Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Glenn E Kinard

Robert B Moore

Lee S Gaumer, Jr

Howard C Rowles

Lee J Howard

David Anthony Zagnoli

Christopher Francis Harris

Yu-Nan Liu

Richard Alan Wright

Robert Newton Davis

A high purity methane product is recovered from a feed gas mixture containing methane and one or more hydrocarbons heavier than methane by cooling, condensing, and rectifying the feed in a dephlegmator. The high purity methane product, containing at least 98 mole % methane, can be liquefied and stored for use as a fuel for internal combustion engines. A hydrocarbon product containing components heavier than methane is also recovered. Methane recovery and C.sub.2.sup.+ hydrocarbon product purity can be improved by the use of a combined stripping heat exchanger and feed gas cooler. External refrigeration is utilized and can be supplemented in part by autorefrigeration provided by vaporizing dephlegmator liquid.

Production of refrigerated liquid methane

This invention relates to a continuous process for the preparation of slush hydrogen. The process comprises substantially continuously injecting liquid hydrogen at a temperature slightly above its triple point temperature into a slush hydrogen generator; forming solid hydrogen by removing hydrogen vapor from the slush hydrogen generator; fracturing and dispersing surface solid as it is formed into the slush; concentrating the crystalline solid particles in the slush to a level of at least 30%, and preferably from 45 to 60%, by weight; and substantially continuously removing the slush hydrogen from said slush hydrogen generator at a rate such that a substantially constant level of slush is maintained in said slush hydrogen generator.

Continuous process for producing slush hydrogen

This invention relates to a continuous process for the preparation of slush hydrogen by the freeze-thaw technique. The process comprises substantially continuously injecting liquid hydrogen at or near its triple point temperature into a slush hydrogen generator; forming solid hydrogen by removing hydrogen vapor from the slush hydrogen generator; alternately adjusting the pressure in the slush hydrogen generator to a pressure below the triple point of hydrogen and then to a pressure slightly above the pressure at the triple point thereby effecting formation and dispersion of solids in said slush; concentrating the crystalline solid particles in the slush to a level of at least 30%, and preferably from 45 to 60%, by weight; and substantially continuously removing the slush hydrogen from said slush hydrogen generator at a rate such that a substantially constant level of slush is maintained in said slush hydrogen generator.

A method for controlling the operation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) process which utilizes gas turbine-driven refrigeration compressors is disclosed. A feedforward control system compensates for the effects of changes in ambient air temperature on the plant operating efficiency by periodically predicting a new temperature and resetting the set points of key feedback controllers in anticipation of this new temperature, thereby optimizing the operation of the plant and minimizing the specific fuel consumption at a given LNG production rate.

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Allentown, PA, United States of America

Glenn E Kinard