Modeling and cost analysis of helium recovery using combined-membrane process configurations

Quader, M. Abdul; Rufford, Thomas E.; Smart, Simon

doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2019.116269

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…At the beginning of this work, the hypothesis was that the CP scheme may be the most costly membrane process design based on the results of our previous works , and other published studies. ,,, Therefore, flowsheet design modifications were introduced with the aim to lower the break-even price of the membrane process design. A total of six process design schemes were tested across the two-stage membrane systems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The membrane module (hollow fiber) model was a user-defined model developed externally using the Visual Basic (VB) code adapted from Scholes and Ghosh and added to the Aspen HYSYS V.10 software process flowsheet by using “HYSYS External User Operation”. The membrane separation units were modeled as counter-current flow units using the approaches we have described elsewhere. ,, Each membrane module was discretized into 100 internal stages, and the mass balance was determined iteratively for each stage. Flowsheets were simulated in the Aspen HYSYS V.10 software package (AspenTech, Bedford, MA, USA) using the Peng–Robinson fluid properties package.…”

Section: Simulation and Economic Analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We used counter-current flow patterns in the membrane modules for all the process schemes in this study. The effect of the module flow pattern on the efficiency of the membrane unit was investigated in our previous works. , Comparing the He/N 2 separation performance of the four-stage cascade membrane units with cross-flow and counter-flow configurations, the counter-flow requires a smaller membrane area and lower power consumption and gives a higher permeate He concentration. , We did not include in this study any effects of the membrane unit operating temperature on membrane performance, plasticization, or aging. , We also assumed that the permeability and selectivity of the membrane materials did not change at the simulation process operating pressures …”

Section: Simulation and Economic Analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The purchased costs of turbo-expander, vacuum pump, and heat exchanger were calculated in an Aspen Process Economic Analyzer (APEA) v.10. These parameters are the same as those we used in our previous work and were based on other recent TEA reports on helium separation, ,,, biogas and NG membrane separation, , and CO 2 capture. ,− …”

Section: Simulation and Economic Analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This cost was based on the reports from Baker and Lokhandwala and consistent with the reported costs of spiral-wound membrane module skids used in recently constructed NG processing plants. , The annual membrane replacement cost was set at $100/m 2 , and we assumed membranes must be replaced every 5 years. , A construction period of 1.5 years and a 12 month start-up period operating at 65% were used for capital cost estimates, considering the relatively high contingency factors, reflecting a higher risk investment of first-of-a-kind facility. The economic method in this study is the same as that in our previous published paper …”

Section: Simulation and Economic Analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of Flowsheet Design Approaches to Improve Energy Efficiency in Multistage Membrane Processes to Recover Helium

Quader

Rufford

Smart

2021

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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In pressure-driven membrane-based gas separation processes, the driving force-related cost (capital and operating costs) is one of the most significant cost components. To reduce this driving force-related cost and improve energy efficiency, in this study, we compared the specific energy requirements and specific break-even helium price of six different two-stage membrane flowsheets to recover helium from a nitrogen rejection unit (NRU) off-gas in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant using Aspen HYSYS V.10 simulations. The flowsheets were feed compression (CP); a vacuum of the permeate side of membrane units (VP); combinations of the feed compression and permeate vacuum (CP + VP and CP + VP-1); and turbo-expander to recover heat from the retentate stream (CP + EXP and CP + VP + EXP). Our results show that for two-stage membrane processes with a fixed feed-to-permeate pressure ratio (P f /P p = 20), 80% He purity, and He recovery of 80% from the feed, the feed compression (CP) process needed a smaller specific membrane area (669.63 m 2 h/MSCF He) but higher specific power (577.36 kW h/MSCF He) than the VP flowsheet (13,240.75 m 2 h/MSCF He and 69.92 kW h/MSCF He). Economic results show that the two-stage CP flowsheet had the lowest specific helium break-even price (SHBP) of $ 162.66/MSCF He compared with the SHBP of the VP flowsheet ($ 510.67 MSCF He) and the mixed-mode CP + VP flowsheet ($ 240.33 MSCF He). Introducing further complexities such as adding a turbo-expander to recover energy from the retentate stream, with or without heat integration, to reduce the net power requirements for compression to the CP or CP + VP membrane flowsheets was not economically promising. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the equipment cost of the compressors has a more significant impact on the SHBP than the costs of electricity or membrane modules. We anticipate that our findings can guide the future design of more energy-efficient and costeffective multistage membrane systems for gas separation and purification.

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