Methods for producing pressurized alkene gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018328658-A1
Application number	US-201715591878-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 10, 2017
Priority date	May 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for recovering alkene (e.g., C2-C4 alkene) gas as well as producing pressurized alkene (e.g., C2-C4 alkene) gas from process gas streams including higher concentrations of alkenes are provided herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for producing pressurized C 2 -C 4 alkene gas from a process gas stream comprising
a condensation cycle comprising:
cooling the process gas stream comprising at least about 80 wt % C 2 -C 4 alkene in at least one condenser vessel with a cooling medium under suitable conditions to produce a first condensate comprising C 2 -C 4 alkene and a vent gas stream and
draining the first condensate from the at least one condenser vessel to at least one condensate tank when the first condensate reaches a first high level in the at least one condenser vessel until the first condensate reaches a first low level in the at least one condenser vessel; and
a pressurization cycle comprising:
halting flow of the process gas stream and the cooling medium to the at least one condenser vessel when the first condensate reaches a second high level in the at least one condensate tank; and
heating the at least one condensate tank to produce pressurized liquid C 2 -C 4 alkene and a C 2 -C 4 alkene vent gas.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the process gas stream enters the at least one condenser vessel at a temperature of about −40° C. or lower and a pressure of at least about 90 kPa.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vent gas stream comprises nitrogen.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cooling medium is liquid nitrogen and/or gaseous nitrogen.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the cooling medium is provided at a temperature of at least about −196° C. and a pressure of less than or equal to about 1500 kPa.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure in the condenser is maintained at about 100 kPa to about 300 kPa.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one condenser vessel comprises a coil for circulating the cooling medium.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising passing the pressurized liquid C 2 -C 4 alkene through a vaporizer operated under suitable conditions to produce the pressurized C 2 -C 4 alkene gas having a pressure of at least about 100 kPa and a temperature higher than a temperature of the pressurized liquid alkene.

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the vent gas stream from the at least one condenser vessel when the pressure in the at least one condenser vessel is greater than about 100 kPa.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein passing the pressurized liquid C 2 -C 4 alkene through the vaporizer is halted when the pressurized liquid alkene reaches a second low level in the at least one condensate tank.

11 . The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the C 2 -C 4 alkene vent gas from the at least one condensate tank.

12 . The method of claim 1 further comprising a defrost cycle comprising:
halting the process gas stream and the cooling medium to the at least one condenser vessel;
heating the at least one condenser vessel to produce a second condensate stream comprising C 2 -C 4 alkene; and
draining the second condensate stream to the at least one condensate tank.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the heating of the at least one condenser vessel is provided by gaseous nitrogen.

14 . The method of claim 12 further comprising heating the gaseous nitrogen.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the condensation cycle, the pressurization cycle, and the defrost cycle are running in parallel in two or more condenser vessels.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the condensation cycle runs for about 6.0 hours to about 24 hours, the pressurization cycle runs for about 6.0 to about 24 hours and the defrost cycle runs for about 1.0 hour to about 2.0 hours.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the C 2 -C 4 alkene is ethylene and/or propylene.

18 . A system for producing a pressurized C 2 -C 4 alkene gas from a process gas stream comprising:
a process gas stream comprising at least about 80 wt. % C 2 -C 4 alkene; a cooling medium stream; a vent gas stream; a first condensate stream comprising alkene; a pressurized liquid C 2 -C 4 alkene stream; a C 2 -C 4 alkene vent gas stream; a pressurized C 2 -C 4 alkene gas stream; at least one condenser vessel operated under suitable conditions to produce the first condensate comprising C 2 -C 4 alkene and the vent gas stream, wherein the at least one condenser vessel comprises:
a coil for circulating the cooling medium;
a first inlet for providing the process gas stream;
a second inlet for providing the cooling medium;
a first outlet for removal of the cooling medium;
a second outlet for removal of the vent gas stream; and
a third outlet for removal of the first condensate stream;
at least one condensate tank, wherein the at least one condensate tank comprises:
a third inlet for providing the first condensate;
a fourth outlet for removal of the pressurized liquid C 2 -C 4 alkene: stream; and
a fifth outlet for removal the C 2 -C 4 alkene vent gas stream;
a a means for providing heat to the at least one condensate tank; and
at least one vaporizer operated under suitable conditions to produce the pressurized C 2 -C 4 alkene gas stream having a pressure of at least about 100 kPa and a temperature higher than a temperature of the pressurized liquid C 2 -C 4 alkene, wherein the vaporizer comprises:
a fifth inlet for providing the pressurized liquid C 2 -C 4 alkene stream; and
a sixth outlet for removal of the pressurized C 2 -C 4 alkene gas stream.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the cooling medium is liquid nitrogen and/or gaseous nitrogen.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the cooling medium is provided at a temperature of at least about −196° C. and a pressure of less than or equal to about 1500 kPa.

21 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the C 2 -C 4 alkene is ethylene and/or propylene.

Assignees

• Linde Ag

Inventors

• Rumore Nicole
• D'Orazio Robert
• Finley Steven

Classifications

• F25J2210/42

  Nitrogen · CPC title

• F25J2245/02

  Recycle of a stream in general, e.g. a by-pass stream · CPC title

• C07C7/005

  Processes comprising at least two steps in series · CPC title

• F25J3/066

  separation of nitrogen (from air F25J3/04, production of nitrogen in general C01B21/00) · CPC title

• F25J3/0655

  separation of hydrogen (production of hydrogen containing gas in general C01B3/00, e.g. separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases form gaseous mixtures at low temperatures C01B3/506) · CPC title