Gas/liquid separation in a hydrocarbon conversion process
AssigneeInstitut Francais du Petrole
InventorsChristophe Boyer, Abdelhakim Koudil, Thiéry Gauthier
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Abstract
A gas/liquid(s) separation system is constituted by three different sections: a primary separator (1) for flows with a G/L in the range 0.1 to 10; a secondary separator (2) for flows with a G/L in the range 10 to 50; a system (3) which limits the formation of a liquid vortex; where G/L is the ratio of the gas to liquid mass flow rates. The separation system is suitable for the separation of gas and liquid from a hydrocarbon conversion process, e.g. a hydrotreatment process.
Claims15
A process for separating a mixture of liquid(s) and gas, said mixture originating from a hydrocarbon conversion zone, said process comprising:
- performing separation in a separation zone comprising three successive sections;
- wherein the first section, the primary section, functions for flows with a ratio of gas to liquid mass flow rates, G/L, in the range of 0.1 to 10;
- the second section, the secondary section, functions for flows with a ratio of gas to liquid mass flow rates, G/L, in the range of 10 to 50;
- and the third section acts to limit the formation of a liquid vortex.
A process for separating a mixture of liquid(s) and gas originating from a hydrocarbon conversion zone in a vertical cylindrical vessel comprising an inlet nozzle, a liquid outlet at a bottom part of the vertical cylindrical vessel and a vertically disposed cyclone having an inlet and bottom and top outlets, said process comprising a first zone wherein the mixture has a ratio of gas to liquid mass flow rate (G/L) in the range of about 0.1 to 10, passing the mixture into the vessel and out of the inlet nozzle so as to create within the vessel a tangential flow, thereby separating a first liquid flow from the mixture to form a pool of liquid in the bottom portion of the vessel;
- in a second zone, passing residual mixtures having a G/L in the range of about 10 to 50 into said cyclone so as to remove liquid depleted gas from the vessel and to separate further liquid from said bottom cyclone outlet at a rate of flow combined with said first liquid flow to provide a liquid level such that the bottom cyclone outlet is immersed in the pool of liquid;
- and a third zone comprising passing liquid at the bottom part of the vessel over obstructions so as to impede tangential flow and limit the formation of a liquid vortex.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.