By Stripping With Gas Patents (Class 95/191)
  • Patent number: 9156757
    Abstract: A method for oxidizing hydrocarbons, in particular saturated hydrocarbons, for producing peroxides, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and/or diacids is described. Also described, is a method for oxidizing a cycloaliphatic saturated hydrocarbon using molecular oxygen for producing ketones/alcohols, and more precisely for oxidizing cyclohexane into cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone using molecular oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: RHODIA OPERATIONS
    Inventors: Sophie Galinat, Françoise Igersheim, Serge Veracini
  • Patent number: 9089812
    Abstract: A gas scrubbing apparatus including at least two modules, each module including at least one process vessel for a gas scrubbing process, each process vessel being selected from an absorber, a regenerator, a scrubber, a reboiler, a heat exchanger or a combination thereof. Each process vessel has top wall, a base wall, and at least three sidewalls formed from a cementitous material. Each process vessel has inlet and outlet ports for fluid entering and leaving the process vessel when in use, formed within at least one of the top wall, base wall, or sidewall of each process vessel. The sidewalls of each process vessel define a polygon shaped cross-section, and at least one side wall of a first process vessel in a first module can be connected or abutted to at least one side wall of a second process vessel in a second module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Process Group Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Craig Dugan, Trina Margaret Dreher
  • Patent number: 9021810
    Abstract: A power plant includes a boiler, a stream turbine generator, a post combustion processing system, a feed water regeneration processing system and a heat exchanger. Heat from the heat exchanger is used to regenerate (a) a reagent that absorbs carbon dioxide from flue gas and (b) a water-lean desiccant used to increase plant operating efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: The University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Kunlei Liu, James K. Neathery
  • Patent number: 8945292
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a gas purification system is provided. The system includes a first section having a first solvent path and a first gas path. The first gas path is configured to flow a stripping gas to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the first solvent path in a first vessel to produce a first gas mixture. The system also includes a second section having a second solvent path. The second solvent path is configured to flow a second solvent mixture to remove H2S from the first gas mixture and CO2 from the second solvent mixture within a second vessel. The second solvent mixture has a solvent saturated in CO2 at a first pressure, the second vessel is operated at a second pressure, and the first and second pressures are within approximately 20% of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Judith Pauline Oppenheim, Anindra Mazumdar
  • Patent number: 8864879
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising contacting a residual flue gas stream with a lean solution stream in an appendix stripper; where the residual flue gas stream comprises nitrogen, oxygen and moisture; and where the lean solution stream comprises ammonium, ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium sulfate; forming a vapor phase that comprises ammonia vapor, water vapor, carbon dioxide and nitrogen; forming a liquid phase that comprises water, ammonium sulfate and ammonia; discharging the vapor phase to a capture system; and discharging the liquid phase to a direct contact cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Inventors: Jalal Askander, Fred Kozak
  • Patent number: 8840707
    Abstract: A gas condensate production plant comprises a plurality of separation units in which C2 and/or C3 lighter components are stripped from the separator feeds using compressed heated stripping vapor produced from the feed in respective downstream separation units. Contemplated plants substantially reduce heating and cooling duties by using the waste heat from the compressor discharges in the separation process. Furthermore, the multi-stage fractionation according to the inventive subject matter provides improved gas condensate recovery at reduced energy costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: John Mak
  • Patent number: 8690992
    Abstract: Processes for operating an ammonia stripper at a low pressure in a gas purification system include providing a first side-draw stream from the ammonia stripper; heating the first side-draw stream with a second side-draw stream from a regenerator; providing a stripper offgas stream from the ammonia stripper to a stripper overhead condenser; and utilizing the stripper offgas stream as a heat source for a regenerating system fluidly coupled to the stripper overhead condenser. Also disclosed are systems for implementing the processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Sanjay Kumar Dube, Daniel Nicolaus Secundus Mattstedt, Joseph P. Naumovitz
  • Patent number: 8673062
    Abstract: A method of removing acid gases from raw gas is disclosed in which the raw gas is supplied to an absorption column where it is contacted with a physical absorption agent, having a boiling point lower than 100° C. at atmospheric pressure, under elevated operating pressure to load, the physical absorption agent with acid gases and usable gases and then the physical absorption agent loaded with acid gases and usable gases is driven from the absorption column at its sump while drawing off at the head of the absorption column a purified top gas containing up to a few ppm of acid-gas components. Following the absorption, the physical absorption agent undergoes stripping to remove usable gases, and regeneration to remove the acid gases as well as to provide a regenerated physical absorbent which may be used to treat additional raw gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: UHDE GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Menzel
  • Patent number: 8652237
    Abstract: A system and process are disclosed for selective removal and recovery of H2S from a gaseous volume, e.g., from natural gas. Anhydrous organic, sorbents chemically capture H2S gas to form hydrosulfide salts. Regeneration of the capture solvent involves addition of an anti-solvent that releases the captured H2S gas from the capture sorbent. The capture sorbent and anti-solvent are reactivated for reuse, e.g., by simple distillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: David J. Heldebrant, Phillip K. Koech, James E. Rainbolt, Mark D. Bearden, Feng Zheng
  • Patent number: 8641802
    Abstract: From the CO2-containing stream of process gas obtained in a process for the treatment of a CO2-containing stream of process gas, which is obtained in the production of pure synthesis gas from raw gas in the partial oxidation of heavy oils, petroleum coke or wastes, or in the gasification of coal, or when processing natural gas or accompanying natural gas, CO2 is removed physisorptively or chemisorptively, and the solvent loaded with CO2 is expanded to a lower pressure for the desorption of CO2. In order to generate CO2 as pure as possible, the contaminated CO2 is condensed to at least 60 bar[a] or below its critical temperature to at least 70 bar[a], and the impurities contained in the liquid CO2 are removed by stripping with gaseous CO2 guided in counterflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: LURGI GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Koss, Manfred Meyer, Alexander Schriefl
  • Patent number: 8613794
    Abstract: A process for producing a pressurized CO2 stream in a power plant integrated with a CO2 capture unit, wherein the power plant comprises at least one gas turbine (1) coupled to a heat recovery steam generator unit (2) and the CO2 capture unit comprises an absorber (18) and a regenerator (21), the process comprising the steps of: (a) introducing hot exhaust gas exiting a gas turbine into a heat recovery steam generator unit to produce a first amount of steam and a flue gas stream (17) comprising CO2; (b) removing CO2 from the flue gas stream comprising CO2 by contacting the flue gas stream with absorbing liquid in an absorber (18) to obtain absorbing liquid enriched in CO2 (20) and a purified flue gas stream; (c) contacting the absorbing liquid enriched in CO2 with a stripping gas at elevated temperature in a regenerator (21) to obtain regenerated absorbing liquid and a gas stream enriched in CO2 (23); (d) pressurizing the gas stream enriched in CO2 using a CO2 compressor (24) to obtain the pressurized CO2 stre
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Kuei-Jung Li, Georgios Protopapas
  • Patent number: 8591631
    Abstract: A method of assembling an acid gas component reduction system includes coupling at least one acid removal system in flow communication with at least one first synthetic gas (syngas) stream with at least one acid gas component having a first acid gas component concentration. The method also includes coupling at least one integral absorber in flow communication with the at least one acid removal system. The method further includes configuring the at least one integral absorber such that substantially continuous service of the at least one integral absorber facilitates producing a second syngas stream having a second acid gas component concentration that is less than the first acid gas component concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sachin Naphad, Pradeep Thacker
  • Patent number: 8518156
    Abstract: A process and system (100) for removing contaminants from a solution to regenerate the solution within the system. The process includes providing a solution (165) from a wash vessel (160) to a stripping column (181), the solution (165) including contaminants removed from a flue gas stream (150) present in the wash vessel (160) and contacting the solution with steam (185) inside the stripping column (181) thereby removing the contaminants from the solution and regenerating the solution. The stripping column (181) is operated at a pressure less than about 700 kilopascal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Frederic Z. Kozak, Arlyn V. Petig, Ritesh Agarwal, Rameshwar S. Hiwale
  • Patent number: 8470077
    Abstract: Processes for operating an ammonia stripper at a low pressure in a gas purification system include providing a first side-draw stream from the ammonia stripper; heating the first side-draw stream with a second side-draw stream from a regenerator; providing a stripper offgas stream from the ammonia stripper to a stripper overhead condenser; and utilizing the stripper offgas stream as a heat source for a regenerating system fluidly coupled to the stripper overhead condenser. Also disclosed are systems for implementing the processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Sanjay Kumar Dube, Daniel Nicolaus Secundus Mattstedt, Joseph P. Naumovitz
  • Patent number: 8454726
    Abstract: A solid absorbent for absorption of CO2 from flue gas, comprising: a) particles made of a cross bounded, highly porous polymer substrate, and b) CO2 absorbing functional nucleophilic groups grafted on the particle surface, is described. A method for CO2 sequestration using the absorbent is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Aker Clean Carbon AS
    Inventor: Thomas Ranes Haugan
  • Patent number: 8292989
    Abstract: A power generation plant (112), a method, and a CO2 capture system (122) for removing carbon dioxide (104) from a flue gas stream (106) are disclosed. As shown in FIG. 2, a CO2 capture system (122), comprises an absorber vessel (202), a water wash vessel (210), and a stripper (214). The CO2 capture system (122) can be configured to introduce both a lean ionic ammonia solution (204) from a regeneration system (124) and a flue gas stream (106) from a cooling system (120) and to provide a rich ionic ammonia solution (206) to a regeneration system (124), wherein the introduction of the lean ionic ammonia solution (204) to the flue gas stream (106) produces a flue gas substantially devoid CO2 (224). The water wash vessel (210) can be configured to receive the flue gas substantially devoid CO2 (224) and produce ammoniated water (212) by introducing water (218) to the flue gas substantially devoid CO2 (224).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Frederic Z. Kozak, Arlyn V. Petig, Vikram Shabde
  • Patent number: 8211213
    Abstract: The invention involves a process for maintaining a low level of carbon monoxide in a carbon dioxide product stream and also for keeping the carbon monoxide out of the fully shifted synthesis gas. The overall process is a process for treating both fully shifted and partially shifted or unshifted synthesis gas. The carbon monoxide is separately removed by a carbon monoxide stripping column and returned to the partially shifted or unshifted synthesis gas which can then undergo a shift reaction to convert the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: William J. Lechnick, Leonid Bresler, Nagaraju Palla
  • Patent number: 8128737
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for treating a waste gas stream containing on or more hydrocarbon contaminants such polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The system, method and apparatus may include a heat treatment chamber having a recycling apparatus that includes a supply of a food oil solvent; a mixing device to mix the solvent with the waste gas stream. The system, method and apparatus dissolve the hydrocarbon contaminants from the gas stream into a solvent containing the food oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Lummus Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin D. Lomax, Jr., Owens Owen, Paul Bizot, Milan Skarka
  • Patent number: 8062408
    Abstract: Methods and systems for separating a targeted gas from a gas stream emitted from a power plant. The gas stream is brought into contact with an absorption solution to preferentially absorb the targeted gas to be separated from the gas stream so that an absorbed gas is present within the absorption solution. This provides a gas-rich solution, which is introduced into a stripper. Low pressure exhaust steam from a low pressure steam turbine of the power plant is injected into the stripper with the gas-rich solution. The absorbed gas from the gas-rich solution is stripped in the stripper using the injected low pressure steam to provide a gas stream containing the targeted gas. The stripper is at or near vacuum. Water vapor in a gas stream from the stripper is condensed in a condenser operating at a pressure lower than the stripper to concentrate the targeted gas. Condensed water is separated from the concentrated targeted gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Shiaguo Chen, Yonggi Lu, Massoud Rostam-Abadi
  • Patent number: 8007567
    Abstract: The present invention is a biogas processing system having a compressor having a biogas input and output, a pump having a water input and output, a scrubber tower having a mixing chamber connected to a biogas input, a water pump input, a water output, and a processed biogas output, and a filtration member connected to the water output to remove contaminants from the water exiting the first scrubber tower. The system also includes devices for heating and cooling the recycled flow of water to enhance the ability of the water to absorb contaminants from the biogas and the ability of a stripper to remove absorbed contaminants from the water in a closed loop water system, and a controller for closely controlling the operating parameters of the system to achieve safe and optimal operation of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: A & B Process Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin L. Roe, David J. Mandli, Amanda M. Neuhalfen
  • Patent number: 7985280
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating a vapor to be injected into a flue gas stream are described. Apparatus comprises a fluid vaporization and injection assembly further comprising: a stripper for producing first ammonia vapor and a first aqueous ammonia solution from a second aqueous ammonia solution; a reflux tank for producing a second ammonia vapor and the second aqueous ammonia solution from the first ammonia vapor and the first aqueous ammonia solution; and a first outlet for outputting the second ammonia vapor for introduction into the flue gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Power Systems America, Ltd.
    Inventors: William Gretta, Eric Pear, Dileep Karmarkar
  • Patent number: 7901487
    Abstract: An acid gas such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, or a mixture thereof is removed from gaseous streams using aqueous absorption and stripping processes. By replacing the conventional stripper used to regenerate the aqueous solvent and capture the acid gas with a multipressure stripper (51) that combines acid gas compression with stripping, less energy is consumed. The multipressure stripper is a multistage flash (52, 55, 59) in which the total vapor flow from each stage is compressed and fed to the bottom of the previous flash stage at a higher pressure. In this process, the heat in the water content of the vapor exiting each stage is utilized at a higher pressure in the previous stage. The described stripping process generates the acid gas at a higher pressure without operating the stripper at a higher temperature, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventor: Gary T. Rochelle
  • Patent number: 7901488
    Abstract: Carbon dioxide and other acid gases are removed from gaseous streams using aqueous absorption and stripping processes. By replacing the conventional stripper used to regenerate the aqueous solvent and capture the acid gas with a matrix stripping configuration, less energy is consumed. The matrix stripping configuration uses two or more reboiled strippers at different pressures. The rich feed from the absorption equipment is split among the strippers, and partially regenerated solvent from the highest pressure stripper flows to the middle of sequentially lower pressure strippers in a “matrix” pattern. By selecting certain parameters of the matrix stripping configuration such that the total energy required by the strippers to achieve a desired percentage of acid gas removal from the gaseous stream is minimized, further energy savings can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Gary T. Rochelle, Babatunde A. Oyenekan
  • Patent number: 7892335
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the transfer of organic compounds from a first liquid phase to a gaseous phase and from said gaseous phase to a second liquid phase, comprising a packed stripping column (2), a housing (5), a shell (1), a means for introducing the gaseous phase at the bottom end of said packed stripping column (2), a distributor (4) for distributing said first liquid phase onto said packed stripping column (2), causing said first liquid phase to trickle down said packed stripping column (2) counter-currently to the flow of the gas phase and causing the gas stream leaving said packed stripping column (2) at its top end to have a higher content of organic compounds than the gaseous phase introduced at the bottom end of said packed stripping column (2), one or more ducts (9/26) allowing the gaseous phase leaving said packed stripping column (2) to flow downwards to the bottom end of a packed scrubber (3) enclosed in a housing (25), a distributor (12) on top of said packed scrubber (3) ca
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: N.V. DeSmet Ballestra Engineering S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Kellens, Anthony Harper
  • Patent number: 7785399
    Abstract: Systems and processes utilize one or more methods of providing overhead waste process heat to increase the feed temperature of the hot solvent stripping regeneration loop in an acid gas removal process. A heated rich solvent stream can be the primary feed for the hot solvent stripping regeneration loop, and one or more slip streams can be heated and then combined with the heated rich solvent stream to form a combined rich solvent stream prior to further processing in downstream units to remove acid gas from the solvent. A first slip stream can be heated in a stripper gas heat exchanger by heat exchange with a stripped gas stream. A second slip stream can be heated in a regenerator exchanger by heat exchange with an acid gas stream. A third slip stream can be heated in a recycle gas exchanger by heat exchange with a compressed recycle gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Richard Huang, Lamar A. Davis, William J. Lechnick, Xin Zhu
  • Patent number: 7758673
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing carbon dioxide and optionally hydrogen sulphide and/or COS from a gas stream containing these compounds by washing the gas with an aqueous washing solution containing water, sulfolane and a secondary or tertiary amine derived from ethanolamine. More particularly the invention relates to the process described above, the process being carried out in the presence of a primary or secondary amine compound in an amount between 0.5 and 15 wt. % based on water, sulfolane and amine. The invention further relates to an absorbent liquid to be used in the above process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Theodorus Johannes Brok, Rudolf Johannes Mathilda Groenen, Jeanine Marie Klinkenbijl, Mariette Catharina Knaap
  • Patent number: 7597742
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for treating a loaded solvent stream having a time-varying contaminant concentration, the process comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of hold-up tanks; (b) feeding the loaded solvent stream in dependence on its contaminant concentration to one or more of the hold-up tanks and; (c) allowing lowed solvent to flow from the plurality of hold-up tanks to obtain a smoothed loaded solvent stream having a reduced time-varying contaminant concentration. The invention further provides a treating unit comprising a circuit for circulating a solvent stream, which circuit includes a device for smoothing contaminant peak concentrations, said device comprising a plurality of hold-up tanks each hold-up tank having at least one inlet and an outlet equipped with an outlet valve, the device further comprising an inlet distributor allowing the control of solvent flow to one or more of the hold-up tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Anders Carlsson, Gijsbert Jan Van Heeringen, Thijme Last
  • Patent number: 6846348
    Abstract: A system for delivering dry compressed gas is provided, the gas being separated from any entrained liquid lubricant and then passed through a moisture absorber column to interact with a moisture-removing fluid. The fluid is a liquid lubricant or is maintained in a separate closed circuit relative to the liquid lubricant. A moisture stripping device receives some of the gas from the absorber column, which is passed in moisture exchange relation with the fluid before the fluid enters the column. The column has a housing defining a vertical absorption zone, and partition plates each defining gas flow holes. The plates have at least one tube passing therethrough, with an open upper end above one plate, and a lower end adjacent the next lower plate. The fluid passes down the tubes and across a top surface of each plate, with the gas flow passing upwardly through the holes in the plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Cash Engineering Research Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Anthony John Kitchener
  • Patent number: 6607585
    Abstract: An improved method and structure for purification of an acid gas stream by using raw fuel gas as a stripper to remove the BTEX and VOCs from the liquid amine stream. The improved method is particularly useful for purification of acid gas streams with BTEX contaminant levels in excess of environmentally acceptable levels for standard processing. Raw fuel gas is utilized at moderate temperatures and pressures, the uptake of BTEX and VOCs reduces the level of these compounds in the waste amine stream to environmentally acceptable levels, and the remaining contaminants may then be dealt with by ordinary means. Levels of H2S and CO2. in the liquid amine stream are also reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Inventor: David Morrow
  • Patent number: 6436174
    Abstract: A process for removing acidic gas constituents, of the group consisting of CO2, H2S, COS, CS2 and mercaptans, from gases, in which, in an absorption step, a dirty gas rich in acidic gas constituents is brought into contact with an absorption medium, as a result of which a clean gas low in acidic gas constituents and an absorption medium laden with acidic gas constituents are obtained, the absorption medium used being a mixture comprising a) from 0.1 to 50% by weight of one or more mono-cyclic or bicyclic nitrogen heterocycles which are unsubstituted and/or monosubstituted or poly-substituted on the carbon by OH, C1-C3 alkyl and/or C1-C3 hydroxyalkyl and which have from 5 to 14 ring atoms and 1 or 2 heterocyclically bound nitrogen atoms per ring as component A, b) from 1 to 60% by weight of a monohydric and/or polyhydric alcohol as component B, c) from 0 to 60% by weight of an aliphatic aminoalcohol as component C, d) from 0 to 98.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christoph Grossmann, Karl-Heinz Hänzel, Dieter Kolassa, Norbert Asprion
  • Patent number: 6299671
    Abstract: There is described a method for regeneration of triethylene glycol (TEG) that has been used as a drying medium to remove water from a fluid such as natural gas, where a drier TEG is recovered at the bottom fraction in a regeneration column (7), where water vapor together with other gases is removed at the top fraction and where the partially dried TEG from the regeneration column (7) optionally is also supplied to a stripping column (9) for further dehydration, where in the optional stripping column (9) and in the still column (7) there is supplied a stripping gas in countercurrent to the TEG stream, where as stripping gas there is mainly used gas which is recovered from the top fraction from the regeneration column (7). There is also described an apparatus for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Read Process Engineering A/S
    Inventor: Tor Christensen
  • Patent number: 6015450
    Abstract: Methanol emissions in the CO.sub.2 vent from a synthesis gas unit in an ammonia or hydrogen plant are reduced by contacting raw synthesis gas from a low temperature shift converter with recycled stripped condensate to absorb methanol. The synthesis gas is treated in a purification unit to form the CO.sub.2 vent of reduced methanol content. The condensate from the contacting step is steam stripped to form a process steam stream suitable for feed to the reformer and a stripped process condensate stream suitable for offsites polishing, a portion of which is recycled for contacting the raw synthesis gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: The M. W. Kellogg Company
    Inventors: Girish Chimanlal Joshi, Stephen Allen Noe
  • Patent number: 5958110
    Abstract: A low temperature process for the dehydration of aqueous glycol solutions using an induced airflow (3) and low temperature thermal sources (4, 21) to reduce the water concentration in aqueous glycol solutions (22). The invention utilizes the ability for air to evaporate water at low vapor pressures and corresponding low vapor temperatures in a direct contacting device (5). The relative vapor pressures of glycol to water at low temperatures assures the preferential vaporization rate of water over that of glycol thereby providing dehydration and effective regeneration of aqueous glycol solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Inventors: James Jeffrey Harris, James William Harris
  • Patent number: 5954861
    Abstract: A process for separating a gaseous mixture comprising C.sub.1 chlocarbons and noncondensible gases into a liquid component comprising the C.sub.1 chlorocarbons and a component comprising the noncondensible gases. The method employs a liquid hydrocarbon having an average molecular weight within a range of about 142 to 422 to adsorb the C.sub.1 chlorocarbons from the gaseous mixture. The present process is especially useful for separating methyl chloride from a gaseous mixture resulting from an oxychlorination process where the gaseous mixture further comprises, methane, water vapor, and hydrogen chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Robert Crum, Corey Grant Knutson, Brian Michael Naasz, Jeffrey Scott Smith
  • Patent number: 5851265
    Abstract: A process for the selective removal and recovery of sulfur dioxide from effluent gases is disclosed. The sulfur dioxide is recovered in a sulfur dioxide absorption/desorption cycle which utilizes a liquid solvent to selectively absorb sulfur dioxide from the effluent gas. The liquid solvent includes an organic phosphorous compound selected from phosphate triesters, phosphonate diesters, phosphinate monoesters and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the liquid solvent includes phosphonate diesters of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are independently aryl or C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkyl. The organic phosphonate diesters are substantially water immiscible, the solubility of water in the organic phosphonate diester being less than about 10 weight percent at 25.degree. C., and have a vapor pressure less than about 1 Pa at 50.degree. C. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the liquid solvent include dibutyl butyl phosphonate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Monsanto Company
    Inventors: Brian M. Burmaster, Donald R. McAlister
  • Patent number: 5536303
    Abstract: A method of low temperature regeneration of glycol used for dehydrating natural gas in a glycol dehydration system including the steps of passing natural gas against flowing glycol in an absorber vessel so that the glycol absorbs water from the gas, providing spent glycol and dehydrated gas, conducting the spent glycol into a reboiler vessel, feeding a portion of the dehydrated gas into a burner positioned within the reboiler vessel where the dehydrated gas is combusted to heat the spent glycol, conducting a first portion of dehydrated gas into a gas distributor located within a lower portion of the reboiler vessel, the gas distributor causing small bubbles of gas to move upwardly through the spent glycol within the reboiler to augment separation of water from the heated glycol, conducting a second portion of the dehydrated gas into an upper gas stripper vessel mounted within an upper portion of the reboiler vessel to contact the dehydrated gas with the spent glycol to further augment the separation of water
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Inventor: Harold O. Ebeling
  • Patent number: 5520723
    Abstract: A method and system for reducing emissions from glycol dehydrators which employ a vapor-liquid contactor operated under ambient conditions to treat the organic vapors and liquids exiting from a condenser attached to the vapor vent of the glycol reboiler. A stream of the organic liquids is passed to the top of the contactor and allowed to descend in counter-current relation to the upward moving gas introduced at the bottom portion of the contactor. Liquids containing a relatively high content of hydrocarbons may be recovered from the bottom of the contactor, and vapors having a reduced content of organic emissions can be emitted directly to the atmosphere from the top the contactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Inventor: Robert A. Jones, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5453114
    Abstract: A method of dehydrating natural gas and for reducing emissions of hydrocarbon aromatics including the steps of passing natural gas upwardly in an absorber against downwardly flowing liquid desiccant to provide treated gas, the desiccant absorbing water and hydrocarbon impurities from the gas and forming spent desiccant, passing a portion of the treated gas from the absorber through a desiccant stripper vessel, the balance of the treated gas being passed for distribution, heating the spent desiccant and passing it downwardly through the desiccant stripper vessel to purge the spent desiccant of hydrocarbon aromatics, conducting the spent desiccant from the stripper vessel into a reboiler to again heat the spent desiccant and conveying treated gas from the stripper vessel to a burner in the reboiler where the treated gas is combusted with air, the spent desiccant is being heated in the reboiler to boil off entrained water to provide a regenerated desiccant that is recirculated back to the absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Inventor: Harold O. Ebeling
  • Patent number: 5346537
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed which are improvements in the conventional method and apparatus for extracting water from a gas stream such as a natural gas stream by contacting the stream with a glycol to absorb the water, and then regenerating the glycol for further use in extraction by heating the moist glycol in a glycol regenerator to vaporize the water contained in same as steam. The improvement enables control of emissions of volatile organic compounds which have been absorbed by the glycol during contact with the gas stream, while minimizing the contaminants in the water streams produced. The vented steam and gaseous volatile organics are flowed from the glycol regenerator as input to a cooling condenser having successive air and water-cooled condensers, to produce a condenser water stream having a relatively high content of the organic compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Gas Research Institute
    Inventor: Philip S. Lowell
  • Patent number: 5330563
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for recovering a volatile organic compound at a recovery of 90 to 96% by volume from a gas generated from gasoline, kerosine, benzene, and alcohol discharged from storage tanks, tank trucks, and tank lorries. In the process comprising absorption stages followed by desorption stages for the volatile organic compound, the pressure at the desorption stages is controlled within the area below, for instance, curves C' and B in FIG. 1 of the drawings according to the concentration of the volatile organic compound in the gas to be fed to a first absorption stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: Showa Shell Sekiyu Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Yamase, Yasuyuki Makita, Kazuyoshi Jajima