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Hydrogen recovery

Hydrogen recovery is the fraction of the hydrogen entering a purification unit that leaves as product, stated as a percentage. In a pressure swing adsorption unit the remainder leaves in the tail gas. Recovery trades against product purity.

Hydrogen recovery explained

Recovery rises with more beds and more pressure equalisation steps, and with lower tail gas pressure. It falls when purity is pushed higher, when adsorbent has lost capacity, or when cycle times are shortened to hold purity.

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Tail gas
Tail gas is the low-pressure stream released from a pressure swing adsorption unit as its beds are depressurised and purged. It holds the removed impurities with the hydrogen that was not recovered, and is usually used as fuel.
Pressure swing adsorption (PSA)
Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) separates gases using beds of solid adsorbent that hold impurities at high pressure and release them when pressure is lowered. Several beds cycle in sequence, so purified gas, typically hydrogen, is produced continuously.

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