Cryogenic recovery of liquids from refinery off-gases

Patent · Tue Oct 26 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6984540

Higgins, R D

A vapor fraction containing hydrogen and at least one hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of C1 to C4 hydrocarbons is separated from a hydrogen-rich refinery off-gas feed to give a liquid product fraction. The refinery off-gas is fed to and compressed in a compressor/expander having compressor means and expander means mounted and driven on a common shaft, and then cooled and partially condensed to form a two-phase fluid in a heat exchanger followed by separation of the vapor and liquid product phases of the fluid in a separator or a separator/fractionation column stabilizer unit. The separated vapor phase is transmitted to the compressor/expander unit wherein the vapor is depressurized and partially condensed, thereby driving the compressor. The partially condensed depressurized vapor fraction from the expander and, optionally, the liquid phase product fraction from the separator are transmitted in separate streams to the heat exchanger for separate thermal contact with the compressed feed gas wherein the partially condensed depressurized vapor fraction is fully vaporized and the feed gases are cooled. The fully vaporized fraction and the liquid product fraction are recovered in separate streams.

• Assignee: Petrochem Consultants Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4356014
• OSTI ID: 6984540
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020500* -- Petroleum-- Products & By-Products
020800 -- Petroleum-- Waste Management
ALKANES
BUTANE
COMPRESSORS
CRYOGENICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ETHANE
EXPANSION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
LIQUIDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METHANE
NONMETALS
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PROCESSING
PROPANE
RECOVERY
REFINERY GASES
VAPOR CONDENSATION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES