초록

A method and apparatus for refrigerating and, if desired, liquefying an industrial gas wherein a multicomponent refrigerant fluid is used to generate refrigeration in a single circuit which includes a single phase separation and recycle after an initial heat exchange stage.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for refrigerating industrial gas comprising:(A) providing a multistage heat exchanger comprising an initial stage and a final stage; (B) passing multicomponent refrigerant fluid through the initial stage of the multistage heat exchanger and withdrawing multicomponent refrigerant fluid in

1. A method for refrigerating industrial gas comprising:(A) providing a multistage heat exchanger comprising an initial stage and a final stage; (B) passing multicomponent refrigerant fluid through the initial stage of the multistage heat exchanger and withdrawing multicomponent refrigerant fluid in both a vapor phase and a liquid phase from the initial stage of the multistage heat exchanger; (C) passing the multicomponent refrigerant fluid withdrawn from the initial stage of the multistage heat exchanger with no further cooling to a phase separation device having a vapor exit; (D) withdrawing multicomponent refrigerant fluid from the vapor exit of the phase separation device and passing essentially all of the fluid withdrawn from the vapor exit of the phase separation device to the final stage of the multistage heat exchanger; and (E) passing industrial gas through the multistage heat exchanger and recovering refrigerated industrial gas from the final stage of the multistage heat exchanger.