A method of designing, constructing, and operating a hydrocarbon gas treatment plant is disclosed. A target hydrocarbon production range for a hydrocarbon gas meeting a required product specification is established. A cryogenic distillation column is designed and constructed with a vapor capacity to meet the target hydrocarbon production range. A variable feed refrigeration system is incorporated to cool an inlet feed of the hydrocarbon gas. The variable feed refrigeration system is designed to handle the target hydrocarbon production range and a wide range of contaminant concentrations in the inlet feed. A variable bottoms heating system is incorporated to handle heating duties associated with the wide range of contaminant concentrations in the inlet feed. A variable bottoms pumping system is incorporated to handle liquid flows associated with the wide range of contaminant concentrations in the inlet feed.

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.

One or more specific embodiments disclosed herein includes a method for separating hydrogen from an olefin hydrocarbon rich compressed effluent vapor stream, employing a integrated heat exchanger, multiple gas-liquid separators, external refrigeration systems, and a rectifier attached to a liquid product drum.

An NGL recovery facility utilizing a single, closed-loop mixed refrigerant cycle for recovering a substantial portion of the C.sub.2 and heavier or C.sub.3 and heavier NGL components from the incoming gas stream. Less severe operating conditions, including a warmer refrigerant temperature and a lower feed gas pressure, contribute to a more economical and efficient NGL recovery system.

A system and method for treating associated gas in which a stream of raw gas is passed through safety valving, an inlet pressure control mechanism, and an inlet scrubber. Pressure/temperature data is transmitted to a control system via pressure and temperature transducers. The raw gas is sent to a gas compressor to generate pressurized gas, which is sent to an aerial cooler and a chiller heat exchanger, in which a chilling media contacts the pressurized gas. The chilled pressurized gas is sent to a vapor liquid separator to generate processed gas, which is routed through either a system backpressure valve or a pressure reducing recycle valve that directs the processed gas to the inlet scrubber. The processed gas that has passed through the system backpressure valve is delivered as fuel or routed through a backpressure regulating recycle valve that directs the processed gas to a system inlet pressure reducing valve.

A refrigerant circuit includes a first compression stage for compressing a mixed refrigerant gas, the first compression stage including at least a first compressor body and a second parallel compressor body, each compressor body including a suction inlet and an outlet, a first distribution means for splitting the flow of refrigerant gas to the first stage of compression across the at least two parallel compressor bodies, such that a first stream of refrigerant gas is fed to the suction inlet of the first compressor body and a second stream of refrigerant gas is fed to the suction inlet of the second compressor body, a second compression stage for compressing the mixed refrigerant gas, and a first merging means for recombining the first stream of refrigerant gas with the second stream of refrigerant gas downstream of the first compression stage for delivery to the second compression stage.

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 process and apparatus for producing a hydrogen-enriched product and recovering CO.sub.2 from an effluent stream from a hydrogen production process unit are described. The process utilizes a CO.sub.2 recovery system integrated with a PSA system that produces at least two product streams to recover additional hydrogen and CO.sub.2 from the tail gas stream of a hydrogen PSA unit in the hydrogen production process.

A process and apparatus for producing a hydrogen-enriched product and recovering CO.sub.2 from an effluent stream from a hydrogen production unit are described. The effluent from the hydrogen production unit, which comprises a mixture of gases comprising hydrogen, carbon dioxide, water, and at least one of methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and argon, is sent to a PSA system that produces at least two product streams for separation. The PSA system that produces at least two product streams separates the gas mixture into a high-pressure hydrogen stream enriched in hydrogen, optionally a second gas stream containing the majority of the impurities, and a low-pressure tail gas stream enriched in CO.sub.2 and some impurities. The CO.sub.2-rich tail gas stream is compressed and sent to a CO.sub.2 recovery unit, where a CO.sub.2-enriched stream is recovered. The CO.sub.2-depleted overhead gas stream is recycled to the PSA system that produces at least two product streams.

A bio-renewable conversion process for making fuel from bio-renewable feedstocks is combined with a hydrogen production process that includes recovery of CO.sub.2. The integrated process uses a purge gas stream comprising hydrogen from the bio-renewable hydrocarbon production process in the hydrogen production process.