Controlling reflux in a distillation process

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE REFLUX TO A FRACTIONATION ZONE OF THE HEAVIER CONSTITUENTS IN A VOPOROUS WATERHYDROCARBON STREAM FROM SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE COMPRISING: (A) COOLING SAID VAPOROUS WATER-HYDROCARBON TO A FIRST TEMPERATURE SO THAT WATER AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS IN SAID VAPOROUS STREAM ARE CONDENSED TO THEREBY FORM A FIRST LIQUID VAPOR STREAM; (B) PASSING SAID FIRST LIQUID-VAPOR STREAM TO A FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE AT OR BELOW SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE; (C) WITHDRAWING CONDENSED WATER FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE; (D) PASSING A STREAM OF THE CONDENSED HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE TO THE TOP OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AS REFLUX AT A PREDETERMINED FLOW RATE; (E) REMOVING THE VAPOR FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE; (F) REMOVING A SECOND STREAM OF CONDENSED HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE IN RESPONSE TO LIQUID LEVEL CONTROL THEREIN AND COMBINING SAID SECOND STREAM OF CONDENSED HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS AS A LIQUID WITH SAID VAPOR FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE TO FORM A SECOND LIQUID VAPOR STREAM WHICH STREAM IS AT A TEMPERTURE NO HIGHER THAN SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE; (G) COOLING SAID SECOND LIQUID VAPOR STREAM TO A SECOND TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE SO THAT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE VAPOR IN SAID SECOND LIQUID VAPOR STREAM IS CONDENSED TO FORM A THIRD LIQUID VAPOR STREAM; (H) PASSING SAID THIRD LIQUID VAPOR STREAM TO A SECOND ACCUMULATION ZONE; (I) WITHDRAWING LIQUID HYDROCARBON PRODUCT FROM SAID SECOND ACCULULATION ZONE; (J) WITHDRAWING CONDENSED WATER FROM SAID SECOND ACCUMULATION ZONE; (K) WITHDRAWING VAPOR FROM SAID SECOND ACCUMULATION ZONE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE REFLUX TO A FRACTIONATION ZONE OF THE HEAVIER CONSTITUENTS IN A VOPOROUS WATERHYDROCARBON STREAM FROM SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE COMPRISING: (A) COOLING SAID VAPOROUS WATER-HYDROCARBON TO A FIRST TEMPERATURE SO THAT WATER AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS IN SAID VAPOROUS STREAM ARE CONDENSED TO THEREBY FORM A FIRST LIQUID VAPOR STREAM; (B) PASSING SAID FIRST LIQUID-VAPOR STREAM TO A FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE AT OR BELOW SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE; (C) WITHDRAWING CONDENSED WATER FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE; (D) PASSING A STREAM OF THE CONDENSED HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE TO THE TOP OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AS REFLUX AT A PREDETERMINED FLOW RATE; (E) REMOVING THE VAPOR FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE; (F) REMOVING A SECOND STREAM OF CONDENSED HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE IN RESPONSE TO LIQUID LEVEL CONTROL THEREIN AND COMBINING SAID SECOND STREAM OF CONDENSED HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS AS A LIQUID WITH SAID VAPOR FROM SAID FIRST ACCUMULATION ZONE TO FORM A SECOND LIQUID VAPOR STREAM WHICH STREAM IS AT A TEMPERTURE NO HIGHER THAN SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE; (G) COOLING SAID SECOND LIQUID VAPOR STREAM TO A SECOND TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE SO THAT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE VAPOR IN SAID SECOND LIQUID VAPOR STREAM IS CONDENSED TO FORM A THIRD LIQUID VAPOR STREAM; (H) PASSING SAID THIRD LIQUID VAPOR STREAM TO A SECOND ACCUMULATION ZONE; (I) WITHDRAWING LIQUID HYDROCARBON PRODUCT FROM SAID SECOND ACCULULATION ZONE; (J) WITHDRAWING CONDENSED WATER FROM SAID SECOND ACCUMULATION ZONE; (K) WITHDRAWING VAPOR FROM SAID SECOND ACCUMULATION ZONE.