Enhance gas processing with reflux heat-exchangers
Despite recent successes of membrane-based separations in low-throughput applications, cryogenic processing remains the best route for separating and purifying gas mixtures, especially when high recoveries are required. Now conventional units are being modified to yield even higher recoveries at lower costs. Throughout the chemical process industries (CPI), this is being accomplished with reflux or plate-fin exchangers, especially for processing of natural gas, and offgases from refineries and petrochemical facilities. The concept of utilizing a heat exchanger as a multi stage rectification device is not new. However, only in the last fifteen years or so has accurate design of reflux exchangers become feasible. Also helpful have been the availability of prediction techniques for high-quality thermodynamic data, and process simulators that can rapidly solve the complex material, equilibrium and enthalpy relationships involved in simulating the performance of reflux exchangers. Four projects that show the value and effectiveness of reflux exchangers are discussed below in more detail. The first example considers hydrogen recovery from demethanizer overheads; the second highlights a low energy process for NGL and LPG recovery from natural gas. The third is a simple process for recovery of ethylene from fluid-catalytic cracker (FCC) offgas; and the fourth is a similar process for olefin recovery from dehydrogenation-reactor offgas.
- OSTI ID:
- 7203850
- Journal Information:
- Chemical Engineering (New York); (United States), Vol. 101:5; ISSN 0009-2460
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
02 PETROLEUM
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
GASES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
PERFORMANCE
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GASES
NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS
CHEMICAL PLANTS
FLUIDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LIQUEFIED GASES
LIQUIDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
030300* - Natural Gas- Drilling
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020400 - Petroleum- Processing
320303 - Energy Conservation
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& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Equipment & Processes