Gas Processing I

NGT 140
Chapter 3
Dew Point Control
And Refrigeration Systems
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 Ch 3

Ch 5

Ch 2 Ch 7 & 8
Ch 10

Ch 4 Ch 6

Ch 9

Ch 2

Ch 9
• In Ch. 2 - Raw gas is gathered from wells and
then goes through:
• Feed gas receiving unit
• Condensate stabilization unit
• Then flows through a gas-treating unit to be
covered in the next chapter (4)
• Then to a dew-point control unit and
refrigeration units covered in this chapter (3)
• Refrigeration units also acts as a natural gas
liquid (NGL) recovery units (Ch. 7)
Dew Point Control Unit
• Helps prevent liquid condensation in the
pipeline
• There are two types of dew-point control
required
1. Water dew-point control
2. Hydrocarbon dew-point control
• Dew point (p. 164)
Water dew-point control
• Also known as water removal or dehydration
• Three common methods
1. Silica gel (Fig 3.1)
2. Glycol (Fig 3.2)
3. Molecular sieve (later chapter)
Water dew-point control
• Silica gel (Fig 3.1 & pg. 36-37)
• Water or hydrocarbon dew-point control.
• Passed through multiple beds of silica adsorbent
• Adsorption – the process used to remove water vapor from
air or natural gas. (the adhesion in an extremely thin layer of molecules (as of gases,
solutes, or liquids) to the surfaces of solid bodies or liquids with which they are in contact)
1. Liquid hydrocarbons (NGL) are recovered from natural
gas by passing the gas through activated charcoal, silica
gel, or other solids – which extract the heavier
hydrocarbons.
2. Treatment of the solid removes the adsorbed
hydrocarbons – which are collected and recondensed.
3. Knockout drum – a separator used to separate the gas
and liquid (NGL or water).
4. “Lean” regeneration gas removes the hydrocarbons from
the solid adsorbers.
Water dew-point control
• Glycol/Propane system (Fig 3.2 & pg. 37-38)
• Glycol is used for water dew-point control
• Refrigeration is used for hydrocarbon dew-
point control.
• Liquid propane is used for the refrigerant.
• Glycol is sprayed into the gas stream.
• Glycol absorbs the water.
• Types of glycol used MEG, EG, DEG, TEG.
• Glycol regenerated by heating to evaporate
out moisture.
Hydrocarbon dew-point control
• Also known as natural gas liquid (NGL)
recovery
• Natural gas liquid (NGL) are those
hydrocarbon liquids that are liquefied at the
surface in the field facilities or in gas
processing plants. These liquids include
propane, butane and natural gasoline.
• Methods used for hydrocarbon dew-point
control include:
1. Low-temperature separation (refrigeration)
2. Expander
3. Joule-Thomson (J-T)
Water dew-point control
• Glycol/J-T Valve Cooling Process(Fig 3.3)
• Glycol is used to control the water dew-
point
• Joule-Thompson (J-T) valve system controls
the hydrocarbon dew-point.
• J-T valve – A detector cooling device in
which a gas under high pressure escapes
through and expansion valve in the tank; as
the escaped valve liquefies (condenses) it
cools the site of the sensor.
Water dew-point control
• Glycol/J-T Valve Cooling Process(Fig 3.3)
• Joule-Thomson effect – the change in gas
temperature that occurs when the gas is
expanded at a constant internal energy
from high to low pressure. The effect for
most gases at normal pressure is a cooling
of the gas. The exceptions are hydrogen
and helium.
Refrigeration System
• Operates through the continuous circulation of
a refrigerant in a four-step cycle.
1. Expansion
2. Evaporation
3. Compression
4. Condensation
• Operates much like a home air conditioner
• Hot air blows across the evaporator causing
the refrigerant to vaporize.
Refrigeration System
• A gas processing plant refrigeration system
uses a different refrigerant – liquid propane.
• Fig. 3.4 – Liquid propane flows from the gas
surge tank to an oil chiller and the gas chiller.
• The gas and oil chillers perform the function of
an evaporator – causing the refrigerant
(propaned) to vaporize. (The gas and oil are
warmer)
• Oil and gas flow through the tubes
• Propane in the shell vaporizes
• Propane vapor flows through the suction
scrubber and on to the compressor. (removes
liquids before goes to compressor)
Refrigeration System
• The compressor raises the pressure of the
propane vapor.
• The propane will condense when cooled by
cooling water and then is compressed – just as
a refrigerant is compressed and condensed.
• The propane returns to the surge tank as a
liquid.
 2-stage

Compression
Condensation

Evaporation

Expansion
Fig. 3.4
 Economizers
• Propane in the surge tank of the refrigeration
system is similar in properties to the liquids
coming from a high-pressure oil well
• To increase the recovery of these liquids we want
to minimize the evaporation of these liquids
• At the oil well this process is called staged
separation and serves to maximize the amount of
recovered liquids
• In the gas plant a similar system, called an
economizer, serves to maximize the amount of
liquid propane reaching the chiller (Fig 3.6)
• Cooled gas also used to reduce heating during gas
compression
 Chillers
• Maximum refrigeration (or heating) occurs
when tubes are completely covered by
refrigerant (heating medium)
• Level controller set to keep level just above
tubes to allow adequate space for
liquid/vapor separation to occur
 Possible Operating Problems
• Propane Quality
– Excess ethane increases compressor discharge
pressures
– Excess butane increases the temperature in
the chiller
• TI and PI are used along with physical
property graphs for propane/ethane or
propane/butane mixtures to determine
quality of the propane.
 • Record T and P in the
propane storage tank
• Compare to graph
• Stay below 2% ethane
by venting gas

• Record T and P in the

chiller
• Compare to graph
• Drain excess butanes
(liquid) from the
tank (density)
 Additional Problems
• Air-cooled condensers must run efficiently and be
properly maintained
– Fans
– Drivers
– Drive assembly (bearings, gear reduction)
• Cooling water condensers
– Maintain circulation
– Record temps
• Refrigerant output temp
• Cooling water output temp
– When scaling occurs these two temps become farther
apart (poor heat transfer) at the same refrigerant flow rate
 Multi-stage refrigeration
• Common to have two-, three- or four-stages in a
refrigeration system
• Note: cooling demand for condensing refrigerant into
liquid at the surge tank goes up from two-stage to
three stage
– Air cooling for two stage
– Cooling water for three stage
– Propane cooling used for ethane system (note: the very
low evaporation temperatures that can be achieved)
• Power consumption varies with evaporation and
refrigerant-cooling requirements
Two-stage Refrigeration
Three-stage refrigeration system