SHELL-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER WITH VARIABLE VAPORLIQUID RATIO FOR NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS WITH DEEP EXTRACTION OF C2+ HYDROCARBONS

Abstract

Due to the limited quantitiesand high cost of energy resources, the task of reducing their consumption at existing gas processing plants is crucial. One of the methods to save energy is to optimize the distribution of heat flows at a process unit. The most energy-consuming unit in natural gas processing plants isademethanizer, so the decision to optimize the operation of this unit is practical.To this end, the article discusses the existing options of layout for the stripping section of the unstabilized gas condensatedemethanizer at natural gas processing plants with deep extraction of C2+hydrocarbons.The peculiarities of equipment layout for the stripping section of the demethanizer in all the considered options have been studied in detail. The positive and negative sides of each option have been revealed.A proprietary design is proposed for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger with a phase interface that performs the function of a stripping section for the demethanizer. A comparative analysis of using a horizontal thermosyphon evaporator and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger with a variable vapor-liquid ratio under the same operating conditions is given. As a result, it was revealed that the total weight of equipment and overall dimensions of the steel structure in the first option are greater than in the second one. It is established that the latter solution will simplify the layout of the demethanizer unit and improve the process performance of the plant, providing an advantage over the existing technology solutions. Besides, the design of this equipment makes it possible to use it in gas processing plants with low-temperature processing of natural gas.