Gas drying and separation

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING A VAPOROUS MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBONS AND WATER TO SEPARATE THE MIXTURE AT LOW TEMPERATURE INTO WATER, GASEOUS HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS AND LIQUID HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE STEPS OF: (A) EVAPORATIVELY COOLING A BODY OF WATER; (B) COOLING THE MIXTURE BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID COOL WATER; (C) PASSING THE MIXTURE INTO INDIRECT HEAT-EXCHANGE RELATION WITH COOLANT PATHS FOR COOLING THE MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE NEAR TO BUT ABOVE THE HYDRATE TEMPERATURE; (D) REMOVING THE WATER CONDENSED FROM THE MIXTURE AT THIS LATTER TEMPERATURE; (E) INTRODUCING AN ANTIFREEZE IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO PREVENT FREEZING OF THE WATER VAPOR REMAINING IN THE MIXTURE AT SAID LOW TEMPERATURE; (F) MECHANICALLY COMPRESSING A REFRIGERANT, COOLING IT BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID BODY OF WATER, AND EXPANDING THE REFRIDERANT IN HEAT-EXCHANGE RELATION WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE MIXTURE TO COOL THE LATTER BELOW SAID HYDRATE POINT TO SAID LOW TEMPERATURE; (G) SEPARATING THE GASEOUS COMPONENTS AND THE CONDENSED LIQUID COMPONENTS; AND (H) SEPARATELY RECIRCULATING THE RESPECTIVE COMPONENTS IN SAID COOLANT PATHS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TREATING A VAPOROUS MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBONS AND WATER TO SEPARATE THE MIXTURE AT LOW TEMPERATURE INTO WATER, GASEOUS HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS AND LIQUID HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE STEPS OF: (A) EVAPORATIVELY COOLING A BODY OF WATER; (B) COOLING THE MIXTURE BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID COOL WATER; (C) PASSING THE MIXTURE INTO INDIRECT HEAT-EXCHANGE RELATION WITH COOLANT PATHS FOR COOLING THE MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE NEAR TO BUT ABOVE THE HYDRATE TEMPERATURE; (D) REMOVING THE WATER CONDENSED FROM THE MIXTURE AT THIS LATTER TEMPERATURE; (E) INTRODUCING AN ANTIFREEZE IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO PREVENT FREEZING OF THE WATER VAPOR REMAINING IN THE MIXTURE AT SAID LOW TEMPERATURE; (F) MECHANICALLY COMPRESSING A REFRIGERANT, COOLING IT BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID BODY OF WATER, AND EXPANDING THE REFRIDERANT IN HEAT-EXCHANGE RELATION WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE MIXTURE TO COOL THE LATTER BELOW SAID HYDRATE POINT TO SAID LOW TEMPERATURE; (G) SEPARATING THE GASEOUS COMPONENTS AND THE CONDENSED LIQUID COMPONENTS; AND (H) SEPARATELY RECIRCULATING THE RESPECTIVE COMPONENTS IN SAID COOLANT PATHS.