Ethane recovery system
First Claim
1. A method of improving ethane recovery from natural gas wherein condensed liquid is returned to a demethanizer as reflux comprising the steps of:
- (a) removing overhead vapor from a demethanizer,(b) compressing a portion of said overhead vapor, now reflux, to a pressure greater than that of said demethanizer,(c) reducing the temperature of said compressed relux thereby causing at least a portion of it to condense, the temperature of said compressed reflux being reduced by cross-exchanging it with an uncompressed portion of said overhead vapor in a heat exchanger;
(d) equalizing the pressure of said reflux to that of said demethanizer; and
(e) feeding said reflux back to said demethanizer.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of recycling a portion of the overhead vapor stream to enhance ethane recovery from a demethanizer. After the overhead vapor stream is discharged from the demethanizer, a portion of it, reflux, is compressed in a cyrogenic compressor to a pressure greater than that of the demethanizer. Afterwards the pressurized reflux is chilled in a heat exchanger causing at least a portion of it, and preferably all of it, to condense to a liquid. The pressure of this condensed reflux is then equalized to that of the demethanizer across a recycle valve so that a liquid reflux can be fed back to the top of the demethanizer. This recycling of a liquid reflux enhances ethane recovery as a column bottoms product from the demethanizer.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method of improving ethane recovery from natural gas wherein condensed liquid is returned to a demethanizer as reflux comprising the steps of:
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(a) removing overhead vapor from a demethanizer, (b) compressing a portion of said overhead vapor, now reflux, to a pressure greater than that of said demethanizer, (c) reducing the temperature of said compressed relux thereby causing at least a portion of it to condense, the temperature of said compressed reflux being reduced by cross-exchanging it with an uncompressed portion of said overhead vapor in a heat exchanger; (d) equalizing the pressure of said reflux to that of said demethanizer; and (e) feeding said reflux back to said demethanizer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification