General Operating Problems and Their Solutions of Natural Gas Sweetening Process (Amine System)

Rifat M.Dakhil, Technical College in Basrah, Sata K.Ajjam College of Eng., Babylon Univ.

Abstract.
The paper presents general operating problems and some important trouble shootings which are concerning and involved with the operation and performance of the different equipment of the gas sweetening plant by using amine system. The trouble shooting deal and diagnosis of the problems encountered during plant operation with the main equipment like high & low pressure, level and differential pressure in the absorber and stripper as well as the high and low temperature of the lean solution besides the reflux pump shut down and low & high level alarm failure. Experimental work was done, it was seen that the optimum concentration of M E! is "# $, the optimum mole of steam to acid gas ratio is %.", and it was recommended to maintain the p& value for lean amine at a range of '.%().# by improving the stripping process

Keywords* +as sweetening, !mine system, Trouble shooting

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Symbols

M E! * Methyl( iethanol !mine . ME! * Mono(ethanol !mine. E! * i(ethanol !mine +! * i(glycol !mine +,2! * +as ,rocessors 2uppliers !ssociation. ,01 * ,ressure 0ontrol 1alve. &01 * &and 0ontrol 1alve. ,* ,ressure -ndicator. 3 1 * 3low own 1alve. ,21 * ,ressure 2afety 1alve. , * ifferential ,ressure.

,- * ifferential ,ressure +auge .aulty. /01 * /evel 0ontrol 1alve. T01 * Temperature 0ontrol 1alve. T0 * Temperature 0ontroller. /+ * /evel +auge. //! * /ow /evel !larm. Mmscf * Million 2tandard 0ubic .eet.

1-Introd ction
Many natural gases are produced from wells containing hydrogen sulphide, sulphur compounds and carbon dioxide. ,erry and 0hilton, et al, %444 these gases are treated prior to sale or entry to a process plant. ! gas which has high concentration of sulphur compounds is called 52our5 gas. 6!lso called 5!cid5 gas7. The &82 and 098

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are known as acid gases, and are corrosive, if water or oxygen are present.The hydrogen sulphide &82 must be removed from the ;atural +as before it can be used, due to the fact that it is highly corrosive and deadly toxic. The M E! solution selectively removes the &82 , however, some of the 098 and sulphur compounds during the sweetening process also absorbed, 098 concentration in the first gas plant is below the allowable concentration for the pipe line specification 6less than "$7. 1-1 Amine Sweetenin! "rocess There are a number of absorption gas treating processes, but the most common is the amine process in which acid gases react chemically. The 5rich5 amine solution is heated under low pressure to regenerate the liquid by driving off the acid gases. 2everal different amine solutions can be used. ( Methyl( iethanol !mine 6M E!7 ( Mono(ethanol !mine 6ME!7 ( i(ethanol !mine 6 E!7 ( i(glycol !mine 6 +!7 ( !lkanol !mine < 2ulfinol 3ullin, and ,olasek, %4)8, 0ornelissen,%4)8, 2avage and .unk, %4)%, aviet, 2undermann, onnelly, 3ullin, %4)=, Mac>en?ie, ,rambil, aniels, and 3ullin,et al, %4)', the sweetening process is similar for each of the amine solutions listed. These amine mixtures have been called a variety of names including formulated amines and M E! based amines. &istorically, M E! has been recogni?ed primarily for its ability to selectively absorb &82 from a gas while leaving large amounts of 098 in the gas. The selective absorption characteristics of M E! have been widely reported in the above literature. ,olasek, -glesias(2ilva,et al, 8##@, M E!As selective absorption ability is due to its relatively slow reaction rate with 098. Bntil the last few years, M E! has not been associated with cases where the removal of large amounts of 098 is desired. The type of solution used in the process will depend upon the type and quantity of acid gas contained in the sour gas stream and the volume of sour gas to be treated. .rom 2ahl 9perating Manual, %4):, 2irte 9il 0ompany, the process flow diagram for !mine sweetening system show the process details carried upon the 2our gases in the plant, see the simplified below diagram and fig6=7 for 2ahl ,lant.

8=

+,2!6+as ,rocessors 2uppliers !ssociation7,et al, 8##=, the general operating problems in the amine system are centered around the following five maCor areas*( %. !mine loss from the system 8. !mine foaming problem :. 0orrosion problem =. 0oncentration of residual gas in lean amine solution ". Dinteri?ation. 1. Amine loss from the system ! certain amount of M E! will be continuously lost from the amine sweetening system due to the vapour pressure of the amine. The largest amine losses are usually through the amine absorber as carry over with the treated gas. 2ome amine is also lost through the amine stripper, amine flash tank, pumps packing etc. The losses vary for different plants, but usually are between #.#" to #." !allons #er Mmscf of treated gas. These losses can be much higher depending upon several factors such as sour gas flow rate, reboiler temperature, high differential temperature between amine solution and the sour gas in the amine absorber, bad mist eliminator on the absorber top, bad filtration system and foaming. &ere are some guidance to help in minimising the amine solution losses from the

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system* ( Maintain the top temperature of the amine absorber as low as possible. ( Maintain proper amine solution concentration. ( Ensure good clean amine solution ( good filtration, proper reboiler control to avoid chemical breakdown of amine and avoid all amine contamination. (Eegularly check all operating parameters & process variables to maintain steady running of the amine unit. $. Amine foamin! .oaming is a common problem that results in a decrease of treating capacity of the plant and amine losses. -t is usually detected by a sharp rise in the pressure drop across the amine absorber. !mine foaming can occur from the reaction of the amine solution with organic acids or because of the presence of hydrocarbon contaminants, ferric sulphide, or other sludge. 2everal anti(foaming agents have been developed to combat this and some products which are primarily corrosion inhibitors have shown good anti(foaming properties. Dhere foaming is caused by hydrocarbon contamination, it may be eliminated by maintaining the temperature of the absorber above the hydrocarbon condensation temperature. .oaming can be prevented in the following ways* ( o not overload the inlet separator in your plant. ( !void condensation of liquid hydrocarbons in the amine absorber by keeping the temperature in the absorber above the hydrocarbon dew point. ( >eep field corrosion inhibitors, soap based lubricants and lube oil out of the amine system. ( egradation of amine can cause foaming, so avoid it by preventing oxidation and by proper reboiler control. (Maintain the charcoal filter in good working condition, because this is the filter which absorbs the liquid contaminants. (-f these remedies fail, try a de(foaming agent and evaluate the results. (!lways keep in mind that the de(foamers are only a temporarily answer for the foaming problem, and the best cure for the problem is to avoid the main causes. %. &orrosion #roblem 0orrosion problem is commonly encountered in the amine system and generally occurs in the amine regenerator, heat exchanger, amine stripper and amine pumps etc. Most corrosion occurs in areas where the acid gases are actually released from the solution i.e. in the reboiler, stripper tower and its overhead systems. The cause of corrosion is traced to gaseous &82 & 098 which comes out of the amine solution while the rich amine solution is receiving heat in the heat exchanger prior to the regenerator. These acid gases combine with water to form acids, which will attack the metal surfaces in contact with the amine solution. 0orrosion problems can be minimi?ed by the following practices*

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(>eep the amine solution clean. o not over load the inlet separator, which prevents solids entering in the system. 9ther solids that contribute to corrosion are removed by amine filters. so, its very important to maintain a good amine filtration system. (The presence of air will cause the amine to degrade into heat stable salts, so there should be a gas blanket on all the amine storage tanks to exclude air. (Maintain acid(gas loading within the proper ranges. (0orrosion problems become severe at high temperatures with the rich amine solutions, so keep the amine solution concentration up to the recommended value. (!mine reboiler temperature should be kept at the recommended range to avoid any amine decomposition or any extra water losses which will affect the amine solution concentration. (Maintain a regular corrosion testing programmed for an early detection of any corrosion problems in the system.

'. &oncentration of resid al !as in lean amine sol tion

The 0oncentration of residual gas in the lean amine solution should be controlled at a specified level for the plant. This is the gas which remains in the M E! solution at all times. (The amount of residual acid gas in the solution depends upon the heat used in the stripper reboiler. -ncreasing the heat reduces the residual acid gas and vice versa. (-f the concentration of residual gas is low then more acid gas can be absorbed by the lean amine solution in the absorber. This will also, allow a reduction in the circulation rate of the amine solution. (-f the inlet sour gas rate changes, the amine solution flow rate and the reboiler heat should be changed in same proportion to match the sour gas changes. (ote) The rich amine solution fed to the amine stripper contains acid gas from two sources* a7.!cid gas absorbed in the absorber. b7.Eesidual acid gas from the amine stripper. Therefore, the sum of the two is the total acid gas content of the rich amine solution. *. +interi,ation 0old weather operation requires special attention for plants using ME!, E! or 2ulfinol. The free?ing point of these solutions is about the same as that of the water. 0onsequently, lines or vessels in which there is no continuous flow should be given a special consideration during cold weather. -f the plant and F or the amine unit is shut down for an extended period during free?ing weather, the amine solution should be completely drained from the system. The free?ing point of M E! and +! is about 6 (=# G. 7 at the recommended amine concentration which is about "#$ by weight for M E!. Therefore, the amine system at the hot areas gas plant does need special attention during the cold weather other than not allowing excessive cooling. !s a conclusion, this problem is an occasional one, but it is rather important and must be

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considered while working in the amine system.

1-$ -ro ble Shootin! . ide

.rom 2ahl 9perating Manual, %4): and ,ersonal communications with 2ahl ,lants supervisors, 8##8, the following trouble shooting guide is presented to assist with the
diagnosis of the problems encountered during plant operation. ,E93/EM %. &igh pressure in absorber 0!B2E Malfunction of ,01 ownstream block valve &01(8=% obstructedFclosed ,ressure gauge failure EEME H 0heck the downstream ,01 0heck for opening of block valve 0alibrate defective ,-(8=# or ,-(8=% pressure gauge, if required install new gauge 0heck the ,01 downstream 0alibrate defective ,-(8==F8=%. pressure gauge, if required install new 0heck air supply 6valve open with air failure7. 0heck power feeding to its solenoid valves. 0heck vent valve 0heck setting of ,21 correct if required :. &igh , in absorber .oaming etermine cause of foaming. -nCect de(foamer until foaming stops 0heck the isolating valves ( close if open. &ave , gauge checked out

8. /ow pressure in absorber

Malfunction of ,01 ,ressure gauge failure 9pening of 3 1(8=# to flare system

1ent valve left open ,21(8=#F8=% open

ifferential pressure gauge faulty 6 ,-(8=#7

8)

,E93/EM =. /ow , in the absorber

0!B2E 1ery low gas flow rate

EEME H 0heck correct opening of isolating valves of the gas piping system 0heck amine solution flow. -ncrease flowrate if it is too low 0heck vent valves closed. 0alibrate , gauge.

+as leaks through trays and down(comers ifferential pressure gauge failure ,-(8=#

". &igh liquid level in absorber

.aulty /01 operation, . ,ossible high pressure in .lash Tank. /iquid outlet line blocked

0heck /01 ( -f faulty contact -nst. ept. Meanwhile use bypass to control level. 0heck .lash Tank pressure ( -f high investigate why and correct the fault. -f /01 and .lash Tank are 9>, and &igh /evel remains, probable blockage in the line ( .urther checks are required. Bse the bypass and have the -nst. ept. check the /01 0heck for abnormal gas rate and glycol filters and pump operation. 0heck pump for correct operation 6no cavitation7 -f necessary, change over pumps & re(check.

@. /ow liquid level in the absorber

/01(8=# sticking in open position &igh gas rate causing hold(up on absorber trays or failure of glycol circulation ( pump or filter problem. /ow pressure at amine charge pump discharge

84

1-2 TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE

,E93/EM '. &igh temperature of lean amine solution 0!B2E 0ooler T01 6to variable pitch fan7 failure or fan motor failure /ean amine air cooler tube bundle internal or external fouling &igh ambient temp. ). /ow temperature of lean amine solution Temperature controller T0( :@# failure /ean amine air cooler auto( variable fan failure /ow ambient temperature EEME H 0all inst.Felect. technician.

0heck pressure drop across the tube bundle and visually check tubes & fins externally ;o action can be taken. 0heck and correct set point if required 0heck T01(:@# for correct operation ( call -nstrument Technician if required. 2top the fixed pitch fan. Bse cooler bypass if necessary.

4. &igh pressure in stripper

Eeflux drum controller ,0(=%# failure.

0heck ,01 set point and operation ( 0all -nstrument Technician if necessary. Bse ,01 bypass meanwhile. 0heck for open 2F1 or bypass valve.

/ow pressure in stripper

,ressure relief valves ,21( 8@#F8@%F8'#F=%# open. .oaming.

%#. &igh .,. across the stripper.

Excessive vapour flow or circulation rate too high causing flooding of the trays .aulty , gauge

etermine cause of foaming and take remedial action. -nCect defoamer until system is normalised. 0heck reboiler temp. ( decrease if too high. 0heck stripper pressure ( if too low ( adCust ,01. 0heck amine flow rate. -nst. ept to check gauge

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1-2 TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE

,E93/EM %%. /ow , across the stripper. 0!B2E 1apour blow(through in trays andFor downcomers. EEME H 0heck reflux drum level and liquid flow to stripper and increase flow if possible to re( establish liquid levels on trays. &ave .aulty %8. /ow liquid level in stripper. , gauge 3lowdown the /+ F &ave //! checked out. 0heck /01 operation ( call -nst. dept. if necessary. 0lose down on /01 block valve to raise stripper level. 0heck reflux system operation. , gauge checked

/+ bottom leg blocked or //! malfunction /01 malfunction.

.ailure of reflux flow %:. &igh stripper temperature. /ow pressure in the reflux accumulator.

Eefer to paragraph on low pressure in stripper.

%=. Eeflux pump shutdown.

/ow level of reflux drum.

0heck the minimum flow block valve is open or flow orifice is not plugged. 2elect the running pump.

2elector on I9I position.

%". &igh and low level alarm failure.

3lock valve closed. rain valves of alarm left open. 2witch failure.

0heck & open valves. 0heck and close the valve. 0all instrument Technician.

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$- /0#erimental Res lts and Disc ssion)Three main factors in the sweetening process were adapted experimentally as follow* 1-he #ick- # rate The quantity of acid gas removed by each gallon of amine solution is referred to asJ The ,ick(up EateJ. The ,ick(up rate can be determine from the difference of the acid gas concentration in the rich and lean !mine solution6i.e. before and after the absorption tower7. 2tudy the relation between the amine concentration and gas pick(up rates for M E! 6Methyl di(ethanol amine7 as shown in table ;o. %.
&onc. of lean sol tion =# Dt. $ =" Dt. $ "# Dt. $ "" Dt. $ @# Dt. $ "ick- # rate ft% acid !as 1 !al. sol tion =.4 ".= @.: @." @.'

-able 1. relation between the concentrations & pick-up rates for M E!

6 .8

P i c k - u p r a te i n ft3 a c i d g a s / g a l . s o l u ti o n

6 .4

5 .6

5 .2

4 .8 40 44 48 52 56 60

C o n c . o f l e a n s o l u ti o n
F ig - 1
r e l a t io n e t ! e e n t " e c o n :8 c e n t r a t io n s # p ic k - u p r a t e s f o r $ % & '

From the above table-1 and f !-1, it can be seen that the optimum concentration of M E! is "# $ , with a result of pick(up rate @.: ft: of acid gas per gallon of solution. !lso, the pick(up rate shown above is for plants operating above "## psig pressure. The pick(up rates may drop as much as "#$ if the pressure in the absorber is below 8"# psig. ! higher concentration of the amine in the solution would be more effective in acid gas removal but the increase in pick(up rate decrease slightly and, it may be more corrosive and will require more heat for its regeneration. -n addition, a higher concentration requires a higher temperature in the stripper reboiler, which may cause the amine to decompose and form undesirable compounds. $/ffect of o2erhead ratio3steam to acid !as4 on the amo nt of stri##ed acid !as by amine sol tion. The percentage of amine sulphide & carbonate that convert to acid gas and amine depends upon the amount of heat and stripping steam applied to stripper tower. To achieve an appropriate amine solution M E! to stripe the acid gas to an amount considered to be economically and technically acceptable. ! different overhead ratios of moles of steam per moles of acid gas has been adapted during the plant start(up as shown in table (8.
Mole of steam 1 mole of acid !as #." %.# %." 8.# 8." Mole of acid !as 1 mole of amine sol tion #.##" #.##4 #.#%" #.#%' #.#%)

0 .0 2

$ o l e o f a c i d g a s / ( o l e o f a ( i n e s o l u ti o n

0 .0 1 6

-able-$ The relation between the ratio of mole steam to mole of acid gas verses the ratio of mole of acid gas to mole of amine solution.
0 .0 1 2 0 .0 0 8

0 .0 0 4 0 .4 0 .8 1 .2 1 .6 2 2 .4 2 .8

$ o le o f s te a ( / ( o le o f a c id g a s
F ig - 2

) " e r e la t io n e t ! e e n t " e r a t io o f ( o le s t e a ( t o ( o le o f a c id g a s * e r s e s t " e r a t io o f ( o le o f a c id g a:: s t o ( o le o f a ( in e s o lu t io n . $ % & '

From the above table-2 and f !-2, it can be seen that the optimum mole of steam to acid gas ratio is %." which is led to #.#%" mole of stripped gas by mole of amine solution. ! higher ratio of steam to acid gas would be more effective in stripping of acid gas by mole of amine solution but that sli!htly increase would not acceptable economically and technically. %- Amine #5 &ontrol ) -t is important to control the amine p& within a certain specified value to get optimum acid gas removal and protect the equipment from corrosion. Too high a p& 6more than the specified values7 will tend to increase the amine foaming , hence more amine losses as well as less intimate contact between the gas stream and the absorbent agent 6amine7 . The recommended p& values for amine are given in the table below * Amine3MD/A4 -y#e Re6 ired #5 2al es /ean '.# ( '." Eich "." 6minimum7
#5 for lean amine sol tion '.8 '.: '.% ).# '.) '.@ '." #5 for rich amine sol tion ".' @.8 ".= @.: ".: ".% ".@ Delta #5 Dates for sam#les taken %F8##8 8F8##8 :F8##8 =F8##8 "F8##8 @F8##8 'F8##8

%." %.% %.' %.' 8." 8." %.4

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-able-% p& 2amples at different dates showing the difference between the rich and lean amine solution p& values.

From the above table-" and f !-", it can be seen that the p& values decreases within the range of '.%().# for lean amine solution to ".%(@.: for rich amine due to acid gas removal by the lean amine solution, that problem can be shoot by improved the stripping process as shown in fi!-$. elta p& variation before and after absorption almost the same.

&oncl sions
-t was highly recommended that the different operating problems accompanied with the gas sweetening process specified in order to establish the possible solutions of these problems and keep the units running well with a highly efficient performance. To establish a trouble shooting guide seems to be very important to be adapted as a training course for the process engineers and plant operators in order to understand the effect of the different process variables and their fluctuations effect on the process and to take the correct decision in case of any malfunction with the process. This study help the process engineers and operators for keeping their gas sweetening plant in a safe and good working conditions. E#$er mentall% it can be seen that the optimum concentration of M E! is "# $ , with a result of pick(up rate @.: ft: of acid gas per gallon of solution, the optimum mole of steam to acid gas ratio is %." which is led to #.#%" mole of stripped gas by mole of amine solution, and the p& values decreases within the range of '.%().# for lean amine solution to ".%(@.: for rich amine .

References
3ullin, K. !., and ,olasek, K. 0., %4)8, I2elective !bsorption Bsing !mines,I ,roc. of @%st !nnual +as ,rocessors 0onvention. 0ornelissen, !.E., %4)8,I2imulation of !bsorption of &82 and 098 -nto !queous !lkanolamines,I 2hell /aboratory p. :#%(:%". aviet, +.E., 2undermann, E.L onnelly, 2.T. L 3ullin, K.!. %4)=, March,I omeAs ;orth 0aroline ,lant 0onversion to M E!,I,roceedings of +as,rocessors !ssociation 0onvention, ;e9rleans, /!, p. @4. +,2!, 8##= 6+as ,rocessors 2uppliers !ssociation 7, E;+-;EEE-;+ !T! 399>. Mac>en?ie, .&., ,rambil, ..0., aniels, 0.!. and 3ullin, K.!., %4)', March, I esign

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