Patent ID: 9562718
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: F25J,F28D,F28F

Claim:
1. A process for liquefying a first tube side stream in a main heat exchanger having a warm end and a cold end, the main heat exchanger comprising a wall defining a shell side within which is arranged a coil-wound tube bundle, the process comprising: a) introducing a first mass flow of said first tube side stream in gaseous form to a warm end of a first subset of individual tubes of said tube bundle, said first subset of individual tubes being evenly distributed radially across said tube bundle; b) separate from said first mass flow, introducing a second mass flow of said first tube side stream in gaseous form to a warm end of a second subset of individual tubes of said tube bundle, said second subset of individual tubes being evenly distributed radially across said tube bundle; c) evaporating a refrigerant stream on the shell side to provide cooling to said first mass flow and said second mass flow whereby said first tube side stream becomes a liquid; d) measuring an exit temperature of said first mass flow removed as a liquid from a cold end of said first subset of individual tubes; e) measuring an exit temperature of said second mass flow removed as a liquid from a cold end of said second subset of individual tubes; and f) comparing the exit temperature of said first mass flow measured in step d) to the exit temperature of said second mass flow measured in step e), and adjusting at least one of the first and second mass flows to equalize the exit temperature of said first mass flow with the exit temperature of said second mass flow.