Purifier™ (Cryogenic Gas Purification System)

Commercial Applications

The Purifier™ system Enlarge Photo

The Purifier™ system is a simple design consisting of three pieces of equipment: a feed/effluent exchanger, a column with a built-in condenser and an expander.

With KBR's cryogenic Purifier syngas technology, you receive a lower-cost, more robust processing route to high-purity synthesis gas in ammonia manufacturing plants. The proprietary, front-end process technology simultaneously removes impurities (i.e., methane, argon) from synthesis gas by washing it with excess liquid nitrogen while adjusting the hydrogen to nitrogen (H2/N2) ratio to 3:1.

Values and Benefits

Providing a clean, dry, make-up gas to the synthesis loop and simple and precise H2/N2 ratio control, Purifier technology offers benefits to the entire plant operation including:

  • Reduced Energy Consumption
  • Reduced Capital Costs
  • Increased Flexibility of Operation
  • Increased Reliability of Associated Process Equipment

Technology Information

The Purifier system is a simple design consisting of three pieces of equipment: a feed/effluent exchanger, a column with a built-in condenser and an expander. All items and the connecting piping are welded and enclosed in a perlite-insulated cold box. Specific equipment design features include:

  • Exchanger, which is a plate-fin design and constructed of aluminum
  • Cryogenic column, which operates in the range of minus 170°C to minus 200°C, with an integral condenser, which is a shell-and-tube design
  • Expander, which is a compact, low-speed unit that is typically coupled to a generator to recover power.