FIELD: liquefaction or curing of gases.
SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a method of producing a pressurised and at least partially condensed mixture of hydrocarbons. Method includes: providing a mixture of hydrocarbons in vapour phase and passing said mixture of hydrocarbons through a feed scrubber comprising a feed drum whereby discharging a feed scrubber vapour from the feed scrubber; passing the feed scrubber vapour from the feed scrubber through a compression suction scrubber comprising a suction drum whereby discharging a vaporous compressor feed stream from the compression suction scrubber; compressing the vaporous compressor feed stream in a train of one or more compressors to a higher pressure thereby forming a compressed vaporous discharge stream; de-superheating the compressed vaporous discharge stream in a de-superheater system comprising a de-superheater heat exchanger, comprising bringing at least a portion of the compressed vaporous discharge stream in indirect heat exchanging contact with an ambient stream in the de-superheater heat exchanger, thereby allowing heat to flow from the compressed vaporous discharge stream to the ambient stream, thereby forming a de-superheated hydrocarbon stream out of the compressed vaporous discharge stream, wherein the de-superheater system is equipped with a temperature controller, which is operably connected to a temperature control valve to vary the valve opening degree depending on the temperature of the superheated hydrocarbons vapours; passing at least a portion of the de-superheated hydrocarbon stream from the de-superheater system to a condenser via a de-superheater discharge conduit and further cooling the portion of the de-superheated hydrocarbon stream in said condenser by indirect heat exchanging said portion of the de-superheated hydrocarbon stream against a cooling stream, wherein said portion of the de-superheated hydrocarbon stream is at least partly condensed to form the pressurised and at least partially condensed mixture of hydrocarbons; splitting off a recycle portion from the de-superheated hydrocarbon stream in the de-superheater discharge conduit and establishing a recycle flow at a recycle flow rate from the de-superheater discharge conduit to the train of one or more compressors via a surge recycle separator drum, a surge recycle valve, and the compression suction scrubber, wherein controlling the recycle flow rate with the surge recycle valve and removing and draining liquid constituents from the recycle portion of the de-superheated hydrocarbon stream via a liquid drain outlet provided in the surge recycle separator drum; feeding the liquid constituents drained from the recycle portion of the de-superheated hydrocarbon stream to the feed scrubber. Invention also relates to a device for said method.
EFFECT: proposed group of inventions enables to maintain a de-superheated vaporous stream at a temperature much closer to condensation temperature of de-superheated vapours.
17 cl, 4 dwg
