Increasing liquid hydrocarbon recovery from natural gas: Evaluation of the vortex-tube device
- CBS Engineering, Houston, TX (United States)
- BEB Erdoel and Erdgas GmbH, Hannover (Germany)
- Filtan Analgenbau GmbH, Langenselbold (Germany)
- Falk and Thomas Engineering GmbH, Wettenberg (Germany)
The vortex-tube device provides a useful addition to the range of equipment available to the gas industry. It has been shown that the use of vortex-tube equipment permits improved separation in comparison with a Joule-Thomson system, without entering into the cost and complexity of a true isentropic system such as a turbo-expander unit. The comparative advantage of the vortex tube depends upon the inlet conditions of the gas and the pressure drop that is available. An optimum pressure drop of 25--35% of the inlet gas pressure has been confirmed in practice. Although not yet tested on operating plant, it is expected that a loss of performance of vortex-tube units will occur for inlet liquid-to-gas ratios of greater than 20%. Units with up to 5% liquid at the inlet have been successfully operated showing that a single phase gas at the unit inlet is not essential. It is expected that future application of vortex tube units will be concentrated where performance improvements over Joule-Thomson units, at low capital cost, are required.
- OSTI ID:
- 347865
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9703180-; TRN: IM9923%%403
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 76. annual meeting of the Gas Processors Association (GPA), San Antonio, TX (United States), 10-12 Mar 1997; Other Information: PBD: [1997]; Related Information: Is Part Of Seventy-sixth annual convention Gas Processors Association: Proceedings; PB: 249 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Emissions mitigation technology for advanced water-lean solvent-based CO2 capture processes
Enabling Staged Pressurized Oxy-Combustion: Improving Flexibility and Performance at Reduced Cost