Fig 1 Process Flowsheet for Common Sweetening System

Ref 1 http://www.bre.com/technicalpapers/technicalpaper.asp?articlenumber=58

Article Design & Operation of a Selective Sweetening Plant Using MDEA

Ref 2 http://www.bre.com/technicalpapers/technicalpaper.asp?articlenumber=45
An excellent design article - a must have for every student designing an amine system.

Ref 3 Natural Gas Processors Suppliers Association (NGPSA), 1972

Engineering Data Book
Section 15, page 15-20 Amine processes
An excellent design manual - a must have for every student designing an amine system.
NGPSA Fig 15-25 Approximate Design Guidelines For Chemical Absorption Processes

Conven- Conven- High Econ-

tional tional Loading SNPA amine
MEA DEA DEA DEA (DGA)
Max acid gas pickup, scf/usg @ 100F 3.1 2.3 5.4 6.2 6.2

Max acid gas pickup, moles / mole amine 0.33 0.3 0.65 0.8 0.3

Acid gas in rich solution, moles / mole amine 0.43 0.4 0.75 0.9 0.4

Max. residual acid gas in lean solution

mole / mole amine 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Amine concentration, wt% 18 25 25 25 65

Steam, reboiler heat flux, btu / h r/ sf 9,000 9,000 9,000 9,000 9,000

Direct fired average reboiler heat flux

btu / hr / sf max 7,500 7,500 7,500 7,500 7,500
Reboiler Temperature, deg F 260 260 260 260 280

Reclaimer heat flux, btu / hr / sf 5,000 N.A. N.A. N.A. 8,000

Heats reaction, approximate:

btu / lb H2S 652 493 493 493 674
btu / lb CO2 805 650 650 650 850

Reboiler heat duty, btu / usg lean amine solution 1,000 900 1,000 1,000 1,100
(high H2S / CO2 ratio gases may require additional heat)

Fig 15-28 NGPSA Physical properties of Gas Treating Liquids Ref 3

Formula MW SG @20C Spec heat Lat Heat Visc Liq

btu/lb/F btu/lb cP
MEA HOC2H4NH2 61.08 1.018 0.68 355 @ 14.7 psia 24.1 @ 68F

DEA (HOC2H4)2NH 105.14 1.095 0.6 288 @ 73 mmhg 350 @ 68F

TEA (HOC2H4)3N 148.19 1.124 0.7 230 @ 14.7 psia 1013 @ 68F

DGA H(OC2H4)2NH2 105.14 1.058 0.571 219.14 @ 14.7 psia 40 @ 60F

Ref 3

Sulfinol
7

-
variable

9,000

7,500
260

N.A.

1,100

Pc Tc Therm Cond
psia deg F ?? btu/hr/ft^2 F/ft
868 662 0.148

474.7 827.8 0.127

355 957.7

547.11 756.6 0.121

PFS for Normal Operation - Nova's (By Dow) Red Deer, Alberta, LHC#2

110F, 37 psig Lean Amine To Amine Storage

92F ctw 92F ctw

E-2 E-3
109 72F To burners
Sweet Ethane To process 109 72F 2nd deck
171F 113
29 bfw 20 4.5 psig
120F
110 25
Lean MEA from Storage via P-532 P-2 215F Stm 50 psig
296F V-1 Reflux Drum
1 245F 1
E-1a/b
108 1st deck
Sour Ethane fr wells 141F E-4a&s

111 112 P-1

T-1, Amine Contactor T-2, Amine Stripper

MW 108 109 110 111 112 113 bfw

Methane 16.042 201.49 201.39 0.1 113 0.1 OA mb OA mol bal
Ethane 30.068 7576.12 7573.07 3.05 3.05 In = 488,260 20,151.76
Propane 44.094 80.6 80.54 0.06 0.06 Out = 488,260 20,151.76
MEA 61.08 0 0 590.26 590.26 590.24 0.02
CO2 44.011 201.49 0.8 59.02 259.71 59.02 200.69
H2S 34.076 0.08 0 0.08 0.08 CO2 bal
COS 60.08 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.02 In = 260.51
H20 18.016 0 81.14 11339.96 11361.52 11339.96 21.56 102.7 Out = 260.51
lb mols/hr 8,059.82 7,936.96 11,989.24 12,214.80 11,989.22 225.58 102.70
lb/hr 243,457.96 235,987.33 242,951.33 252,272.21 242,950.11 9,322.10 1,850.24 Water Bal
MW 30.21 29.73 20.26 20.65 20.26 41.33 18.02 In = 11442.66
Temp, F 100 110 110 141 245 120 225 Out = 11442.66
PSIG 95 85 114 114 10 4.5 111 0

CO2 mol% 2.5% 0.010% 0.492% 2.126%

MEA wt% 14.84% 14.29%

Diam., ft. T-T ft. Trays Theo trays

Sizes T-1, Amine Contactor 10.5 71 4 ww + 25 abs 7
T-2, Amine Stripper 7.5 57.5 20 7
V-1 Reflux Drum 5 8
Amine Storage, API 16 16

E-1a/b, Cross-exchangers 3254 sf

E-2 Cooler 3151 sf
E-3, Condenser 987 sf
E-4a/s reboiler 7233 sf
Several preliminary considerations should be examined foreach sweetening application. These include: Ref 2

Circulation Rate

The ratio of CO2 to H2S in the feedgas is of considerable importance in the selection of MDEA as the sweetening agent.
The more CO2 in relation to H2S, the more attractive economically itwill appear to remove only the H2S.
The original CO2 to H2S ratio for the Forestburg plant was 6:1 which was the initial indication that MDEA wasworth considering.
In addition, preliminary simulations indicated that 1/4 grain/100 SCFspecification with slightly less than 2% CO 2 in the outlet gas
was readily achievable.

When initially designing an MDEA facility, a first estimateof the circulation rate is required.
A good approximation is to calculate the amine raterequired to remove all the H2S and half of the CO2.

Try article values for MDEA to get 100 USGPM of MDEA

99 Note: 0.3 MM should be 30 MMSCFD in Ref 2 article

moles acid gas/hr = 65.86

moles MDEA/hr at 50 wt. % = 212.68
mols acid gas/mol MDEA = 0.31 checks ok

Use same constant 0.206 to handle MEA instead of MDEA

USGPM of MEA solution = (0.206)(MM)(H2S + CO2)(MWT) for MEA

(ML)(WT)

MM = gas flow MMSCFD 73.4 SCF/mol = v/n = RT/p 379.6

H2S = mol % of H2S to be removed all 0.0010%
CO2 = mol % of CO2 to be removed all 2.50% PFS 359.1265
MWT = mole WT of MEA = 61.08 61.08 for MEA
ML = mol loading, moles acid gas/mole 0.33 See NGPSA, p-15-21, Fig 15-25
WT = amine solution weight percent circulated 14.84%

USGPM = 471.8 SG = 1.018 240,143 lb/hr 7,950.07 lb mols/hr

vs
PFS gives 242,951 lb/hr

RD2 Calc'd
moles acid gas = 8,059.82 8,059.8
moles MEA = 7,936.96 7,950.1
ML = mol loading, moles acid gas / mole MEA= 1.015 1.014

Hence, for design, use a ML loading of 0.33 moles of acid gas per mole of 15% MEA

Proceed now to a FWG Tray design to get liquid residence time

This data was extracted from FWG Detailed Design -V3.4 - Amine Abs
Copy is on file in Amine Systems folder in Chemical Plant Design

Clear Liquid Residence Time on Trays

Normal mb Design Case

CO2 = 2.5% CO2 = 5%
Diam = 10.50 ft 10.50 ft FWG pgm
Liquid rate = 263,970 lb/hr 481,134 lb/hr
Liquid Density = 63.65 lb/cf 63.65 lb/cf
cfs liquid = 1.15 cfs 2.10 cfs
Active area, fr FWG pgm = 73.613 sf 73.613 sf FWG pgm
Weir length, both for 2 pass = 194.118 inches 194.118 inches FWG pgm
GPM = 517.6 usgpm 943.4 usgpm
how = 0.40(GPM/LWI)^0.67 = 0.772 inches 1.154 inches FWG pgm
Weir height, specified = 2 inches 2 inches FWG pgm
Liquid height on tray = 2.772 inches 3.154 inches
CLRT = sf*ft/cf/sec = 4.4 sec 2.8 sec

Note, the Design Case clear liquid residence time is 2.8 seconds.

No Trays 25
Total residence time = 69.1 sec
Rules of thumb for Amine stripper design for 15 wt% MEA.
NGPSA RD LHC#2
For the stripper reboiler, provide 1000 BTU per usg of lean solution circulated. 56.604 MM btu/hr 48.62142 MM btu/hr

The reboiler temperature will be approximately 260 deg F

RD LHC#2
The steam reboiler heat flux will be 6,339 btu/hr/sf

Red Deer LHC#2 Reflux /Distillate = L / D = 0.75 for normal 1.5 for design

RD design uses 20 trays with the feed tray being 17.

Use 18 inch tray spacing.