The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 04, 1994
Filed:
Mar. 30, 1993
Rainer Fabian, Geretsried, DE;
Linde Aktiengesellschaft, Wiesbaden, DE;
Abstract
An improvement in a process for the production of high-purity hydrogen and high-purity carbon monoxide by the separation of an extensively dry and CO.sub.2 -free H.sub.2 /CO crude gas mixture, also containing methane, by means of pressure swing adsorption and one-stage partial condensation, wherein, the H.sub.2 /CO crude gas mixture is subjected to a pressure swing adsorption process, producing a high-purity hydrogen product stream, while the CO-rich gas obtained in the regeneration during the pressure swing adsorption process is compressed, cooled, at least partially condensed, and conducted into a phase separator wherein it is separated into a gaseous H.sub.2 -rich fraction and a liquid CO-rich fraction, whereupon the gaseous H.sub.2 -rich fraction is heated and admixed to the H.sub.2 /CO crude gas mixture before the latter is fed into the pressure swing adsorption. The improvement is that at least a portion of the liquid CO-rich fraction from the phase separator is at least partially expanded, heated, and conducted into the lower region of a double distillation column having an upper and lower region, a liquid methane fraction being withdrawn from the bottom of the column, a liquid high-purity carbon monoxide product fraction being withdrawn from the lower part of the upper region of the column, and a gaseous CO-rich fraction being withdrawn from the head of the column.