Abstract An apparatus for cooling and liquefying a gaseous mixture by means of a refrigerant fluid formed of a plurality of constituents, comprising a gas compressor, a plurality of tanks for separating gas from liquid and two series of counter current exchangers, said exchangers, for the cooling and liquefaction, being placed at increasing heights so as to provide for a circulation by gravity, along the various exchangers, of the refrigerant liquid injected at the head of each exchanger, and its mixture with the refrigerant gases, said refrigerant gases being liquefied by successive fractions at lower and lower temperatures in a first one of said two series of exchangers and used for cooling and liquefying the gaseous mixture in the other one of said series of exchangers, wherein in at least one series of exchangers at least the exchangers working at the two lowest temperatures are forming part of a unitary assembly in which the refrigerant fluid circulates downwardly, whereas in the other exchangers the refrigerant fluid circulates upwardly.
Apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second exchanger unit B comprises two exchangers stages positioned one above the other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus of claim 2, wherein said third means includes means for introducing a fraction of the refrigerant fluid at the lowest temperature at an upper portion of said second exchanger unit B for downward circulation therein, and for introducing another fraction of the refrigerant liquid at the next preceeding temperature stage at an upper portion of the lower of said two exchanger stages for downward circulation therein.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus of claim 1, wherein in each of said first and second exchanger units A and B, said gaseous mixture is confined in an exchanger conduit and said exchanger units A and B include means for passing the refrigerant fluid in indirect contact with said gaseous mixture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first exchanger unit A comprises two exchanger stages positioned one above the other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first means includes means for introducing said first fraction of the refrigerant fluid at the highest temperature at a lower portion of said first exchanger A for upward circulation therein, and for introducing another fraction of the refrigerant at the next lowest temperature stage at a lower portion of the higher of said two exchanger stages for upward circulation therein.