Anhui Wanrui Cold Power Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Wanrui Cold Power") independently developed the "low temperature refining and de-neoning device" successfully completed the project acceptance at the site of the Yan'an natural gas helium extraction project in Shaanxi. The helium purity produced by the device is as high as 99.99997% (grade 6N9), and the neon impurity content is less than 0.3ppm.As the first domestic device to extract 6N9 ultra-pure helium from natural gas, this achievement marks a major technological breakthrough in the field of helium extraction from low-abundance natural gas.
Known as "industrial blood", helium is a non-renewable strategic resource. Its unique ultra-low temperature characteristics and chemical inertness make it indispensable in key fields such as large scientific devices, cutting-edge medical treatment and aerospace.
However, the average abundance of helium in my country's natural gas fields is extremely low (0.03%-0.05%), which is far lower than that of international helium-rich gas fields (1%-7%). This "helium-poor" characteristic has led to the inefficiency of traditional helium extraction technology, and the product purity has been difficult to break through the 99.9999% mark for a long time.
At the Yan'an project site in Shaanxi, Wanrui Cold Power's helium extraction device is operating stably. The raw gas enters the separation system through a thousand-meter pipeline. In just 24 hours, the device outlet can stably output ultrapure helium with a purity of >99.99997%.
This efficient conversion benefits from the company’s innovatively developed “fourth-stage coupling process”: first, hydrogen is removed through catalytic dehydrogenation to achieve preliminary enrichment of helium;Then, membrane separation and pressure swing adsorption technology are used to deeply remove major impurities such as nitrogen and methane. Finally, a 30K (minus 243 degrees Celsius) deep and low-temperature refining process is used to accurately remove the most difficult-to-separate neon impurities, thereby obtaining ultra-high purity helium products.
As a "little giant" enterprise with special support from the state, Wanrui Cold Power relies on the guidance of national policies and continues to increase investment in research and development, successfully overcoming the core technical difficulties of efficient purification of low-abundance helium. The company uses a technical route with completely independent intellectual property rights and has obtained 19 relevant patents. It has also presided over the formulation of many industry standards such as "Helium Purifier" and achieved full localization of equipment and processes.
Its helium extraction device has an annual production capacity of 4 million cubic meters, which not only effectively solves the problem of low-abundance helium purification in my country, but also provides a solid guarantee for the independent control of helium resources. Its development equipment has also been exported in batches.
