Back to results
US 8,801,832 B2Granted
Sour gas and acid natural gas separation membrane process by pre removal of dissolved elemental sulfur for plugging prevention
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsMilind M. Vaidya, Jean-Pierre R. Ballaguet, Sebastien A. Duval, Anwar H. Khawajah
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for removing sulfur from a gas stream prior to sending the gas stream to a gas separation membrane system are provided. Two schemes are available. When the sulfur content is high or flow is relatively high, a scheme including two columns where one tower is regenerated if the sulfur concentration exceeds a preset value can be used. When the sulfur content is low or flow is relatively low, a scheme including one column and an absorption bed.
Claims5
A method of removing sulfur from a gas stream comprising the steps of:
- a. cooling the gas stream to produce a gas stream without liquids and a chilled solvent;
- b. contacting the gas stream without liquid with the chilled solvent to selectively absorb at least a portion of elemental sulfur from the gas stream;
- c. contacting the chilled solvent with an absorbent bed or a filter to remove sulfur in excess of solubility;
- d. analyzing a sulfur concentration in the gas stream without liquids to determine if the sulfur concentration exceeds a sulfur solubility estimated in retentate and permeate flows by a membrane separation process simulation;
- and
- e. passing the gas stream without liquids through gas separation membranes.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.