Hydrocarbon gas process

Patent · Tue Aug 07 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6150202

Gulsby, T G

The processing of gaseous streams of feed gas containing hydrocarbons, and other gases of similar volatility, to recover components such as ethane, propane and heavier hydrocarbons from a residue gas containing methane, by cooling the incoming raw gas and to separate the desired products by distillation. The cooling action is obtained by expanding the raw feed gas from a high feed pressure to a lower pressure at which distillation occurs. In the present invention, the raw feed gas is divided into two gas streams before expansion, the first stream, which consists primarily of vapor, is again cooled through a heat exchange device, and is then expanded through an expansion valve to lower the pressure and then fed into the top of the conventional demethanizer column. The second stream, is selectively divided into two streams, one of which passes through a controlled expansion valve and back into the feed conduit, and the other passes through an expander-compressor into the feed conduit, where the combined gases pass into a separator which discharges the vapors into a discharge line and discharges a liquid into another feed conduit, which again divides the stream into two streams, directing one stream into the demethanizing column at a midway point, and the other stream passed through a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of the stream and then discharging same into the demethanizing column beneath the midway inlet. The demethanizing column is operated at 410 psia, with a top temperature of -136/sup 0/ F. for recovery of ethane and rejection of propane and a top temperature of -109/sup 0/ F. for rejection of ethane. In the recovery process, approximately 77.2% ethane is recovered when in the recovery mode, and 88% propane is retained when in the rejection mode.

• Assignee: Gulsby Engineering, Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4464190
• OSTI ID: 6150202
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKANES
COOLING
DISTILLATION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
ETHANE
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
GASEOUS WASTES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HYDROCARBONS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
METHANE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PRESSURE EFFECTS
PROPANE
RECOVERY
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WASTES