RECYCLE GAS ABSORBER

DEA (diethanolamine) absorption is used to remove H2S from the

recycled gas in recycle gas absorber V-04. H2S gas is absorbed by the
DEA solution because of the chemical reaction of DEA with H2S. Typical
properties of DEA are shown in Table 8-19.
The amount of H2S that can react depends on the operating conditions.
The low temperature, high pressure, and high H2S concentration in the
H2S absorber favor the reaction. In the DEA regeneration facilities, high
temperature and low pressure are used to reverse the reaction and strip
H2S from the DEA solution.
About 90% of the H2S formed by the desulfurization reactions is
removed from the recycled gas in a high-pressure absorber by scrubbing
the gas with aqueous diethanolamine solution. The absorber is a vertical
vessel packed with stainless steel ballast rings. Recycled gas flows
through a support plate and upward through the packing. A lean DEA
solution from the DEA regenerator enters the top of the absorber through
an inlet distributor and flows downward through the packing. Rich DEA
from the bottom of the absorber is sent to the H2S recovery unit.

RECYCLE GAS COMPRESSOR

Recycled gas is circulated by recycle gas compressor C-Ol, driven by

a steam turbine. The largest portion of the recycled gas stream joins the
oil feed stream upstream of feed effluent exchangers. A portion of the gas
stream from the recycling compressor flows on temperature control to
interbed quenching.

DISTILLATION SECTION

The purpose of distillation section (see Figure 3-4) is to remove H2S

and light ends from the first-stage reactor effluent and fractionate the
remaining effluent into naphtha, kerosene, and diesel cuts. The bottom
stream is either fed to the second stage of the hydrocracker, recycled to
extinction with the fresh feed, or withdrawn as product.
Hydrocarbon liquid flows to H2S stripper V-Il from stripper preflash
drum V-IO. The preflash drum removes some of the light ends and H2S
from the low-pressure separator oil before it is stripped and fractionated.
The stripper column contains packed sections below the feed plate and
two sieve trays above the feed inlet. Stripping is achieved with steam,