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Processes
Physical solvent processes can be very useful for acid gas removal
applications.
R. W. Bucklin and R. L. Schendel, Fluor Engineers Inc., ,3333 Michelson Drive, Irvine, Calif.
Flllor Sepasolv
Process Name Selexol Solvent Furisol MPE Estasolvan
Natural Gas 6 10 1 0
Landfill Gas 3 0 0 0
Selective H 2 S Removal
Synthesis Gas 9 0 1 0
Natural Gas 8 0 1 4
Selective H 2 S Removal regenerator using inert gas and/or heat to strip the lean sol
vent as reqUired. NMP cannot be used for simultaneous
The data indicate that Selexol, NMP and Sepasolv are
gas dehydration if a water wash is used to limit solvent
superior to PC if selective H 2 S removal from gas con
taining carbon dioxide is required. Actual experience loss.
Both PC and Selexol tend to get slushy with water at
confirms this prediction. The authors know of no cases
temperatures below -18C (OF), so process conditions
where propylene carbonate would be recommended for
selective HzS removal. In fact, it is difficult to find sihl,l must be held warmer than the slush temperature.
hons where PC would be recommended if H 2 S is present
in more than trace concentrations. This is so because the
low concentration of H 2 S usually permitted in the treated Effect of Heavy Hydrocarbons
gas (114 grain per 100 SCF for natural gas) means H 2 S re In natural gas treating, loss of heavy hydrocarbons is a
moval is controlling. concern. NMP, Selexol and Sepasolv are miscible with
water, and water may be used to reject these hydrocarbons.
As shown in Figure 1, a slipstream of the circulating sol
Effect of Water in Feed Gas vent from the lean solvent pump may be mixed with the
feed gas and fed through the feed -gas coolclown using
Differences in water handling flexibility can also be im water absorbed from the feed gas to separate a hydrocar
portant. As shown in Table 1, NMP, Selexol and Sepasolv bon liqUid phase and then distilling off the water. Water
have infinite water solubility and are thermally stable at can actually be added to this stream to reduce hydrocarbon
temperatures reqUired to reject water at atmospheric pres solubility further. In this case the size of the slipstream
sure. Slipstreams of these solvents can be processed to might be set by the desired maximum hydrocarbon con
control the water content of the circulating solvent stream. tent of the lean solvent rather than by the maximum water
PC and TBP have limited water solubility and therefore buildup in the lean solvent. The water content of the re
require a clifferent solvent for hydrate control during feed turn solvent slipstream can be controlled by the slipstream
gas chillclown. TBP is thermally stable for water removal regenerator bottoms temperature and pressure conditions.
by atmospheric distillation. PC slowly reacts irreverSibly
with water and carbon dioxide at temperatures around
90C and is therefore unsuitable for water control bv at
Effect of Recycle Compressor
mospheric distillation [12]. ,
The reported deSign water content of the various sol A major energy user in phYSical solvent processes is
vents has a range from one to six percent by weight. At compression for the recycle of flash gas to limit methane
these levels, solvent capacity for CO, and H 2 S is not losses. The relative compression horsepower reqUired to
greatly impaired for any of the solvents. The most recycle these intermediate flash tank gases to the high
Significant penalty of water content is the cost of pumping pressure contactor can be predicted from the solubility of
the extra water. methane in the various solvents as shown in Table 3. The
Physical solvents may be used to simultaneously dehy higher the solubility of the methane, the higher the recycle
drate the gas and meet very lo\v treated gas specifications compressor horsepower for the same amount of methane
for CO 2 and H 2 S. This is accomplished by use of a solvent product in the treated gas.
WATER
WATER
Figure 1. Feed gas cooldown using water absorbed from the feed gas to separate a hydrocarbon phose and then distilling off the water.
*Losses could be termed as recoverv ifit is desirable to either re 10 1.67 0.64 0.82
move hydrocarbons with the carbo'n dioxide in order to reduce 1.0 133 1.0
treated gas heating value or to recover the propane and heavier 1.0 1.76 174 1.89
hydrocarbons from the CO. in downsb'eam processing. 1.0 10 1.0 10
140 September, 1984 Energy Progress (Vol. 4, No.3)
CASE STUDY TABLE 5. MITCHELL PLANT DESIGN
C02 To Inlectlon
ResIdue
G..
Scrubber
120'C
980 psi.
,/ ' \
(nle' Ges I I
- I
Inlet: :
ScrvbberL ~
Residue Gas H2 0
To Pipeline
90'F
890 psi.
1 2 3 4
Stream No. Feed Gas Residue Gas Atmospheric Flash Gas Vacuum Flash Flash
Stream Name Selexol and Fluor Fluor Fluor
Solvent Fluor Solvent Selexol Solvent Selexol Solvent Selexol Solvent
Compo
N, 71.1 71.0 71.0 0.1 0.1
CO, 4,398.3 395.7 407.1 3,490.5 3,325.3 513.0 665.9
H,S 0.2 02 0.2
C, 11,110.2 10,721.4 10,993.6 388.1 115.9 0.7 0.7
Cl 131.1 112.3 123.6 16.5 7.3 2.3 0.2
CJ 34.9 0.5 22.5 30.7 11.0 3.7 1.4
iC. 7.9 02 4.7 64 2.7 l..3 0.5
nC4 12.7 0.4 3.6 10.0 7.1 2.3 2.0
iC5 4.8 0.3 1.0 3.2 2.7 1.3 1.1
nC s 4.8 0.4 La 31 2.6 1.3 1.2
C G* 17.5 2.2 4.7 10.5 8.5 4.8 4.3
H 2O 37.6 0.2 0.6 3.9 2.8 1.7 1.8
TABLE 7. COMPARATIVE REQUIREMENTS OF POWER USERS FOR SELEXOL AND FLUOR SOLVENT AFTER RETROFIT
*Developed from Judd's description of the refrigeration requirements and assumed pump efficiencies of 70%.
vatians might easily outdistance small inherent advan 10. Sweny, John W. "High CO,-High H,S Removal with
tages of one solvent over another. Selexol Solvent," Paper presented at 59th Annual CPA Con
SelexoT has a clear experience advantage over all other vention, Houston, Texas. March 17-19, 1980.
solvents in all:applications involving HzS and CO 2 removal 11. Hochgesand, G. "The Purisol Process for Acid Cas Treat
in hydrocarbon systems. ment," Paper presented at Gas Conditioning Conference,
Norman, Oklahoma. April 1-2, 1969.
Fluor Solvent and Selcxorboth enjoy a clear experience 12. Texaco (Jefferson) Chemical Company, Technical Bulletin
advantage over the other processes in applications for CO z 011 Propylene Carbonate. January, 1960.
removal only. 13. Judd, D. K. "Northern Natural Gas Converts Mitchell Plant to
Selexol," Paper presented at the Cas Conditioning Confer
ence, Norman, Oklahoma. March 6-8, 1978.
LJTERATURE CITED
Removal Process," Oil and Gas Journal, 58, No. 19, May 9,
fl
1960. Robert W. Bucklin has over 30 years' expenence
2. Buckingham, P. A. "Fluor Solvent Plants: How They Are ""' ... '. in gas processing with Fluor. He has played a key
Working," Hydrocarbon Processing & Petroleum Refiner, .
'-
....
~ ., role in conceptual process developments in NGL
recovery by means of both cold-oil adsorption and
April 1964. '. ill' turboexpanders. In the past decade, he has led
3. Kohl, A. L. and Riesenfeld, F. C. "Gas Purification," Third
Edition Gulf Publishing Company, pp. 768-793 (1979). '~ FIHor' s efforts in gas h'eating applications concem
ing the improved Econamine and Fluor Solvent
4. Fluor Corporation-unpublished data. processes.
5. Volkamer, K., Wagner, E. and Schubert, F. "New Develop