The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 06, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1998
C L Rambo, Midland, TX (US);
John D Wilkinson, Midland, TX (US);
Hank M Hudson, Midland, TX (US);
Michael C Pierce, Odessa, TX (US);
Elcor Corporation, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is divided into first and second streams, and the second stream is cooled and expanded to a lower pressure and supplied to a contacting device. The first stream is cooled to condense substantially all of it, expanded to the lower pressure, and then used to cool a warmer distillation stream from a distillation column to at least partially condense the distillation stream. At least a portion of the partially condensed distillation stream is directed to the contacting device to intimately contact the expanded second stream, the resulting vapors and liquids are separated from the contacting device, and these liquids are supplied to the distillation column. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the contacting device and the distillation column are effective to maintain the overhead temperatures of the contacting device and the distillation column at temperatures whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.