System for Helium Recovery from Waste Gas Streams

The continuing rising costs of helium justifies the construction of an economic system that will separate helium gas from gas streams that would normally be considered waste gas. These waste gas streams are typically generated from operations where helium purging of hydrogen storage or propellant equipment is performed. As a result of these operations, helium contaminated with hydrogen, nitrogen, and small amounts of air is vented to the atmosphere where it is not recoverable in a practical or economic manner. The system proposed will recover helium and could be designed to also recover hydrogen from these waste gas streams and purify it to a level where it can be recycled for usage. Cryogenic processes as well as other gas separation techniques will be incorporated into a complete integrated system to accomplish this gas recovery. The Phase II system will be a practical system for helium recovery in both commercial and NASA related programs where helium is routinely used and vented in significant quantities. The Phase II unit could be made to handle the full scale helium separation for recovery for some specific helium use applications at NASA/KSC.