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Hydrocarbon separation process and apparatus

  • US 6,363,744 B2
  • Filed: 01/08/2001
  • Issued: 04/02/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process for the separation of a heavier hydrocarbon fraction from a gaseous feed comprising a mixture of hydrocarbons, which process comprises:

  • (a) cooling the gaseous feed to produce a partially condensed stream, (b) separating the partially condensed stream to form a first liquid stream and a first gaseous stream, (c) subcooling at least a portion of the first liquid stream, (d) expanding said subcooled stream, (e) passing at least a portion of the expanded stream from (d) as a liquid feed to a fractionation column, (f) producing a cooled stream by cooling a separated lights fraction of the feed, and (g) recovering said heavier hydrocarbon fraction as a bottoms fraction from said column, characterised in that (i) at least a part of the subcooling required in subcooling step (c) is provided by transfer of heat to the expanded stream from (d), (ii) at least a portion of the cold required to cool the separated lights fraction to produce said cooled stream (f) is provided by transfer of heat to the expanded stream from (d), and (iii) at least a portion of said cooled stream (f) is introduced to an upper part of the column.

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