ENHANCED LOW TEMPERATURE SEPARATION PROCESS

摘要

Enhanced low temperature separation (LTS) processes are provided for separating light hydrocarbon components from heavy hydrocarbon components. The enhanced LTS process utilizes an absorber and a de-ethanizer tower to achieve sufficiently pure natural gas liquid (NGL) products and residue gas products. A portion of the de-ethanizer tower overhead is condensed and recycled as reflux for the absorber. The enhanced LTS process requires less refrigeration of the feed gas stream yet still achieves increased recovery of the valuable heavier hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon gas streams. The enhanced LTS process also reduces compression requirements compared to conventional LTS processes.

主权项

1. An enhanced low temperature process for separating light hydrocarbon components from heavy hydrocarbon components in a feed stream, said process comprising:
cooling said feed stream by directing said feed stream through at least one heat exchanger so as to condense at least a portion of said feed stream; directing said partially condensed feed stream into an absorber and producing from the absorber an absorber overhead vapor stream and an absorber liquid bottoms stream; flashing said absorber liquid bottoms stream into a de-ethanizer tower, thereby producing a de-ethanizer overhead vapor stream and a liquid product stream enriched in C3+ hydrocarbon compounds; condensing at least a portion of said de-ethanizer overhead vapor stream to form a liquid reflux stream and using a first portion of the liquid reflux stream as reflux in the de-ethanizer tower; combining said absorber overhead vapor stream with a second portion of the liquid reflux stream to produce a two-phase absorber recycle stream; and directing at least a portion of said absorber recycle stream to said absorber as liquid reflux.