U.S. patent application number 12/480217 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-07 for method for separating sulphur out of a gas that contains sulphur.
Invention is credited to Robert ADLER, Ekkehardt KLEIN, Markus MAYER.
Application Number | 20100000154 12/480217 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41128269 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100000154 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ADLER; Robert ; et
al. |
January 7, 2010 |
METHOD FOR SEPARATING SULPHUR OUT OF A GAS THAT CONTAINS
SULPHUR
Abstract
A method is described for separating sulphur out of a
sulphur-containing gas, particularly hydrogen or natural gas,
wherein the gas is compressed and the sulphur is removed in an
absorptive separation process. According to the invention, the
sulphur-containing gas is compressed, or at least precompressed
before being passed into the absorptive separation process.
Inventors: |
ADLER; Robert; (Gerasdorf,
AT) ; MAYER; Markus; (Vosendorf, AT) ; KLEIN;
Ekkehardt; (Langenlebarn, AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
The BOC Group, Inc.
575 MOUNTAIN AVENUE
MURRAY HILL
NJ
07974-2082
US
|
Family ID: |
41128269 |
Appl. No.: |
12/480217 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
48/127.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 2256/24 20130101;
B01D 2257/306 20130101; B01D 2256/16 20130101; B01D 53/1487
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
48/127.3 |
International
Class: |
C10K 3/00 20060101
C10K003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 3, 2008 |
DE |
102008031509.5 |
Claims
1. A method for separating sulphur out of a gas that contains
sulphur, particularly hydrogen or natural gas, wherein the gas is
compressed and the sulphur is removed via an absorptive separation
process, characterized in that the sulphur-containing gas is
compressed, or at least precompressed before it is introduced into
the absorptive separation process.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the
sulphur-containing gas is compressed before its introduction into
the absorptive separation process to at least such a degree that
the compression heat generated thereby enables the absorber
material or materials used in the absorptive separation process to
be heated to the requisite temperature.
3. The method as recited in claim 1t characterized in that the
sulphur-containing gas that is introduced into the absorptive
separation process is at a temperature between 20 and 200.degree.
C.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the
sulphur-containing gas that is introduced into the absorptive
separation process is at a temperature preferably between 40 and
100.degree. C.
5. The method as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the gas
that is extracted from the absorptive separation process undergoes
postcompression.
6. The method as recited in claim 1, characterized in that at least
a partial stream of the sulphur-containing gas is diverted around
the absorptive separation process, the quantity of this partial
stream preferably being variable.
7. The method as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the
sulphur-containing gas that is introduced into the absorptive
separation process is cooled after it has been (pre)compressed.
8. The method as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the
absorptive separation process is designed such that besides sulphur
at least one additional component is at least partially separated
from the sulphur-containing gas.
9. The method as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the gas
from which sulphur has been removed is delivered to a vehicle for
use as a power source and/or fuel.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from German Patent
Application Serial No. DE 102008 031 509.5, filed Jul. 3, 2008.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a method for separating sulphur out
of a gas that contains sulphur, particularly hydrogen or natural
gas, wherein the gas is compressed and the sulphur is removed via
an absorptive separation process.
[0003] Species-related methods for separating sulphur from a gas
containing sulphur are used for example at natural gas filling
stations. At natural gas filling stations, the natural gas for use
as fuel is drawn from the existing natural gas supply network,
dried, and compressed to a storage pressure that may reach 300 bar.
The sulphur content in the natural gas that is drawn from the
supply network is usually too high to be processed effectively with
today's engine and exhaust gas cleaning technology. In particular,
the catalytic converters needed for subsequent cleaning of the
exhaust gas are damaged by the sulphur that is currently included
in the natural gas, with the result that they cease to function
properly before the end of their specified service lives.
[0004] Because of legal provisions regarding odorising natural gas
when it is used as fuel--tetrahydrothiophene (THT) and/or mercaptan
sulphur are added to the natural gas for this purpose--the sulphur
content in natural gas must not fall below a prescribed
fraction.
[0005] For natural gas processing on a large, industrial scale,
selective sulphur absorption processes have been in use for some
time. The absorber materials that are suitable for removing sulphur
must usually be at an operating temperature from 40 to 80.degree.
C. These temperatures are generally assured by explosion-proof
electric heaters allocated to the absorbers.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the present invention is to suggest a
species-related method for separating sulphur out of a gas that
contains sulphur, particularly hydrogen or natural gas, which
avoids the problems described above and particularly enables use of
an additional heating device for the absorptive separating process
to be dispensed with.
[0007] To solve this object, a species-related method for
separating sulphur out of a gas that contains sulphur is suggested
that is characterized in that the sulphur-containing gas is
compressed, or at least precompressed, before it is introduced into
the absorptive separation process.
[0008] In this context, the sulphur-containing gas is preferably
compressed before its introduction into the absorptive separation
process to at least such a degree that the compression heat
generated thereby enables the absorber material or materials used
in the absorptive separation process to be heated to the requisite
temperature. As a consequence, it is no longer necessary to use
additional heating devices for the absorptive separation
process.
[0009] Further advantageous configurations of the method according
to the invention for separating sulphur out of a gas that contains
sulphur, which represent the objects of the subordinate claims, are
characterized in that [0010] the sulphur-containing gas that is
introduced into the absorptive separation process is at a
temperature between 20 and 200.degree. C., preferably between 40
and 100.degree. C., [0011] the gas that is extracted from the
separation process undergoes postcompression, [0012] at least a
partial stream of the sulphur-containing gas is diverted around the
absorptive separation process, the quantity of this partial stream
preferably being variable, [0013] the sulphur-containing gas that
is introduced into the absorptive separation process is cooled
after it has been (pre)compressed, [0014] the absorptive separation
process is designed such that besides sulphur at least one
additional component is at least partially separated from the
sulphur-containing gas, and [0015] the gas from which sulphur has
been removed is delivered to a vehicle for use as a power source
and/or fuel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In the following, the method according to the invention for
separating sulphur out of a gas that contains sulphur as well as
other configurations thereof will be explained in greater detail
with reference to the embodiment shown in the FIGURE. The
embodiment shown in the figure may be used in particular at natural
gas filling stations that are provided for the purpose of filling
vehicles of any kind with compressed natural gas.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The FIGURE illustrates an absorption process A for the
selective removal of sulphur. A gas that contains sulphur is
introduced into this process via line segments 1, 2 and 3. In the
case of a natural gas filling station, this gas is natural gas
drawn from the public natural gas supply network. The
sulphur-containing gas is compressed by a single- or two-stage
compressor or a single- or multistage compressor unit V1 such that
the heat of compression generated by the process is sufficient to
heat the absorber material or materials used in absorptive
separation process A to the temperature required for the process.
Additional heating devices for heating the absorber material or
materials to the requisite temperature are not required.
[0018] In the case of a natural gas filling station, the natural
gas containing the sulphur is compressed in the compressor or
compressor unit V1 to a pressure between 10 and 30 bar, preferably
between 15 and 25 bar.
[0019] Heat exchanger E, which may be provided optionally, is used
to cool the natural gas that has been compressed, and thus also
heated in the compressor or compressor unit V1, to an optimal
temperature for the purposes of selectivity of the absorber
material or materials used in downstream absorptive separation
process A.
[0020] In practical terms, absorptive separation process A includes
an absorption column preferably having a capacity of 50 l. Besides
the absorption material that is used to selectively remove sulphur
from the sulphur-containing gas, a drying material is preferably
provided in absorption column A as well. In general, this drying
material may be located upstream and/or downstream from the
absorption material that is used to separate the sulphur.
[0021] Bypass line 5, represented by a dashed line, is preferably
equipped with a control valve 6 and may be used for diverting a
partial flow of the sulphur-containing (natural) gas around
absorptive separation process A. In this way, it is possible to
vary the quantity of gas that passes through absorptive separation
process A. The degree of sulphur reduction in the gas that contains
the sulphur may thus be regulated or varied according to
requirements
[0022] If it is necessary and/or desired, absorptive separation
process A may be modified in such manner that other, preferably
undesirable components besides sulphur are removed from the
sulphur-containing gas as well.
[0023] With its sulphur content reduced to the desired lower limit,
the cleaned gas then passes through line segments 4 and 7 to a
second single- or multistage compressor or a second single- or
multistage compressor unit V2, in either of which it may optionally
be compressed to desired final pressure. The compressed gas is then
forwarded through line 8 for subsequent use, for example
intermediate storage.
[0024] It should be noted in particular that the method according
to the invention for separating sulphur out of a gas that contains
sulphur is able to be used for an extremely wide range of gases and
gas mixtures in which at least some of the sulphur contained is to
be removed by absorption.
* * * * *