rate reaches 93%. After the hydrogen storage tank system is saturated, it is heated to 50°C and can provide high-purity hydrogen with a pressure of >10 bar to the outside. The hydrogen is discharged through the hydrogen circuit. The hydrogen discharge circuit is composed of a one-way valve 10 and a hydrogen discharge vacuum pump 1313. Then, the helium and unseparated hydrogen in the first-stage hydrogen storage tank body 5 are separated by the second-stage separation system and the third-stage separation system. The hydrogen in the first-stage separation system is heated by the first-stage heat exchange device 8 and then supplied to the outside to realize hydrogen recovery and utilization. The above-mentioned device achieves the separation of hydrogen and helium in the hydrogen-helium mixture, thereby obtaining high-purity helium, and the hydrogen can also be recovered and utilized.

[0028] The secondary separation system includes a fourth one-way valve 15, a secondary compressor 12, a first one-way constant pressure valve 11, a fifth one-way valve 16, a second flow meter 17, a secondary hydrogen storage tank body 18, a secondary hydrogen storage tank bracket 19, and a secondary heat exchange device 20. The secondary compressor 12 is connected to the primary hydrogen storage tank body 5 through a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a first one-way constant pressure valve 11. The secondary compressor 12 is connected to the secondary hydrogen storage tank body 18 through a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a fifth one-way valve 16 and a second flow meter 17. The secondary heat exchange device 20 is connected to the secondary hydrogen storage tank body 18 through a pipeline, and the secondary hydrogen storage tank body 18 is installed on the secondary hydrogen storage tank bracket 19. The pipeline connected to the hydrogen storage tank 18 is connected to the hydrogen degassing vacuum pump 13, and a fourth check valve 15 is installed on the pipeline connected to the hydrogen degassing vacuum pump 13. The gas processed by the primary separation system can enter the secondary compressor 12 through the pipeline. The pressure ratio of the secondary compressor 12 is set to 1:5. After passing through the compressor, the gas enters the secondary hydrogen storage tank 18 through the pipeline. The operating pressure of the secondary hydrogen storage tank 18 is 40 bar. The alloy used for the secondary hydrogen storage tank 18 is La0.78Ce0.22Ni4.20Co0.60Mn0.2. At 25°C, the hydrogen absorption plateau pressure is approximately 1 bar, the maximum hydrogen storage capacity is approximately 1.4wt%, and the reaction enthalpy is -29.5kJ / mol H2. The secondary hydrogen storage tank has a designed hydrogen storage capacity of 6kg and an operating temperature of 25°C. After being pressurized by the secondary compressor 12, the hydrogen partial pressure reaches 25 bar and the He partial pressure reaches 7 bar. After passing through the secondary hydrogen storage tank, the hydrogen's outlet partial pressure drops to 1 bar and its flow rate drops to 0.1 kg / h. The helium's partial pressure drops to 7 bar and its flow rate drops to 0.72 kg / h. The hydrogen is recovered through a dehydrogenation circuit consisting of a fifth one-way valve 16 and a dehydrogenation vacuum pump 13, achieving a recovery rate of 99.75%. Once the hydrogen storage tank system is saturated, it is heated to 50°C by a secondary heat exchanger 20, providing high-purity hydrogen at a pressure greater than 1 bar. This device allows for further separation of hydrogen and helium, yielding even higher-purity hydrogen and helium gases.

[0029] The three-stage separation system includes a second one-way constant pressure valve 21, a three-stage compressor 22, a third two-way valve 23, a third flow meter 24, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank valve 25, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank body 26, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket 27, a heating device 28, a vacuum gauge 29, a one-way valve 30, a vacuum pump and a third one-way constant pressure valve 32. The three-stage hydrogen storage tank body 26 is a single tank body detachable and replaceable design, consisting of a three-stage hydrogen storage tank valve 25 and a three-stage hydrogen storage tank body 26, and is placed in the three-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket 27. The vacuum gauge 29, the one-way valve 30, the vacuum pump body 31 A vacuum pumping circuit is formed, and the one-way constant pressure valve forms a helium removal circuit for the gas. The three-stage hydrogen storage tank 26 is connected to the heating device 28 via a pipeline. The three-stage compressor 22 is connected to the secondary compressor 12 via a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a second one-way constant pressure valve 21. The three-stage compressor 22 is connected to the three-stage hydrogen storage tank 26 via a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a third two-way valve 23 and a third flowmeter 24. After the gas in the secondary hydrogen storage tank 18 is pressurized by the three-stage compressor 22, the partial pressure of hydrogen reaches 5 bar, and the partial pressure of helium reaches 35 bar. After passing through the three-stage hydrogen storage tank, the hydrogen pressure drops to 0.001 Pa, the partial pressure of helium is 35 bar, the flow rate is 0.72 kg / h, and the purity exceeds 99.999%. After the three-stage hydrogen storage device is saturated with hydrogen, it is heated and vacuumed to remove the hydrogen, so that the alloy is regenerated, thereby obtaining high-purity hydrogen and helium. The present invention has a simple structure and utilizes hydrogen storage alloys to better achieve the separation of helium and hydrogen in the mixed gas. At the same time, the separated hydrogen can also be recycled, thereby improving resource utilization efficiency.

[0030] Example 2: Figures 2 to 4As shown, in contrast to Example 1, another embodiment of the present invention is as follows: a feed pipe 33 is installed on the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device 1, a connecting ring 36 is provided inside the feed pipe 33, a filter screen 37 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the connecting ring 36, a discharge trough is provided on the side wall of the feed pipe 33 corresponding to the connecting ring 36, a chute 34 communicating with the discharge trough is provided in the feed pipe 33, a sealing plate 35 for sealing the discharge trough is provided on the inner wall of the chute 34, a first spring is fixedly connected between the side of the sealing plate 35 close to the connecting ring 36 and the inner wall of the chute 34, the sealing plate 35 is made of magnetic material, and the inner wall of the chute 34 is fixedly connected There is an electromagnet 38 that is magnetically attracted to the sealing plate 35; since the raw gas may contain particulate impurities, these impurities need to be pretreated before entering the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device 1. The raw gas can be injected into the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device 1 from the feed pipe 33 through the above-mentioned mechanism. When the gas passes through the feed pipe 33, it will be filtered by the filter 37, thereby improving the purity of the gas. Some of the filtered impurities will fall onto the sealing plate 35. When a large amount of impurities accumulates, the electromagnet 38 can be started to attract the sealing plate 35, so that the impurities on the sealing plate 35 are scraped off by the inner wall of the discharge trough. At the same time, the scraped impurities can be discharged from the discharge trough to prevent the impurities from accumulating in the feed pipe 33.

[0031] The top surface of the sealing plate 35 is provided with a mounting groove 39 aligned with the connecting ring 36, and the inner wall of the mounting groove 39 is fixedly connected with an elastic sheet 41, and the bottom surface of the inner wall of the mounting groove 39 is fixedly connected with a pressure sensor 40 that activates the electromagnet 38 through a controller; when impurities fall from the filter 37, the impurities will fall onto the elastic sheet 41. As the impurities increase, the pressure exerted by the elastic sheet 41 on the mounting groove 39 will also increase. When the pressure value reaches a certain value, it will be sensed by the pressure sensor 40, so that the pressure sensor 40 will activate the electromagnet 38 to suck the sealing plate 35. At this time, the impurities will be automatically discharged from the discharge chute, thereby achieving the effect of allowing the discharge chute to automatically open when a large amount of impurities accumulate.

[0032] The slide groove 34 is connected to an L-shaped conduit 42, and the horizontal end of the conduit 42 is sealed and slidably connected to a slide rod 43, and the end of the slide rod 43 away from the conduit 42 is fixedly connected to a push plate 44, and the sealing plate 35 is sealed and slidably connected to the inner wall of the slide groove 34; when the sealing plate 35 is sucked by the electromagnet 38, the sealing plate 35 will push the gas in the slide groove 34 into the conduit 42, and at this time the gas will push the slide rod 43, so that the slide rod 43 drives the push plate 44 to hit the filter 37, thereby knocking off the impurities on the filter 37, thereby achieving the effect of self-cleaning of the filter 37.

[0033] The inner wall of the feed pipe 33 is provided with a connecting groove 45, and the inner wall of the connecting groove 45 is slidably connected to a slider 46, and the slider 46 is fixedly connected to the connecting ring 36. The inner wall of the feed pipe 33 is fixedly connected to a connecting plate 47, and a second spring is fixedly connected between the connecting plate 47 and the connecting ring 36; when the push plate 44 pushes the filter screen 37, the filter screen 37 will drive the connecting ring 36 to slide, and when the electromagnet 38 is turned off, the slide rod 43 will lose the pushing force. At this time, the second spring will pull the connecting ring 36, causing the connecting ring 36 to reset. After resetting, the second spring will bounce multiple times, thereby allowing the filter screen 37 to further shake, thereby improving the self-cleaning effect of the filter screen 37.

[0034] like Figure 5 As shown, a method for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture is provided. The method uses the above-mentioned device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture, and the method comprises the following steps:

[0035] S1: Inject the raw gas from the feed pipe 33 into the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device 1. The pressure swing adsorption device will remove impurities such as Ar, N2, CH4, CO2, etc. in the raw gas and reduce the impurity concentration to below 1ppm;

[0036] S2: The gas after the pressure swing adsorption device is a hydrogen-helium mixture, in which the H2 partial pressure is 7.85 MPa, the flow rate is 40 kg / h, and the helium partial pressure is 0.14 MPa, the flow rate is 0.72 kg / h;

[0037] S3: The hydrogen-helium mixture then passes through the first-stage compressor 2, the first-stage hydrogen storage system, the second-stage compressor 12, the second-stage hydrogen storage system, the third-stage compressor 22 and the third-stage hydrogen storage system, so that the hydrogen removal rate reaches up to 99.999%;

[0038] S4: The high-purity hydrogen processed in the above S3 can be heat-exchanged by the primary heat exchange device 8 and the secondary heat exchange device 20, so that the hydrogen can be regenerated and used.

[0039] After the three-stage separation, helium with a purity of 5N and a pressure of 35 bar can be provided; at the same time, the recovery rate of hydrogen reaches 99%.

[0040] Working Principle: Impurities other than hydrogen and helium are removed from the feed gas using a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system (1), reducing their concentration to below 1 ppm. The gas then enters a first-stage compressor (2) with a pressure ratio of 1:5. After passing through this system, the gas enters a first-stage hydrogen storage tank (5). The tank operates at an 80-bar pressure and is made of a Ti0.8Zr0.2Cr0.8Mn1.2 alloy. The hydrogen absorption plateau pressure is approximately 5 bar at 25°C, and the maximum hydrogen storage capacity is approximately 1.8 wt%. The total designed hydrogen storage capacity is 96 kg, divided into three individual tanks, each with a 32 kg hydrogen storage capacity. The operating temperature is 25°C. The designed operating time is 2 hours, and the total hydrogen content in the feed gas is approximately 80 kg. After passing through the first-stage separation system, the hydrogen outlet partial pressure drops to 5 bar and the flow rate drops to 2.58 kg / h. The helium outlet partial pressure drops to 1.4 bar and the flow rate drops to 0.72 kg / h. The hydrogen recovery rate reaches 93%. After the hydrogen storage tank system is saturated, it is heated to 50°C and can provide high-purity hydrogen with a pressure of >10 bar to the outside world. The hydrogen is discharged through the hydrogen circuit. The hydrogen discharge circuit consists of a one-way valve 10 and a hydrogen discharge vacuum pump 1313. The helium and unseparated hydrogen in the first-stage hydrogen storage tank body 5 are then separated by the second-stage separation system and the third-stage separation system. The hydrogen in the first-stage separation system is heated by the first-stage heat exchange device 8 and then supplied to the outside to achieve hydrogen recovery and utilization. The above device achieves the separation of hydrogen and helium in the hydrogen-helium mixture, thereby obtaining high-purity helium, and can also recover and utilize the hydrogen.

[0041] The gas processed by the primary separation system can be piped into a secondary compressor 12, with a boost ratio of 1:5. After passing through the compressor, the gas enters a secondary hydrogen storage tank 18 through a pipeline. The operating pressure of the secondary hydrogen storage tank 18 is 40 bar. The alloy used for the secondary hydrogen storage tank 18 is La0.78Ce0.22Ni4.20Co0.60Mn0.2. At 25°C, the hydrogen absorption plateau pressure is approximately 1 bar, the maximum hydrogen storage capacity is approximately 1.4wt%, and the reaction enthalpy is -29.5kJ / mol H2. The secondary hydrogen storage tank has a designed hydrogen storage capacity of 6kg and an operating temperature of 25°C. After being pressurized by the secondary compressor 12, the hydrogen partial pressure reaches 25 bar, and the He partial pressure reaches 7 bar. After passing through the secondary hydrogen storage tank, the hydrogen's outlet partial pressure drops to 1 bar and its flow rate drops to 0.1 kg / h. The helium's partial pressure drops to 7 bar and its flow rate drops to 0.72 kg / h. The hydrogen is recovered through a dehydrogenation circuit consisting of a fifth one-way valve 16 and a dehydrogenation vacuum pump 13, with a recovery rate of 99.75%. Once the hydrogen storage tank system is saturated, it is heated to 50°C by a secondary heat exchanger 20, providing high-purity hydrogen at a pressure greater than 1 bar to the outside world. This device allows for further separation of hydrogen and helium, resulting in even higher-purity hydrogen and helium gases.

[0042] After the gas in the secondary hydrogen storage tank 18 is pressurized by the tertiary compressor 22, the partial pressure of hydrogen reaches 5 bar, and the partial pressure of helium reaches 35 bar. After passing through the tertiary hydrogen storage tank, the hydrogen is reduced to 0.001 Pa, the partial pressure of helium is 35 bar, the flow rate is 0.72 kg / h, and the purity exceeds 99.999%. After the tertiary hydrogen storage device is saturated with hydrogen, it is heated and vacuumed to remove the hydrogen, so that the alloy is regenerated, thereby obtaining high-purity hydrogen and helium. The present invention has a simple structure and utilizes hydrogen storage alloys to better achieve the separation of helium and hydrogen in the mixed gas. At the same time, the separated hydrogen can also be recycled, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of resources.

[0043] Since the raw gas may contain particulate impurities, these impurities need to be pre-treated before entering the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device 1. The raw gas can be injected into the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device 1 from the feed pipe 33 through the above mechanism. When the gas passes through the feed pipe 33, it will be filtered by the filter 37, thereby improving the purity of the gas. Part of the filtered impurities will fall onto the sealing plate 35. When a large amount of impurities accumulate, the electromagnet 38 can be started to suck the sealing plate 35, so that the impurities on the sealing plate 35 are scraped off by the inner wall of the discharge chute, and at the same time, the impurities are scraped off. Impurities can be discharged from the discharge chute to prevent them from accumulating in the feed pipe 33. When impurities fall from the filter screen 37, they fall onto the elastic sheet 41. As more and more impurities are present, the pressure exerted by the elastic sheet 41 on the mounting groove 39 becomes greater and greater. When the pressure value reaches a certain value, it will be sensed by the pressure sensor 40, thereby causing the pressure sensor 40 to activate the electromagnet 38 to attract the sealing plate 35. At this time, the impurities will be automatically discharged from the discharge chute, thereby achieving the effect of automatically opening the discharge chute when a large amount of impurities are accumulated.

[0044] When the sealing plate 35 is attracted by the electromagnet 38, the sealing plate 35 will push the gas in the slide groove 34 into the conduit 42. At this time, the gas will push the slide rod 43, so that the slide rod 43 drives the push plate 44 to hit the filter 37, thereby knocking off the impurities on the filter 37, thereby achieving the effect of self-cleaning of the filter 37; when the push plate 44 pushes the filter 37, the filter 37 will drive the connecting ring 36 to slide. When the electromagnet 38 is closed, the slide rod 43 will lose the pushing force. At this time, the second spring will pull the connecting ring 36, causing the connecting ring 36 to reset. After resetting, the second spring will bounce multiple times, thereby allowing the filter 37 to further shake, thereby improving the self-cleaning effect of the filter 37.

[0045] The above-mentioned front, back, left, right, up and down are all based on the Figure 1 As a benchmark, according to the person's observation perspective, the side of the device facing the observer is defined as the front, the left side of the observer is defined as the left, and so on.

[0046] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention are shown and described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. The foregoing embodiments and descriptions are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection claimed in the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture, characterized by: It comprises a primary separation system, a secondary separation system and a tertiary separation system; the primary separation system comprises a primary compressor, a first one-way valve, a first flowmeter, a primary hydrogen storage tank, a primary hydrogen storage tank bracket, a first two-way valve, a primary heat exchange device, a second two-way valve, a second one-way valve, a hydrogen discharge vacuum pump and a third one-way valve; the primary compressor and the primary hydrogen storage tank are connected by a pipeline, and the first one-way valve and the first flowmeter are installed on the pipeline, the primary hydrogen storage tank is installed in the primary hydrogen storage tank bracket, the primary hydrogen storage tank and the primary heat exchange device are connected by a pipeline, and the first two-way valve is installed on the pipeline, the primary heat exchange device is installed with a connecting pipe, the other end of the connecting pipe is connected to the primary hydrogen storage tank, and the second two-way valve is installed on the connecting pipe, the primary compressor is connected to a pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device through a pipeline, the primary hydrogen storage tank is connected to the hydrogen discharge vacuum pump through a pipeline, and the first one-way constant pressure valve is installed on the pipeline, and the hydrogen discharge vacuum pump is installed with a third one-way valve; The pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device is equipped with a feed pipe, a connecting ring is provided inside the feed pipe, a filter screen is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the connecting ring, a discharge trough is provided on the side wall of the feed pipe corresponding to the connecting ring, a chute connected to the discharge trough is provided in the feed pipe, a sealing plate for sealing the discharge trough is provided on the inner wall of the chute, a first spring is fixedly connected between the side of the sealing plate close to the connecting ring and the inner wall of the chute, the sealing plate is made of magnetic material, and an electromagnet magnetically attracted to the sealing plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the chute; An "L"-shaped conduit is connected in the slide groove, and the horizontal end of the conduit is sealed and slidably connected to a slide rod, and the end of the slide rod away from the conduit is fixedly connected to a push plate, and the sealing plate is sealed and slidably connected to the inner wall of the slide groove; a connecting groove is provided on the inner wall of the feeding pipe, and a slider is slidably connected to the inner wall of the connecting groove, and the slider is fixedly connected to the connecting ring, and a connecting plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the feeding pipe, and a second spring is fixedly connected between the connecting plate and the connecting ring.

2. The device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The secondary separation system includes a fourth one-way valve, a secondary compressor, a first one-way constant pressure valve, a fifth one-way valve, a second flow meter, a secondary hydrogen storage tank body, a secondary hydrogen storage tank bracket, and a secondary heat exchange device. The secondary compressor is connected to the primary hydrogen storage tank body through a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a first one-way constant pressure valve. The secondary compressor is connected to the secondary hydrogen storage tank body through a pipeline, and the pipeline is equipped with a fifth one-way valve and a second flow meter. The secondary heat exchange device is connected to the secondary hydrogen storage tank body through a pipeline, and the secondary hydrogen storage tank body is installed on the secondary hydrogen storage tank bracket. The pipeline connecting the secondary compressor and the secondary hydrogen storage tank body is connected to a pipeline connected to a hydrogen degassing vacuum pump, and the fourth one-way valve is installed on the pipeline connected to the hydrogen degassing vacuum pump.

3. The device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: The three-stage separation system includes a second one-way constant pressure valve, a three-stage compressor, a third two-way valve, a third flowmeter, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank valve, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank body, a three-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket, a heating device, a vacuum gauge, a one-way valve, a vacuum pump and a third one-way constant pressure valve. The three-stage hydrogen storage tank body is a single tank body detachable and replaceable design, consisting of a three-stage hydrogen storage tank valve and a three-stage hydrogen storage tank body, and is placed in a three-stage hydrogen storage tank bracket. The vacuum gauge, one-way valve, and vacuum pump body constitute a vacuum pumping circuit, and the one-way constant pressure valve constitutes a helium exclusion circuit for the gas. The three-stage hydrogen storage tank body is connected to the heating device through a pipeline, the three-stage compressor is connected to the secondary compressor through a pipeline, and the pipeline is installed with a second one-way constant pressure valve, the three-stage compressor is connected to the three-stage hydrogen storage tank body through a pipeline, and the pipeline is installed with a third two-way valve and a third flowmeter.

4. The device for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top surface of the sealing plate is provided with a mounting groove aligned with the connecting ring, the inner wall of the mounting groove is fixedly connected with an elastic sheet, and the bottom surface of the inner wall of the mounting groove is fixedly connected with a pressure sensor that activates the electromagnet through a controller.

5. A method for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture, the method using the apparatus for extracting high-purity helium from a hydrogen-helium mixture as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: S1: Inject the raw gas from the feed pipe into the pressure swing adsorption impurity removal device. The pressure swing adsorption device will remove impurities such as Ar, N2, CH4, CO2, etc. in the raw gas and reduce the impurity concentration to below 1 ppm; S2: The gas after the pressure swing adsorption device is a hydrogen-helium mixture, in which the H2 partial pressure is 7.85 MPa, the flow rate is 40 kg / h, and the helium partial pressure is 0.14 MPa, the flow rate is 0.72 kg / h; S3: The hydrogen-helium mixture then passes through a first-stage compressor, a first-stage hydrogen storage system, a second-stage compressor, a second-stage hydrogen storage system, a third-stage compressor, and a third-stage hydrogen storage system, achieving a hydrogen removal rate of up to 99.999%; S4: The high-purity hydrogen treated in the above S3 can be heat-exchanged with the help of a primary heat exchange device and a secondary heat exchange device, so that the hydrogen can be regenerated and used.

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