Process and apparatus for cooling and/or liquefying a gas or a gas mixture

Patent · Tue Nov 18 04:00:00 EST 1975

OSTI ID:5721225

Rojey, A

A new process developed by Institut Francais du Petrole, des Carburants et Lubrifiants for cooling or liquefying natural gas greatly reduces the number of compressors and heat exchangers required, and also considerably lowers the necessary heat-exchanger surface area and the flow rate of the cooling fluid found in conventional processes. IFP's process consists of compressing a mixture of gaseous constituents of different boiling points, condensing a fraction which is subsequently vaporized in indirect contact with the fluid to be cooled, and progressively cooling the remaining gaseous fraction in a column by direct contact with a countercurrent of liquid reflux. A liquid fraction withdrawn from this column is vaporized in indirect contact with the fluid to be cooled. The gaseous phase issued from the top of the column is cooled by indirect contact with a vaporized liquid fraction withdrawn from the column so as to liquefy at least a portion of it. Part of the resulting liquid is used as liquid relfux in direct contact with the gaseous fraction. The mixture of gaseous constituents is reconstituted by admixing the gases evolved during the step of vaporization in indirect contact with the fluid to be cooled. By admixing the liquid fractions withdrawn from the column with liquid fractions issued from the condenser operated by thermal exchange with an external source, the process obtains an additional vaporization enthalpy at the desired temperatures since it is possible to adjust the bubble temperature of the mixture by means of fractions of increasing volatility, withdrawn from the column or from the liquid fraction obtained by condensation of the top vapor.

• Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole, des Carburants et Lubrifiants
• Patent Number(s): US 3919853
• OSTI ID: 5721225
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
032000* -- Natural Gas-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
COMPRESSORS
COOLING
DISPERSIONS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
LIQUEFACTION
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
LNG PLANTS
MIXTURES
NATURAL GAS
PRODUCTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES