Hydrocarbon processing

A process for the separation of a mixed hydrocarbon stream containing at least a lighter hydrocarbon component and a heavier hydrocarbon component into a volatile fraction containing a major portion of said lighter hydrocarbon component and a relatively less volatile fraction containing a major portion of said heavier hydrocarbon component wherein

• (1) said mixed hydrocarbon stream is supplied as a feed between a first heat and mass transfer means and a second heat and mass transfer means housed in a processing assembly, said first heat and mass transfer means being located above said second heat and mass transfer means;
• (2) a first distillation vapor stream is collected from an upper region of said second heat and mass transfer means and combined with any vapor portion of said feed to form a combined vapor stream;
• (3) said combined vapor stream is cooled in said first heat and mass transfer means to simultaneously condense the less volatile components from said combined vapor stream, thereby forming a first distillation liquid stream and a second distillation vapor stream, whereupon said second distillation vapor stream is discharged from said processing assembly as said volatile fraction;
• (4) said first distillation liquid stream is collected from a lower region of said first heat and mass transfer means and combined with any liquid portion of said feed to form a combined liquid stream;
• (5) said combined liquid stream is heated in said second heat and mass transfer means to simultaneously strip the more volatile components from said combined liquid stream, thereby forming said first distillation vapor stream and a second distillation liquid stream, whereupon said second distillation liquid stream is discharged from said processing assembly as said relatively less volatile fraction;
• and
• (6) a control means is adapted to maintain the temperature of said volatile fraction at a temperature whereby the major portion of said heavier hydrocarbon component is recovered in said relatively less volatile fraction and to maintain the temperature of said relatively less volatile fraction at a temperature whereby the major portion of said lighter hydrocarbon component is recovered in said volatile fraction.