Configurations and methods of acid gas removal
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of removing an acid gas from a feed gas comprising:
- feeding into an absorber the feed gas at a pressure of at least 400 psig, wherein the feed gas comprises at least 5 mol % carbon dioxide, wherein the absorber is operated at an isothermal or decreasing top-to-bottom thermal gradient,wherein the absorber employs a physical solvent to at least partially remove an acid gas from the feed gas to thereby produce an absorber overhead product, a semi-rich solvent, and a rich solvent;
cooling the semi-rich solvent using refrigeration content of at least partially expanded rich solvent; and
cooling the feed gas using refrigeration content of the at least partially expanded rich solvent and the absorber overhead product.
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Abstract
A plant includes an absorber (105) that receives a feed gas (10) at a pressure of at least 400 psig and comprising at least 5 mol % carbon dioxide, wherein the absorber (105) is operated at an isothermal or decreasing top-to-bottom thermal gradient, and wherein the absorber (105) employs a physical solvent to at least partially remove an acid gas from the feed gas (10). Such configuration advantageously provide cooling (108) by expansion of the rich solvent (21) generated in the absorber (105), wherein both a semi-rich solvent (13) generated and recycled to the absorber (105) and the feed gas (10) are cooled by expansion of the rich solvent (21).
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of removing an acid gas from a feed gas comprising:
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feeding into an absorber the feed gas at a pressure of at least 400 psig, wherein the feed gas comprises at least 5 mol % carbon dioxide, wherein the absorber is operated at an isothermal or decreasing top-to-bottom thermal gradient, wherein the absorber employs a physical solvent to at least partially remove an acid gas from the feed gas to thereby produce an absorber overhead product, a semi-rich solvent, and a rich solvent; cooling the semi-rich solvent using refrigeration content of at least partially expanded rich solvent; and cooling the feed gas using refrigeration content of the at least partially expanded rich solvent and the absorber overhead product. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20)
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14. A plant comprising:
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a gas source that is configured to provide natural gas comprising at least 5 mol % acid gas at a pressure of at least 400 psig; an absorber fluidly coupled to the gas source and configured to receive the natural gas and further configured to form a semi-rich solvent from a physical solvent; a cooler fluidly coupled to the absorber and configured to cool the semi-rich solvent and to provide the cooled semi-rich solvent back to the absorber at a temperature suitable to absorb at least another portion of the acid gas to thereby allow formation of a rich solvent in the absorber; first and second expansion devices fluidly coupled to the absorber and further fluidly coupled to respective first and second heat exchangers, wherein the first and second expansion devices and heat exchangers are configured to allow cooling of the the natural gas and the semi-rich solvent in the first and second heat exchangers, respectively, by expansion of the rich solvent; and wherein the first and second expansion devices and heat exchangers are further configured to allow operation of the absorber with an isothermal or decreasing top-to-bottom thermal gradient. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21)
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Specification