FIELD: processes or apparatus for liquefying.
SUBSTANCE: method comprises flowing gas through one or two recuperative heat exchangers connected in series where the gas cools and low-boiling components are condensed and frozen, flowing the gas through a gas-expansion machine and/or an air throttle to the cold receiver. A part of the straight gas flow is branched into the cold and hot flows inside the energy separator made of, e.g., a two-flow vortex pipe. The cold flow is mixed with the return flow at the inlet to the heat exchanger. The hot flow is directed to the straight passage of the nonoperating recuperative heat exchanger-freezer.
EFFECT: enhanced efficiency.
2 cl, 3 dwg
