Selective Adsorption and Desorption for 3He Enrichment From 4He
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to efficiently separate and enrich the rare isotope 3He from the more abundant isotope 4He, as the demand for 3He is rising due to its unique utilities, and existing methods are inadequate for effective removal and acquisition.
Innovation Solution
A method involving adsorption of a 3He/4He-containing gas onto an adsorbent, followed by selective desorption at specific temperatures to release 3He, utilizing activated carbon or an ion getter, allowing for the enrichment of 3He relative to 4He.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If adsorption of 3He/4He-containing gas onto adsorbent is performed, then 3He can be separated from 4He, but the separation efficiency is insufficient to meet rising demand for 3He
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing the different adsorption temperatures of 3He and 4He isotopes. By controlling the temperature parameter during desorption, 3He is selectively released at lower temperatures while 4He remains adsorbed, achieving efficient isotopic separation and enrichment of 3He
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using specific adsorbents with differentiated adsorption properties for different helium isotopes. The adsorbent material is selected and processed to have selective affinity for 3He versus 4He, enabling localized separation and enrichment of the rare isotope
2Manufacturing precision
If selective desorption is performed to release 3He, then 3He enrichment is achieved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the helium gas handling process into distinct functional stages: adsorption phase, selective desorption phase, and recovery phase. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, with the desorption stage specifically controlled to release only 3He while maintaining system manageability
3Productivity
If naturally occurring gas is used as 3He/4He-containing gas, then 3He can be recovered, but extraneous gases interfere with the separation process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing pre-treatment of the naturally occurring gas to remove extraneous components before the main adsorption process. This preliminary purification step ensures that only helium isotopes are present during adsorption, preventing interference and optimizing the subsequent selective desorption of 3He
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enriches 3He up to 1.5-fold relative to 4He, enabling its efficient acquisition and utilization in scientific research and medical applications such as generating low temperatures and as a contrast agent for nuclear spin tomography.
Implementation Method 1
performing adsorption of a 3He/4He-containing gas onto an adsorbent
Implementation Method 2
performing selective desorption, so that 3He is released from the adsorbent
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for removing, enriching, and acquiring the isotope 3He relative to the isotope 4He, comprising steps as follows:a) performing adsorption of a 3He/4He-containing gas onto an adsorbent, andb) performing selective desorption, so that 3He is released from the adsorbent.The invention further relates to use of the removed, enriched, and acquired isotope 3He obtained by means of the method for generating a temperature in the range from 0.01 to 0.05 K, preferably of 0.02 K, or as a contrast agent for nuclear spin tomography images.