Hydrocarbon gas processing
First Claim
1. An apparatus for the separation of a gas stream containing methane, C2 components, C3 components, C4 components, C5 components, and heavier hydrocarbon components into a volatile residue gas fraction and a relatively less volatile fraction containing a major portion of said C5 components and heavier hydrocarbon components comprising(1) expansion means connected to receive said gas stream under pressure and expand it to a lower pressure;
- (2) a processing assembly connected to said expansion means to receive said expanded gas stream as a feed between an absorbing means and a mass transfer means housed in said processing assembly, said absorbing means being located above said mass transfer means;
(3) vapor collecting means housed in said processing assembly and connected to said absorbing means to receive a first distillation vapor stream from an upper region of said absorbing means;
(4) first heat and mass transfer means housed in said processing assembly and connected to said vapor collecting means to receive said first distillation vapor stream and cool it while simultaneously condensing the less volatile components from said first distillation vapor stream, thereby forming a condensed stream and a second distillation vapor stream, whereupon said second distillation vapor stream is discharged from said processing assembly as said volatile residue gas fraction;
(5) said absorbing means being further connected to said first heat and mass transfer means to receive said condensed stream as a top feed thereto;
(6) liquid collecting means housed in said processing assembly and connected to said mass transfer means to receive a distillation liquid stream from a lower region of said mass transfer means;
(7) second heat and mass transfer means housed in said processing assembly and connected to said liquid collecting means to receive said distillation liquid stream and heat it, thereby simultaneously stripping the more volatile components from said distillation liquid stream, whereupon said heated and stripped distillation liquid stream is discharged from said processing assembly as said relatively less volatile fraction; and
(8) control means adapted to maintain the temperature of said second distillation vapor stream at a temperature whereby the major portion of said C5 components and heavier hydrocarbon components are recovered in said relatively less volatile fraction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to remove C5 and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The hydrocarbon gas stream is expanded to lower pressure and supplied to the processing assembly between an absorbing means and a mass transfer means. A distillation vapor stream is collected from the upper region of the absorbing means and cooled in a first heat and mass transfer means inside the processing assembly to partially condense it, forming a residual vapor stream and a condensed stream. The condensed stream is supplied to the absorbing means at its top feed point. A distillation liquid stream is collected from the lower region of the mass transfer means and directed into a second heat and mass transfer means inside the processing assembly to heat it and strip out its volatile components.
117 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An apparatus for the separation of a gas stream containing methane, C2 components, C3 components, C4 components, C5 components, and heavier hydrocarbon components into a volatile residue gas fraction and a relatively less volatile fraction containing a major portion of said C5 components and heavier hydrocarbon components comprising
(1) expansion means connected to receive said gas stream under pressure and expand it to a lower pressure; -
(2) a processing assembly connected to said expansion means to receive said expanded gas stream as a feed between an absorbing means and a mass transfer means housed in said processing assembly, said absorbing means being located above said mass transfer means; (3) vapor collecting means housed in said processing assembly and connected to said absorbing means to receive a first distillation vapor stream from an upper region of said absorbing means; (4) first heat and mass transfer means housed in said processing assembly and connected to said vapor collecting means to receive said first distillation vapor stream and cool it while simultaneously condensing the less volatile components from said first distillation vapor stream, thereby forming a condensed stream and a second distillation vapor stream, whereupon said second distillation vapor stream is discharged from said processing assembly as said volatile residue gas fraction; (5) said absorbing means being further connected to said first heat and mass transfer means to receive said condensed stream as a top feed thereto; (6) liquid collecting means housed in said processing assembly and connected to said mass transfer means to receive a distillation liquid stream from a lower region of said mass transfer means; (7) second heat and mass transfer means housed in said processing assembly and connected to said liquid collecting means to receive said distillation liquid stream and heat it, thereby simultaneously stripping the more volatile components from said distillation liquid stream, whereupon said heated and stripped distillation liquid stream is discharged from said processing assembly as said relatively less volatile fraction; and (8) control means adapted to maintain the temperature of said second distillation vapor stream at a temperature whereby the major portion of said C5 components and heavier hydrocarbon components are recovered in said relatively less volatile fraction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification