Hydrocarbon gas processing featuring a compressed reflux stream formed by combining a portion of column residue gas with a distillation vapor stream withdrawn from the side of the column
US9476639B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 26, 2010 |
| Grant date | Oct 25, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 23, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25J2290/40
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process and an apparatus are disclosed for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled to condense substantially all of it and divided into first and second portions. The first and second portions are expanded to the fractionation tower pressure and supplied to the fractionation tower at upper mid-column feed positions, with the expanded second portion being heated before it enters the tower. The second stream is expanded to the tower pressure and supplied to the column at a mid-column feed position. A distillation vapor stream is withdrawn from the column above the feed point of the second stream, combined with a portion of the tower overhead vapor stream, compressed to higher pressure, and directed into heat exchange relation with the remaining tower overhead vapor stream and the expanded second portion to cool the compressed combined vapor stream and condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream. At least a portion of the condensed stream is expanded to the tower pressure and directed to the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.