METHOD FOR THE PURIFICATION OF NATURAL GAS

• US 3,841,058 A
• Filed: 03/02/1973
• Issued: 10/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Gas Trading Limited (Centrica PLC)
• Original Assignee: John Joseph Templeman
• Inventors: Templeman, John Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hart, Charles N.
• Application Number:
  US05/337,533
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 55/33,58,62,68,74,75,179,389
• US Class Current: 95/105
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/06 Polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 7/13 by molecular-sieve technique
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/04 Methane production by treatment of sewage C02F11/04; natural gas, synthetic natural gas C10L3/06
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2210/60 Natural gas or synthetic natural gas [SNG]
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/08 Separating gaseous impurities from gases or gaseous mixtures or from liquefied gases or liquefied gaseous mixturescold traps B01D8/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

A method of purifying natural gas or the like to render it suitable for liquefaction which method consists essentially of absorbing water and methanol from a stream of natural gas containing water, methanol and carbon dioxide in a first bed of an absorbent material, and subsequently absorbing the carbon dioxide in a second bed of absorbent material, regenerating the absorbent material of the said first bed by passing gas therethrough at an elevated temperature, regenerating the absorbent material of the said second bed at a temperature not exceeding 100*C, and thereafter again purifying natural gas to remove therefrom water, methanol and carbon dioxide employing the regenerated materials. The material of the first bed is generally selected from the group consisting of a molecular sieve material and a desiccant material. The material of the second bed is generally a molecular sieve material.

Claims

1. IN A METHOD OF PURIFYING NATURAL GAS TO RENDER THE SAME SUITABLE FOR LIQUEFACTION WHEREIN WATER, METHANOL AND CARBON DIOXIDE ARE ABSORBED THEREFROM USING AN ABSORBENT MATERIAL AND THEREAFTER THE ABSORBENT MATERIAL IS REGENERATED BY THE PASSAGE OF GAS THERETHROUGH, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF ABSORBING WATER AND METHANOL FROM A STREAM OF NATURAL GAS CONTAINING SUCH CONTAMINANTS IN A FIRST BED OF AN ABSORBENT MATERIAL AND SUBSEQUENTLY ABSORBING CARBON DIOXIDE FROM SAID NATURAL GAS STREAM IN A SECOND BED OF AN ABSORBENT MATERIAL, THE GAS ISSUING FROM THE FIRST BED OF AN ABSORTO A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 0* TO 50*C BEFORE PASSAGE THROUGH THE SECOND BED, THE ABSORBENT MATERIAL OF THE FIRST BED BEING REGENERATED BY PASSING DRY GAS THERETHROUGH AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 250:

C TO 350*C AND THE MATERIAL OF THE SECOND BED BEING REGENERATED BY PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF NATURAL AS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM WATER AND METHANOL AT A TEMPERATURE NOT EXCEEDING 100*C AND BY APPLYING SUCTION TO THE BED, AND THEREAFTER AGAIN PURIFYING NATURAL GAS TO REMOVE WATER, METHANOL AND CARBON DIOXIDE THEREFROM EMPLOYING THE REGENERATED ABSORBENT MATERIALS.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first bed of absorbent material is molecular sieve material.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first bed of absorbent material is desiccant material.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gas is natural gas.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second bed of absorbent material is molecular sieve material.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a stream of gas is passed through the bed during the regeneration.