Method of separating CO2 from hydrocarbon gas
AssigneeNational Tank Company
InventorDavid Parro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of separating CO2 from a hydrocarbon gas inlet stream that is within predetermined pressure and temperature ranges including the steps of subjecting the inlet stream to fractional distillation providing a bottom product stream and a distillation overhead stream, passing the distillation overhead stream to a membrane unit producing a CO2 by-product stream and a hydrocarbon stream and chilling the hydrocarbon stream to produce a reflux liquid stream and a hydrocarbon gas product.
Claims9
A method of separating CO2 from a hydrocarbon inlet gas stream that is within predetermined pressure and temperature ranges, comprising the steps of:
- (a) subjecting the inlet gas stream to fractional distillation in a distillation column providing a bottom product stream and a distillation overhead stream;
- (b) passing the distillation overhead stream from step (a) to a membrane unit producing a hydrocarbon stream and a by-product stream;
- (c) passing the hydrocarbon stream from step (b) to a hydrocarbon separator to separate hydrocarbon liquid having been condensed in said membrane unit from hydrocarbon vapor;
- and
- (d) subjecting the hydrocarbon vapor from step (c) to cooling providing a cooled hydrocarbon vapor stream that is fed to a reflux drum;
- and
- (e) taking a reflux liquid stream from said reflux drum and a hydrocarbon gas product stream.
A method of separating CO2 from a hydrocarbon gas inlet stream that is within predetermined pressure and temperature ranges comprising the steps of:
- (a) subjecting the hydrocarbon gas inlet stream to fractional distillation in a distillation column providing a bottom product stream and a distillation overhead stream;
- (b) subjecting said distillation overhead stream of step (a) to membrane separation, providing a hydrocarbon stream and a CO2 by-product stream;
- (c) cooling the hydrocarbon stream of step (b) producing a cold hydrocarbon stream;
- (d) refluxing said cold hydrocarbon stream from step (c) back into said distillation column;
- and
- (e) pumping said bottom product stream from step (a) at increase pressure to a reboiler/separator that provides a reboiler separator vapor stream that is directed to a bottom portion of said distillation column and a hydrocarbon condensate liquid product stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.