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US 2017/0051970 A1Published application
Ethane recovery and ethane rejection methods and configurations
AssigneeFluor Technologies Corporation
InventorJohn Mak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Contemplated plants for flexible ethane recovery and rejection by allowing to switch the top reflux to the demethanizer from residue gas to the deethanizer overhead product and by controlling the flow ratio of feed gas to two different feed gas exchangers. Moreover, the pressure of the demethanizer is adjusted relative to the deethanizer pressure for control of the ethane recovery and rejection.
Claims13
A method of changing ethane recovery to ethane rejection operation in an NGL plant, comprising:
- changing a top reflux of a demethanizer from a demethanizer overhead product to a deethanizer overhead product for ethane rejection;
- reducing demethanizer pressure to a pressure that is lower than a deethanizer pressure for ethane rejection;
- and
- wherein the demethanizer receives a second reflux below the top reflux, and wherein the second reflux is a portion of a feed gas, and wherein the portion of the feed gas is subcooled by the demethanizer overhead product.
1 more element
A method of changing ethane recovery to ethane rejection operation in an Neil, plant, comprising:
- providing a demethanizer that receives a top reflux and a second reflux below the top reflux, wherein the demethanizer is fluidly coupled to a deethanizer;
- cooling one portion of a feed gas in a feed gas heat exchanger using a demethanizer overhead product to so produce the second reflux, cooling another portion of the feed gas in a demethanizer side reboiler heat exchanger to so produce a demethanizer feed stream;
- changing the top reflux of the demethanizer from the demethanizer overhead product to a deethanizer overhead product for ethane rejection;
- and
- increasing flow of the one portion relative to flow of the another portion for ethane rejection.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.