Gas processing with propane Refrigeration loop

Refrigerated Gas Plant

A gas stream is to be processed using a propane refrigeration loop. The purpose
is to find the LTS (low temperature separator) temperature at which the
hydrocarbon dewpoint target is met. The Sales Gas hydrocarbon dewpoint
should not exceed –15 oC at 7000 kPa. The incoming gas is cooled in two stages
– first by exchange with product Gas Sales in a gas-gas exchanger, and then in a
chiller which use the propane as a refrigerant.

- Gas stream has the following composition:

Component Mole Fraction Component Mole Fraction
N2 0.0066 n-C4 0.0101
H2S 0.0003 i-C5 0.0028
CO2 0.0003 n-C5 0.0027
C1 0.7575 C6 0.0006
C2 0.1709
C3 0.0413 C7+ 0.0001
i-C4 0.0068 C7+ has a boiling point of 110 oC.

Pressure: 6500 kPa Temperature: 15 oC Flow Rate: 1500 kgmole/hr

- For the Gas-Gas exchanger:

Shell Side Inlet: LTS Vap Tube Side Inlet: Inlet Sep Vap
Shell Side Outlet: Sales Gas Tube Side Outlet: Gas to Chiller
Shell side Delta P: 5 kPa Tube side Delta P: 30 kPa
Min Approach = 5 oC
- For the Chiller:
Feed Stream: Gas to Chiller Product Stream: Gas to LTS
Pressure drop: 40 kPa

- Existing Propane refrigeration loop:

Condenser pressure drop: 30 KPa
Condenser outlet: Saturated liquid @ 45 oC
Evaporator pressure drop: 5 KPa
Evaporator heat duty: 1.5e+6 KJ/hr
Evaporator outlet: at its dew point @ -15 oC

Process Simulation Using aspen HYSYS Eng.\ Ahmad M. Mokhtar 1

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Gas processing with propane Refrigeration loop

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Depropanizer Column

Depropanizer Column
The Liquids from Inlet separator and LTS in the refrigerated gas plant combined
together and are fed to a depropanizer to get a liquid product with 2% propane
mole fraction.

- The Depropanizer Column has the following specification:

o Condenser Pressure: 1379 KPa.
o Reboiler Pressure: 1413 KPa.
o Condenser Temperature: 4.5 OC.
o Reboiler Temperature: 93 OC.
o Reflux Ratio: 1.

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Crude Oil Refining

Crude Oil Refining

A pre-heated crude needs to be fractionate to produce the following product:
1. Naphtha: produced from top 3-phase condenser. 20,000 bbl/day
2. Kerosene: produced from reboiler side stripper. 13,000 bbl/day
3. Diesel fuel: produced from steam side stripper. 17,000 bbl/day
4. Gas oil: produced from steam side stripper. 5,000 bbl/day
5. Residue: produced from the bottom.

The feed conditions are:

▪ Temp. = 450 Of
▪ Press. = 5.171 bar
▪ Liq. Vol. flow rate = 100,000 bbl/day
The oil will be heated in the furnace to 650 of with 3.5% over flash, and then
feed to the tower that have (29 tray + partial condenser).
The feed enter the tower at stage 28, and a steam stream enters at the bottom.
The oil has the following laboratory assay data:
TBP Distillation Assay
Liquid Volume Percent Distilled Temperature. of Molecular weight
0.0 80.0 68.0
10.0 255.0 119.0
20.0 349.0 150.0
30.0 430.0 182.0
40.0 527.0 225.0
50.0 635.0 282.0
60.0 751.0 350.0
70.0 915.0 456.0
80.0 1095.0 585.0
90.0 1277.0 713.0
98.0 1410.0 838.0

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 Crude Oil Refining

Light Ends Liquid Volume Percent

i-Butane 0.19
n-Butane 0.11
i-Pentane 0.37
n-Pentane 0.46

Liq. Vol. % distilled API Gravity Viscosity Assay

13.0 63.28 Liq. Vol. % Viscosity (cP) Viscosity (cP)

Distilled 100 OF 210 OF
33.0 54.86
10.0 0.20 0.10
57.0 45.91
30.0 0.75 0.30
74.0 38.21
50.0 4.20 0.80
91.0 26.01
70.0 39.00 7.50
Bulk Crude Properties 90.0 600.00 122.30
MW 300.00

API Gravity 48.75

And the other operation conditions are listed below:

Steam Streams Information
o
Temp. ( f) Pressure (psia) Mass flow (lb/hr)
Bottom steam 375 150 7500
Diesel steam 300 50 3000
AGO steam 300 50 2500

Kerosene Reboiler Duty: 7.5 x 106 BTU/hr

Initial estimated values
o
Temperature ( f) Pressure (psia)
Condenser 100 19.7
Condenser press. drop - 9
Top stage 250 -
Bottom stage 700 32.7

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Crude Oil Refining

Pump around specifications

Pump Drawn Return Circulation Duty
around stage stage rate(bbl/day) (BTU/hr)
PA_1 2 1 50,000 - 55e6
PA_2 17 16 30,000 -3.5e7
PA_3 22 21 30,000 -3.5e7

Strippers Specifications
stripper Type Draw stage Return stage
Kerosene Reboiled 9 8
Diesel Steam 17 16
AGO steam 22 21

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Chemical Reaction – Toluene Production

Chemical Reaction
Toluene is produced from n-heptane by Dehydrogenation over a Cr2O3 catalyst:
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3 C6H5CH3 + 4H2
The toluene production process is started by heating n-heptane (100 lb mol/hr)
from 65oF to 800oF in a heater.

It is fed to a catalytic reactor, which operates isothermally and converts 15% of

the n-heptane to toluene.
Its effluent is cooled to 65oF and fed to a separator (flash).

Assuming that all of the units operates at atmospheric pressure, Determine the
species flow rates in every stream?

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Chemical Reaction – Toluene Production

Chemical Reaction
Propylene glycol is being produced from propylene oxide, the reaction takes
place in a CSTR reactor operate in atmospheric pressure.
H2O + C3H6O C3H8O2
Feed streams:
1.Propylene oxide:
Temp. = 75of Press. = 1.1 atm. Molar flow rate. = 150 lbmole/hr
2.Water:
Temp. = 75of Press. = 16.17 psia. Mass flow rate. = 11000 lb/hr

The Arrhenius parameters for Kinetic reaction:

A = 1.7 x 1013 , E = 32400 BTU/lbmole
The CSTR reactor:
Vol. = 280 ft3 , 85% full
The outlet temp. = 140 of
The distillation column:
Condenser press. = 15 psia. Condenser press. Drop = 0
Reboiler press. = 17 psia. Reflux ratio = 1
Bottom product (glycol) specification is 0.005 mole fraction of water.

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Gas Gathering

Gas Gathering
In this example, a gas gathering system located on varied terrain is simulated
using the steady state capabilities of HYSYS. The following figure shows the
physical configuration of this system superimposed on a topographic map. The
system consists of four wells distributed over an area of approximately 2.0
square km, connected to a gas plant via a network of pipelines.

Pipe Diameters for each of the branches are:

Pipe Branch Diameter
Branch 1 76.2 mm (3")
Branch 2 76.2 mm (3")
Branch 3 76.2 mm (3")
Branch 4 101.6 mm (4")
Branch 5 76.2 mm (3")
Branch 6 152 mm (6")
Branch 7 203.2 mm (8")

Schedule 40 steel pipe is used throughout and all branches are buried at a depth
of 1m (3 feet). All pipes are uninsulated.

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Gas Gathering

Elevation data for each of the branches are provided in the following table: -

Length Elevation Elevation Change

Branch Segment meter meter meter

Branch 1 GasWell A 639

1 150 645 6
2 125 636.5 -8.5
3 100 637 0.5
Branch 2 GasWell B 614
1 200 637 23
Branch 3 GasWell C 635.5
1 160 648 12.5
2 100 634 -14
3 205 633 -1
Branch 4 Branch 1 & 2 637
1 355 633 -4
Branch 5 GasWell D 632.5
1 180 625 -7.5
2 165 617 -8
Branch 6 Branch 3 & 4 633
1 300 617 -16
Branch 7 Branch 5 & 6 617
1 340 604 -13

- All wells streams have the same following composition: -

Component Mole Fraction Component Mole Fraction

N2 0.0002 i-C4 0.0150
H2S 0.0405 n-C4 0.0180
CO2 0.0151 i-C5 0.0120
C1 0.7250 n-C5 0.0130
C2 0.0815 C6 0.0090
C3 0.0455 C7+ 0.0252
C7+ has normal boiling point = 110 of

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Gas Gathering

- The four streams should have the following values:

GasWell A GasWell B GasWell C GasWell D

Temperature
°C
40 45 43 35

Pressure
kPa
4135 3450

Flow
kgmole/h
425 375 575 545

- Ambient Temperature = 5°C.

- For all pipes in this simulation, use Overall and the Heat Transfer
Coefficient Estimation method.

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Gas Gathering

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