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US 12,685,962 B2Granted
Gas dehydrator and method of using same
AssigneeCameron International Corporation
InventorsGary W. Sams, Luis Eduardo Caires-Fernandez, Glen Andrew Hay, Meng Shi, Robert Douglass
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods presented herein generally relate to recycling, or reducing flaring or venting, of vent gases from glycol based dehydration of natural gas. Some systems and methods use high pressure gas, high pressure glycol, or pump-assisted high pressure glycol to provide motive energy to draw reflux gas and/or skimmer gas through one or more venturis and back to the contact tower of the dehydration system. Some systems and methods provide for harvesting energy from the dehydration process.
Claims17
A system, comprising:
- a contact tower having an inlet;
- a reflux column configured to receive a rich glycol stream from the contact tower, wherein the reflux column is configured to generate a reflux gas stream;
- a flash separator configured to receive at least a portion of the reflux gas stream, wherein the flash separator is configured to generate a flash gas stream, and at least a portion of the flash gas stream is diverted back to the inlet of the contact tower;
- a first venturi pump configured to compress the reflux gas stream from near atmospheric pressure to a pressure at or near a pressure of the flash separator;
- and
- a second venturi pump configured to compress the reflux gas stream and the flash gas stream to a pressure at or near a pressure of the contact tower, wherein the first venturi pump comprising a first venturi and the second venturi pump comprising a second venturi, wherein in use, at least one of the reflux gas stream or the flash gas stream is drawn through one or more venturis comprising the first venturi and/or the second venturi to the contact tower.
3 more elements
A glycol based dehydration system, comprising
- a contact tower, wherein in use, wet gas enters the contact tower and is dehydrated by glycol flowing through the contact tower, and a water-rich glycol stream exits the contact tower;
- a reflux column configured to filter and heat the water-rich glycol stream, wherein the reflux column is configured to generate a reflux gas stream from the water-rich glycol stream;
- a flash separator configured to receive at least a portion of the reflux gas stream from the reflux column, wherein the flash separator is configured to generate a flash gas stream;
- a high pressure venturi pump comprising a first venturi of one or more venturis;
- and
- a low pressure venturi pump comprising a second venturi of the one or more venturis wherein in use, at least one of the reflux gas stream or the flash gas stream is drawn through the one or more venturis to the contact tower, wherein the low pressure venturi pump is configured to compress the reflux gas stream from near atmospheric pressure to a pressure at or near a pressure of the flash separator, and the high pressure venturi pump is configured to compress the reflux gas stream and the flash gas stream to a pressure at or near a pressure of the contact tower.
3 more elements
A method for glycol based dehydration, comprising:
- dehydrating a wet gas in a contact tower via a glycol flowing through the contact tower, and outputting a water-rich glycol stream from the contact tower;
- filtering and heating the water-rich glycol stream via a reflux column, and generating a reflux gas stream from the water-rich glycol stream via the reflux column;
- receiving at least a portion of the reflux gas stream from the reflux column via a flash separator, and generating a flash gas stream via the flash separator;
- drawing in at least one of the reflux gas stream or the flash gas stream through one or more venturis to the contact tower, wherein the one or more venturis comprise a first venturi of a first venturi pump and a second venturi of a second venturi pump;
- compressing, via the second venturi pump, the reflux gas stream from near atmospheric pressure to a pressure at or near a pressure of the flash separator;
- and
- compressing, via the first venturi pump, the reflux gas stream and the flash gas stream to a pressure at or near a pressure of the contact tower.
4 more elements
A glycol based dehydration system, comprising:
- a contact tower, wherein in use, wet gas enters the contact tower and is dehydrated by glycol flowing through the contact tower, and a water-rich glycol stream exits the contact tower;
- a reflux column configured to filter and heat the water-rich glycol stream, wherein the reflux column is configured to generate a reflux gas stream from the water-rich glycol stream;
- a flash separator configured to receive at least a portion of the reflux gas stream from the reflux column, wherein the flash separator is configured to generate a flash gas stream;
- a first venturi pump comprising a first venturi of one or more venturis and a second venturi pump comprising a second venturi of the one or more venturis, wherein in use, at least one of the reflux gas stream or the flash gas stream is drawn through the one or more venturis to the contact tower, wherein the second venturi pump is configured to compress the reflux gas stream from near atmospheric pressure to a pressure at or near a pressure of the flash separator, and the first venturi pump is configured to compress the reflux gas stream and the flash gas stream to a pressure at or near a pressure of the contact tower;
- and
- system controls configured to improve gas recovery, achieve steady state operation, and/or avoid undesirable operating modes.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.