The present disclosure provides a method for separating a feed stream in a distillation tower. The method includes operating a controlled freeze zone section in a distillation tower that separates a feed stream at a temperature and pressure at which the feed stream forms a solid in the controlled freeze zone section, wherein the feed stream includes a first contaminant; maintaining a melt tray assembly in the controlled freeze zone section; introducing the feed stream to the controlled freeze zone section; and accumulating a liquid in the melt tray assembly until the liquid is at a predetermined liquid level in the controlled freeze zone section, by: feeding a second contaminant to the controlled freeze zone section; and adding the second contaminant to the melt tray assembly, wherein the liquid comprises the second contaminant.

A method and system of controlling a temperature within a melt tray assembly of a distillation tower. The method may include determining a melt tray fluid composition of a melt tray fluid, determining a melt tray fluid temperature of the melt tray fluid, determining if the melt tray fluid temperature is within an expected melt tray fluid temperature range for the melt tray fluid composition, decreasing the melt tray fluid temperature if the melt tray fluid temperature is greater than an expected melt tray fluid temperature range upper limit, increasing the melt tray fluid temperature if the melt tray fluid temperature is less than an expected melt tray fluid temperature range lower limit, and maintaining the melt tray fluid temperature if the melt tray fluid temperature is within the expected melt tray fluid temperature range.

A system and methods for processing a feed gas in a column are provided herein. A method includes feeding a feed gas into a port of a sleeve disposed around at least a portion of a periphery of the column. The sleeve includes a space between an outer wall of the column and an inner wall of the column. The sleeve releases the feed gas into the column through an opening disposed at an opposite end of the sleeve from the port.

In a process for the separation of a gas rich in carbon dioxide and containing at least one component lighter than carbon dioxide, the feed gas rich in carbon dioxide is cooled in a first heat exchanger, partially condensed and separated to form a gaseous portion and a liquid, sending the liquid portion to the top of a distillation column, removing a liquid stream richer in carbon dioxide than the feed gas from the bottom of the distillation column, removing a gaseous stream less rich in carbon dioxide than the feed gas from the top of the distillation column and warming the gaseous stream in the first heat exchanger, sending the gaseous portion to a shell and tube heat exchanger having tubes in a bath of triple point carbon dioxide, in which it condenses at least partially to form a liquid fraction, sending the liquid fraction to the top of the distillation column, vaporizing a liquid stream from the bottom of the distillation column outside or within the distillation column to form a gas which is subsequently separated in the distillation column, expanding a liquid stream from the bottom of the distillation column, vaporizing at least part of the expanded liquid stream in the shell and tube heat exchanger to form a vapor and warming the vapor formed in the first heat exchanger.

Disclosed in the present invention are a cold box steel structure and method for prefabricating and transporting the cold box steel structure. The cold box steel structure is a cuboid architecture, and has a long edge, a wide edge and a high edge of lengths L, W and H respectively, wherein L>W and L>H; the cold box steel structure comprises first and second rectangular base faces, each being an outer surface of the cuboid architecture comprising the long edge and the wide edge, and the cold box steel structure is prefabricated as two partial components taking a plane parallel to the rectangular base faces as a boundary; the total height of a first partial cold box steel structure component thereof, taking the first rectangular base face as a first transportation bottom face, is h1, and the total height of a second partial cold box steel structure component, taking the second rectangular base face as a second transportation bottom face, is h2; if the height difference between the transportation bottom face and the ground or a water surface is h, then (h1+h) corresponds to a transportation height of the first partial cold box steel structure component, and (h2+h) corresponds to a transportation height of the second partial cold box steel structure component; the transportation height of either of the cold box steel structure components should be smaller than a maximum permitted transportation height h.sub.max.

A compressed air stream is cooled in an exchanger to form a compressed cooled air stream. The stream is then cryogenically compressed in a first compressor to form a first pressurized gas stream. The first pressurized gas stream is further cooled in the exchanger, cryogenically compressed in a second compressor, and then it is cooled and partially liquefied. The cooled and partially liquefied product is then fed to a system of distillation columns. A liquid product is removed from the system of distillation columns. This product is then pressurized, vaporized and warmed in the exchanger to yield pressurized gaseous product.

The present invention relates to a method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream such as a natural gas stream, the method at least comprising the steps of: supplying a partly condensed hydrocarbon feed stream (10) to a first gas/liquid separator (2); separating the feed stream (10) in the first gas/liquid separator (2) into a gaseous stream (20) and a liquid stream (30); expanding the gaseous stream (20) thereby obtaining an expanded stream (40) and feeding it (40) into a second gas/liquid separator (3); feeding the liquid stream (30) into the second gas/liquid separator (3); removing from the bottom of the second gas/liquid separator a liquid stream (60) and feeding it into a fractionation column (5); removing from the top of the second gas/liquid separator (3) a gaseous stream (50) and passing it to a compressor (6) thereby obtaining a compressed stream (70); cooling the compressed stream (70) thereby obtaining a cooled compressed stream (80); heat exchanging the cooled compressed stream (80) against a stream being downstream of the first gas/liquid separator (2) and upstream of the fractionation column (5).

An improved process for liquid nitrogen production by cryogenic air separation using a distillation column system to enhance the product recovery.

The invention relates to a process for removing oxygen from liquid argon using a TSA (temperature swing adsorption) cyclical process that includes cooling an adsorbent bed to sustain argon in a liquid phase; supplying the adsorbent bed with a liquid argon feed that is contaminated with oxygen and purifying the liquid argon thereby producing an argon product with less oxygen contaminant than is in the initial liquid argon feed; draining the purified residual liquid argon product and sending purified argon out of the adsorbent bed. Regeneration of specially prepared adsorbent allows the adsorbent bed to warm up to temperatures that preclude the use of requiring either vacuum or evacuation of adsorbent from the bed.

A method and apparatus for enhanced oil recovery comprising separating CO.sub.2 gas from coal or flue emissions of a power plant, and flash freezing the CO.sub.2 gas with super chilled air, to form frozen CO.sub.2 ice blocks or cylinders, wherein the CO.sub.2 blocks or cylinders can then be inserted into an abandoned oil well, and the CO.sub.2 can be allowed to warm up and change phase to a gas, which enables the CO.sub.2 gas to mix with the oil, and helps reduce the viscosity of the oil and allows it to flow more freely, so that it can be pumped out using conventional equipment. A first application comprises having top and bottom valves and the CO.sub.2 blocks or cylinders being allowed to change phase to a gas while inside the injection pipe, to increase the pressure therein, such that, by opening the bottom valve, pressurized jets of CO.sub.2 gas can be released into the oil, causing the oil to mix vigorously with the carbon dioxide gas, and reduce the viscosity thereof. A second application comprises allowing the CO.sub.2 cylinders or blocks to drop into the oil itself, wherein the relatively warm oil causes the frozen CO.sub.2 to change phase to a gas, which causes violent gas bubbles to form that vigorously mix with the oil, which helps reduce the viscosity of the oil so it flows more freely through the reservoir.