USE OF DENSE FLUID EXPANDERS IN CRYOGENIC NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS RECOVERY

• Main Author: Brostow, Adam Adrian
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.12.2020
• Subjects: ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE ORUNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FIRELIGHTERS; FUELS; FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; LUBRICANTS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT; NATURAL GAS; PEAT; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; WEAPONS

A system and a process for processing a natural gas liquid feed is provided. In the system, a dense fluid expander is positioned downstream from a subcooler heat exchanger. The subcooler heat exchanger cools one or more reflux streams against an overhead vapor stream and a distillation column positioned downstream from the dense fluid expander. An increase in recovery of natural gas liquids is provided through the use of this system having at least one dense fluid expander.