Optimal design of integration process for helium extraction from helium-poor pipeline natural gas with diversified products

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20240772

Abstract

Abstract:

At present, there are some problems in the helium extraction process, such as excessive dependence on the helium-rich tail gas from liquefied natural gas production process, the introduction of new impurities by catalytic oxidation destructive dehydrogenation and high energy consumption. Therefore, a multi-stage membrane-electrochemical hydrogen pump-adsorption helium extraction integration process based on a wide range of resources for helium-poor pipeline natural gas was proposed to produce diversified products of He, H₂, and CO₂ by utilizing the pressure of the pipeline natural gas and a multi-technology gradient productization strategy of removing impurities and extracting helium, so as to realize the economic helium extraction from helium-poor pipeline natural gas. Aspen HYSYS software was used to simulate and optimize the helium extraction integration process for 1.00×10⁵ m³/h helium-poor pipeline natural gas, and the effects of the recovery, membrane performance, and helium concentration on the process economy were investigated. The simulation results show that, at a typical pipeline natural gas pressure of 4.0 MPa and 0.04%(vol) He, the helium extraction integration process for helium-poor pipeline natural gas is more economical with the medium-permeable and medium-selective gas separation membrane, and the helium recovery rate is 50%—70%, the break-even price of helium is 115.5—123.2 CNY/m³, and the break-even price gradually decreases as the helium concentration increases, providing a technological route with great industrial prospects for the economic utilization of helium-poor resources.

Key words: natural gas, optimal design, membranes, helium, electrochemical hydrogen pump, process intensification

摘要：

目前氦气提取过程，存在过度依赖于液化天然气生产过程的富氦尾气、催化氧化破坏式脱氢引入新杂质和高能耗的问题。因此，提出基于资源广泛的贫氦管输天然气的多级膜-电化学氢泵-吸附耦合提氦工艺，利用管输天然气压力和多技术梯度产品化除杂提氦策略，生产氦气、燃料电池氢和二氧化碳多元化产品，实现贫氦管输天然气经济性提氦。运用Aspen HYSYS软件对1.00×10⁵ m³/h贫氦管输天然气耦合提氦工艺模拟优化，考察了回收率、膜性能和氦气浓度对工艺经济性的影响，模拟结果表明：在典型管输压力4.0 MPa和0.04%(体积分数)He时，采用中渗透性中选择性气体分离膜，且氦气回收率为50%~70%时，贫氦管输天然气提氦耦合工艺经济性较好，氦气盈亏平衡价格为115.5~123.2 CNY/m³，且随着氦气浓度增加盈亏平衡价格逐渐减小，为贫氦资源经济性利用提供极具工业前景技术路线。

关键词: 天然气, 优化设计, 膜, 氦气, 电化学氢泵, 过程强化

CLC Number:

TQ 028.8

Minggang GUO, Xiaohang YANG, Yan DAI, Panpan MI, Shixin MA, Gaohong HE, Wu XIAO, Fujun CUI. Optimal design of integration process for helium extraction from helium-poor pipeline natural gas with diversified products[J]. CIESC Journal, 2025, 76(5): 2251-2261.

郭明钢, 杨晓航, 代岩, 米盼盼, 马世鑫, 贺高红, 肖武, 崔福军. 贫氦管输天然气提氦多元化产品耦合工艺优化设计[J]. 化工学报, 2025, 76(5): 2251-2261.

Figures/Tables 13

Table 1 Basic conditions of the pipeline natural gas

天然气基础条件	值
气相分率	1.00
温度/℃	40
压力/MPa	4.0
标准状态体积流率/(m³/h)	1.00 ×10⁵
组分体积分数/%
He	0.0400
H₂	0.0020
CO₂	1.0200
CH₄	98.1190
C₂H₆	0.2930
C₃H₈	0.0080
N₂	0.5180

Table 2 Gas permeation rates in membrane for process simulation

气体	渗透速率（Prism-Ⅱ, 80℃）/GPU
He	200
H₂	210
N₂	2.2
C₁	1.5
C₂	1.4
C₃	1.3
CO₂	51
H₂O	1000

Fig.1 Chematic diagram of multi-stage membrane-electrochemical hydrogen pump-adsorption integration process

Fig.2 Influence of helium recovery on membrane area and compressor power

Fig.3 Influence of He recovery on economy and He breakeven price

Fig.4 Influence of He price on payback with different helium recovery

Table 3 Fixed investment and percentage contributions of equipment items annualized cost

项目	膜	压缩机	吸收	吸附	电化学氢泵	其他
设备投资/10⁴CNY	2094.50	597.14	33.00	18.07	0.11	694.08
折旧占比/%	82.00	7.79	0.43	0.71	0.01	9.06

Fig. 5 Influence of membrane He/N2 selectivity on membrane area and compressor power

Fig.6 Influence of membrane He/N2 selectivity on He breakeven price

Fig.7 Influence of membrane N2 permeability (JN2) on He breakeven price

Fig. 8 Influence of membrane categories on He breakeven price with different helium recovery

Fig.9 Influence of feed gas He concentration on He production and He breakeven price

Table 4 Economic comparison of the cost of helium production

分离技术	原料	He体积分数/%		He回收率/%	He盈亏平衡价格/ （CNY/m³）	文献
分离技术	原料	原料	产品	He回收率/%	He盈亏平衡价格/ （CNY/m³）	文献
二级膜工艺	贫氦天然气	0.05	90.000	95	505.5	[16]
二级膜工艺	富氦天然气	4.00	97.000	90	1.7	[24]
深冷+三级膜耦合工艺	富氦天然气	0.50	99.000	91	11.2	[36]
深冷+吸附耦合工艺	NRU尾气	3.00	99.999	-	3.7	[10]
二级膜+吸附耦合工艺	NRU尾气	3.47	99.999	91	2.5	[32]
本文研究	贫氦天然气	0.04	99.999	60	115.5

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