Acid gas removal
AssigneeStatoil ASA
InventorsHarald Linga, Inge Sverre Lund Nilsen, Finn Patrick Nilsen, Trond Olav Høyland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The use of turbulent contactors to simultaneously absorb selected acid gas components from a gas stream and flash off hydrocarbons entrained in a liquid stream which include a solvent or reagent for the selected gas component. In particular, the method comprises feeding the gas stream and liquid stream into a first contactor where they are contacted co-currently and subjected to turbulent mixing conditions, and passing the multi-phase flow from the first contactor to a second contactor. The multi-phase flow from the second contactor is subsequently separated into a gas phase and a liquid phase.
Claims15
A method for simultaneously absorbing selected acid gas components from a gas stream and flashing off hydrocarbons entrained in a liquid steam including a solvent or reagent for the selected gas component, in which:
- the gas stream and liquid steam are fed into a first contactor where they are contacted co-currently and subjected to turbulent mixing conditions;
- the multi-phase flow from the first contactor is passed to a second contactor comprising a housing adapted to be inserted into a pipe and to have a fluid flow pass therethrough, said housing comprising an inlet and an outlet opening respectively, the housing being provided with at least one interior moveable sealingly mounted regulating element partially enclosing a central chamber, to provide first wall portions associated with an upstream side of said housing, and second wall portions associated with a downstream side of said housing, said wall portions being provided with a number of through-going flow channels, each having a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than the flow cross-section of the inlet and outlet openings respectively, and in which the regulating element is adapted to be moveable in relation to said housing;
- and
- the multi-phase flow from the second contactor is separated into a gas phase and a liquid phase after the second contactor.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim in which H2S is selectively absorbed in preference to CO2.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the liquid stream is an amine stream including entrained hydrocarbons.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the liquid phase is subsequently treated to remove any absorbed gas component.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim in which 70%, preferably 80% and more preferably 90% of the hydrocarbons in the liquid feed are flashed off into the gas stream.
Apparatus for the simultaneous absorption of selected acid gas components from a gas stream and flashing off hydrocarbons entrained in a liquid stream including a solvent or reagent for the selected gas component comprising:
- a first co-current contactor where the gas stream and the liquid stream are subjected to turbulent mixing conditions;
- a second co-current contactor comprising a housing adapted to be inserted into a pipe and to have a fluid flow pass therethrough, said housing comprising an inlet and an outlet opening respectively, the housing being provided with at least one interior moveable sealingly mounted regulating element partially enclosing a central chamber, to provide first wall portions associated with an upstream side of said housing, and second wall portions associated with a downstream side of said housing, said wall portions being provided with a number of through-going flow channels, each having a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than the flow cross-section of the inlet and outlet openings respectively, and in which the regulating element is adapted to be moveable in relation to said housing;
- and
- means for separating the multi-phase flow from the second contactor into a gas phase and a liquid phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.