Method and apparatus for the cooling and low temperature liquefaction of gaseous mixtures

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE LIQUEFACTION OF A FIRST GAS MIXTURE COMPRISING PASSING SAID FIRST GAS MIXTURE THROUGH A FIRST LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM IN INDIRECT CONTACT WITH AND IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO A REFRIGERATING LIQUID IN A PROCESS OF VAPORIZATION, SAID REFRIGERATING LIQUID BEING ADMITTED AS A PLURALITY OF PORTIONS AT SEVERAL POINTS IN SAID FIRST LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM, SAID PORTIONS BEING INCREASINGLY MORE VOLATILE IN THE DIRECTION FOLLOWED BY SAID FIRST GAS MIXTURE AND SAID PORTIONS OF REFERGERATING LIQUID RESULTING FROM A LIQUEFACTION IN SUCCESSIVE STAGES IN A SECOND LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM, OF A SECOND GAS MIXTURE OBTAINED BY VAPORIZATION OF THE REFRIGERATING LIQUID IN SAID LIQUEFACTION SYSTEMS, SAID LIQUEFACTION IN SAID SECOND LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM RESULTING FROM THE VAPORIZATION WITH INDIRECT CONTACT OF AT LEAST ONE PART OF THE CONDENSATE OF EACH PREVIOUS STAGE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FIRST CONDENSATE WHICH IS OBTAINED BY COMPRESSION OF SAID SECOND GAS MIXTURE, THE VAPORIZATION PRESSURE OF THE REFRIGERATING LIQUID IN SAID FIRST LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM BEING LOWER THAN THE VAPORIZATION PRESSURE IN SAID SECOND LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM, SAID FIRST GASEOUS MIXTURE FLOWING THRU THE FIRST LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM BEING OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE FLUID IN THE SECOND LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.