Separated from a gas mixture on a refrigeration medium

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION OF A GASEOUS MIXTURE INTO A LIGHT FRACTION AND A HEAVY FRACTION WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST A FIRST AND A SECOND STAGE FOR COOLING THE GASEOUS MIXTURE, SEPARATING THE GASEOUS MIXTURE INTO A LIGHT FRACTION AND A HEAVY FRACTION AT A TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT SAID HEAVY FRACTION LIQUEFIES, SEPARATING THE REMAINING LIGHT GASEUOS FRACTION FROM SAID LIQUEFIED FRACTION, PASSING SAID GASEOUS FRACTION IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND STAGES, FORMING A RECYCLE STREAM BY COMPRESSING A PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION, COOLING SAID COMPRESSED PORTION BY RECYCLING THROUGH SAID FIRST STAGE IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID GASEOUS FRACTION, DIVIDING SAID COMPRESSED, COOLED PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION INTO A FIRST AND A SECOND STREAM, SAID FIRST STREAM BEING PASSED THROUGH SAID SECOND STAGE IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID GASEOUS FRACTIONS, AND THEREAFTER BEING EXPANDED IN SAID SEPARATING STEP TO PROVIDE AT LEAST PART OF THE COOLING REQUIREMENT THEREOF, AND SAID SECOND STREAM BEING EXPANDED AND THEREAFTER PASSED THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND STAGES IN A PATH SEPARATE FROM SAID GASEOUS FRACTION AND IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID GASEOUS FRCTION AND SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COOLING FOR SAID COMPRESSED PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION AND SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, SAID SECOND STREAM BEING COMBINED AND COMPRESSED WITH SAID RECYCLE STREAM AFTER PASSAGE THROUGH SAID SECOND AND FIRST STAGES, AND RECOVERING AS PRODUCTS THE UNCOMPRESSED PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION AND THE LIQUEFIED FRACTION.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION OF A GASEOUS MIXTURE INTO A LIGHT FRACTION AND A HEAVY FRACTION WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST A FIRST AND A SECOND STAGE FOR COOLING THE GASEOUS MIXTURE, SEPARATING THE GASEOUS MIXTURE INTO A LIGHT FRACTION AND A HEAVY FRACTION AT A TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT SAID HEAVY FRACTION LIQUEFIES, SEPARATING THE REMAINING LIGHT GASEUOS FRACTION FROM SAID LIQUEFIED FRACTION, PASSING SAID GASEOUS FRACTION IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND STAGES, FORMING A RECYCLE STREAM BY COMPRESSING A PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION, COOLING SAID COMPRESSED PORTION BY RECYCLING THROUGH SAID FIRST STAGE IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID GASEOUS FRACTION, DIVIDING SAID COMPRESSED, COOLED PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION INTO A FIRST AND A SECOND STREAM, SAID FIRST STREAM BEING PASSED THROUGH SAID SECOND STAGE IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID GASEOUS FRACTIONS, AND THEREAFTER BEING EXPANDED IN SAID SEPARATING STEP TO PROVIDE AT LEAST PART OF THE COOLING REQUIREMENT THEREOF, AND SAID SECOND STREAM BEING EXPANDED AND THEREAFTER PASSED THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND STAGES IN A PATH SEPARATE FROM SAID GASEOUS FRACTION AND IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID GASEOUS FRCTION AND SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COOLING FOR SAID COMPRESSED PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION AND SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, SAID SECOND STREAM BEING COMBINED AND COMPRESSED WITH SAID RECYCLE STREAM AFTER PASSAGE THROUGH SAID SECOND AND FIRST STAGES, AND RECOVERING AS PRODUCTS THE UNCOMPRESSED PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION AND THE LIQUEFIED FRACTION.