Processes and apparatus for recovering hydrocarbons from gas streams

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF RECOVERING HYDROCARBON LIQUID FRACTIONS FROM A MAIN GAS STREAM INCLUDING, FLOWING DURING ONE COMPLETE ABSORPTION CYCLE A MAIN GAS STREAM THROUGH A FIRST ADSORRPTION ZONE WHICH FORMS A FIRST ADSORPTION STAGE TO REMOVE HYDROCARBON FRACTIONS FROM SAID MAIN GAS STREAM, DIVERTING DURING THE FIRST PART OF SAID ADSORPTION CYCLE A PORTION OF SAID MAIN GAS STREAM AFTER IT HAS PASSED THROUGH THE FIRST ADSORPTION ZONE THROUGH A SECOND ADSORPTION ZONE TO BEGIN COOLING OF SAID SECOND ZONE, CONTINUING THE DIVERTING OF THE MAIN GAS STREAM THROUGH SAID SECOND ZONE THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE ADSORPTION CYCLE TO COMPLETE COOLING AND TO ABSORB ADDITIONAL HYDROCARBONS IN SAID SECOND ZONE WHICH FORMS A SECOND ADSORPTION STAGE, INCREASING THE VOLUME OF THE DIVERTED GAS DURING THE LATTER PORTION OF THE ADSORPTION CYCLE OF THE FIRST ADSORPTION ZONE, RECOMBINIG THE DIVERTED GAS AFTER ITS PASSAGE THROUGH SAID SECOND ZONE WITH THE MAIN GAS STREAM, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DIRECTING A HEATED REGENERATION GAS STREAM THROUGH A THIRD ASDORPTION ZONE TO EXTRACT HYDROCARBON FRACTIONS FROM A THIRD ADSORPTION ZONE WHICH HYDROCARBON FRACTIONS WERE REMOVED FROM THE MAIN GAS STREAM ON A PRECEDNG ADSORPTION CYCLE, AND THEREAFTER CONDENSING AND SEPARATING THE EXTRACTED HYDROCARBON FRACTIONS TO RECOVER THE SAME AS A LIQUID PRODUCT.