Products & Services
Helium Recovery & Liquefaction
Helium Extraction & Liquefaction Unit
Two Major Processes
- Cryogenic Process
- Membrane Separation Process
Cryogenic Process Overview
Diagram illustrating the Helium Extraction Unit (HEU) and Helium Liquefier (HEL) Skids.
How to make Helium (5-Stage Process)
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Natural Gas Feed |
Concentration |
Correction/Rectification |
Purification |
Liquefaction & Storage |
|
He Content: 0.03-0.04% |
He Content: 3-5% |
He Content: 80-95% |
He Content: ≥99.99% |
He Content: ≥99.99% |
Concentration Principle
( Stage 2 )
- Condensation point of Helium (-269°C) is far lower than that of natural gas (-162.5°C).
- When natural gas is liquefied, concentration of Helium in non-condensable gas gradually increases.
- Non-condensable gas would stay at the top of the LNG storage tank.
- Such gas is collectively called Boil-Off Gas (BOG). Helium concentration in BOG could reach 3-5%.
- Achieved by LNG Plant or Petrochemical Plant Using Natural Gas as Feed.
Correction / Rectification Principle ( Stage 3 )
- Liquid Nitrogen (LIN) and G-M Refrigerator are the cold sources for Cold Box.
- Temperature in Cold Box would be low enough to liquefy C1-C4, but not enough to liquefy He, N2, and some other impurities.
- Liquid C1-C4 shall be delivered back to LNG plant.
- Helium concentration in Raw Helium could reach 80-97%.
- Achieved by Fullcryo Cold Box.
Essential Core Equipment for Basic Science & Energy Security
The 20K helium refrigerator adopts a helium turbine reverse Brayton refrigeration cycle to obtain 20K refrigeration capacity. The obtained cold helium gas below 20K is returned to the cold box after cooling the user equipment. The main equipment includes: compressor, oil filter, 20K cold box, control system, helium buffer tank, etc. The 20K cold box is a vacuum adiabatic cold box, and the cold box contains a multistage heat exchanger, turbine expansion machine, internal adsorber, low-temperature valves, measuring elements and other components.
| Series | Liquefaction Rate (L/h) | Refrigerating Capacity (W) |
|---|---|---|
|
FHL-40 to FHL-280 |
40 – 280 |
160 – 750 (@4.5K) |