A method for the separation of liquid CO.sub.2 from a 2 phase feed stream, the process comprising the steps of: cooling the feed stream to a cryogenic temperature; expanding the cooled stream so as to further lower the temperature of the feed through expansion; mechanically separating the expanded stream, using a mechanical separator, into a gas phase and a liquid CO.sub.2 phase, and; venting the gas phase and outflowing the liquid CO.sub.2.

The present invention provides strategies to integrate adsorption and liquefaction techniques to separate hydrocarbon feed mixtures into purified light and heavy components, respectively. Initially, the hydrocarbon stream is separated into a light and heavy stream. The light stream can be integrated into a natural gas product. The heavy stream is partially liquefied. A first gas liquid separation of the partially liquefied heavy stream at an elevated pressure separates the liquid heavy stream from a methane-containing gas. The rejected methane component, which generally will include some rejected C2 and C3+ material, can be recycled to be combined with the feed mixture for re-processing. A further aspect of the strategy is then to practice at least one additional gas-liquid separation of the separated liquid heavy stream at a lower pressure effective to help further resolve the liquid heavy stream from C2-containing gas. The rejected C2 component, which generally will include some rejected C1 and C3+ material, can then be recycled back into the feed mixture for reprocessing or used as all or a portion of a light hydrocarbon product.

A process for removing CO.sub.2 from a methane-containing gas, having the steps of providing a methane-containing gas containing at least CO.sub.2 as an impurity, cooling the gas to remove CO.sub.2 from the methane-containing gas by freezing out same, and additionally reducing the CO.sub.2 concentration of the gas using a pressure temperature swing adsorption apparatus (PTSA), whereby a methane-enriched product gas is obtained. At least a part of the product gas is then used as treatment gas and is passed through the PTSA for treatment of the PTSA, whereby CO.sub.2 is absorbed by the treatment gas and is removed from the PTSA as a CO.sub.2-enriched treatment gas. The treatment gas is then recycled and admixed with the methane containing gas.

A method for cryogenically separating a natural gas supply stream into a gas containing the most volatile compounds of the supply stream, and a liquid product containing the heaviest compounds at least including the following. Introducing an at least partially condensed stream into an absorption column at an introduction stage in the lower part of said absorption column, thus producing, at the top, a gaseous stream that contains the most volatile compounds and, the bottom, a liquid product. Introducing the liquid product into a fractionation column in order to obtain, in the bottom of the fractionation column, a liquid product that contains the heaviest compounds of the supply stream and, at the top of the fractionation column, a distillate that is at least partially condensed in a second heat exchanger system

An air-sparged hydrocyclone for separating a vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. The cyclone comprises a porous sparger covered by an outer gas plenum. A cryogenic liquid is injected to a tangential feed inlet at a velocity that induces a tangential flow and a cyclone vortex in the air-sparged hydrocyclone. The carrier gas is injected into the cyclone through the porous sparger. The vapor dissolves, condenses, desublimates, 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.

Methods and systems for treating a compressed gas stream. The compressed gas stream is cooled and liquids are removed therefrom to form a dry gas stream, which is chilled in a first heat exchanger. Liquids are separated therefrom, thereby producing a cold vapor stream and a liquids stream. A first part of the cold vapor stream is expanded to produce a cold two-phase fluid stream, and a second part of the cold vapor stream is cooled to form a cooled reflux stream. Various streams are fed into a separation column to produce a cold fuel gas stream and a low temperature liquids stream. The second part of the cold vapor stream is cooled by the cold fuel gas stream, which becomes a warmed fuel gas stream that is compressed and used with the low-temperature liquids stream to chill the dry gas stream and to cool the compressed gas stream.

A system (102; 302) for recovering natural gas liquid from a low pressure gas source (110; 310), comprising a gas/gas heat exchanger (104; 304), fluid from the gas source flowing therethrough; at least one separator (108; 308) for receiving the fluid from the gas/gas heat exchanger (104; 304) and separating liquid from the gas, the gas being directed via a connecting pipe (116; 316) to the gas/gas heat exchanger (104; 304) where it cools the fluid from the gas source; characterised in that the connecting pipe (116; 316) includes expansion means (106; 322) for cooling the gas therein and liquid injection means (120; 320) for saturating the gas with liquid.

A gas recovery system separates a mixed gas including a process gas and an inert gas. The gas recovery system includes a cooling section for cooling and liquefying the process gas contained in the mixed gas by cooling the mixed gas at a temperature higher than a condensation temperature of the inert gas and lower than a condensation temperature of the process gas, a separating section for separating the cooled mixed gas into the process gas in a liquid state and the inert gas in a gas state, and a process gas recovery line that is connected to the separating section which circulates and gasifies the liquid-state process gas and then supplies the process gas into the a compressor. The mixed gas is formed by mixing the process gas, which is compressed by the compressor, and the inert gas, which is supplied to a seal portion of the compressor.

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.

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.