Gas liquefaction process

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR THE LIQUEFACTION OF NATURAL GAS COMPOSED MOSTLY OF METHANE, THE STEPS OF SUPPLYING THE GAS CONTINUOUSLY AS A MAIN PROCESS STREAM AT HIGH PRESSURE AND AT RELATIVELY HIGH TEMPERATURE, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING A PORTION OF THE HIGH PRESSURE GAS FROM THE MAIN PROCESS STREAM FOR USE AS A REFRIGERATION GAS, REFRIGERATING THE PORTION OF THE GAS REMOVED FROM THE MAIN PROCESS STREAM TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF WITHOUT NOTICEABLE REDUCTION IN PRESSURE BYPASSING IT IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH AN EXTERNAL REFRIGERANT, EXPANDING THE REMOVED AND REFRIGERATED PORTION OF THE GAS TO A LOWER PRESSURE WITH CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN TEMPERATURE TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT AT WHICH THE REMAINING GAS IN THE MAIN PROCESS STREAM IS LIQUEFIED AT THE PRESSURE OF THE MAIN PROCESS STEAM BUT TO A LEVEL ABOVE CONDENSATION TEMPERATURE FOR THE METHANE COMPONENT OF THE EXPANDED REFRIGERATION PORTION OF THE GAS THEREBY TO PRODUCE A LARGE VOLUME OF COLD GAS FOR REFRIGERATION, PASSING THE COLD EXPANDED PORTION OF THE GAS IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE PROCESS STREAM AT HIGH PRESSURE TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF TO A LEVEL TO CONDENSE THE REMAINDER OF THE MAIN PROCESS STREAM AT THE PRESSURE CONDITIONS EXISTING, DROPPING THE PRESSURE OF THE CONDENSED PORTION OF THE MAIN PROCESS STREAM WHEREBY SOME OF THE CONDENSED GAS IS FLASHED OFF WITH A FURTHER REDUCTION IN TEMPERATURE, SEPARATING THE CONDENSATE FROM THE FLASHED GASES, RECOMPRESSING THE EXPANDED REFRIGERATION PORTION OF THE STREAM AND INTRODUCING IT INTO SAID MAIN PROCESS STREAM TO THE PRESSURE OF THE MAIN PROCESS STREAM CONTINUOUSLY TO FORM A PART THEREOF.