Summary A sample problem illustrating one method of designing a éry bed dehydra~ ‘tion system has been included in Appendix 1v. However, manufacturers of nolecular sieves and other desiccants, such as Linde of Davison, have computer prograns which are available for dry bed unit design and should be consulted when a new design is considered or problens develop in an existing unit. A dry bed dehydration system should be used only if there are severe de- hydration requirenents, The success of such a system is in direct pro- portion to the efficiency with which it is run, With careful design, Including adequate regeneration provisions and correct desiccant selecti plant operation should not ever have to wait on the dehydration systen.LIL. LIQUID DEHYDRATION The dehydration of a Liquid hydrocarbon stream is not addressed ex- haustively in the literature since it does nat ordinarily present a problen. However, when a Light liquid hydrocarbon at @ lon tenperature contains water, dehydration of the liquid is necessary. The following cases demonstrate the need for dehydration of a Liquid hydrocarbon stream: 1. The feed to a fractionstion plant is @ two phase light hydrocarbon strean. Depending on the processing that the feed has undergone upstream, it may contain water. Two water-related problens exist. Cotd processing tenperatures may couse the Formation of hydrates in a Fractionation tower or heat exchanger. Additionally, the sales contract fer the products from the plant will limit the allowable water in the product streans. 2. Production fram 8 gas condensate reservoir can result in retrograde condensation downstream fron the wellhead choke. As the stream is, piped, hydrates may form. The outlet stream fron a compressor station is composed of the compressor discharge gas and the compressor suction scrubber liquids. If this two phase stream is piped cross country in a cold climate, hydrate formation can occur. The Liquid dehydration requirements depend on the amount of free water and the water solubility of the liquid hydrocarbon strean. Liquid dehydration is accomplished in two steps: free water renoval, and dissolved water removal. The Following discussion will cover these two sudjects. Two nethods of dissolved water renoval will be discussed: dry bed dehydration, fond dehydration with the uee of etripping gac. 63.__Free Water Removal Given sufficient residence time in a vessel, most of the free water will form a continuous phase and can be drawn off. A separator with ‘a water boot will accomplish this initial dehydration. However, even with a long residence time in the separator, there will still be free water droplets dispersed through the liquid stream. More of this free water ean be removed if a water coalescer is added domstrean of the Separator. The coalescer is @ vessel thet has specialized internals to coalesce the Free water droplets into @ continuous water phase. The coalescing internals may consist of a wire mesh screen, cos lescing vanes, ar sone other coalescing mechanism. A vater drawoff on the coalescer allows for water removal. A coalescer can reduce the Feee water of @ Light Liquid hydrocarbon to around 40 pom. B. Dissolved Water Removal There are two methods commonly used in ofl ané gas production to renove dissolved water from a liquid hydrocarbon. One method is dry bed dehydration. Dry bed facilities may be found in a gas plant to dehydrate any liquids in the feed prior to processing. The other ethad involves the use of dry stripping gas to dehydrate the Liquid in 8 condensate dehydrator. A condensate dehydrator is more suited to field installation due to its simpler operation. The two methods are discussed below Following an intreduction to Liquid hydrocarbon water solubility. 1__Water Solubility of a Liquid A gas strean can hold water up to its saturation point, but no more. However, a Liquid stream can have water dissolved in the stream plus 2 free water phase. The water solubility of @ liquic hydrocarbon is hot as high as the water solubility af a gas. Figure 68 shows the water solubility of pure component liquid hydrocarbons. The chart can be used to estimate the water solubility of a hydrocarbon mixture by interpolating on the basis of moleculer weight. For exanple, a hydrocarbon mixture with a molecular weight of 52 at a temperature of 100% has a celculated water solubility of approximately 0.024 1b 20/100 1b hydrocarbon. This lies between the solubility of pure propane (molecular weight of 44), and that of pure butene (molecular weight of 58). It should be pointed out that water solubility in a Liquid hydrocarbon is dependent on mlecualr inter~ actions between the water and hydrocarbon malecules, and thus is a function of molecular weight for the higher molecular weight com- ponents. For the lower molecular weight conponents, figure 68 shows that there is not a clear relationship between molecular weight end solubility, but there is 8 general trend of increasing solubility with increasing temperature. Considering the order af magnitude oF the solubility normally encountered and the scaccity of water solubility data for liquid hydrocarbon systems, it is not un- reasonable to correlate it to molecular weight for the lighter companents and to add the appropriate safety factors for the particular design.2. Dry Bed Dehydration Dry bed dehydration of @ gas was discussed previously. The principles outlined for gas dehydration are applicable to dry bed dehydration of a Light Liquid hydrocarbon as well. The effects of process variables on dry bed dehydration of liquids are basically the sare as for dry bed dehdyration of ges. The discussion below emphasizes differences between the gas and liquid aystens. Figure 69 depicts a typical process schenatic. Recall that with dry bed gas dehydration, the facilities required consisted of en inlet seperator, multiple contacting towers, @ regeneration gas heater, a regeneration ges cooler, 2 regeneration gas separator, and the piping and manifolds nec- essary for routing fluids and switching beds. Dry bed liquid dehydration requires these same facilitiss plus the addition of a water coalescer (mentioned above), between the inlet separator and the contacting tower. The free water rencval step is necessary prior ta contacting with the dry bed to avoid damage to the desiccant and resulting reduction of the water renoval capacity. The adsorptive attraction of the desiccant for water is so strong that in the presence of a'continuous water phase, ‘the desiccant will adsorb water molecules at a rate high enough to fracture the structure of the desiccant. Mage Flow Through the Bed ‘As with gas dry bed dehydration, the adsorption efficiency for 2 Liquid system is effected by the mass flow rate. A high mass Flow rate will not allow for intimate contacting between a wet stream and the desiccant. If the sane mass flow rate re- strictions imposed for a gas stream ere applied to @ liquid strean, for 2 given tower diameter, the allowable superficial velocity of the Liquid must be Iower than that for tre gas, since the liquid is the denser phase. For example, 9 gas velocity of between 20 and 60 feet per minute is acceptable, whereas, for Liquid, reasonable velocities range from 2 to 5 fee: per minute. Research has shown that the time of transfer of a nolecule from the Liquid to the solid desiccant is longer than that from gas to Gesiccant. To achieve the same adsorption rate the liquid mist remain in contact with the desiccant longer then the gas. This suggests that the Liquid velocity through the bed should be mich lower than the gas velocity. Therefore, even if there were no restrictions on mass flow rate to constrain velocity, velocity would still have to be limited to provide sufficient contacting Lime for efficient adsorption.Regeneration Regeneration of » liquid service dry bed dehydrator differs from gas service in that regeneration gas flows fron the top down. This sllows gravity to aid in the draining of the bed. As 9 result of top-down regeneration, the region of lowest desiccant weter content is at the top of the bed. Since the dehydration of Uhe wet stream is limited by the water content of the bad at the outlet, the wet liquid normally Flows from the bottom to the top of the contactor for maximum dehdyration. An exception to this is when high liquid flow rates have the potential to lift and damage the bed. In a new installation, this problem cen be designed for. “However, when an existing facility receives a rate sbove design, the problem can srise. In this case the bed Wwould both Flow and be regenerated from the top down. Effluent water content would be sacrificed in favor of pratecticn of the bed. Adsorbent Capacity The useful water removal capacity of the desiccant in liquid service is typically 50 to 758 of the capacity in gas service. Figure 53 shows that for a gas, capacity of the desiccant inereases with increasing water ‘concentration (relative hu- midity). The amount of increase in desiccant capacity depends on the particular desiccant used. Since the water solubility of @ Liquid is less than the solubility of @ gas, the liquid can be Viewed as qualitatively equivalent te a ges et 2 low water concentration, Consequently, a loner dehydration capacity is expected. Flow Distribution A uniform Flow distribution is necessary for effective de~ hydration. The requirement of low flow velacities necessitates a large tower cross-sectional area. As the cross-sectional area increases, achieving an even Flaw distribution may be difficult. The flow will tend to channel through the center of the bed at 2 high velocity. Flow distribution can be made more uniform by use of @ smaller desiccant particle size, and oy the installation of ‘mechanical liquid distributor at the inlet to the bed. Another ‘method of improving flow distribution is to separate the entire bed into sections and to install liquid redistributors between sections. Dehydration with Stripping Gas A dry gas in contact with water will absorb water up to the saturation point of the gas. This is the concept used in the condensate dehdyrator. Dry gas is bubbled up through the wet condensate to absorb the water and dry the condensate. Figure 70 shows a representative process schematic.Process, ‘The condensate dehydrator pictured in the figure conbines glycol dehdyration of a wet gaa with liquid dehydration. Tre facilities consist of @ water coalescer and a contactor. The contactor is 8 treyed toner thet is divided into three regions. The top and bottom sections are used to dehydrate the gas. The liquid is dehdyrated in the middle section. The condensate dehydration system receives wet Liquid and a wet ges fron a separator (not shown). The wet liquid is fed to 4 water coslescer to remove the free water. The wet gas flows to the bottom of the contactor. The bottom section of the tover acts as @ glycol contactor. The gas is dehdyrated and flows up into the middle section of the tower. The middle section of the tower acts ao # stripper. The wet liquid stream is fed Lo the top of the section and flows down through trays. It is contacted With the gas which waa dehdyrated with glycol in the botton section. this dry ges strips the water fron the wet Liquid hhydroracbon. The dry Liquid leaves the tower at the botton oF the center section. The gas that has contacted the wet Liquid in the center section of the tover is now partially saturated with water. This wet gas Flows up through the tower to the top section where it is contacted with glycol once again. The dehydrated gas then exists the column through an outlet on the top. The wet glycol from the top end bottom contacting sections is sent to glycol regeneration system identical to that discussed previously in the text. Equipment Since the condensate dehydrator contains two glycol contacting sections plus @ third vapor-liquid contacting section, it 1s rnuch taller then a conventional glycol contactor. Typically, ‘each contacting section will contain 4 to 6 actual trays, and the stripping section may contain 6 to 10 trays. Each glycol contacting section has a wire mesh mist extractor as in a conventional contactor, ta coslesce entrained glycol droplets out of the vapor stream. There is also a mist extractor tat the top of the stripping section to renave entrained liquid hydrocarbon droplets out of the stripping gas. A chimney tray at the bottom of the top two sections provides for ‘connunication of the ges between tower sections. A chimney tray allows the vapor to pass through the tower divider into the section above without allowing the liquid to fall into the sect ion below.The glycol Flash tank in the glycol regeneration facilities is an important part af the condensate dehydration system. Sone Tiquid hydrocarbon draplets will become entrained in the risinc vapor strean along with the stripped water. Scme anount of this fray pass through the mist extractor and be absorbed by the glyco. in the top section of the toner. This absorbed Liquid hydracarbon must be renoved so it will no! foul the glyacl. The low pressure glycol flash tank accor plishes this. Although sane venders consider this vesse Optional in a normal glycol system, it is necesssry in thi candenstate system. Applications The condensate dehydration system requires that a lerge suppl: of stripping gas be available. The exanples of gas condensati production, and compressor station discharge streens cite: previously have sufficient gas-oil ratios to make @ condensat: Gehydratar operable. The condensate dehydration system has been used both on an offshere, and is quite common in Canada where the cold clinat makes dehydration for hydrate prevention necessary.IL. Hydrate Prevention Karge, Fritz, "Design of Oil Pipe Lines", The Petroleum Engineer, April, 1945. Katz, D. L., et al, Handbook of Natural Gas Engineering, McGraw Hil Book Conpany, 1989. Millar, R, H. G., Natural Gas Hydvates and Hydrated Reservoirs, Imp Oil Limived, arch, Natural Gas Processors Suppliers Association, Engineering Data Boo! 1972. Otis Engineering Corporation, Operations Manual, 1963. Rothert, K. C., "Calculations for Methanol Inhibition of Hydrates i Natural Gas Pipelines", Union Carbide Corporation, Glycol Dehydration Ballard, Don, "How to Inprove Glycol Dehydration", Coastal Chemical Ballard, Don, "How to Operate Glycol, Quick Cycle, and Amine Plants Coastal Chémical Company. Black, Sivalls and Bryson, Ine., "Glycol Instructional Manual". Campbell, J. M., Gas Conditioning and Processing, Chapter 17, 1972 C-£ Nateo, "Glycol Instructional Manual". Dow Chemical Company, Gas Conditioning Fact Book. Dow Chemical Company, Hydrate Inhibition With Glycols, 1961. Headquarters Computing Group, "EDEHYD-Natural Gas Dehydration", Con Program Library, Exxon Company, U.S.A. Naloney-Crawford, "Glycol Instruction Manual", Sivalls Tanks, Inc., "Glycol Dehydrator Design Mama." Snith Industries, Inc., "Glycol Dehydration Manual", Treybal, R. E., Mass Transfer Operations, McGraw-Hill.IIT. Dry Bed Dehydration Ww Ballard, Don, "Dry-Bed Dehydration", Exxon 1977 Oil & Gas Facilitie Campbell, J..M., and Cummings, W. P., "Absorption in Gas Conditionir ‘J.-M. Campbell Company. Liquid Dehydration W. R. Grace and Co., "Dry Bed Dehydration ~ Special Consideration for Product Treating.” Kate, D. Le, et al, Handbook of Natural Gas Engineering, McGraw BILL Book Oémpany, "1953. MeKetta, J. J. and Katz, D. L., "Phage Relations of Hydrocarbon-Wat systems,