Energy efficiency in natural gas processing plant via adoption of complex column (Petlyuk column) for sustainable environment

Abstract

Petlyuk column is complex unconventional column that employed distributed distillation method through thermally coupled technique which minimizes the lost work due mixing and recycling of fluids within a column[1]. Conventional distillation operation is energy extensive process that responsible for immense amount of energy utilization with large capital cost investment. It is reported that, heat utilizations for the conventional fractionation/separation train to carry out the desired duty involve enormous amount of heat, which is about 40–60 % of the overall plant. Hence for future generation, it is crucial to have a new arrangement of separation unit that have noble in energy efficiency, operating cost and wise capital investment are desired in order to reduce the total energy consumption for sustainable environment. In this research work, the separation train in natural gas processing plant utilized the use of Petlyuk Column (complex column) and simulated in HYSYS to ensure that the sequence generated practically can be achieved and meet the requirements particularly in product specifications. Economics analysis on capital cost and operatjing cost shows promising potential savings in all aspects of capital cost, operating cost and energy consumptions of about 43.82% 46.03 % and 29.10% respectively.