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AssigneeLiquid Air Engineering Corporation
InventorsDennis C. Tanguay, Gerard E. Dupuis, Bao Ha
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A method of and apparatus for separating C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from a feed comprising a gaseous mixture. The feed is cooled and partially condensed in a plurality of successive stages of condensation and phase separation. A gaseous overhead from each separation stage is further cooled and supplied to the next separation stage and the liquid separated from each stage is used to cool the gas. Further refrigeration is supplied to the gas to effect the condensations by indirect heat exchange with a closed cycle refrigerant subjected to a compression/expansion cycle. The feed undergoes no compression and no abrupt expansion during the separation, so that the feed undergoes a pressure decrease due only to friction of the passage of the feed through the apparatus. The pressure loss is no more than about 20 psi. The temperature of the feed is maintained below 150.degree. F. at all times, to prevent polymerization of 1,3-butadiene. A mixed refrigerant passes through the closed refrigeration cycle and contains, in decreasing order of plentitude, propane, ethylene, isopentane and nitrogen. The mixed refrigerant is subjected to a single compression followed by cooling and phase separation. The phases of the mixed refrigerant thus separated are separately cooled and expanded and the material thus produced by expansion is used to cool the feed.
In a method of separating C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from a feed entering separation equipment comprising a gaseous mixture, comprising cooling and partially condensing the feed in a plurality of successive stages of condensation and phase separation wherein a gaseous overhead from each separation stage is further cooled and partially condensed and supplied to the next separation stage and the liquid separated from each said stage is used to cool the gas, and supplying further refrigeration to the gas to effect said condensations by indirect heat exchange with a closed cycle refrigerant subjected to a compression/expansion cycle;
In a method of separating C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from a feed entering separation equipment comprising a gaseous mixture, comprising cooling and partially condensing the mixture in a plurality of successive stages of condensation and phase separation wherein a gaseous overhead from each separation stage is further cooled and partially condensed nd supplied to the next separation stage and the liquid separated from each said stage is used to cool the gas, and supplying further refrigeration to the gas to effect said condensations by indirect heat exchange with a refrigerant subjected to a closed compression/expansion cycle;
In apparatus for separating C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from a gaseous mixture, comprising means for cooling and partially condensing the mixture in a plurality of successive stages of condensation and phase separation wherein a gaseous overhead from each separation stage is further cooled and supplied to the next separation stage and the liquid separated from each said stage is used to cool the gas, and means for supplying a further refrigeration to the gas to effect said condensations by indirect heat exchange with a closed cycle refrigerant subjected to a compression/expansion cycle;
In apparatus for separating C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from a feed comprising a gaseous mixture, comprising means for cooling and partially condensing the mixture in a plurality of successive stages of condensation and phase separation wherein a gaseous overhead from each separation stage is further cooled and supplied to the next separation stage and the liquid separated from each said stage is used to cool the gas, and means for supplying further refrigeration to the gas to effect said condensation by indirect heat exchange with a refrigerant subjected to a closed compression/expansion cycle;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.