Abstract: This invention relates to a process for cooling a product in a heat exchanger, the process comprising: flowing a refrigerant through a set of first microchannels in the heat exchanger; flowing a refrigerant through a set of second microchannels in the heat exchanger, the refrigerant flowing through the set of second microchannels being at a lower temperature, a lower pressure or both a lower temperature and a lower pressure than the refrigerant flowing through the set of first microchannels; and flowing a product through a set of third microchannels in the heat exchanger, the product exiting the set of third microchannels having a cooler temperature than the product entering the set of third microchannels. This process is suitable for liquefying gaseous products including natural gas.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 15, 2002
Date of Patent:
September 23, 2003
Assignee:
Velocys, Inc.
Inventors:
James A. Mathias, Ravi Arora, Wayne W. Simmons, Jeffrey S. McDaniel, Anna Lee Tonkovich, William A. Krause, Laura J. Silva