Hydrocarbon gas processing including a single equipment item processing assembly

• Main Authors: Lynch Joe T, Cuellar Kyle T, Hudson Hank M, Johnke Andrew F, Wilkinson John D, Lewis W. Larry
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.04.2018
• Subjects: BLASTING; CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSEGASES [GHG]; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; WEAPONS

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to remove carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The gas stream is cooled, expanded to intermediate pressure, and fed to the top of a mass transfer means. A distillation liquid stream from the mass transfer means is heated in a first heat and mass transfer means to strip out its volatile components and form a bottom liquid product. A distillation vapor stream from the mass transfer means is combined with any vapor in the expanded cooled gas stream, and the combined vapor stream is cooled in a second heat and mass transfer means to partially condense it, forming a condensed stream that is fed to the top of the mass transfer means. A portion of the bottom liquid product is subcooled, expanded to lower pressure, and used to cool the combined vapor stream.