Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Technology Proves Successful In India's First Helium Extraction Pilot Plant

India's first helium extraction pilot plant is now successfully operating at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Kuthalam Gas Collecting Station. This helium extraction plant—designed, manufactured, and installed by Adsorption Research, Inc. of Dublin, Ohio, U.S.A.—uses Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology in a four-stage process to extract helium gas of 99% purity from natural gas.

This technology, proven in the pilot plant, makes possible commercially viable extraction of helium from very low concentrations, producing about 98% pure helium. This pilot plant processes gas containing helium at 0.05% by volume, significantly below the 0.3% concentration considered the lower threshold for commercial production using cryogenic processes.

"Delivering the inaugural address on the occasion, ONGC chairman and managing director RS Sharma said the pilot plant has demonstrated the technological prowess of the company and termed it as major ‘breakthrough' in the R&D for India in the sphere of energy research."

Based on this pilot plant, the ultimate Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) system is designed to achieve both high helium purity (> 98%) and high recovery (> 80%).

Founded in 1992, Adsorption Research, Inc. focuses exclusively on developing adsorption separation technology, primarily as a research and development service. The Company also invents and sells adsorption equipment for specific client requirements, such as separating gas mixtures.

SOURCE: Adsorption Research, Inc.