Fractionation of gaseous mixtures

Claim 1

METHOD OF SEPARATING GASEOUS MIXTURES IN A FRACTIONATING OPERATION, IN WHICH OPERATION COMPRESSED AND COOLED GASEOUS MIXTURE IS SEPARATED INTO FRACTIONS OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE, THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE COMPRISING A GASEOUS PHASE PART INCLUDING ONE COMPONENT OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE AND A LIQUID PHASE PART INCLUDING ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A MAJOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE, PASSING THE MAJOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE IN HEAT INTERCHANGE WITH COLD FLUID INCLUDING A FIRST PORTION OF THE GASEOUS PHASE PART OF THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS UNDER RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE TO COOL THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE AND TO WARM THE FIRST PORTION OF THE GASEOUS PHASE PART OF THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS, THE RELATIVE MASSES OF THE MAJOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE AND OF THE COLD FLUID BEING SO PROPORTIONED THAT THE HEAT INTERCHANGE THEREBETWEEN WARMS THE FIRST PORTION OF THE GASEOUS PHASE PART OF THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS TO ABOUT 5* F.-10* F. OF THE TEMPERATURE TO THE MAJOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE, PROVIDING A MINOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE UNDER A HIGH PRESSURE RELATIVE TO THE MAJOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE, COMPRESSING LIQUID PHASE PART OF THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS TO PROVIDE COMPRESSED LIQUID PHASE PART, PASSING THE MINOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE IN HEAT INTERCHANGE WITH A SECOND PORTION OF THE GASEOUS PHASE PART OF THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS UNDER RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE AND IN HEAT INTERCHANGE WITH COMPRESSED LIQUID PHASE PART TO COOL THE MINOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE AND TO WARM THE SECOND PORTION OF THE GASEOUS PHASE PART OF THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS AND TO VAPORIZE THE COMPRESSED LIQUID PHASE PART, THE MASS OF THE MINOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE BEING PROPORTIONED RELATIVE TO THE MASS OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE GASEOUS PHASE PART OF THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS AND COMPRESSED LIQUID PHASE PART IN HEAT INTERCHANGE THEREWITH SO THAT THE HEAT INTERCHANGE THEREBETWEEN WARMS THE SECOND GASEOUS PHASE PART OF THE SEPARATED FRACTIONS AND COMPRESSED LIQUID PHASE PART TO ABOUT 5* F.-10* F. OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MINOR PORTION OF CMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE, EXPANDING THE MINOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE, AND PASSING EXPANDED MINOR PORTION OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE AND COOLED MAJOR PORTION OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE TO THE FRACTIONATING OPERATION.