Enrichment of light hydrocarbon mixture

Patent · 10 August 2010

OSTI ID:992857

Yang, Dali ^[1]; Devlin, David ^[2]; Barbero, Robert S. ^[3]; Carrera, Martin E. ^[4]; Colling, Craig W. ^[5]

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1. Los Alamos, NM
2. Santa Fe, NM
3. Santa Cruz, NM
4. Naperville, IL
5. Warrenville, IL

Light hydrocarbon enrichment is accomplished using a vertically oriented distillation column having a plurality of vertically oriented, nonselective micro/mesoporous hollow fibers. Vapor having, for example, both propylene and propane is sent upward through the distillation column in between the hollow fibers. Vapor exits neat the top of the column and is condensed to form a liquid phase that is directed back downward through the lumen of the hollow fibers. As vapor continues to ascend and liquid continues to countercurrently descend, the liquid at the bottom of the column becomes enriched in a higher boiling point, light hydrocarbon (propane, for example) and the vapor at the top becomes enriched in a lower boiling point light hydrocarbon (propylene, for example). The hollow fiber becomes wetted with liquid during the process.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC52-06NA25396
• Assignee: Los Alamos National Security, LLC (Los Alamos, NM)
• Patent Number(s): 7,771,569
• Application Number: US patent applciation 12/469,552
• OSTI ID: 992857
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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