Novel Method for Gas

Separation

By: Chris Wilson

For: Senior Capstone 2008
 Overview
Current process
New process
Economic comparison
Natural Gas Processing
The Way it is Done
Current process
Remove excess water
Remove acid gas
Dehydrate
Remove mercury
Remove nitrogen
Separate NGL (ethane, and heavier hydrocarbons)
Natural Gas Processing
Everything Together
Water removal
Removes free liquid
water and condensate gas

Sends the gas to a

refinery

The water goes to waste

Natural Gas Processing
Everything Together
Natural Gas Processing
Acid Gas Removal
Hydrogen sulfide
Mercaptans
Carbon dioxide

Acid gas removal processes

Amine treating
Benfield process
Sulfinol process
others
Natural Gas Processing
Amine Treatment
Most common used amines
Monoethanolamine
Diethanolamine
Diisopropylyamine
Methylethanolamine

Hydrogen sulfide goes

through a Claus process
Natural Gas Processing
Amine Treating
Natural Gas Processing
Sulfinol Process
Used to reduce H2S, CO2,
and mercaptans from gases

Great for treating large

quantities of gas

Solvent absorbs the sour gas

Sulfolane is used
Natural Gas Processing
Sulfinol Process
Natural Gas Processing
Everything Together
Natural Gas Processing
Glycol Dehydration
Method for removing the water vapor from the gas

Usable glycols
Triethylene glycol
most commonly used
Diethylene glycol
Ethylene glycol
Tetraethylene glycol

Works by having the glycol adsorb the water

Natural Gas Processing
Glycol Dehydration
Pressure Swing Adsorption
Adsorbent material is
used
Gas and material go
under high pressure
Material adsorbs the gas
( H2S, mercaptans, CO2)

Disadvantages
Requires high pressures
Slow cycle times
Natural Gas Processing
Mercury removal
Current Processes
Activated carbon through chemisorption. Activated
has extremely high surface area

Mercury can damages aluminum heat exchangers

Those used in cryogenic processing plants
Those use in liquefaction plants
Natural Gas Processing
Nitrogen Rejection
Processes that can reject
nitrogen
Cryogenic process
Absorption process (using
lean oil or solvent)
Membrane separation
Adsorption process
(activated carbon)
Natural Gas Processing
Cryogenic Process
Common refrigerants used

Most common method for removal of impurities such

as nitrogen

Disadvantages
Must reach extremely low temperatures
Only useful for large scale production
Natural Gas Processing
Lean Oil Removal

Lean oil is fed countercurrent with the wet gas

Temperature and pressure are set to allow for the

greatest absorption of unwanted gases
Natural Gas Processing
Membranes
Driving force
Partial pressure

Type of material determine

permeability

P1

P D k P2
D = diffusion coefficient (cm2/s)
P1 = Permeability of component 1
k = Henrys law sorption
coefficient (cm3/cm3cmHg) P2 = Permeability of component 2
Natural Gas Processing
Economics
Demethanizer
Demethanizer
The next step is to recover
the NGLs

Process
Cryogenics using a turbo-
expander can be used
This is the most common
Lean oil adsorption can be
used here
Natural Gas Processing
Cryogenic Process
NGL recovery
NGL recovery
Now the rest of the
liquid is fed to three
units
Deethanizer
Debutanizer
Depropanizer

Process
Each sent to a
distillation column
Sweetening NGLs
Merox Processes
Mercaptan oxidation

Removes mercaptans from

Propane
Butane
Larger hydrocarbons
Natural Gas Processing
Another Process
Novel Method
Technical information
momentarily not available due
to IP issues

However economics will be

compared
Novel Method
Advantage
More cost effective than any previous methods
Less environmental impacts than previous methods
Separates all contaminants
Separates each component
Everything is done using one process
Novel Method
Current Method
Economics - Amine Treating
Amine Treating - Simulation
Economics - Demethanizer
Demthanizer - Simulation
Economics - Dethanizer
Deethanizer - Simulation
Economics
Built in Error