Method for determining saturation of carbon filters in a gas treatment process

In a method for treating a hydrocarbon gas stream by (a) removing acid gases from said gas stream by contacting said stream with a solvent;

• (b) regenerating said solvent by removing said acid gases from said solvent to form regenerated solvent;
• (c) passing at least a portion of said regenerated solvent through a carbon filter to remove hydrocarbons from said solvent and form regenerated, filtered solvent;
• and (d) recycling said regenerated, filtered solvent for use in removing said acid gases from said hydrocarbon stream;
• the improvement comprising:
• a method for determining the efficiency of said carbon filter for absorbing said hydrocarbons from said regenerated solvent;
• said method comprising:
• taking a sample of said regenerated, filtered solvent after it has passed through said carbon filter;
• passing said sample through a gas chromatograph to measure the relative area counts of both said hydrocarbons and said solvent in said regenerated, filtered, solvent;
• and
• converting said relative area counts measured by said gas chromatograph into respective amounts of said hydrocarbons and solvent by using predetermined, respective reference values for said hydrocarbons and said solvent thereby determining the total amount of hydrocarbons in said regenerated, filtered solvent after said solvent has passed through said carbon filter and hence determining the efficiency of said filter to absorb said hydrocarbons at the time said sample was taken.

A method for determining the absorption efficiency of a carbon filter in removing hydrocarbons from a solvent;

• said method comprising:
• taking a sample of said solvent after it has passed through said carbon filter to form a filtered solvent;
• passing said sample through a gas chromatograph to measure the relative area counts of both the hydrocarbons and the solvent in said filtered solvent;
• and
• converting said relative area counts measured by said gas chromatograph into respective amounts of said hydrocarbons and solvent by using predetermined, respective reference values for said hydrocarbons and said solvent thereby determining the total amount of hydrocarbons in said regenerated solvent after said solvent has passed through said carbon filter and hence determining the efficiency of said filter to absorb said hydrocarbons at the time said sample was taken.