Patent · US Active

Hydrocarbon gas processing

US9933207B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
57References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 3, 2010
Grant dateApr 3, 2018
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 11, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02C20/20
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to recover ethane, ethylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The gas stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled, expanded to lower pressure, heated, and its liquid fraction is supplied as a first top feed to an absorbing means. The second stream is expanded to lower pressure and supplied as a bottom feed to the absorbing means. A distillation vapor stream from the absorbing means is combined with the vapor fraction of the first stream, then cooled by the expanded first stream to form a condensed stream that is supplied as a second top feed to the absorbing means. A distillation liquid stream from the bottom of the absorbing means is heated in a heat and mass transfer means to strip out its volatile components.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.