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Natural Gas Dehydration
Natural Gas Dehydration
= 590Mbtu/hr
To allow for start-up heat loads, increase heat duty by10% and then select a standard off-the-shelf
fire tube (Stewart & Arnold, 2011).Thus, select a 750 MMBtu/hr
International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET)
Volume 2 Issue 7 pp 440-444 October 2013 www.ijsret.org ISSN 2278 0882
IJSRET @ 2013
3. Design of still column:
Use 12-foot still column (standard packed arrangement), dM= 125 micron, T= 300F= 760R, P=
1 psig
=
10 11 60
24
=0.16 MMSCFD, Z=1.0
= 2.7
.
.
= 0.035 lb/ft
3
l
= 62.4 lb/ft
3
, CD=14.2 (given)
= 5040
760 1.0 0.16
16
0.035 14.2
(62.4 0.035) 125
.
=17.5 inches, Use 18 inch OD x 12 feet long still (Stewart & Arnold, 2011).
4. Calculate duties of heat exchangers
Rich TEG from contactor: T= 100F (given), Rich TEG to separator: T=200F (assume for good
design), Rich TEG from reflux: T= 110F (assume 10F increase in reflux coil), Rich TEG to
still: T= 300F (assume for good design), Lean TEG from reboiler: T= 385F, Lean TEG to
pumps (max): T= 210F (from manufacturer) (Stewart & Arnold, 2011). Lean TEG to contactor:
T= 110F (10F above contactor temperature)
5. Glycol/glycol preheater (rich side, duty):
Rich TEG:T1=110F (assume 10F increase in reflux coil), T2= 200F
=
70
7.48
(0.985)
=9.22 lb TEG=gal of lean glycol
=
70
7.48
(0.015)
=0.140 lb H
2
O=gal of lean glycol
Rich glycol composition:W
TEG
=9.22 lb TEG/gal of lean glycol
=
0.140
+
1
3.0
=0.473 lb H
2
O=gal of lean glycol
Wt:Concentration TEG= 9.22 /(9.22+0.473) =95.1%
6. Glycol/glycol exchanger:
RichT
1
= 200, T
2
= 300, LeanT
3
= 390, T4=?
Rich glycol heat duty: CP (95.1% TEG) = 0.63 at 200 F (from physical properties of TEG) = 0.70
at 300 F, CP, AGV= 0.67 Btu/hrF
=
6630
0.67
(300 200)
= 444 MBtu/hr,Lean glycol flow rate (Wlean):
=
.
.
=6401 lb/hr
Calculation of T4, AssumeT=250F, TAVG= (353 250)/2= 302F
CP,AGV= (98.5% TEG) = 0.67 Btu/lbF (from physical properties of TEG)
Qlean = WleanCp(T4T3), Qlean = - qrich
=
= 249
,
.
=157F(this is less than the maximum allowed to the pumps)
International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET)
Volume 2 Issue 7 pp 440-444 October 2013 www.ijsret.org ISSN 2278 0882
IJSRET @ 2013
T2=110F, C
P
(98.5% TEG) = 0.57 at 157F (from physical properties of TEG)= 0.53 at 110F
CP,AGV= 0.55 Btu/lbF, q
lean
= (6401) (0.55) (110 - 1 57) = -165 MBtu/hr
Glycol/glycol exchanger:
RichT1= 200F, T0= 300F, LeanT2= 353F,T
0
= 249F, Duty q= 444 MBtu/hr
III. Results and discussion
The process design procedure is focused on the most critical & important parts of the glycol
dehydration process for example, glycol contactor tower diameter, heat exchanger duties and
TEG circulation rate. Indeed, glycol circulation rate is the most important factor for glycol
dehydration design. Many scholars &researchers indicated that the TEG circulation rate is
contributed in drying process efficiency. The glycolcirculation rate is calculated by engineering
mathematical equations and its equal to 11.4 gpm. This value is able to reduce the water vapor in
gas stream to less than 7 lb/MMSCF. Glycol contactor tower diameter is also calculated by
adopting engineering mathematical equations and its equal to 68.2 in or 1.7 m. This value is
definitely comfortable with engineering design considerations and standards. The lean/rich TEG
heat exchanger is also design and the design procedure found out almost operation values for
instance, RichT
1
= 200F.
IV. Conclusion
This study is attempted to show & describe the optimal design procedure for natural gas
dehydration by using chemical absorption. The studyis achieved process design calculations for
several process parametersfor instance, glycol contactor tower diameter,TEG circulation rate &
heat exchanger duties. It seems that from above theoretical calculations, the using of chemical
absorption method to dehydrate wet natural gas is quite suitable by adopting the engineering
procedure design to calculate & estimate the most important process factors and values.
Moreover, it seems that from the literature review section, the gas dehydration by using chemical
absorption is the most successful & economical method over other methods.
References
1- Guo, B.(2011)Petroleum Production Engineering, a Computer-Assisted Approach. Tulsa:
Gulf Professional Publishing.
2- M. Stewart, and K. Arnold, Gas Sweetening and Processing Field Manual. Houston: Gulf
Professional Publishing, 2011, pp.5152.
3- M. Stewart, and K. Arnold, Gas dehydration Field Manual. Houston: Gulf Professional
Publishing, 2011, pp. 4077.
4- K. Abdel-Aal, Petroleum and Gas Field Processing. New York: CRC Press, 2003, pp.
90110.
5- R. Thompson, Oilfield processing of petroleum. Tulsa: Penn WellBooks, 1991, pp. 51-
57.
6- J. Carroll, Natural Gas Hydrates. Oxford: Gulf Professional Publishing, 2009, pp. 32-33.