CRICOS Provider No 00025B 1 Dr Tom Rufford, The University of Queensland [email protected]Acknowledgments: Michael Schlierf, Technischen Universität Müchen, Germany Hybrid membrane-absorption processes for acid gas removal This paper was prepared for presentation at the International Petroleum Technology Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand, 14–16 November 2016. A full copy of the paper is available through SPE’s OnePetro manuscript number IPTC-18732-MS.
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Acknowledgments: Michael Schlierf, Technischen Universität Müchen, Germany
Hybrid membrane-absorption processes for acid gas removal
This paper was prepared for presentation at the International Petroleum Technology Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand, 14–16 November 2016. A full copy of the paper is available through SPE’s OnePetromanuscript number IPTC-18732-MS.
Comparison of (1) conventional MDEA amine absorption and (2) hybrid membrane + amine process to treat sour gas for feed to an LNG plant.
Feeds with 10%mol CO2 no apparent benefits of a hybrid system.
Very sour feed gas with 50%mol CO2 the hybrid system has potential for significant reductions in equipment weight, plant volume, investment costs, and operating costs.
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Rufford et al. (2012) J. Petroleum Sci. & Eng 95-95:p123-154
Typical LNG process flow scheme
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This project seeks to evaluate the potential of a hybrid membrane + absorption process to treat sour gas onboard FLNG plants.
Challenges for gas processing in remote or stranded fields
Feed to LNG plant has tight specification, e.g.:• CO2≤50ppmv• H2S ≤4ppmv
To meet these specifications amine plants require large columns, large solvent inventories, high demand for energy.
Floating LNG (FLNG) and micro-LNG plants may need significant reductions in weight, cost, and energy demand.
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A
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Membrane unit alone could not achieve 50ppmv CO2
Overview of processes compared
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Two feed cases based on Roussanalyet al. (2014)
Simulations in Aspen Hysys V8.6
Process metrics considered:Methane slip (MS)Relative energy demand (RED)Dry equipment weightDry installed weightTotal plant volumeEquipment cost & installed costOperating cost
Membrane thickness = 100 nm (i.e. CA thickness on a substrate)
Modeled membrane unit in a user defined subflowsheet
Membrane separation unit model
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Each mole of CO2 removed in membrane unit reduces solvent rate & reboiler duty required in the amine section. Control = membrane area. Reducing hydraulic load also effects equipment sizing
Feed 1, 10% CO2 Feed 2, 50% CO2 + 1% H2S
Solvent rateBase: 1258m3/hr Hybrid: 1160m3/hr
Solvent rateBase: 4105m3/hr Hybrid: 1360m3/hr
Contactor diameter 15m10m
How much CO2 to remove in the membrane unit?
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CH4 lost across membrane also accounted in Op Costs.
Process metrics spider plot (log scale)
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IPTC-18732-MS • A Technical Evaluation of Hybrid Membrane-Absorption Processes for Acid Gas Removal • Dr Tom Rufford
Process metrics Spider plots (linear)
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No clear advantage of hybrid system for this feed scenario and membrane properties.- 7.8% lower solvent rate in hybrid process, doesn’t impact
column size- 30% drop in energy for reboiler, pumps in amine unitThose benefits offset by:• methane slip in membrane unit• Small increase in equipment weight (MSU + base case amine
unit)• Hybrid process costs all increase
Feed 1 10% CO2 summary
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For very sour gas feed there is potential to use bulk separation properties of the membrane unit.- 67% reduced solvent rate in hybrid process- 80% reduced equipment weight, 50% reduced plant volume
Methane slips increases ~10% CH4 in feed lost across membrane- Still energy savings allow 40% reduction in operating costs- Methane slip has implications on any CO2 processing/storage
plans
Feed 2 50% CO2 + 1% H2S Summary
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Key limitations of study
Assumption gas to membrane unit is essentially dry.
Captures estimate of membrane replacement as an annualised cost, but doesn’t capture any effect of fouling on separation performance
We only looked at 10% and 50% CO2 scenarios, didn’t search for feed concentration at which hybrid process becomes preferred option.
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Highlights
Comparison of (1) conventional MDEA amine absorption and (2) hybrid membrane + amine process to treat sour gas for feed to an LNG plant.
Feeds with 10%mol CO2 no apparent benefits of a hybrid system.
Very sour feed gas with 50%mol CO2 the hybrid system has potential for significant reductions in equipment weight, plant volume, investment costs, and operating costs.
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This work was funded in part by:• The Australian Research Council (DE140100569)• Technischen Universität Müchen travel support for Michael to
UQ
IPTC attendance supported by SPE Faculty Enhancement Travel Award
Niu, Mark Wendou, G. P. Rangaiah. 2014. Retrofitting amine absorption process for natural gas sweetening via hybridization with membrane separation (in International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 29: 221-230Roussanaly, S., R. Anantharaman, K. Lindqvist. 2014. Multi-criteria analyses of two solvent and one low-temperature concepts for acid gas removal from natural gas (in Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 20: 38-49.Rufford, Thomas E., Simon Smart, Guillaume C.Y. Watson et al. 2012. The removal of CO2and N2 from natural gas: A review of conventional and emerging process technologies (in Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 94-95: 123-154.
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IPTC-18732-MS • A Technical Evaluation of Hybrid Membrane-Absorption Processes for Acid Gas Removal • Dr Tom Rufford
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Slide 24
IPTC-18732-MS • A Technical Evaluation of Hybrid Membrane-Absorption Processes for Acid Gas Removal • Dr Tom Rufford