Process and apparatus for the separation of coke-oven gas

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF COKE-OVEN GAS INTO SEVERAL FRACTIONS BY COOLING AND SUCCESSIVE LIQUEFACTION OF THESE FRACTIONS, WHICH CONSISTS IN USING THE OBTAINED LIQUEFIED FRACTIONS AFTER EXPANSION AND RE-EVAPORATION AS COOLING AGENTS AND PASSING SAID COOLING AGENTS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A PLURALITY OF COOLING ELEMENTS IN A HEAT EXCHANGER, PASSING A PRECOOLED COKE-OVEN GAS OF ABOUT -45* C. UPWARDLY IN A HELICAL PATH DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE, SUCCESSIVE CONDENSATION ZONES ALONG AND AROUND SAID COOLING ELEMENTS, WHEREBY THE COKE-OVEN GAS IS BROUGHT INTO REPEATED, SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE CONTACT WITH THE COOLING ELEMENTS AND CONDENSATION IS BROUGHT ABOUT IN EACH OF THE SAID CONDENSATION ZONES, COLLECTING SAID CONDENSED FRACTIONS ON THE BOTTOMS OF SAID ZONES, WITHDRAWING SAID FRACTIONS FROM THE BOTTOMS OF SAID ZONES, WITHDRAWING UNCONDENSED GAS FROM THE TOP OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER, PASSING THIS GAS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A SECOND HEAT EXCHANGER, WHEREIN THE GAS IS FURTHER COOLED IN ORDER TO LIQUEFY THE GREATER PART OF THE METHANE, WITHDRAWING THE UNCONDENSED GAS FROM THE SAID SECOND HEAT EXCHANGER AND PASSING THE GAS THROUGH A CONDENSER IN WHICH THE GAS IS COOLED BY BOILING NITROGEN, WITHDRAWING A LIQUEFIED FRACTION COMPOSED OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND METHANE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THIS CONDENSER, AND A GAS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN FROM THE TOP OF THE CONDENSER.