Absorber column and process for cleaning crude synthesis gas
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsAlfred Gubrinski, Sandra Jensen, Sharon Corbet
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Abstract
The invention relates to an absorber column and to the use thereof for separation of unwanted, especially acidic, gas constituents, for example carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, from a crude synthesis gas by absorption with an absorbent, especially under low load states of the absorber column in relation to the synthesis gas velocity. According to the invention, a defined concentration of carbon dioxide in the clean synthesis gas is established by mixing at least a portion of the absorbent regenerated by flash regeneration with the absorbent regenerated by means of hot regeneration prior to the recycling thereof into the absorber column.
Claims11
An absorber column for production of a clean synthesis gas by at least partial separation of carbon dioxide and sulfur compound from a crude synthesis gas comprising hydrogen, carbon oxides and sulfur compounds, by absorbing with an absorbent, the absorber column comprising:
- a shell which extends along a longitudinal axis that runs parallel to the vertical and encloses an inner space, wherein the inner space comprises an upper absorption region and a lower absorption region, each of which contains at least one mass transfer zone, wherein the mass transfer zones of the upper absorption region serve predominantly for removal of carbon dioxide and wherein the mass transfer zones of the lower absorption region serve predominantly for removal of sulfur compounds,
- an inlet disposed below the lowermost mass transfer zone of the lower absorption region for the crude synthesis gas,
- a clean synthesis gas outlet disposed at the top end of the shell for the clean synthesis gas,
- a first outlet disposed at the lower end of the upper absorption region for a first fraction of the laden absorbent laden with carbon dioxide,
- a first regeneration apparatus for the regeneration of the first fraction of the laden absorbent by expansion,
- a second outlet disposed at the bottom end of the shell for a second fraction of the laden absorbent laden with sulfur compounds,
- a second regeneration apparatus for the regeneration of the second fraction of the laden absorbent by heating,
- a first absorbent inlet disposed above the uppermost mass transfer zone of the upper absorption region for the absorbent regenerated by heating, which is in fluid connection with the second regeneration apparatus via a first feed conduit,
- a second absorbent inlet disposed below the first absorbent inlet and within the upper absorption region for the absorbent regenerated by expansion, which is in fluid connection with the first regeneration apparatus via a second feed conduit, and
- a connecting conduit between the first feed conduit and the second feed conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.