Patent Grant
10139157
1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems and processes for recovering natural gas liquids (NGL) from a hydrocarbon-containing gas stream using a single closed-loop mixed refrigerant cycle.
2. Description of Related Art
Ethane and heavier (C2+) components recovered from a hydrocarbon gas stream can be utilized for a variety of purposes. For example, upon further processing, the recovered C2+ materials may be employed as fuel and/or as feedstock for a variety of petroleum and/or petrochemical processes. The primary challenge in C2+ recovery processes has traditionally been the ability to balance high product recovery with the costs of the compression. In particular, the achievement of a high (80+ percent) C2+ recovery has typically required a correspondingly high level of feed gas, residue gas, and/or refrigerant compression, which, consequently, increases both capital and operating expenses.
Thus, a need exists for processes and systems for recovering ethane and heavier components from a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream that optimize compression requirements with recovery of valuable products. The system should be both robust and operationally flexible in order to handle variations in feed gas composition and flow rate. At the same time, the system should also be simple and cost-efficient to operate and maintain.
One embodiment of the present invention concerns a process for recovering natural gas liquids (NGL) from a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream. The process comprises: (a) cooling and at least partially condensing a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream to thereby provide a cooled feed gas stream, wherein at least a portion of the cooling is carried out via indirect heat exchange with a mixed refrigerant stream in a closed-loop refrigeration cycle; (b) separating the cooled feed gas stream into a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream in a vapor-liquid separator; (c) cooling at least a portion of the first vapor stream to thereby provide a cooled vapor stream; (d) flashing the cooled vapor stream to thereby provide a first flashed stream; (e) introducing the first flashed stream and the first liquid stream into a distillation column via respective first and second fluid inlets of the distillation column; and (f) recovering an overhead residue gas stream and a liquid bottoms product stream from the distillation column, wherein the liquid bottoms product stream is enriched in NGL components.
Another embodiment of the present invention concerns a process for recovering natural gas liquids (NGL) from a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream. The process comprises: (a) cooling a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream to thereby provide a cooled feed gas stream; (b) separating the cooled feed gas stream into a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream in a vapor-liquid separator; (c) splitting the first vapor stream into a first vapor portion and a second vapor portion; (d) cooling the first vapor portion to thereby provide a cooled vapor portion, wherein at least a portion of the cooling is carried out via indirect heat exchange with a mixed refrigerant stream in a closed-loop refrigeration cycle; (e) flashing the cooled vapor portion to thereby provide a first flashed stream; (f) flashing the second vapor portion to thereby provide a second flashed stream; (g) introducing the first and the second flashed streams into a distillation column at respective first and second fluid inlets; and (h) recovering an NGL-enriched liquid product stream from the distillation column, wherein the second fluid inlet is located at a lower separation stage than the first fluid inlet.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention concerns a facility for recovering natural gas liquids (NGL) from a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream using a single closed-loop mixed refrigeration cycle. The facility comprises a primary heat exchanger having a first cooling pass and a second cooling pass disposed therein, a vapor-liquid separator, a second cooling pass, a first expansion device, a second expansion device, a distillation column, and a single closed-loop mixed refrigerant cycle. The first cooling pass is operable to cool the hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream and the vapor-liquid separator is fluidly coupled to the first cooling pass for receiving the cooled feed gas stream. The vapor-liquid separator comprises a first vapor outlet for discharging a first vapor stream and a first liquid outlet for discharging a first liquid stream. The second cooling pass is fluidly coupled to the first vapor outlet of the vapor-liquid separator for cooling at least a portion of the first vapor stream. The first expansion device is fluidly coupled to the second cooling pass for flashing at least a portion of the cooled vapor stream, and the second expansion device is fluidly coupled to the first liquid outlet of the vapor-liquid separator for flashing the first liquid stream. The distillation column comprises a first fluid inlet for receiving a first flashed stream from the first expansion device and a second fluid inlet for receiving a second flashed stream from the second expansion device, wherein the first fluid inlet of the distillation column is positioned at a higher separation stage than the second fluid inlet of the distillation column.
The single closed-loop mixed refrigeration cycle comprises a refrigerant compressor, a first refrigerant cooling pass, a refrigerant expansion device, and a first refrigerant warming pass. The refrigerant compressor defines a suction inlet for receiving a mixed refrigerant stream and a discharge outlet for discharging a stream of compressed mixed refrigerant. The first refrigerant cooling pass is fluidly coupled to the discharge outlet of the refrigerant compressor for subcooling the compressed mixed refrigerant stream and the refrigerant expansion device is fluidly coupled to the first refrigerant cooling pass for expanding the subcooled mixed refrigerant stream and generating refrigeration. The first refrigerant warming pass is fluidly coupled to the refrigerant expansion device for warming the expanded mixed refrigerant stream via indirect heat exchange with at least one of the compressed mixed refrigerant in the first refrigerant cooling pass, the feed gas stream in the first cooling pass, and the vapor stream in the second cooling pass and the first refrigerant warming pass is fluidly coupled to the suction inlet of the refrigerant compressor.
Various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached FIGURE, wherein:
Turning now to
As shown in
In one embodiment of the present invention, the hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream in conduit 110 includes some amount of C2 and heavier components. As used herein, the general term “Cx” refers to a hydrocarbon component comprising x carbon atoms per molecule and, unless otherwise noted, is intended to include all paraffinic and olefinic isomers thereof. Thus, “C2” is intended to encompass both ethane and ethylene, while “C5” is intended to encompass isopentane, normal pentane and all C5 branched isomers, as well as C5 olefins. As used herein, the term “Cx and heavier” refers to hydrocarbons having x or more carbon atoms per molecule (including paraffinic and olefinic isomers), while the term “Cx and lighter” refers to hydrocarbons having x or less carbon atoms per molecule (including paraffinic and olefinic isomers).
According to one embodiment, the feed gas stream in conduit 110 can comprise at least 5, at least 15, at least 25, at least 40, at least 50, or at least 65 mole percent C2 and heavier components, based on the total moles of the feed gas stream. In the same or other embodiments, the feed gas stream in conduit 110 can comprise at least 5, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, or at least 50 mole percent C3 and heavier components, based on the total moles of the feed gas stream. Typically, lighter components such as methane, nitrogen, and trace amounts of gases like hydrogen and carbon dioxide, make up the balance of the composition of the feed gas stream. In one embodiment, the feed gas stream in conduit 110 comprises less than 95, less than 80, less than 60, less than 50, less than 40, less than 30, or less than 25 mole percent of methane and lighter components, based on the total moles of the feed gas stream.
As shown in
The treated gas stream exiting pretreatment zone 18 via conduit 112 can then be routed to a dehydration unit 20, wherein substantially all of the residual water can be removed from the feed gas stream. Dehydration unit 20 can utilize any known water removal system, such as, for example, beds of molecular sieve. Once dried, the gas stream in conduit 116 can have a temperature of at least 45° F., at least 50° F., at least 60° F., at least 65° F., or at least 70° F. and/or less than 150° F., less than 135° F., or less than 110° F. and a pressure of at least 450, at least 600, at least 700, at least 850 and/or less than 1200, less than 1100, less than 1000, or less than 950 psia.
As shown in
The hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream passing through cooling pass 26 of primary heat exchanger 24 can be cooled and at least partially condensed via indirect heat exchange with yet-to-be-discussed refrigerant and/or residue gas streams in respective passes 84 and 48. During cooling, a substantial portion of the C2 and heavier and/or the C3 and heavier components in the feed gas stream can be condensed out of the vapor phase to thereby provide a cooled, two-phase gas stream in conduit 118. In one embodiment, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, or at least 85 mole percent of the total amount of C2 and heavier components introduced into primary exchanger 24 via conduit 116 can be condensed within cooling pass 26, while, in the same or other embodiments, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, at least 90, or at least 95 mole percent of the total amount of C3 and heavier components introduced into cooling pass 26 can be condensed therein.
According to one embodiment, the vapor phase of the two-phase stream in conduit 118 withdrawn from cooling pass 26 can comprise at least 50, at least 60, at least 75, at least 85, or at least 90 percent of the total amount of C1 and lighter components originally introduced into primary heat exchanger 24 via conduit 116. The cooled feed gas stream in conduit 118 can have a temperature of no less than −165° F., no less than −160° F., no less than −150° F., no less than −140° F., no less than −130° F., no less than −120° F., no less than −100° F., or no less than −80° F. and/or a pressure of at least 450, at least 650, at least 750, at least 850 and/or less than 1200, less than 1100, or less than 950 psia.
As shown in
According to one embodiment, separation vessel 30 can be operable to separate the majority of the methane and lighter components from the incoming feed gas stream, such that the overhead vapor stream exiting separation vessel 30 via conduit 120 can be enriched in methane and lighter components. For example, in one embodiment, the overhead vapor stream in conduit 120 can comprise at least 50, at least 60, at least 75, or at least 85 mole percent of methane and lighter components, which can include, for example, methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and/or nitrogen. According to one embodiment, the vapor stream in conduit 120 can comprise at least 55, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 percent of the total amount of C1 and lighter components introduced into primary heat exchanger 24 via conduit 116.
The liquid portion of the cooled feed gas stream, which can be enriched in C2 and heavier components, can be withdrawn from a liquid outlet 54 of separation vessel 30 via conduit 126. As shown in
In one embodiment, as the result of the expansion, the temperature of the flashed or expanded fluid stream in conduit 128 can be at least 5° F., at least 10° F., or at least 15° F. and/or less than 75° F., less than 50° F., or less than 35° F. lower than the temperature of the stream in conduit 126. In the same or other embodiments, the pressure of the expanded stream in conduit 128 can be at least 150 psi, at least 300 psi, or at least 350 psi and/or less than 750 psi, less than 650 psi, or less than 500 psi lower than the pressure of the stream in conduit 126. The resulting expanded fluid stream in conduit 128 can have a temperature warmer than −150° F., warmer than −140° F., or warmer than −135° F. and/or cooler than −75° F., cooler than −80° F., or cooler than −85° F. In the same or other embodiments, the stream in conduit 128 can have a pressure of at least 250, at least 300, at least 350 psia and/or less than 750, less than 650, or less than 500 psia with a vapor fraction of at least 0.10, at least 0.15, at least 0.20, at least 0.25, or at least 0.30.
As shown in
Distillation column 40 can be any vapor-liquid separation vessel capable of further separating C2 and heavier or C3 and heavier components from the remaining C1 and lighter or C2 and lighter components. In one embodiment, distillation column 40 can be a multi-stage distillation column comprising at least 2, at least 8, at least 10, at least 12 and/or less than 50, less than 35, or less than 25 actual or theoretical separation stages. When distillation column 40 comprises a multi-stage column, one or more types of column internals may be utilized in order to facilitate heat and/or mass transfer between the vapor and liquid phases. Examples of suitable column internals can include, but are not limited to, vapor-liquid contacting trays, structured packing, random packing, and any combination thereof.
According to one embodiment, distillation column 40 can be operable to separate at least 65, at least 75, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 99 percent of the remaining C2 and heavier and/or C3 and heavier components from the fluid streams introduced thereto. According to one embodiment, the overhead (top) pressure of distillation column 40 can be at least 200, at least 300, or at least 400 and/or less than 800, less than 700, or less than 600 psia. In some embodiments, distillation column 40 can be operated at a substantially lower overhead pressure than separation vessel 30, which may be operated at a top pressure of at least 450, at least 600, or at least 700 psia and/or less than 1200, less than 1000, or less than 900 psia. Additional information regarding the operation of distillation column 40 will be discussed in detail shortly.
According to one embodiment shown in
Referring back to the stream in conduit 122, during its expansion, the cooled vapor stream can undergo similar changes in temperature and/or pressure as previously described with respect to the fluid streams in conduits 126 and 128. In one embodiment, as the result of the expansion, the temperature of the flashed or expanded fluid stream in conduit 124 can be at least 5° F., at least 10° F., or at least 15° F. and/or less than 75° F., less than 50° F., or less than 35° F. lower than the temperature of the stream in conduit 122. In the same or another embodiment, the pressure of the expanded stream in conduit 124 can be at least 150 psi, at least 300 psi, or at least 350 psi and/or less than 750 psi, less than 650 psi, or less than 500 psi lower than the pressure of the stream in conduit 122. In some embodiments, the expanded stream in conduit 124 can be a two-phase stream having, for example, a vapor fraction of at least 0.05, at least 0.15, at least 0.20, at least 0.25, or at least 0.30.
As shown in
According to some embodiments, the center point of first fluid inlet 42 can be positioned at a lower vertical elevation along distillation column 40 than the center point of second fluid inlet 36. For example, in one embodiment, second fluid inlet 36 can be positioned within the upper one-half, upper one-third, or upper one-fourth of the total vertical elevation of distillation column 40, while first fluid inlet 42 can be positioned in the lower one-half, the lower two-thirds, or the middle or lower one-third or one-fourth of the total vertical elevation of distillation column 40. The total vertical elevation of distillation column 40 can be measured in any suitable manner, such as, for example, as a tangent-to-tangent length or height (T/T) or end-to-end length or height.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, NGL recovery facility 10 may employ an optional vapor bypass stream, which is split from the overhead vapor stream in conduit 120 prior to cooling. The vapor bypass stream may be employed, in some embodiments, in order to compensate for changes in feed gas composition. For example, in one embodiment, when the feed gas stream in conduits 116 and/or 118 comprises at least 75, at least 85, or at least 95 mole percent of methane and lighter components, at least a portion of the overhead vapor stream exiting separator 30 may be bypassed around primary exchanger 24, as depicted by dashed conduit 130. Thereafter, the portion of the vapor stream in conduit 130 can be passed through an expansion device 44, wherein the stream can be flashed or expanded. In one embodiment, the expansion can be substantially isenthalpic and expansion device 44 can be a JT device, such as a valve or orifice. In another embodiment, the expansion can be substantially isentropic and expansion device 44 can be any device capable of transferring a majority of the work generated during the expansion to the surrounding environment, such as a turboexpander or expansion turbine. The change in pressure and/or temperature of the resulting expanded fluid stream in conduit 132 can be similar to those discussed previously with respect to the expanded streams in conduits 128 and/or 124. The vapor fraction of the stream in conduit 132 can be at least 0.50, at least 0.65, at least 0.80, or at least 0.90.
As illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid product stream withdrawn from lower liquid outlet 58 of distillation column 40 via conduit 136 can be enriched in C2 and heavier or C3 and heavier components. In the same or other embodiments, the NGL product stream recovered in conduit 136 can comprise at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 mole percent of C2 and heavier or C3 and heavier components. Correspondingly, the NGL product stream can comprise less than 25, less than 20, less than 15, less than 10, or less than 5 mole percent of C1 and lighter or C2 and lighter components, depending on the operation of NGL recovery facility 10. Further, in one embodiment, the NGL product stream in conduit 136 can comprise at least 50, at least 65, at least 75, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, at least 97, or at least 99 percent of all the C2 and heavier or C3 and heavier components originally introduced into primary exchanger 24 via conduit 116. That is, in some embodiments, processes and systems of the present invention can have a C2+ or C3+ recovery of at least 50, at least 65, at least 75, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, at least 97, or at least 99 percent. In one embodiment, the NGL product stream in conduit 136 can subsequently be routed to a fractionation zone (not shown) comprising one or more additional separation vessels or columns, wherein individual product streams enriched in, for example, C2, C3, and/or C4 and heavier components can be produced for subsequent use, storage, and/or further processing.
Turning now to refrigeration cycle 12 of NGL recovery facility 10 depicted in
The resulting two-phase refrigerant stream in conduit 174 can then be introduced into interstage accumulator 64, wherein the vapor and liquid portions can be separated. A vapor stream withdrawn from accumulator 64 via conduit 176 can be routed to the inlet of the second (high pressure) stage of refrigerant compressor 60, wherein the stream can be further compressed. The resulting compressed refrigerant vapor stream, which can have a pressure of at least 100, at least 150, or at least 200 psia and/or less than 550, less than 500, less than 450, or less than 400 psia, can be recombined with a portion of the liquid phase refrigerant withdrawn from interstage accumulator 64 via conduit 178 and pumped to pressure via refrigerant pump 74 in conduit 180, as shown in
The combined refrigerant stream in conduit 180 can then be routed to refrigerant condenser 66, wherein the pressurized refrigerant stream can be cooled and at least partially condensed via indirect heat exchange with a cooling medium (e.g., cooling water) before being introduced into refrigerant accumulator 68 via conduit 182. As shown in
As the compressed refrigerant stream flows through refrigerant cooling pass 80, the stream is condensed and sub-cooled, such that the temperature of the liquid refrigerant stream withdrawn from primary heat exchanger 224 via conduit 188 is well below the bubble point of the refrigerant mixture. The sub-cooled refrigerant stream in conduit 188 can then be expanded via passage through a refrigerant expansion device 82 (illustrated herein as a Joule-Thompson valve), wherein the pressure of the stream can be reduced, thereby cooling and at least partially vaporizing the refrigerant stream and generating refrigeration. The cooled, two-phase refrigerant stream in conduit 190 can then be routed through a refrigerant warming pass 84, wherein a substantial portion of the refrigeration generated can be used to cool one or more process streams, including at least one of the feed stream in cooling pass 26, the vapor stream in cooling pass 32, and the refrigerant stream in cooling pass 80. The warmed refrigerant stream withdrawn from primary heat exchanger 24 via conduit 192 can then be routed to refrigerant suction drum 70 before being compressed and recycled through closed-loop refrigeration cycle 12 as previously discussed.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, during each step of the above-discussed refrigeration cycle, the temperature of the refrigerant can be maintained such that at least a portion, or a substantial portion, of the C2 and heavier components or the C3 and heavier components originally present in the feed gas stream can be condensed in primary exchanger 24. For example, in one embodiment, at least 50, at least 65, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 percent of the total C2+ components or at least 50, at least 65, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 percent of the total C3+ components originally present in the feed gas stream introduced into primary exchanger 24 can be condensed. In the same or another embodiment, the minimum temperature achieved by the refrigerant during each step of the above-discussed refrigeration cycle can be no less than −175° F., no less than −170° F., no less than −165° F., no less than −160° F., no less than −150°, no less than −145° F., no less than −140° F., or no less than −135° F.
In one embodiment, the refrigerant utilized in closed-loop refrigeration cycle 12 can be a mixed refrigerant. As used herein, the term “mixed refrigerant” refers to a refrigerant composition comprising two or more constituents. In one embodiment, the mixed refrigerant utilized by refrigeration cycle 12 can comprise two or more constituents selected from the group consisting of methane, ethylene, ethane, propylene, propane, isobutane, n-butane, isopentane, n-pentane, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the refrigerant composition can comprise methane, ethane, propane, normal butane, and isopentane and can substantially exclude certain components, including, for example, nitrogen or halogenated hydrocarbons. According to one embodiment, the refrigerant composition can have an initial boiling point of at least −135° F., at least −130° F., or at least −120° F. and/or less than −100° F., less than −105° F., or less than −110° F. Various specific refrigerant compositions are contemplated according to embodiments of the present invention. Table 1, below, summarizes broad, intermediate, and narrow ranges for several exemplary refrigerant mixtures.
In some embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable to adjust the composition of the mixed refrigerant to thereby alter its cooling curve and, therefore, its refrigeration potential. Such a modification may be utilized to accommodate, for example, changes in composition and/or flow rate of the feed gas stream introduced into NGL recovery facility 10. In one embodiment, the composition of the mixed refrigerant can be adjusted such that the heating curve of the vaporizing refrigerant more closely matches the cooling curve of the feed gas stream. One method for such curve matching is described in detail, with respect to an LNG facility, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,735, incorporated herein by reference to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, such a modification of the refrigeration composition may be desirable in order to alter the proportion or amount of specific components recovered in the NGL product stream. For example, in one embodiment, it may be desirable to recover C2 components in the NGL product stream (e.g., C2 recovery mode), while, in another embodiment, rejecting C2 components in the overhead residue gas withdrawn from distillation column 40 may be preferred (e.g., C2 rejection mode). In addition to altering the composition of the mixed refrigerant, the transition between a C2 recovery mode and a C2 rejection mode may be affected by, for example, altering the operation of separation vessel 30 and/or distillation column 40. For example, in one embodiment, the temperature and/or pressure of distillation column 40 can be adjusted to vaporize more or less C2 components, thereby selectively operating distillation column 40 in a C2 rejection or C2 recovery mode.
When operating distillation column 40 in a C2 recovery mode, the NGL product stream in conduit 136 can comprise at least 50, at least 65, at least 75, at least 85, or at least 90 percent of the total C2 components introduced into primary heat exchanger 24 via conduit 116 and/or the residue gas stream in conduit 138 can comprise less than 50, less than 35, less than 25, less than 15, or less than 10 percent of the total C2 components introduced into primary heat exchanger 24 via conduit 116. When operating distillation column 40 in a C2 rejection mode, the NGL product stream in conduit 136 can comprise less than 50, less than 40, less than 30, less than 20, less than 15, less than 10, or less than 5 percent of the total amount of C2 components introduced into primary heat exchanger 24 via conduit 116 and/or the residue gas stream in conduit 138 can comprise at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 percent of the total amount of C2 components introduced into primary heat exchanger 24 via conduit 116.
The preferred forms of the invention described above are to be used as illustration only, and should not be used in a limiting sense to interpret the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary one embodiment, set forth above, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of the present invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
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| Entry |
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| 20130213087 A1 | Aug 2013 | US |
