Systems and processes for detecting leaks into a refrigeration system having a heat exchanger where the process side is configured to operate at a higher pressure than the refrigerant side. The system includes a refrigerant circulation system including a refrigerant feed pipe fluidly connected to and configured to provide a refrigerant to an inlet of the refrigerant side of the heat exchanger, as well as a refrigerant effluent pipe fluidly connected to and configured to receive a refrigerant from an outlet of the refrigerant side of the heat exchanger. One or more sensors are provided, the sensors being configured to measure a property of the refrigerant, such as temperature, pressure, or flow rate, for example. Additionally, the system for detecting leaks includes a digital control system configured to provide an alert when a signal from at least one of the one or more sensors is indicative of a leak from the process side of the heat exchanger to the refrigerant side of the heat exchanger.

Process for efficiently operating a natural gas liquefaction system with integrated heavies removal/natural gas liquids recovery to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) and/or natural gas liquids (NGL) products with varying characteristics, such as, for example higher heating value (HHV) and/or propane content. Resulting LNG and/or NGL products are capable of meeting the significantly different specifications of two or more markets.

In a method for compressing a gas that is to be separated in a low-temperature CO.sub.2 separation unit using at least one partial condensation step and/or at least one distillation step, the gas that is to be separated has a variable composition and/or variable flow rate, the gas that is to be separated is compressed in a compressor to produce a compressed gas and the inlet pressure of the gas that is to be separated, entering the compressor, is modified according to the CO.sub.2 content and/or the flow rate of the gas that is to be separated so as to reduce the variations in volumetric flow rate of the gas that is to be separated entering the compressor.

The present disclosure provides a method for separating a feed stream in a distillation tower. The method may include forming solids in a controlled freeze zone section of the distillation tower; emitting radiation from a first radiation source in the controlled freeze zone section while the controlled freeze zone section forms no solids; detecting radiation emitted by the first radiation source as a first radiation level; detecting radiation emitted by the first radiation source as a second radiation level after detecting the first radiation level; and determining whether the solids adhered to at least one of on and around a first mechanical component included in the controlled freeze zone section based on the first radiation level and the second radiation level.

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.

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.

The invention relates to a shell and tube heat exchanger (1) having a helical tube bundle (10) within a shell (20), that defines a shell space (200) surrounding the tube bundle (10). The tubes are helically coiled about a core pipe (100) in such a manner that there is formed at least one first section (11) and at least one second section (12), separate from the first section, that surrounds the first section (11). The two sections (11, 12) have in each case at least one associated inlet (E, E′) such that the two sections (11, 12) are able to be charged separately with the first medium.

In a process for the separation of a gas rich in carbon dioxide and containing at least one component lighter than carbon dioxide, the feed gas rich in carbon dioxide is cooled in a first heat exchanger, partially condensed and separated to form a gaseous portion and a liquid, sending the liquid portion to the top of a distillation column, removing a liquid stream richer in carbon dioxide than the feed gas from the bottom of the distillation column, removing a gaseous stream less rich in carbon dioxide than the feed gas from the top of the distillation column and warming the gaseous stream in the first heat exchanger, sending the gaseous portion to a shell and tube heat exchanger having tubes in a bath of triple point carbon dioxide, in which it condenses at least partially to form a liquid fraction, sending the liquid fraction to the top of the distillation column, vaporizing a liquid stream from the bottom of the distillation column outside or within the distillation column to form a gas which is subsequently separated in the distillation column, expanding a liquid stream from the bottom of the distillation column, vaporizing at least part of the expanded liquid stream in the shell and tube heat exchanger to form a vapor and warming the vapor formed in the first heat exchanger.

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to improve the recovery of C.sub.2 (or C.sub.3) and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The preferred method of separating a hydrocarbon gas stream generally includes producing at least a substantially condensed first stream and a cooled second stream, expanding both streams to lower pressure, and supplying the streams to a fractionation tower. In the process and apparatus disclosed, the tower overhead vapor is directed to an absorbing means and a heat and mass transfer means inside a processing assembly. The outlet vapor from the processing assembly is compressed to higher pressure and cooled, then a portion is substantially condensed in a heat exchange means inside the processing assembly, expanded to lower pressure, and supplied to the heat and mass transfer means to provide cooling. Condensed liquid from the absorbing means is fed to the tower.

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).