Cryogenic separation of gaseous mixtures

Patent · Tue Jul 30 00:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5362813

McCue, Jr, R H

This patent describes a cryogenic separation process for recovering C{sub 2} hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon feedstream comprising methane, ethene and ethane. It comprises introducing the hydrocarbon feedstream into a dephlegmation zone at cryogenic temperatures; dephlegmating the hydrocarbon feedstream into a primary methane-rich gas stream and a primary liquid condensate stream rich in C{sub 2} + hydrocarbon components and containing a minor amount of methane; passing the primary liquid condensate stream to a moderately low cryogenic temperature primary demethanizer unit and separating the primary liquid condensate stream into a C{sub 2} + liquid bottoms stream and intermediate methane-rich overhead vapor stream; and further separating the intermediate methane-rich overhead vapor stream from the moderately low cryogenic temperature primary demethanizer unit in an ultra-low temperature final demethanizer unit operating below about 175 psia to recover a first liquid ethene-rich hydrocarbon product stream and a final demethanizer ultra-low temperature vapor stream; whereby total energy requirements for refrigeration to separate the C{sub 2} + hydrocarbon from the C{sub 1} and lighter components are low.

• Assignee: Stone and Webster Engineering Corp., Boston, MA (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5035732; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-462395
• OSTI ID: 5362813
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 4 Jan 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
03 NATURAL GAS
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CRYOGENICS
CRYOPUMPS
HYDROCARBONS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS
ETHANE
GASES
METHANE
MIXTURES
ALKANES
DISPERSIONS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LIQUIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PUMPS
VACUUM PUMPS
661210* - Cryogenics- (1992-)
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing
400105 - Separation Procedures