Liquefaction of a hydrocarbon-rich fraction
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorHeinz Bauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for liquefying and subcooling a hydrocarbon-rich fraction, particularly natural gas, is described wherein, once cooled down, the fraction is subjected to a partial condensation to remove heavy hydrocarbons, particularly benzene, by the steps of: a) the liquefied hydrocarbon-rich fraction is subcooled in a separate heat exchanger (normal mode), b) the supply of the liquefied hydrocarbon-rich fraction to the heat exchanger is interrupted at the latest when a defined solid deposition value in the heat exchanger is reached (cleaning mode), c) the solid in the heat exchanger is melted with a defrost gas and drawn off from the heat exchanger and d) the liquefied hydrocarbon-rich fraction is subsequently returned to the heat exchanger.
Claims8
A process for liquefying and subcooling a hydrocarbon-rich fraction comprising:
- a) providing a flow of a hydrogen-rich fraction;
- b) cooling the hydrogen-rich fraction in a first heat exchanger to form a partially condensed fraction;
- c) separating the partially condensed fraction to form a heavy hydrocarbons-containing liquid fraction and a hydrocarbon-rich gas fraction;
- d) liquefying the hydrocarbon-rich gas fraction in a further heat exchanger to form a liquefied hydrocarbon-rich fraction;
- wherein the method further comprises operating a separate heat exchanger comprising:
- e) operating in a normal mode comprising
- e1) the liquefied hydrocarbon-rich fraction in the separate heat exchanger to produce a subcooled hydrocarbon-rich fraction;
- e2) monitoring an amount of solid deposition formed in the separate heat exchanger;
- f) when the amount of solid deposition reaches a defined value, operating in a cleaning mode which comprises;
- f1) interrupting the supply of the liquefied hydrocarbon-rich fraction to the separate heat exchanger at the latest when the amount of solid deposition value in the separate heat exchanger reaches a defined value, such that the separate heat exchanger switches to the cleaning mode;
- f2) feeding a defrost gas into the the separate heat exchanger so that the solid deposition is melted to form a melted deposition;
- f3) drawing off the melted deposition from the separate heat exchanger and
- g) subsequently returning to operating the separate heat exchanger in the normal mode in which the liquefied hydrocarbon-rich fraction is returned to the separate heat exchanger to be subcooled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.