| CPC C07B 63/00 (2013.01) [B01D 53/002 (2013.01); F25J 2205/02 (2013.01); F25J 2290/12 (2013.01)] | 7 Claims |
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1. A system for separating a mixture of compressed gases, the system comprising:
a first recovery stage comprising a heat exchanger including a first input port, a first output port, and a recovery port, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to:
receive via the first input port the mixture of gases in gaseous form;
establish a temperature that is below the boiling point of a first one of the gases but above the boiling points of all of the remaining gases thereby converting the first one of the gases into liquid form while allowing the remaining gases to remain in gaseous form;
provide the remaining gases via the first output port; and
provide the first gas in liquid form via the recovery port;
one or more additional recovery stages each having a heat exchanger, wherein each one of the additional recovery stages is configured to:
receive one or more gases in gaseous form from a prior recovery stage;
establish a temperature below the boiling point of the received gas that has the highest boiling point of all of the received gases, wherein the established temperature is above the boiling points of all other of the received gases, thereby converting the gas having the highest boiling point into liquid form while allowing the remaining gases to remain in gaseous form;
provide the remaining gases to a next recovery stage; and
provide the gas having the highest boiling point in liquid form via a recovery port; and
a solute recovery stage comprising a heat exchanger including a second input port, a second output port, and a recovery port, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to:
receive via the second input port a solution comprising the mixture of compressed-gas solvents and a solute in liquid form;
apply heat to convert the mixture of compressed gases into gaseous form, while retaining the solute in liquid form;
provide via the second output port to the first recovery stage the mixture of gases in gaseous form; and
provide the solute via the recovery port,
wherein the heat exchanger of the first recovery stage runs at −10 to −20 C to recover n-butane, and wherein the heat exchanger of one of the additional recovery stages runs at −50 to −60 C to recover propane,
wherein the first recovery stage includes a jacketed column that includes an input port and an output port, wherein the jacketed column is configured to receive via its input port the mixture of gases in gaseous form, apply heat to the gases, and provide the heated gases to the heat exchanger via its output port,
wherein the heat exchanger of the solute recovery stage is configured to:
receive liquid having a temperature greater than the boiling points of all of the gases;
transfer heat from the received liquid to the mixture of gases; and
provide the liquid after heat transfer to the jacketed column of the first recovery stage, thereby heating the first one of the gases using waste heat from the solute recovery stage, and
wherein the jacketed column includes an inner vessel surrounded by an outer vessel that forms a jacket around the inner vessel, and wherein the liquid after heat transfer is received from the heat exchanger of the solute recovery stage and introduced into the jacket, thereby heating the first one of the gases using waste heat in spent heating fluid received from the heat exchanger of the solute recovery stage.
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