Patent · US Expired

Gas drying process using glycol, including purification of discharged gas

US6004380A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
8References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 28, 1996
Grant dateDec 21, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 28, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC10L3/10
  • WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A process for dehydrating a natural gas or refinery gas containing water and BTEX using a liquid desiccant (glycol) and including regeneration provides the following steps: PA1 (a) absorption of the water and the BTEX by contacting the gas with the liquid desiccant which has been regenerated in step (c), producing a dry gaseous effluent and the liquid desiccant charged with water and BTEX; PA1 (b) separating the charged liquid desiccant into a vapor containing a portion of the BTEX and a liquid phase containing mainly desiccant charged with water and BTEX; PA1 (c) regenerating the liquid desiccant in a distillation zone from which a vapor containing water and BTEX and regenerated liquid desiccant are extracted, the latter being sent to absorption step (a); PA1 (d) condensing the vapor from the distillation zone and separating it into three phases: a gaseous effluent containing BTEX, a liquid hydrocarbon phase containing BTEX, and an aqueous liquid phase; and PA1 (e) washing the gaseous effluent by absorbing the BTEX in a fraction of regenerated desiccant liquid removed from a point in the process and returning the desiccant to a point in the regeneration zone of step (c).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.