HYDROCARBON GAS PROCESSING

• Main Authors: MARTINEZ TONY L, HUDSON HANK M, WILKINSON JOHN D, CUELLAR KYLE T, LYNCH JOE T
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Korean
• Published: 29.07.2010
• Subjects: BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS; LUBRICANTS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT; PEAT; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; WEAPONS

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled to condense substantially all of it and is thereafter expanded to the fractionation tower pressure and supplied to the fractionation tower at a first mid-column feed position. The second stream is expanded to the tower pressure and is then supplied to the column at a second mid-column feed position. A vapor distillation stream is withdrawn from the column above the feed point of the second stream and is then directed into heat exchange relation with the tower overhead vapor stream to cool the vapor distillation stream and condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream.