Glycol Dehydration

BR&E is the leader in predicting the performance of both glycol dehydration and hydrate suppression systems. Benefits include rigorous predictions for water content, hydrate formation temperature, water dew point and CO₂ freeze out. The best in industry BTEX solubility predictions from PROSIM have been carried forward into ProMax.

Benefits:

Select EG, DEG, TEG, Methanol solvents with BR&E proprietary interactions.
Utilize unsurpassed Methanol - H₂O - Hydrocarbon VLE / VLLE / LLE predictions.
Calculate hydrate, ice and solid CO₂ formation temperatures, and water content.
Predict BTEX and VOC emissions accurately.
Optimize glycol flow rate.
Calculate hydrate inhibitor requirements.

About Dehydration Applications

ProMax can perform dehydration simulations using the common glycols Ethylene Glycol (EG), Diethylene Glycol (DEG), and Triethylene Glycol (TEG). Dehydration processes using other solvents such as Methanol or DEPG can also be modeled. Injection systems using Methanol, EG, or other hydrate inhibitors can be modeled as well. Almost any dehydration unit flow scheme may be simulated, including stripping gas, stripping gas with dryer column, solvent enhanced stripping, and enhanced stripping with vapor recovery. For cases involving Methanol, you must select one of the Polar Equation of State Property Packages (i.e. SRK Polar or Peng-Robinson Polar) to obtain accurate results.

Properties such as water content, water dew point, hydrate formation temperature, and water freeze-out temperature may be calculated using the Freeze-Out Analysis.
Automatic solids formation warnings for both streams and blocks can be enabled in the Environment Options.
ProMax accurately predicts BTEX and VOC emissions.
ProMax Methanol-Water-Hydrocarbon VLE/VLLE/LLE predictions are very accurate.

Freeze Out, Hydrate, Water Content, and Water Dew Point Analysis

The Freeze Out Analysis calculates ice, solid CO₂, and hydrate formation temperatures, as well as the highest temperature at which any of these solids will form. In addition, it calculates water dew point and water content which are very useful properties for dehydration applications.

Dehydration / Inhibition Processes Modeled by ProMax

Hydrate Inhibition

Inhibition utilizes injection of one of the glycols or methanol into a process stream where it can combine with the condensed aqueous phase to lower the hydrate formation temperature at a give pressure.
Both glycol and methanol can be recovered with the aqueous phase, regenerated, and reinjected.

Stripping Gas

A portion of the sales gas (or other available gas) is injected directly into the reboiler to aid in stripping.

Stripping Gas with Dryer

A glycol stripper with a dryer can achieve a more pure glycol than stripping gas injected directly into the reboiler since the dryer provides additional ideal stages for stripping.
A dryer is a secondary column attached below the stripper reboiler which further reduces the water content of the lean glycol. It is usually a small packed column with no more than one or two ideal stages. The stripping gas is injected in the bottom stage of the dryer.

Vacuum Stripping

Operating the regenerator under vacuum enhances stripping.
The PROGLY^® process is a vacuum based system. The main difference between this system and a traditional vacuum system is that the vacuum is applied only to a vessel receiving vapor directly from the reboiler, thus giving a reduced vacuum pump size. The process does not require any stripping gas, and a TEG concentration of 99.9 wt% can be achieved. The process can be adopted to an existing conventional glycol regeneration system. A BTEX recovery unit can be added as part of the system.
Another technology uses a conventional regenerator, then further reconcentrates the glycol in a dryer operated below atmospheric pressure. This EnviroDehy Process is patented by Bryan Research & Engineering, Inc., patent number 5,490,873.

Solvent Enhanced Stripping

A volatile hydrocarbon liquid is fed into the glycol regeneration system to increase the volatility of water in the solution and, after vaporization, act as stripping gas in the regenerator. Mixed vapors flow through the glycol reboiler and the rich glycol stripper, which is refluxed with aqueous condensate to minimize glycol losses. Vapors from the rich glycol stripper are totally condensed and collected in a separator. Condensed hydrocarbon liquids form a separate phase which is recycled to the regeneration system. Liquid water is discarded. Dew points near -150F can be achieved with this technology.
The DRIZO^® technology is an example of process that uses solvent enhanced stripping as described by Pearce et al. (1972). The vapor from the glycol reboiler/still column is condensed in a unit together with the vapor from the stripping column. The solvent and all BTEX compounds are condensed in this unit before the vapor is discharged to atmosphere. The main advantages of this system are that all BTEX compounds are recovered from the vapor before being sent to atmosphere, that the TEG purity can be as high as 99.999 wt%, and no external stripping gas is required. The DRIZO technology may be adapted to existing units which need to be upgraded due to new requirements for higher glycol purity, or for better emission control of BTEX and CO₂.

Coldfinger^®

The Coldfinger process is based on a conventional glycol regeneration unit and was described by Reid (1975). The main principle of this technology is to condense and collect water/hydrocarbons from the reboiler vapor phase and drain it away from the reboiler.
A cooling coil (the Coldfinger condenser) is placed in the vapor space above hot glycol from the reboiler of a conventional regenerator, and a collecting tray is placed below the coil to catch condensate. Since the vapor above concentrated glycol is much richer in water vapor than in glycol vapor, its condensation removes water from the system, and additional water is vaporized from the hot glycol.
The collected water/condensate from the Coldfinger condenser is collected in an accumulator from where it is periodically pumped into the still feed stream.

Methanol Processes

When performing a simulation involving Methanol, a Polar Equation of State (Peng-Robinson Polar or SRK Polar) must be used as the Property Package to obtain accurate results. ProMax hydrocarbon-water-vapor VLLE and hydrate formation temperature predictions are extremely accurate.


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Free SixxacMenu module license Capabilities Amine Sweetening Glycol Dehydration Heat Exchanger Rating Crude Oil Refining LPG Recovery NGL Fractionation Caustic Treating Sulfur and TGCU Reactors Sour Water Stripper Pipelines Vessel Sizing Other Processes Interface Flowsheet Drawing Multiple Flowsheets Project Viewer Reporting Property Packages Extensibility TSWEET PROSIM Client List Sales Information Testimonials	Glycol Dehydration BR&E is the leader in predicting the performance of both glycol dehydration and hydrate suppression systems. Benefits include rigorous predictions for water content, hydrate formation temperature, water dew point and CO₂ freeze out. The best in industry BTEX solubility predictions from PROSIM have been carried forward into ProMax. Benefits: Select EG, DEG, TEG, Methanol solvents with BR&E proprietary interactions. Utilize unsurpassed Methanol - H₂O - Hydrocarbon VLE / VLLE / LLE predictions. Calculate hydrate, ice and solid CO₂ formation temperatures, and water content. Predict BTEX and VOC emissions accurately. Optimize glycol flow rate. Calculate hydrate inhibitor requirements. About Dehydration Applications ProMax can perform dehydration simulations using the common glycols Ethylene Glycol (EG), Diethylene Glycol (DEG), and Triethylene Glycol (TEG). Dehydration processes using other solvents such as Methanol or DEPG can also be modeled. Injection systems using Methanol, EG, or other hydrate inhibitors can be modeled as well. Almost any dehydration unit flow scheme may be simulated, including stripping gas, stripping gas with dryer column, solvent enhanced stripping, and enhanced stripping with vapor recovery. For cases involving Methanol, you must select one of the Polar Equation of State Property Packages (i.e. SRK Polar or Peng-Robinson Polar) to obtain accurate results. Properties such as water content, water dew point, hydrate formation temperature, and water freeze-out temperature may be calculated using the Freeze-Out Analysis. Automatic solids formation warnings for both streams and blocks can be enabled in the Environment Options. ProMax accurately predicts BTEX and VOC emissions. ProMax Methanol-Water-Hydrocarbon VLE/VLLE/LLE predictions are very accurate. Freeze Out, Hydrate, Water Content, and Water Dew Point Analysis The Freeze Out Analysis calculates ice, solid CO₂, and hydrate formation temperatures, as well as the highest temperature at which any of these solids will form. In addition, it calculates water dew point and water content which are very useful properties for dehydration applications. Dehydration / Inhibition Processes Modeled by ProMax Hydrate Inhibition Inhibition utilizes injection of one of the glycols or methanol into a process stream where it can combine with the condensed aqueous phase to lower the hydrate formation temperature at a give pressure. Both glycol and methanol can be recovered with the aqueous phase, regenerated, and reinjected. Stripping Gas A portion of the sales gas (or other available gas) is injected directly into the reboiler to aid in stripping. Stripping Gas with Dryer A glycol stripper with a dryer can achieve a more pure glycol than stripping gas injected directly into the reboiler since the dryer provides additional ideal stages for stripping. A dryer is a secondary column attached below the stripper reboiler which further reduces the water content of the lean glycol. It is usually a small packed column with no more than one or two ideal stages. The stripping gas is injected in the bottom stage of the dryer. Vacuum Stripping Operating the regenerator under vacuum enhances stripping. The PROGLY^® process is a vacuum based system. The main difference between this system and a traditional vacuum system is that the vacuum is applied only to a vessel receiving vapor directly from the reboiler, thus giving a reduced vacuum pump size. The process does not require any stripping gas, and a TEG concentration of 99.9 wt% can be achieved. The process can be adopted to an existing conventional glycol regeneration system. A BTEX recovery unit can be added as part of the system. Another technology uses a conventional regenerator, then further reconcentrates the glycol in a dryer operated below atmospheric pressure. This EnviroDehy Process is patented by Bryan Research & Engineering, Inc., patent number 5,490,873. Solvent Enhanced Stripping A volatile hydrocarbon liquid is fed into the glycol regeneration system to increase the volatility of water in the solution and, after vaporization, act as stripping gas in the regenerator. Mixed vapors flow through the glycol reboiler and the rich glycol stripper, which is refluxed with aqueous condensate to minimize glycol losses. Vapors from the rich glycol stripper are totally condensed and collected in a separator. Condensed hydrocarbon liquids form a separate phase which is recycled to the regeneration system. Liquid water is discarded. Dew points near -150F can be achieved with this technology. The DRIZO^® technology is an example of process that uses solvent enhanced stripping as described by Pearce et al. (1972). The vapor from the glycol reboiler/still column is condensed in a unit together with the vapor from the stripping column. The solvent and all BTEX compounds are condensed in this unit before the vapor is discharged to atmosphere. The main advantages of this system are that all BTEX compounds are recovered from the vapor before being sent to atmosphere, that the TEG purity can be as high as 99.999 wt%, and no external stripping gas is required. The DRIZO technology may be adapted to existing units which need to be upgraded due to new requirements for higher glycol purity, or for better emission control of BTEX and CO₂. Coldfinger^® The Coldfinger process is based on a conventional glycol regeneration unit and was described by Reid (1975). The main principle of this technology is to condense and collect water/hydrocarbons from the reboiler vapor phase and drain it away from the reboiler. A cooling coil (the Coldfinger condenser) is placed in the vapor space above hot glycol from the reboiler of a conventional regenerator, and a collecting tray is placed below the coil to catch condensate. Since the vapor above concentrated glycol is much richer in water vapor than in glycol vapor, its condensation removes water from the system, and additional water is vaporized from the hot glycol. The collected water/condensate from the Coldfinger condenser is collected in an accumulator from where it is periodically pumped into the still feed stream. Methanol Processes When performing a simulation involving Methanol, a Polar Equation of State (Peng-Robinson Polar or SRK Polar) must be used as the Property Package to obtain accurate results. ProMax hydrocarbon-water-vapor VLLE and hydrate formation temperature predictions are extremely accurate.