Claims
- 1. In a process for reconcentrating glycol which has been used to remove moisture from moist natural gas, whereby said moist natural gas is contacted with glycol and thereafer cooled to a temperature of from about -40.degree. to +5.degree. C. to form a condensate containing a liquid hydrocarbon phase, and whereby the moisture-containing glycol used to contact the natural gas is reconcentrated by removal of moisture therefrom, the improvement which comprises:
- (a) heating said moisture-containing glycol to a temperature of from about 100.degree. C. to 210.degree. C. by heat exchange with flue gas from a reboiler; and thereafter
- (b) stripping additional moisture from said moisture containing glycol with hydrocarbon gas which is formed by expanding the liquid hydrocarbon phase of said condensate.
- 2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon stripping gas is formed by expanding the liquid hydrocarbon phase of the condensate to a pressure of from about 1 to 4 atmospheres absolute.
- 3. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon stripping gas is heated to a temperature of from about 90.degree. to 210.degree. C. prior to its use as a glycol moisture stripping gas.
- 4. A process in accordance with claims 1, 2, or 3 wherein the condensate is formed and separated from the natural gas stream under a pressure of from about 20 to 80 atmospheres absolute.
- 5. A process in accordance with claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein
- (a) moist natural gas is dried by contacting said gas with dried glycol which absorbs moisture from said moist natural gas; and
- (b) the resulting dried natural gas is cooled to a temperature of from about -40.degree. C. to +5.degree. C. by heat exchange first with cool moist natural gas and thereafter by heat exchange with a low-temperature refrigerant.
- 6. A process in accordance with claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein
- (a) dried glycol is injected into moist natural gas at a pressure somewhat below that of the well head;
- (b) the gas/glycol mixture is cooled first by heat exchange with dried natural gas which has been expanded from pipeline pressure and thereafter by expansion to pipeline pressure of the gas/glycol mixture itself to cool said mixture to a temperature of from about -40.degree. C. to +5.degree. C. so as to form a condensate containing a moist glycol phase and a liquid hydrocarbon phase;
- (c) the moist glycol phase is separated from the liquid hydrocarbon phase; and
- (d) the liquid hydrocarbon phase is further expanded to form the hydrocarbon stripping gas for reconcentrating moist glycol.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
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Kind |
2728745 |
Jun 1977 |
DEX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a division, of application Ser. No. 919,234 filed June 26, 1978, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,620.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
919234 |
Jun 1978 |
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