Hydrocarbon hydrate separation process and separation unit therefor

Claim 1

IN A COLD SEPARATION UNIT FOR DEHYDRATING A NATURAL GAS STREAM, COMPRISING A FIRST STAGE VESSEL AND A SECOND STAGE VESSEL, AN INLET CONNECTION MEMBER PROVIDED IN THE SECOND STAGE VESSEL FOR RECEIVING THE GAS STREAM, A COIL MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN THE SECOND STAGE VESSEL AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INLET MEMBER, MEANS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COIL MEMBER AND THE FIRST STAGE VESSEL FOR DIRECTING THE GAS STREAM INTO THE FIRST STAGE VESSEL, MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING PRECIPITATES FROM THE GAS STREAM FROM THE FIRST STAGE VESSEL TO THE SECOND STAGE VESSEL, MEANS TO DIRECT GAS FROM THE FIRST STAGE VESSEL INTO THE SECOND STAGE VESSEL, MEANS FOR REDUCING THE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS STREAM TO THE HYDRATE FORMING STAGE AT THE ENTRY POINT OF THE GAS STREAM INTO THE SECOND STAGE VESSEL, BAFFLE STRUCTURE BELOW THE ENTRY POINT OF THE GAS STREAM INTO THE SECOND STAGE VESSEL TO RECEIVE THEREON SUBSTANTIALLY ALL HYDRATES FORMED AND HOLD THESE HYDRATES IN DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE COIL MEMBER TO MELT HYDRATES, MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE LIQUID OF THE MELTED HYDRATES AT A POINT BELOW THE BAFFLE STRUCTURE AND COIL MEMBER, CONTROL MEANS TO REMOVE LIQUID FROM THE COLLECTION FROM THE SECOND STAGE VESSEL AND TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF COLLECTED LIQUID BELOW THE BAFFLE AND COIL, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE DEHYDRATES GAS FROM THE SECOND STAGE VESSEL.