Methane purification equipment

Abstract

OCR07AP The methane purification equipment1 includes a flow path10 through which the methane-containing gas flows, an ozone delivery unit20 that supplies ozone to the gas, and a non-metallic heater32 positioned at the end of the ozone delivery unit20 in flow path10 and heats the gas and ozone. The heater32 supports the catalyst for methane purification by reacting ozone with methane.

Claims

OCR07AP1.

1. Methane purification apparatus comprising a flow path through which the methane-containing gas flows, an ozone delivery unit that supplies ozone to the gas, and a non-metallic heater positioned at the end of the ozone delivery unit in the flow path to heat the gas and ozone, where the heater supports the catalyst for methane purification by reacting ozone with methane.

2. Methane purification apparatus under claim 1, where the heater includes a honeycomb-structured heating element and a heating element that supports the catalyst on the surface.

3. Methane purification apparatus under claim 2, where the heating element is constructed from silicon carbide.

4. Methane purification apparatus under claim 1, where the heater includes a cylindrical carrier that supports the catalyst and a heating unit that generates heat when electricity is supplied to the inside of the carrier. 5.

6. A methane purification device under one of the claims 1 to 4, in which the heater consists of a number of plate-like heating elements arranged at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the flow path and a number of heating elements each supporting the catalyst on the surface.

7. A methane purification device under one of the claims 1 to 5, in which the catalyst consists of one of the following: zeolites, iron ion-exchange zeolites, and cobalt ion-exchange zeolites.

8. A methane purification device under one of the claims 1 to 6, in which an additional sensing unit detects the temperature of the catalyst and a temperature control unit operates the heater so that the catalyst temperature is below the first temperature at which ozone degradation occurs.

9. A methane purification device under the claim 7, in which a temperature control unit operates the heater so that the catalyst temperature is below the first temperature and at or above the second temperature at which moisture evaporates.The methane purification apparatus purifies the 7th or 8th claim, in which the temperature control unit repeatedly alternates between low and high temperature controls. The low temperature control is performed with heating operations so that the catalyst temperature is maintained at a third temperature lower than the second temperature at which moisture evaporates for a period of one, and the high temperature control is performed with heating operations so that the catalyst temperature is maintained between the second and first temperatures for a period of two that is shorter than the first period.

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