The on-going global helium shortage has resulted in a scarcity of helium supply and high operational costs. To reduce operational expenses, recycling and purifying helium gas has become crucial. Industry leaders are implementing new measures to preserve the production and use of helium in their industrial sites. LDetek’s (a brand of Process Sensing Technology) LDRPS is a cost-effective solution for industrial sites that use helium. It can save up to 85% on the cost of using helium, providing a quick return on investment and security during a shortage. Additionally, this system reduces the risk associated with bottle rotation, which is common with standard gas chromatography systems.
The automated gas recovery and purification system LDetek LDRPS is explicitly designed to recycle the helium carrier gas used by gas chromatographs. It is able to collect waste carrier gas from any gas chromatograph exhaust without causing pressure fluctuations or build-up. It builds up pressure to the required level for the GC inlets, stores excess gas in a reservoir, purifies any grade waste gas up to 99.999999% using a multi-step heated purifier system, and measures trace impurities (ppb/ppm) of nitrogen and moisture using a micro plasma detector to validate the purity of the recycled carrier gas before returning it to the gas chromatograph.
LDetek LDRPS allows continuous recycling, repurifying, and repressurizing of the exact source of helium or other gases in a continuous loop. It considerably reduces the operating cost of a gas chromatography system or any other process.
The system was tested on an industrial gas supplier site using 2 MultiDetek3 gas chromatograph units combined with 1 LDGDSA dilution system, Picture 2 shows an overview of the results and the price assumtions they are based on.
Working principle
A built-in heated dual-getters purifier purifies the recycled gas. The quality of the purified gas produced is then measured by an integrated plasma emission detector. Combining the specific flexible membrane with a network of position and pressure sensors makes the system intelligent and fully automatic. The system has been designed with state-of-the-art components to ensure its high purity and that it is leak-free.
The LDetek LDRPS is also compatible with any other type of gas source that must be recycled.
