US 8,709,215 B2 · Carbon dioxide fractionalization process

Abstract

A process comprising receiving a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising carbon dioxide, separating the hydrocarbon feed stream into a light hydrocarbon stream and a heavy hydrocarbon stream, separating the light hydrocarbon stream into a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a carbon dioxide-lean stream, and feeding the carbon dioxide-lean stream into a hydrocarbon sweetening process, thereby increasing the processing capacity of the hydrocarbon sweetening process compared to the processing capacity of the hydrocarbon sweetening process when fed the hydrocarbon feed stream. Included is an apparatus comprising a first separation unit that receives a hydrocarbon feed stream containing carbon dioxide and produces a heavy hydrocarbon stream and a light hydrocarbon stream, and a second separation unit that receives the light hydrocarbon stream and produces a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a carbon dioxide-lean stream, wherein the apparatus is configured to feed the carbon dioxide-lean stream to a physical solvent, membrane, or carbon dioxide recovery process.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a first separation unit configured to receive a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising carbon dioxide and produce a heavy hydrocarbon stream and a light hydrocarbon stream;
and
a second separation unit configured to receive the light hydrocarbon stream and produce a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a carbon dioxide-lean stream,
wherein the apparatus is configured to feed the carbon dioxide-lean stream to a physical solvent process, a membrane process, or a carbon dioxide recovery process.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Carbon dioxide fractionalization process

Life of this patent

Carbon dioxide fractionalization process

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20