Carbon Dioxide Fractionalization for Sweetening Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrocarbon sweetening processes face challenges in handling high carbon dioxide concentrations in hydrocarbon feed streams, leading to increased capital and operating costs due to the need for additional processing facilities when carbon dioxide concentrations rise or feedstock increases.
Innovation Solution
A carbon dioxide fractionalization process that separates hydrocarbon feed streams into carbon dioxide-rich and carbon dioxide-lean streams, allowing the carbon dioxide-lean stream to be fed into a hydrocarbon sweetening process, thereby increasing the processing capacity and reducing the carbon dioxide and heavy hydrocarbon loading on the sweetening process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the carbon dioxide concentration of the hydrocarbon feed stream increases or additional feedstock comes online, then the processing capacity requirement increases, but constructing a new processing facility is required which increases capital cost, operating costs, and time delay
Solution Approach 1:
The carbon dioxide fractionalization process performs preliminary separation of carbon dioxide from the hydrocarbon feed stream before the sweetening process. By removing a significant portion of carbon dioxide upfront through fractionalization, the subsequent sweetening process handles a reduced carbon dioxide load, allowing existing facilities to accommodate increased feedstock without requiring capacity expansions or new construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The overall carbon dioxide removal process is divided into two segments: (1) carbon dioxide fractionalization that separates and removes a large portion of carbon dioxide to produce a carbon dioxide-lean stream, and (2) the sweetening process that handles the remaining carbon dioxide. This segmentation allows each process to be optimized for its specific function and enables the sweetening facility to operate at reduced capacity despite increased feedstock input.
2Productivity
If the carbon dioxide concentration of the hydrocarbon feed stream increases, then the carbon dioxide removal requirement increases, but additional processing facility must be constructed which increases capital cost
Solution Approach 1:
The fractionalization process performs preliminary carbon dioxide removal before the sweetening process. By extracting a significant portion of carbon dioxide upfront, the system can handle feed streams with high carbon dioxide concentrations without requiring proportionally larger sweetening facilities, thereby avoiding increased capital costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The fractionalization process changes the carbon dioxide concentration parameter of the feed stream by separating it into carbon dioxide-rich and carbon dioxide-lean streams. This parameter change reduces the carbon dioxide load on the sweetening process, allowing existing facilities to maintain their design capacity even when feedstock carbon dioxide concentration increases.
3Productivity
If the carbon dioxide concentration of the hydrocarbon feed stream increases, then the carbon dioxide removal requirement increases, but additional processing facility must be constructed which increases operating costs
Solution Approach 1:
The fractionalization process performs preliminary carbon dioxide removal, reducing the carbon dioxide load that the sweetening process must handle. This reduces the energy consumption and operating costs of the sweetening process, as it operates on a carbon dioxide-lean stream rather than a high carbon dioxide concentration feed stream.
4Productivity
If the carbon dioxide concentration of the hydrocarbon feed stream increases, then the carbon dioxide removal requirement increases, but additional processing facility must be constructed which causes time delay
Solution Approach 1:
The fractionalization process performs preliminary carbon dioxide removal, enabling the sweetening process to handle increased feedstock volumes without requiring facility expansions or new construction. This avoids the time delays associated with constructing additional processing facilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the processing capacity of hydrocarbon sweetening processes by reducing carbon dioxide concentration and flow rate, potentially doubling or quadrupling the capacity, and reduces energy requirements by liquefying carbon dioxide and C3+ components, making it economically viable to recover and reuse carbon dioxide.
Implementation Method 1
separating a hydrocarbon feed stream having carbon dioxide into a heavy hydrocarbon stream and a light hydrocarbon stream. The light hydrocarbon stream is separated into a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a carbon dioxide-lean stream
Implementation Method 2
reduces energy requirements by liquefying carbon dioxide and C3+ components, making it economically viable to recover and reuse carbon dioxide
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprises separating a hydrocarbon feed stream having carbon dioxide into a heavy hydrocarbon stream and a light hydrocarbon stream. The light hydrocarbon stream is separated into a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a carbon dioxide-lean stream. At least a portion of the carbon dioxide-lean stream is fed to a hydrocarbon sweetening process. Another method comprises receiving a hydrocarbon feed stream that comprises 30 molar percent to 80 molar percent carbon dioxide. A heavy hydrocarbon stream is separated from the hydrocarbon feed stream, wherein the heavy hydrocarbon stream comprises at least 90 molar percent C3+ hydrocarbons. A carbon dioxide-rich stream is separated from the hydrocarbon feed stream, wherein the carbon dioxide-rich stream comprises at least 95 molar percent carbon dioxide.