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Efficiency improvement of open-cycle cascaded refrigeration process

  • US 5,669,234 A
  • Filed: 07/16/1996
  • Issued: 09/23/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A process for liquefying a pressurized gas stream comprising the steps of:

  • (a) combining the pressurized gas stream and a first recycle gas stream as defined in step (j);

    (b) cooling said stream of step (a) to near its liquefaction temperature;

    (c) combining said stream of step (b) and a second recycle gas stream as defined in step (j);

    (d) cooling and thereby condensing in major portion said stream of step (c);

    (e) flowing said stream of step (d) through at least one pressure reduction means thereby producing a two-phase stream;

    (f) separating the two-phase stream of step (e) into a return gas stream and a liquid stream;

    (g) flowing said return gas stream of step (f) through an indirect heat exchange means thereby producing a warmed return gas stream;

    (h) compressing said warmed return gas stream to a pressure greater than or equal to the pressure possessed by the pressurized gas stream of step (a) thereby producing a compressed return gas stream;

    (i) cooling the compressed return gas stream of step (h) to a near ambient temperature, and(j) cooling further the compressed return gas stream of step (i) by flowing through an indirect heat exchange means which is in thermal contact with the indirect heat exchange means of step (g) wherein said cooling comprises cooling said compressed return gas stream in its entirety to a first temperature, splitting said stream into a first recycle gas stream and a second compressed return gas stream, and further cooling said second stream thereby producing a second recycle gas stream possessing a temperature lower than that of the first recycle gas stream and wherein the gas streams of step (g) and this step flow through their respective indirect heat exchange means in a generally countercurrent manner to one another.

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