Process and apparatus for recovering hydrocarbons from gas streams

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF REMOVING WATER AND RECOVERING CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS FROM A MAIN FLOW STREAM OF NATURAL GAS WHICH INCLUDES; CONTACTING A FIRST BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL WITH THE MAIN FLOW STREAM OF NATURAL GAS, WHEREBY WATER AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS ARE ADSORBED FROM THE MAIN FLOW STREAM BY THE BED MATERIAL; HEATING A REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM OF NATURAL GAS, WHEREBY THE VAPORIZING CAPACITY OF THE REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM IS RAISED; CONTACTING THE FIRST BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL WITH THE HEATED REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM AND DIVERTING THE MAIN FLOW STREAM TO A SECOND BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL; COOLING THE REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM TO ITS DEW POINT AS THE STREAM FLOWS FROM THE HEATED BED, WHEREBY WATER VAPORIZED FROM THE BED IS REMOVED AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS ARE RECOVERED; PURGING THE FIRST BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL INTO THE REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM WITH A STREAM OF GAS WHICH IS NO MORE SATURATED THAN THE COOLED REACTIVATING FLOW STRAM AFTER CONDENSABLES ARE REMOVED WHILE THE HEATED REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM IS SIMULTANEOUSLY PASSED THROUGH THE SECON BED AND THE MAIN FLOW STREAM IS DIVERTED TO A THIRD BED; CONTACTING THE FIRST BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE MAIN FLOW STREAM AFTER THE ENTIRE MAIN FLOW STREAM HAS BEEN PROCESSED BY CONTACT WITH ADSORBENT MATERIAL AND AFTER THE FIRST BED HAS BEEN PRUGED, WHEREBY THE FIRST BED IS COOLED TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH IT CAN AGAIN PROCESS THE MAIN FLOW STREAM; AND RETURNING THE FIRST BED TO PROCESSING THE MAIN FLOW STREAM WHILE PURGING THE SECOND BED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY HEATING THE THIRD BED WITH THE HEATED REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF REMOVING WATER AND RECOVERING CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS FROM A MAIN FLOW STREAM OF NATURAL GAS WHICH INCLUDES; CONTACTING A FIRST BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL WITH THE MAIN FLOW STREAM OF NATURAL GAS, WHEREBY WATER AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS ARE ADSORBED FROM THE MAIN FLOW STREAM BY THE BED MATERIAL; HEATING A REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM OF NATURAL GAS, WHEREBY THE VAPORIZING CAPACITY OF THE REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM IS RAISED; CONTACTING THE FIRST BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL WITH THE HEATED REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM AND DIVERTING THE MAIN FLOW STREAM TO A SECOND BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL; COOLING THE REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM TO ITS DEW POINT AS THE STREAM FLOWS FROM THE HEATED BED, WHEREBY WATER VAPORIZED FROM THE BED IS REMOVED AND CONDENSABLE HYDROCARBONS ARE RECOVERED; PURGING THE FIRST BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL INTO THE REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM WITH A STREAM OF GAS WHICH IS NO MORE SATURATED THAN THE COOLED REACTIVATING FLOW STRAM AFTER CONDENSABLES ARE REMOVED WHILE THE HEATED REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM IS SIMULTANEOUSLY PASSED THROUGH THE SECON BED AND THE MAIN FLOW STREAM IS DIVERTED TO A THIRD BED; CONTACTING THE FIRST BED OF ADSORBENT MATERIAL WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE MAIN FLOW STREAM AFTER THE ENTIRE MAIN FLOW STREAM HAS BEEN PROCESSED BY CONTACT WITH ADSORBENT MATERIAL AND AFTER THE FIRST BED HAS BEEN PRUGED, WHEREBY THE FIRST BED IS COOLED TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH IT CAN AGAIN PROCESS THE MAIN FLOW STREAM; AND RETURNING THE FIRST BED TO PROCESSING THE MAIN FLOW STREAM WHILE PURGING THE SECOND BED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY HEATING THE THIRD BED WITH THE HEATED REACTIVATING FLOW STREAM.