PATENT

3247. ----- [SCHARMANN, W.G.] (Standard Oil Development Co.). Recovery of Hydrocarbons From Gaseous Streams. United States Patent 2,577,634, Dec. 4, 1951; appl. filed Oct. 23, 1948, Serial No. 56,218; 7 claims (Cl. 260-450).

Effluent or tail gases from a hydrocarbon synthesis plant are cooled, the condensed material removed in a high-pressure separator, and the gases contacted with a finely divided adsorption medium, such as active charcoal, employing the fluidized solids technique.  The adsorbed material is then stripped from the adsorbent in a fluidized solids stripping zone, and the resulting vapors are cooled and condensed hydrocarbons separated out.  The uncondensed gases are now very rich in hydrocarbons and are passed to a small oil absorption system of conventional design.  The scrubbed gas from the fluid solids adsorption unit, which is at a pressure only slightly < than in the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor, is advantageously passed through expansion machines to obtain power and refrigeration.  This refrigeration may be used to cool the absorbing oil and the overhead from the fluid stripper, as well as the overhead stream from the reaction chamber before it enters the scrubbing system.  Thus, a large amount of liquid is condensed out of the overhead gas, and the scrubbing requirements are correspondingly less.