Integrated Gas Processing Assembly for Compact Hydrocarbon Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processes for recovering ethylene, ethane, propylene, propane, and heavier hydrocarbons from gas streams are inefficient in terms of energy consumption and capital investment, with a need for more compact and cost-effective solutions that minimize environmental emissions.
Innovation Solution
A novel process that combines multiple equipment items into a single housing, reducing the need for interconnecting piping and flanged connections, and employs a heat and mass transfer system to enhance cooling and separation efficiency, allowing for higher recovery rates with lower energy requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple equipment items are combined into a single housing, then capital investment and environmental impact are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple equipment items (heat exchangers, separators, expansion machines, distillation columns) into a single integrated processing assembly housing. This consolidation reduces the number of external connections, flanged joints, and interconnecting piping required, thereby reducing capital investment and potential emission sources while maintaining functional separation through internal configuration.
2Device complexity
If traditional separate equipment configuration is used, then device complexity is lower, but energy consumption and capital expenditure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated processing assembly serves as an intermediary structure that enables direct thermal and mass transfer between process streams without external piping. The internal configuration allows cold streams to directly cool warm streams and facilitates efficient phase separation and expansion processes, reducing energy losses that would occur with traditional separate equipment and external connections.
3Ease of manufacture
If more flanged connections and piping are used, then ease of assembly is improved, but environmental emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating multiple equipment functions within a single housing, the patent minimizes the number of flanged connections and external piping required. Fewer connections reduce potential leak sources where hydrocarbon emissions could escape into the environment, thereby reducing harmful emissions while maintaining manufacturability through standardized modular components.
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional separation processes are used, then separation effectiveness is achieved, but energy costs are higher
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated processing assembly utilizes the inherent thermal energy of process streams to achieve cooling and separation functions. Cold product streams directly cool incoming feed streams, and phase separation occurs through integrated separators that utilize pressure reduction and thermal expansion. This self-service approach minimizes external energy input while maintaining effective separation of hydrocarbon components.
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 achieves ethane recoveries exceeding 88% and propane recoveries of over 93%, while ensuring nearly 100% separation of methane and lighter components from heavier ones at lower energy costs, with reduced capital expenditure and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchange means in an upper region of a feed cooling section inside the processing assembly and configured to provide heat exchange between a first portion of a feed stream and a distillation vapor stream
Implementation Method 2
a heat and mass transfer means in a lower region of the feed cooling section and configured to provide heat exchange between a second portion of the feed stream and the distillation liquid stream so that the second portion is cooled
Implementation Method 3
the condensed stream is supplied to a separator section inside the processing assembly and separated into a vapor portion and a liquid portion
Implementation Method 4
The vapor portion is expanded in an expansion machine to a lower pressure at which additional liquids are condensed as a result of further cooling of the stream
Implementation Method 5
The expanded stream, comprising a mixture of liquid and vapor, is fractionated in a distillation (demethanizer or deethanizer) column. In the column, the expansion cooled stream(s) is (are) distilled to separate residual methane, nitrogen, and other volatile gases as overhead vapor from the desired C2 components, C3 components, and heavier hydrocarbon components
Data Source
AI summary
A process and an apparatus are disclosed for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream in a compact processing assembly. The gas stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled to condense substantially all of it and is thereafter expanded to lower pressure and supplied as the top feed to an absorbing means inside the processing assembly. The second stream is also expanded to lower pressure and supplied as the bottom feed to the absorbing means. A distillation vapor stream is collected from the upper region of the absorbing means and directed into one or more heat exchange means inside the processing assembly to heat it while cooling the gas stream and the first stream. A distillation liquid stream is collected from the lower region of the absorbing means and directed into a heat and mass transfer means inside the processing assembly to heat it and strip out its volatile components while cooling the gas stream. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the absorbing means are effective to maintain the temperature of the upper region of the absorbing means at a temperature whereby the major portions of the desired components are recovered in the stripped distillation liquid stream.