Method of separating the fractions of a gaseous mixture in a gas rectifying system

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING THE FRACTIONS OF A GASEOUS MIXTURE IN A GAS RECTIFYING SYSTEM BY THERMAL CONTACT WITH A MEDIUM SUPPLIED TO A GAS RECTIFYING COLUMN HAVING A BOILING VESSEL ASSOCIATED THEREWITH COMPRISING COMPRESSING SAID MIXTURE, COOLING SAID MIXTURE, INTRODUCING SAID COOLED MIXTURE INTO SAID GAS RECTIFYING COLUMN AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, COMPRESSING SAID MEDIUM, ADDING HEAT TO THE HIGHER BOILING FRACTION IN SAID BOILING VESSEL, EXPANDING SAID MEDIUM, AND COOLING SAID MEDIUM AT APPROXIMATELY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HIGHER BOILING FRACTION AFTER COMPRESSION OF THE MEDIUM PRIOR TO EXPANSION OF THE MEDIUM, THE HEAT BEING WITHDRAWN FROM AT LEAST PART OF SAID MEDIUM AT APPROXIMATELY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HIGHER BOILING FRACTION OF SAID MIXTURE BY A COLD GAS REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING A CYLINDER, TWO PISTONS OPERATING IN SAID CYLINDER WITH A CONSTANT PHASE DIFFERENCE AND DEFINING TWO CHAMBERS IN WHICH A CLOSED THERMODYNAMIC CYCLE IS PERFORMED BY A GASEOUS MEDIUM OF INVARIABLE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION IN ONE AND THE SAME STATE OF AGGREGATION, THE VOLUME OF GASEOUS MEDIUM IN SAID CHAMBERS VARYING CONTINUOUSLY WHILE ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS HAS A LOW TEMPERATURE AND THE OTHER CHAMBER HAS A HIGHER TEMPERATURE, THE CHAMBERS BEING CONNECTED WITH ONE ANOTHER THROUGH A COOLER, REGENERATOR AND FREEZER, SAID CYCLE BEING PERFORMED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID FRACTIONATING PROCESS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SEPARATING THE FRACTIONS OF A GASEOUS MIXTURE IN A GAS RECTIFYING SYSTEM BY THERMAL CONTACT WITH A MEDIUM SUPPLIED TO A GAS RECTIFYING COLUMN HAVING A BOILING VESSEL ASSOCIATED THEREWITH COMPRISING COMPRESSING SAID MIXTURE, COOLING SAID MIXTURE, INTRODUCING SAID COOLED MIXTURE INTO SAID GAS RECTIFYING COLUMN AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, COMPRESSING SAID MEDIUM, ADDING HEAT TO THE HIGHER BOILING FRACTION IN SAID BOILING VESSEL, EXPANDING SAID MEDIUM, AND COOLING SAID MEDIUM AT APPROXIMATELY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HIGHER BOILING FRACTION AFTER COMPRESSION OF THE MEDIUM PRIOR TO EXPANSION OF THE MEDIUM, THE HEAT BEING WITHDRAWN FROM AT LEAST PART OF SAID MEDIUM AT APPROXIMATELY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HIGHER BOILING FRACTION OF SAID MIXTURE BY A COLD GAS REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING A CYLINDER, TWO PISTONS OPERATING IN SAID CYLINDER WITH A CONSTANT PHASE DIFFERENCE AND DEFINING TWO CHAMBERS IN WHICH A CLOSED THERMODYNAMIC CYCLE IS PERFORMED BY A GASEOUS MEDIUM OF INVARIABLE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION IN ONE AND THE SAME STATE OF AGGREGATION, THE VOLUME OF GASEOUS MEDIUM IN SAID CHAMBERS VARYING CONTINUOUSLY WHILE ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS HAS A LOW TEMPERATURE AND THE OTHER CHAMBER HAS A HIGHER TEMPERATURE, THE CHAMBERS BEING CONNECTED WITH ONE ANOTHER THROUGH A COOLER, REGENERATOR AND FREEZER, SAID CYCLE BEING PERFORMED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID FRACTIONATING PROCESS.