A method is described for removing carbon dioxide during Liquid Natural Gas production from natural gas at gas pressure letdown stations. The above method removes carbon dioxide from a Liquid Natural Gas production stream by using hydrocarbon fractions taken from a gas for consumption stream as a carbon dioxide stripping adsorption agent for a stripping column used to remove carbon dioxide.

A process for producing liquefied natural gas, in which natural gas feed having methane and higher hydrocarbons including benzene is cooled down to a first temperature level in a first cooling step using a first mixed coolant and then subjected to a countercurrent absorption using an absorption liquid to form a methane-enriched and benzene-depleted gas fraction, wherein a portion of the gas fraction is cooled down to a second temperature level in a second cooling step using a second mixed coolant and liquefied to give the liquefied natural gas. In the plant proposed, the first and second mixed coolants are low in propane or free of propane, and the absorption liquid is formed from a further portion of the gas fraction which is condensed above the countercurrent absorption and returned to the countercurrent absorption without pumping. The present invention likewise provides a corresponding plant.

A method and plant for the cryogenic separation of air, the plant having an air compressor, a heat exchanger and a distillation column system having a low-pressure column at a first pressure and a high-pressure column at a second pressure. Feed air is compressed in the air compressor to a third pressure at least 2 bar above the second pressure A first fraction of compressed feed air is cooled in the heat exchanger and expanded in a first expansion turbine. A second fraction is cooled in the heat exchanger and expanded in a second expansion turbine A third fraction is compressed to a fourth pressure, cooled in the heat exchanger and then expanded. The third fraction is compressed to the fourth pressure in sequence in a recompressor, a hot first turbine booster and a second turbine booster. A dense fluid expander is used to expand the third fraction.

Helium can be recovered from nitrogen-rich natural gas at high pressure with low helium loss by cryogenic distillation of the natural gas after pre-treatment of the gas to remove incompatible impurities and then recovery of natural gas liquid (NGL) from the pre-treated gas by distillation. Overall power consumption may be reduced, particularly if the feed to the helium recovery column system is at least substantially condensed by indirect heat exchange against a first portion of nitrogen-enriched bottoms liquid at first pressure, and a second portion of nitrogen-enriched bottoms liquid at a second pressure that is different from the first pressure.

Overall power consumption in a cryogenic distillation process for recovering helium from nitrogen-rich gases comprising helium may be reduced if the feed to the distillation column system is at least substantially condensed by indirect heat exchange against a first bottoms liquid at first pressure, and a second bottoms liquid at a second pressure that is different from the first pressure.

This specification relates to operating industrial facilities, for example, crude oil refining facilities or other industrial facilities that include operating plants that process natural gas or recover natural gas liquids.

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 invention relates to a heat exchanger (1) for indirect heat exchange comprising a tube bundle (10), formed from a plurality of tubes helically coiled around a core tube (100), for receiving a first medium, a shell (20). which encloses the tube bundle (10) and defines a shell space (200) surrounding the tube bundle (10), for receiving a second medium, and a liquid distributor (40) for distributing in the shell space (200) a stream (S), conveyed in the shell space (200), of the second medium in the form of a liquid (F). According to the invention a control device (33) for controlling distribution in the shell space (200) of an additional, further stream (S′) of liquid (F), and/or for controlling distribution of stream (S) of liquid (F) in the shell space (200).

This specification relates to operating industrial facilities, for example, crude oil refining facilities or other industrial facilities that include operating plants that process natural gas or recover natural gas liquids.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a temperature distribution in a heat exchanger, in which an actual temperature distribution in the heat exchanger is measured by means of at least one optical waveguide arranged in the heat exchanger, in particular in the form of a glass fiber, light being launched into the optical waveguide and light that is scattered in the optical waveguide being evaluated for determining the actual temperature distribution, and at least one flow of a fluid medium that is carried in the heat exchanger being controlled in such a way that the actual temperature distribution is made to approximate a pre-defined target temperature distribution. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out a method for controlling a temperature distribution in a heat exchanger.