Reducing Refrigeration and Dehydration Load for a Feed Stream Entering a Cryogenic Distillation Process

A method of sequentially cooling a sour gas feed stream for a cryogenic distillation tower, comprising:

• receiving the sour gas feed stream;
• separating the sour gas feed stream into a water stream and a partially dehydrated feed stream;
• cooling the partially dehydrated feed stream to a first temperature;
• separating the partially dehydrated feed stream into a partially cooled feed stream comprising vapor and a first stream comprising liquid;
• cooling the partially cooled feed stream to a second temperature;
• separating the partially cooled feed stream into a cooled feed stream comprising vapor and a second stream comprising liquid;
• and
• feeding the cooled feed stream to the cryogenic distillation tower.

A cryogenic distillation system, comprising:

• a progressive conditioning section for a sour gas feed stream, comprising:
• a first stage assembly configured to separate the sour gas feed stream into a first stream comprising water and a partially dehydrated feed stream;
• a second stage assembly coupled to the first stage assembly and configured to separate the partially dehydrated feed stream into a progressively dehydrated feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon and a second stream comprising an acid gas, and further configured to cool the progressively dehydrated feed stream to a first temperature;
• and
• a third stage assembly coupled to the second stage assembly and further configured to cool the progressively dehydrated feed stream to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is colder than the first temperature;
• and
• a cryogenic distillation tower comprising a controlled freeze zone, wherein the cryogenic distillation tower is configured to receive the progressively dehydrated feed stream.