Compact Hydrocarbon Recovery Assembly With Integrated Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processes for recovering ethylene, ethane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbons from gas streams are inefficient in terms of energy consumption and capital investment, and often require extensive equipment and piping, leading to higher operating costs and potential environmental emissions.
Innovation Solution
A compact processing arrangement that combines multiple equipment items into a single housing, reducing the need for interconnecting piping and flanged connections, which enhances recovery efficiency and reduces power consumption while maintaining high recovery levels of C2 and C3 components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If traditional separate equipment arrangement is used for hydrocarbon gas processing, then equipment functionality is complete, but device complexity and capital investment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate equipment items (heat exchangers, separators, fractionation column, expansion machine, compressors) into a single integrated processing assembly. This merging eliminates the need for extensive interconnecting piping and flanged connections, reducing device complexity and capital investment while maintaining complete equipment functionality for hydrocarbon gas processing
2Ease of manufacture
If extensive interconnecting piping is used between equipment items, then equipment connectivity is ensured, but manufacturing complexity and potential emission points increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating multiple equipment items into a single processing assembly with internal connections, the patent eliminates extensive interconnecting piping and flanged connections. This reduction in piping minimizes potential emission points where hydrocarbon leaks could occur, thereby reducing environmental harmful factors while simplifying manufacturing
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional separation processes are used for hydrocarbon recovery, then separation capability is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transitions through a work expansion machine that expands hydrocarbon gas to cause condensation of heavier components. This expansion-induced phase change enables efficient separation of C2 and C3 components from the gas stream without requiring excessive cooling energy, achieving high separation efficiency with reduced power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated processing assembly uses internally generated cold streams from expansion and separation processes to provide refrigeration for cooling the feed gas. This self-refrigeration approach eliminates or reduces the need for external refrigeration systems, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective separation capability
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
The compact design achieves C2 recoveries exceeding 88% and C3 recoveries of over 93%, with nearly 100% separation of methane and lighter components from heavier ones at lower energy requirements, while minimizing environmental impact and capital costs.
Implementation Method 1
The vapor is divided into two portions, one of which is passed through a work expansion machine or engine, or an expansion valve, to a lower pressure at which further condensation occurs as a result of further cooling of the stream
Implementation Method 2
The feed gas is cooled by heat exchange with other streams of the process and/or external sources of refrigeration
Implementation Method 3
The expanded stream, comprising a mixture of liquid and vapor, is fractionated in a distillation (demethanizer or deethanizer) column
Implementation Method 4
external sources of refrigeration such as a propane compression-refrigeration system
Data Source
AI summary
A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to recover C2 components (or C3 components) and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The gas stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled to condense substantially all of it, expanded to lower pressure, and supplied as top feed to an absorbing means. The second stream is also expanded to lower pressure and fed to the bottom of the absorbing means. A distillation vapor stream from the absorbing means is heated by cooling the gas stream and the first stream. A distillation liquid stream from the absorbing means is fed to a heat and mass transfer means to heat it and strip out its volatile components while cooling the gas stream. The absorbing means and the heat and mass transfer means are housed in the processing assembly.