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US 12,533,615 B2Granted
Methods and systems for reducing contaminants in a feed stream
AssigneeMarathon Petroleum Company LP
InventorsNhien Duong, Montri Vichailak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for methods and systems for reducing contaminants in a feed stream are disclosed. Prior to reaching or upstream from one or more compressors, solid foulant is filtered from a feed stream. The compressor may further filter the feed stream. By reducing the solid foulant entering the one or more compressors, performance and life span of the one or more compressors also can be increased.
Claims22
A method for reducing contaminants in a hydrocarbon based fluid stream in a transportation fuel refinery, the method comprising:
- feeding the hydrocarbon based fluid stream into a first Knockout drum positioned in the transportation fuel refinery, the hydrocarbon based fluid stream including foulant;
- separating the hydrocarbon based fluid stream into a gas and a liquid in the first Knockout drum;
- passing the gas through one or more filters including a plurality of pores of one or more reticulated particle traps positioned within the first Knockout drum to entrap the foulant in the one or more filters when the gas passes therethrough;
- and
- expelling the gas from the first Knockout drum to form a filtered hydrocarbon based gas stream;
- directing the filtered hydrocarbon based gas stream to a compressor for compression, the filtered hydrocarbon based fluid stream including reduced foulant to extend the compressor's maintenance time;
- monitoring a pressure of the gas expelled from the first Knockout drum;
- and
- maintaining a second Knockout drum as a backup to the first Knockout drum while the pressure of the gas expelled from the first Knockout drum is within a selected threshold, wherein a third Knockout drum is positioned downstream of the first Knockout drum and upstream of the compressor;
- and
- separating residual liquid from the filtered hydrocarbon based gas stream by use of the third Knockout drum prior to directing the filtered hydrocarbon based fluid stream to the compressor.
8 more elements
A method for reducing contaminants in a hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream in a transportation fuel refinery to extend a compressor's maintenance time, the method comprising:
- directing the hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream to flow into a first Knockout drum, the first Knockout drum being a two-phase separator;
- separating at least a portion of entrained liquid from gas in the hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream;
- passing the gas through a plurality of pores of one or more reticulated particle traps to entrap at least a portion of solid foulant as the gas passes therethrough;
- expelling the gas from the first Knockout drum to form a filtered hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream;
- directing the filtered hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream to the compressor for compression, the filtered hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream including reduced contaminants to extend the compressor's maintenance time;
- monitoring a pressure of the gas expelled from the first Knockout drum;
- and
- maintaining a second Knockout drum as a backup to the first Knockout drum while the pressure of the gas expelled from the first Knockout drum is within a selected threshold, wherein a third Knockout drum is positioned downstream of the first Knockout drum and upstream of the compressor;
- and
- separating residual liquid from the filtered hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream by use of the third Knockout drum prior to directing the filtered hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream to the compressor.
7 more elements
A foulant reducing system to reduce foulants in a hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream in a transportation fuel refinery prior to compression via a compressor to extend a maintenance time of the compressor, the system comprising:
- the compressor;
- a first pipeline;
- a second pipeline;
- a first Knockout drum connected to the first pipeline and the second pipeline, and including one or more reticulated particle traps;
- a third pipeline connected to the second pipeline;
- a second Knockout drum connected to the first pipeline and the third pipeline;
- a third Knockout drum connected to the second pipeline, wherein the compressor is connected to the third Knockout drum;
- one or more sensors configured to monitor a pressure of the system and to transmit the pressure as data;
- and
- a controller configured to receive data from the one or more sensors, the controller configured to:
- direct the gas stream to flow into the first Knockout drum, the first Knockout drum being a two-phase separator configured for separating at least a portion of entrained liquid from gas in the gas stream by passing the gas stream through a plurality of pores of the one or more reticulated particle traps in the first Knockout drum to entrap at least a portion of solid foulant as the gas passes therethrough to form a filtered gas stream that is expelled from the first Knockout drum to the third knockout drum;
- direct the filtered gas stream from the third knockout drum to the compressor for compression, the filtered gas stream including reduced contaminants to extend the compressor's maintenance time;
- monitor a pressure of the gas expelled from the first Knockout drum;
- and
- maintain the second Knockout drum as a backup to the first Knockout drum while the pressure of the gas expelled from the first Knockout drum is within a selected threshold, wherein the third Knockout drum is positioned downstream of the first Knockout drum and upstream of the compressor;
- and
- wherein the third Knockout drum is configured for separating residual liquid from the filtered gas stream.
14 more elements
A system to reduce foulants in a hydrogen or hydrocarbon based gas stream in a transportation fuel refinery prior to compression via a compressor to extend a maintenance time of the compressor, the system comprising:
- the compressor;
- a first Knockout drum comprising one or more reticulated particle traps within the first Knockout drum, wherein the first Knockout drum is a two-phase separator;
- a second Knockout drum;
- a third Knockout drum positioned downstream of the first Knockout drum and upstream of the compressor;
- a flow control device;
- a controller;
- and
- a first pressure sensor positioned within, on or proximate to the first Knockout drum and configured to measure pressure within the first Knockout drum;
- wherein the controller is configured to monitor the pressure within the first knockout drum via the first pressure sensor, and while the pressure within the first Knockout drum is below a selected threshold, control the flow control device such that the gas stream flows through the first Knockout drum, into the third Knockout drum and into the compressor, with the second Knockout drum being maintained as a backup to the first Knockout drum,
- wherein the one or more reticulated particle traps within the first Knockout drum is configured to separate at least a portion of entrained liquid and foulants from the gas stream as the gas stream passes through a plurality of pores of the one or more reticulated particle traps.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.