A method for obtaining an air product from an air separation plant having a distillation column system and a tank system. The tank system includes a first tank and a second tank. Cryogenic liquid is withdrawn from the distillation column system, stored in the tank system, and used as the air product. The cryogenic liquid is supplied to the first tank and withdrawn from the second tank during a first period, and is supplied to the second tank and withdrawn from the first tank during a second period. The tank system has a third tank to which cryogenic liquid withdrawn from the first tank and the second tank is transferred unheated. The air product is withdrawn from the third tank in liquid state, vaporized and discharged. Alternatively, the cryogenic liquid can be withdrawn from the third tank and stored in the liquid state in a fourth tank.

A system for the processing of a hydrocarbon flare gas. An input gas stream contains a gas component and a liquid component. A knock-out drum separates the gas component from the liquid component. An eductor has a motive inlet, a suction inlet, and a discharge outlet. The separated liquid component is introduced into the suction inlet of the eductor. A high-pressure gas stream is introduced into the motive inlet of the eductor. The high-pressure gas stream has a pressure sufficient to draw the separated liquid component from the knock-out drum and through the discharge outlet.

The present disclosure provides a method of separating a feed stream in a distillation tower. The method includes maintaining a controlled freeze zone section in a distillation tower; maintaining a melt tray assembly within the controlled freeze zone section that operates at a temperature and pressure at which solid melts; forming solids in a controlled freeze zone section; raising a liquid level of a liquid in the melt tray assembly when the solids accumulate on a mechanical component in the controlled freeze zone section; raising a liquid temperature of the liquid while raising the liquid level; and lowering the liquid level after at least one of (a) a predetermined time period has passed and (b) an alternative temperature of the mechanical component is within an expected temperature range of a baseline temperature of the mechanical component.

Processing of a feed gas stream containing methane and natural gas liquids may comprise: cooling a first portion of the feed gas stream to obtain a cooled first portion; introducing the cooled first portion into a liquid-vapor separator to obtain a vapor stream and a liquid stream; splitting the vapor stream into a first portion and a second portion; sub-cooling the second portion of the vapor stream to obtain a liquefied vapor stream; introducing the liquefied vapor stream into a demethanizer column; introducing the first portion of the vapor stream to at least one of an expansion valve or a turboexpander; obtaining an expanded vapor stream from the expansion valve or an expansion side of the turboexpander; introducing the expanded vapor stream and at least a first portion of the liquid stream into the demethanizer column; and obtaining from the demethanizer column a bottoms stream rich in natural gas liquids.

A system for processing gas streams has the form of, and is disposed in, an intermodal container. The container has a processing compartment with one or more cryogenic cells disposed in it, and is maintained in at least a partially evacuated condition, below atmospheric pressure. A second compartment has support equipment that is connected to the one or more cryogenic cells in the first compartment. Methods for managing such a system include maintaining the first compartment in the partially evacuated condition. In response to an increase in pressure within the first compartment, a controller may analyze the nature of the pressure increase. In case of fire or fire hazard, the controller may discharge inert gas from cores of the one or more cryogenic cells.

A process for separating a gas mixture, a first item of equipment of the process is heated by a first flow of a first heat producer and supplies heat to a first fluid, the first flow of heat producer being heated upstream of the first item of equipment by a heat source, a second item of equipment of the process heats a second fluid while consuming heat, the heat originating from a second flow of the first heat producer heated by the heat source, which heats the second flow of the first heat producer up to an intermediate temperature lower than the second temperature, and by a heater downstream of the source, which heats the second flow of the first heat producer, which has been heated by the heat source, from the intermediate temperature up to a second temperature higher than the first temperature.