2 replies to this topic

[cruam]

Dear All

I'm working on a co2 recovery plant with MEA amine solvent. I want to know if having an intercooler in absorber can be practically effective for decreasing amine flow rate?

for example: there are a 69 m3/h rich amine flow at 77 C and 1.6 bar , also a sidestream of 10 m3/h from tray9 (absorber have 10 id tray)which cooled and recycled to some trays above.

Is this method common in amine plants or not? is there any specific reccomendations about this method?in which tray this cooled stream is better to feed? is it practically possible to feed it to feed tray with a temoperature below feed temperature?

According to Gas Purification book "A modification that has been used successfully to increase the acid gas loading of the rich amine (and thereby decrease the required solution flow rate) is the installation of a side cooler
(or intercooler) to reduce the temperature inside the absorber. The concept has proved particularly useful for DGA plants operating in Saudi Arabia where air cooling is used (Huval and van de Venne, 1981). The optimum location for a side cooler is reported to be the point where half the absorption occurs above and half below the cooler, which results in a location near the bottom of the column (Thompson and King, 1987)."

Thank you all

regards
Cruam

Edited by cruam, 02 May 2010 - 04:23 AM.

[Zauberberg]

For a fairly small total flow of amine in your case, I seriously doubt that introducing an intercooler can result in significant savings (CAPEX wise). Surely you can try to evaluate such design. Read the attached article.

I haven't come across intercoolers in amine plants so far. I used to see them employed in hydrocarbon absobers (both refineries and gas plants), being quite effective.

Attached Files

•  Alternative Flow Schemes to Reduce Capital and Operating Costs of Amine Sweetening Units.pdf   69.28KB   63 downloads

Edited by Zauberberg, 02 May 2010 - 06:39 AM.

[cruam]

you right, it has too little of an effect on the amine flow rate.

Thank you for the attached file!