Hydrates in de-ethanizer
Hydrates in de-ethanizer
(OP)
Im looking at a conceptual project involving a de-ethanizer to lean out a rich gas.
Are hydrates in the gas a problem following the cooling of the gas?.
If the gas e.g. have a water dew point of -8ºC and the inlet stream gets cooled to -20ºC - would the water that is freed and the hydrates that may form actually cause problems or would they tend to stay in the liquid phase and "melt" in the hotter zones of the collumn? I havent checked the theoretical hydrate formation temperature at the actual operating pressure but i think that we are within the regio whre hydrate will form
Best regards
Morten
Are hydrates in the gas a problem following the cooling of the gas?.
If the gas e.g. have a water dew point of -8ºC and the inlet stream gets cooled to -20ºC - would the water that is freed and the hydrates that may form actually cause problems or would they tend to stay in the liquid phase and "melt" in the hotter zones of the collumn? I havent checked the theoretical hydrate formation temperature at the actual operating pressure but i think that we are within the regio whre hydrate will form
Best regards
Morten





RE: Hydrates in de-ethanizer
The inhibitor of choice is ethylene glycol that will absorb the water and can be decanted, regenerated, and reused. On very small systems, methanol can be injected and lost to the system.
Some water does get by and can end up in deethanizers. If this is a normal refluxed deethanizer, the water will end up in the reflux drum and will freeze. Most dethanizers have spray nozzels on the overhead condensors to spray methanol to remove hydrates that build up overtime.
RE: Hydrates in de-ethanizer
Best regards
Morten
RE: Hydrates in de-ethanizer
RE: Hydrates in de-ethanizer
dcasto is right, you required Drizo process to dehydrate the gas and to recover 99.99% TEG purity. We have drizo process and able to achieve -70 F dewpoint measured at std condition condition.