100 deg F dew point depressions with glycol dehydration By CHARLES R. PERRY + Sivalis Tanks, Ine. Reprinted From Gos—December, 1961An 85-deg F dew point depression lycol dehydration unit in west Texas. 100 deg F dew point depressions with glycol dehydration by CHARLES R. PERRY. + Sills Tons, Ie 1OR many years glycols have been used for remov- ing water vapor from natural gas in both well- hnead- and plant-size absorption-type dehydrators. How- ever, they were limited to applications where dew point depressions of less than 75 deg F were required ‘and to outlet water contents of 5 to 7 Ib per MMcf. Gas process engineers reslized some time ago that igher dew point depressions would be obtainable if the glyeol could be reconcentrated to a higher purity. On some plant-size units, the regeneration facilities were equipped with either vacuum pumps or ejectors to hold a vacuum on the reboiler and stripping still to remove more water from the dry glycol. This proved to be quite satisfactory for large, fully attended uni but was not practical for the thousands of wellhead dehydrators which operate unattended. ‘About three years ago, several manufacturers started building and guaranteeing wellnead giyeol- type dehydration units for dew point depressions up to—and sometimes in excess of—100 deg F. These units were discussed briefly in various technical meet- ings in 1959, and process design data was published in 1960. Although specific details on their design have not been published, it is almost certain that all manufacturers ave obtaining the necessary dryer glycol, by gas stripping the rieh glycol in the regeneration step of the process. HOW IT IS DONE Ina typieal conventional glycol-type dehydrator, dry triethylene glycol—reconcentrated to between 98 and 99 per cent purity by weight—is pumped into the top of a vertical absorber column. There, it drains by gravity down through some type of contacting element —elther trays or packing—and is contacted counter- currently with the gas stream being dried. The glycol, being highly hydroseopic, will absorb all but a few ‘parts per million of the water vapor in the gas. ‘The wet glyeol in the base of the column is dumped through: some suitable level-eontrol device, a heat ex- change-surge tank (countercurrent to the regenerated glycol), a filter, and then into a short still column, usually mounted on a reboiler kettle. Air cooling fins at the top of this column provide sufficient cooling for adequate reflux. The rich glycol then drains into the reboiler Kettle, where the temperature is raised to 350 to 400 dex F. That boiling point, curves indicate, will provide dry triethylene glycol concentrations of 98 to 09 per cont. The lean glycol then drains bywaver cas ‘wet GtxCOL ORY Gas | oY Sh eee racy { pcessme oncane 12 contactor \ / gist scence “paces (on co) Le reessune caver A flow diagram of a typical glycol dehydrator designe! for high dew point depression ‘The excess gas passed by the Kimray glycol-powered glycol pump is used as stripping gas. gravity into a urge tank, is cooled, and recirculated to the absorber. In a unit designed for high dew point depressions by gas stripping glycol, virtually the same equipment is employed. There are two exceptions: (1) A small amount of gas is injected continuously into the r boiler to strip more water vapor out of the glyeol. (2) More contacting element is employed in the ab- sorber column to reduce the overall glycol circulation rate required. ‘The way in which the stripping gas is injected is the key to gas stripping glyeol. Many different techniques apparently are used by various manufacturers, and all appear to be reasonably successful. Although exact de- tails on gas stripping have not been disclosed by any ‘manufacturer, stripping gas rates of 3 to 10 cu ft of gas per gallon circulated will provide dry triethylene glycol concentration of between 99.5 and 99.8 per cent with proper design. Stripping gas may be supplied from any convenient source, such as the fuel gas sys- tem, or excess gas passed by a glycol-powered glycol pump. For high dew point doprossion glycol dehydrators, absorber columns containing eight or more trays are frequently seen. This abnormally high number of trays allows the units to be design-based on as low as 2 to 3 gal. of glycol circulated per pound of water in the incoming gas. HOW THEY PERFORM After three years of field operation, large amounts of performance data have been collected to indicate the practicality of high dew point depressions with slycol dehydration. Typical data, from 10 units of various sizes and operating under a wide range of conditions, are shown in the accompanying table. ‘These units were all design-based on dry glycol con- centrations of 99.5 per cent triethylene (3 to 5 eu ft af stripping gas per gal.), and the absorbers contained 1 to 1.5 theoretical trays, Data from the table have been plotted in Graph 1 as “Outlet Dew Point” versus “Contact Temperature,” ‘This shows good correlation, and indicates that an in- crease in dew point depression is obtainable with an inerease in contaet temperature. The chart, then, fur-bAdaTd\G LD PERFORMANCE OF GLYCOL DEHYDRATORS LS ae Ue Unit Contact [Outlet Dew | Outlet Water ] Dew Point ing, | GiyeolRate, | Operating | Giycol Rate\| Wo. | Temp.°F, | Point, °F. | Content | Depression, °F. | MMCFO GPH | Pressure, PSI | Gals./Ih. ths. /MMCE Water 1 0 +2 28 68 37 8 770 60 2 8 ie 24 70 32 24 835 67 3 64 -4 18 69 19 7 835, 66 4 80 -7 18 87 19 u 815 4a 5 a 0 25 9 22 4 815 67 6 80 +1 26 79 16 B 815 105 7 82 +4 28 2B 36 36 825 57 8 1 0 38 70 — 2 400 — 9 7 +10 31 107 84 nR 960 38 9 114 +6 25 108 99 n 965 28 9 108 +12 35 97 99 ar 960 30 10 94 +4 33 90 93 50 1020 26 9 96 +6 36 90 52 63 1000 56 9 108 +15 49 93 125 na 930 20 9 108 +12 46 96 125 nR 930 20 9 109 +13 47 96 124 9 | 930 24 9 109 +L 45 98 124 m4 930 20 ther eonfirms previously published data.* Data from the table also were plotted in Graph 2 as the “Outlet Gas Wator Content” versus “Contact, Temperature.” While this correlation is not as good as that in Graph 1 it stil indicates the increase in outlet gas water content with increasing contact temperature. ‘These data were chosen as typical for average uni- form design conditions. Experience has indicated that these dew point depressions may sometimes be im- proved either by more glycol circulation or more con- tacting element in the absorber. All could he increased by the use of more stripping gas in the stripping mill CONCLUSIONS Dew point depressions of up to 100 deg F or more are not only possible, but are quite practical with glycol-type dehydrators. These unita are subject to a few practical limitations: 1. In general, it is not praetical to design a unit for lower than 0 dex outlet dew points. This means that 100 deg: F dew points are practical only when the eon- tact temperature is above 100 deg F. 2, It is difficult to consistently provide outlet water contents in gas of less than 2 to 3 Ib per MMef, ‘This may be because the concentration of water molecules in the gas at the 2-to-8-tb-per-MMef level is s0 low that the mathematical probability of a molecule of water contacting the glyeol is virtually nil, no matter how dry the glyeol. 8. If vacuum regeneration is not employed, a stall amount of stripping gas is required to provide the necessary extra dry glycol for high dew point depres- sion. Also, more contacting element in the absorber, or a higher glycol circulation rate may be required. WEES Rec BRO TE LOE EAL Gi "poldermen, 1, B « one baeat Byatt Bi Bi ube Dew pte Natural i BE a Te ooo EERE PTH Graph 1. Effect of contact temperature on outlet gas dew point. Graph 2. Effect of contact pressure on outlet gae water content.