A hydrocyclone for separating a vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. The hydrocyclone comprises one or more nozzles. A cryogenic liquid is injected to a tangential feed inlet at a velocity that induces a tangential flow and a cyclone vortex in the hydrocyclone. The carrier gas is injected into the cryogenic liquid, causing the vapor to dissolve, condense, desublimate, or a combination thereof, forming a vapor-depleted carrier gas and a vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid. The vapor-depleted carrier gas is drawn through a vortex finder and the vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid is drawn through an apex nozzle outlet. In this manner, the vapor is removed from the carrier gas.

Devices, systems, and methods for siphoning heat exchange or reaction for solids production are disclosed. Passing a contact fluid through a siphoning device, wherein the siphoning device is made of a contact fluid inlet, a carrier fluid inlet, and an outlet, and wherein the contact fluid passes through the contact fluid inlet, inducing a siphon in the carrier fluid inlet. This siphon then siphons a carrier fluid through the carrier fluid inlet and into the contact fluid. The carrier fluid is, in part, made of a first component. The carrier fluid and the contact fluid mix. This mixing produces a product solid, wherein the product solid is produced from the first component by desublimation, condensation, solidification, crystallization, precipitation, reaction with the contact fluid, or a combination thereof of at least a portion of the first component. The product solid passes through the outlet.

A para-orthohydrogen conversion device comprises a vortex tube. The vortex tube may include an inlet disposed at a first end of the vortex tube, a catalyst disposed on the interior wall of the vortex tube, a first outlet comprising an opening on the perimeter of a second end of the vortex tube, a stopper disposed at the center of the second end of the vortex tube, and a second outlet disposed on the first end of the vortex tube. A method includes converting parahydrogen to orthohydrogen via the catalyst and rotational force as hydrogen gas moves through the vortex tube such that cooled parahydrogen-rich gas or liquid hydrogen accumulates near the center of the vortex tube.

A system for removing acid gases from a raw gas stream is provided. The system includes a cryogenic distillation tower. The cryogenic distillation tower has a controlled freezing zone that receives a cold liquid spray comprised primarily of methane. The tower receives and then separates the raw gas stream into an overhead methane gas stream and a substantially solid material comprised on carbon dioxide. The system includes a collector tray below the controlled freezing zone. The collector tray receives the substantially solid material as it is precipitated in the controlled freezing zone. The system also has a filter. The filter receives the substantially solid material and then separates it into a solid material comprised primarily of carbon dioxide, and a liquid material comprising methane. The solid material may be warmed as a liquid and sold, while the liquid material is returned to the cryogenic distillation tower.

A method for separating a vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. A hydrocyclone is provided with one or more nozzles on the wall of the hydrocyclone. A cryogenic liquid is provided to the tangential feed inlet at a velocity that induces a tangential flow and a cyclone vortex in the hydrocyclone. The carrier gas is injected into the hydrocyclone through the one or more nozzles. The vapor dissolves, condenses, desublimates, or a combination thereof, forming a vapor-depleted carrier gas and a vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid. The vapor-depleted gas is drawn through the vortex finder while the vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid is drawn through the apex nozzle outlet. In this manner, the vapor is removed from the carrier gas.

A method of liquefying a contaminated hydrocarbon-containing gas stream includes cooling the stream in a first heat exchanger and cooling the cooled stream in an expander to obtain a partially liquefied stream. The method further includes separating the partially liquefied stream in a separator to obtain a gaseous stream and a liquid stream. The liquid stream is expanded to obtain a multiphase stream containing at least a vapour phase, a liquid phase and a solid phase. The multiphase stream is separated in a separator to obtain a gaseous stream and a slurry stream. The slurry stream is separated in a solid/liquid separator to obtain a liquid hydrocarbon stream and a concentrated slurry stream. The gaseous stream is passed through the first heat exchanger to obtain a heated gaseous stream. The heated gaseous stream is compressed and combined with the contaminated hydrocarbon-containing gas stream.

The present invention provides a method of liquefying a contaminated hydrocarbon-containing gas stream: (a) providing a CO2 contaminated hydrocarbon-containing gas stream (20); (b) cooling the contaminated hydrocarbon-containing gas stream to obtain a partially liquefied stream (70); (c) separating the partially liquefied stream obtaining a liquid stream (90); (d) cooling the liquid stream (90) in a direct contact heat exchanger (200) obtaining a multiphase stream (201) containing at least a liquid phase and a solid CO2 phase; (e) separating the multiphase stream in a solid-liquid separator (202) obtaining a CO2 depleted liquid stream (141); (f) passing the CO2 depleted liquid stream (141) to a further cooling, pressure reduction and separation stage to generate a further CO2 enriched slurry stream (206); (g) passing at least part of the further CO2 enriched slurry stream (206) to the direct contact heat exchanger (200) to provide cooling duty to and mix with the liquid stream (90).

A gas plant using an Ortloff or similar process comprising the use of a second expander in place of a valve used in most demethanizer reflux systems, wherein a compressor wheel is used to increase the pressure of the partial stream of inlet gas that is used to provide heat to the demethanizer reboilers. This stream remains a separate stream and is used for the flow of gas that feeds the demethanizer reflux expander.

A system and method for cooling a gas using a mixed refrigerant includes a compressor system and a heat exchange system, where the compressor system may include an interstage separation device or drum with no liquid outlet, a liquid outlet in fluid communication with a pump that pumps liquid forward to a high pressure separation device or a liquid outlet through which liquid flows to the heat exchanger to be subcooled. In the last situation, the subcooled liquid is expanded and combined with an expanded cold temperature stream, which is a cooled and expanded stream from the vapor side of a cold vapor separation device, and subcooled and expanded streams from liquid sides of the high pressure separation device and the cold vapor separation device, or combined with a stream formed from the subcooled streams from the liquid sides of the high pressure separation device and the cold vapor separation device after mixing and expansion, to form a primary refrigeration stream.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for processing liquefied natural gas (LNG). In one implementation, a feed gas is received and partially condensed into a two-phase stream by expanding the feed gas. A liquid containing fouling components is removed from the two-phase stream. A vapor generated from the two-phase stream is compressed into a compressed feed gas. The compressed feed gas is directed into a feed chiller heat exchanger. The compressed feed gas is free of the fouling components.