Granted Patent B2

US 12,545,575 · App. 18/006,221 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Inventor: Marcel Staedter (Houston, TX)

Assignee: EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY

C01B3/0073

Abstract

Claims (25)

1 . A method of continuously compressing a hydrogen gas stream, comprising:

in a hydrogenation module, adsorbing or absorbing the hydrogen gas stream at a first pressure level to a lean carrier stream through heat removal, to thereby produce a heat output and a rich carrier stream containing absorbed or adsorbed hydrogen;

using a pump, increasing a pressure of the rich carrier stream to produce a pressurized rich carrier stream;

in a dehydrogenation module, separating, via an addition of heat, a pressurized hydrogen gas stream from the pressurized rich carrier stream, to thereby produce a lean carrier stream;

reducing a pressure of the lean carrier stream before the lean carrier stream is returned to the hydrogenation module; and

cycling the carrier stream is continuously between the hydrogenation module and the dehydrogenation module.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises a composition that is substantially incompressible throughout a range of pressures used in the hydrogenation module and the dehydrogenation module.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in a recuperative heat exchanger, exchanging heat between the lean carrier stream exiting the dehydrogenation module and the pressurized rich carrier stream exiting the pump.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accepting at least a portion of a heat output of the hydrogenation module into a heat pump; and

with a work input, providing a heat output from the heat pump, wherein the heat output is used, at least partially, in the dehydrogenation module.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

cooling the pressurized hydrogen gas stream in an ambient or sub-ambient cooler.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a heat rejection temperature of the hydrogenation module;

determining a hydrogen loading of the carrier stream using the heat rejection temperature;

using the hydrogen loading and a pressure of the pressurized hydrogen gas stream, determining a required temperature of a heat input into the dehydrogenation module and setting a heat input set point for the dehydrogenation module; and

controlling an amount of hydrogen processed by the thermal hydrogen compression system by varying a flow rate of the carrier stream while maintaining the required temperature of the heat input into the dehydrogenation module.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

controlling a pump speed of the pump to vary the flow rate of the carrier stream.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining the pump speed based on at least one of a desired flow rate of the pressurized hydrogen gas stream, a pressure of the pressurized hydrogen gas stream, and the heat rejection temperature.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

using the pump speed to determine needed changes to the heat rejection temperature.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (15)