Sidney R Shaievitz

US Patent:

40044300, Jan 25, 1977

Filed:

Sep 30, 1974

Appl. No.:

5/510367

Inventors:

Stephen M. Solomon - New York NY
Sidney Shaievitz - Livingston NJ
Louis Marshall - Great Neck NY

Assignee:

The Lummus Company - Bloomfield NJ

International Classification:

F25J 300

US Classification:

62 18

Abstract:

There is disclosed a process and apparatus for recovering ethane and heavier hydrocarbons from natural gas by heating the natural gas stream prior to the expansion and introduction thereof into a demethanizer operating under cryogenic conditions. Ethane and the heavier hydrocarbons are recovered from the demethanizer as well as a residual gaseous methane stream which is compressed to a pipeline receiving pressure by the work of expansion without requiring a booster compressor.