Solid–Liquid–Vapor Equilibrium Prediction for Typical Helium-Bearing Natural Gas Mixtures

Industrial, large-scale helium recovery from natural gas is typically performed though cryogenic distillation. These technologies need a deep knowledge of the thermodynamics treated mixture: in case to pipeline, CO2 present feed stream might freeze at process operating temperatures. The aim this work analyze thermodynamic behavior four-component mixture CH4–N2–He–CO2 predict its triphasic solid–liquid–vapor equilibrium (SLVE). Through developed computational method based on classical approach, nitrogen and effect solidification has been assessed. investigated conditions are consistent with typical procesthesing temperatures (i.e., 100–200 K) compositions. Pressure–temperature temperature–composition loci provided for each analyzed case, varying N2 He content mixture. Helium as quantum considered by introducing temperature-dependent critical parameters, suggested Prausnitz co-workers, valid an acentric factor equal zero. Referring proposed modeling, risk freezing within plant can be avoided carefully managing conditions.