Carbon dioxide fractionalization process
First Claim
1. A process comprising:
- receiving a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising carbon dioxide;
separating the hydrocarbon feed stream into a light hydrocarbon stream and a heavy hydrocarbon stream;
separating the light hydrocarbon stream into a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a carbon dioxide-lean stream;
heating the carbon dioxide-lean stream to produce a heated carbon dioxide-lean stream; and
feeding the heated carbon dioxide-lean stream into a hydrocarbon sweetening process, thereby increasing the processing capacity of the hydrocarbon sweetening process compared to the processing capacity of the hydrocarbon sweetening process when fed the hydrocarbon feed stream.
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Accused Products
Abstract
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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A process comprising:
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receiving a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising carbon dioxide; separating the hydrocarbon feed stream into a light hydrocarbon stream and a heavy hydrocarbon stream; separating the light hydrocarbon stream into a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a carbon dioxide-lean stream; heating the carbon dioxide-lean stream to produce a heated carbon dioxide-lean stream; and feeding the heated carbon dioxide-lean stream into a hydrocarbon sweetening process, thereby increasing the processing capacity of the hydrocarbon sweetening process compared to the processing capacity of the hydrocarbon sweetening process when fed the hydrocarbon feed stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus comprising:
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a first separator that receives a hydrocarbon feed stream containing carbon dioxide and produces a heavy hydrocarbon stream and a light hydrocarbon stream; a second separator that receives the light hydrocarbon stream and produces a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a carbon dioxide-lean stream; a heat exchanger that heats the carbon dioxide-lean stream to produce a heated carbon dioxide-lean stream; and a physical solvent process, a membrane process, or a carbon dioxide recovery process that receives the heated carbon dioxide-lean stream. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A process comprising:
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receiving a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising carbon dioxide; cooling the hydrocarbon feed stream using a carbon dioxide-lean stream; separating the cooled hydrocarbon feed stream into a light hydrocarbon stream and a heavy hydrocarbon stream; compressing the light hydrocarbon stream; cooling the compressed light hydrocarbon stream using the carbon dioxide-lean stream; separating the compressed light hydrocarbon stream into a carbon dioxide-rich stream and the carbon dioxide-lean stream; heating the carbon dioxide-lean stream to produce a heated carbon dioxide-lean stream; and removing at least some of the carbon dioxide in the heated carbon dioxide-lean stream using a hydrocarbon sweetening process. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification