Process for purifying liquid natural gas

Details Process for purifying liquid natural gas Process for purifying liquid natural gas

1993-10-07

1994-11-01

Capossela, Ronald C.

Refrigeration

Using electrical or magnetic effect

Thermoelectric; e.g., peltier effect

62 40, F25J 100

Patent

active

053598563

ABSTRACT:
The present invention is directed to a process for increasing the methane content of liquid natural gas to provide an essentially pure liquid methane product. In the process, a liquid natural gas feed stream is introduced into a first heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange with a purified methane vapor stream so as to liquify the purified methane vapor stream and to provide a purified liquid methane product. The heat exchange results in increasing the temperature of the liquid natural gas feed stream to a temperature just below the dew point of the liquid natural gas feed stream so as to partially vaporize the liquid natural gas feed stream to provide a mixture of a major amount of substantially pure methane vapor and a minor amount of liquid containing methane and higher hydrocarbons. The mixture of vapor and liquid from the first heat exchanger is transferred to a low pressure separator to provide a liquid bottom fraction and a purified methane top vapor fraction. At least a portion of the liquid bottom fraction and all of the top vapor fraction are transferred to a second heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange with the vapor fraction after the vapor fraction has been processed to change the temperature and pressure of the vapor fraction.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3358460 (1967-12-01), Smith et al.
patent: 3407052 (1968-10-01), Huntress et al.
patent: 3616652 (1971-11-01), Engel

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