LITERATURE REVIEW

After the liquid (free) water has been removed from the gas stream by separation, 25-120 lbs. of
water per MMSCF of gas will remain, depending on the temperature and pressure of the gas. The
warmer the inlet gas and the lower the pressure, the more water vapor the gas stream will
contain
Glycol Gas Contactor
After passing through the microfiber filter separator, the gas enters the glycol gas contactor near
the bottom of the vessel. The inside of the contactor contains either packing of several trays with
weirs that maintain a specific level of glycol so that the gas must bubble through the glycol as the
gas flows up. As the wet gas passes upward through each succeeding tray, it releases the water
vapor to the glycol and becomes progressively drier. Before leaving the contactor the gas passes
through a mist extractor to remove glycol that may be trying to leave the gas. Dry gas exits the
contactor. (Maurice Stewart`)
Design consideration
Inlet gas temperature
At constant pressure, the water content of inlet gas increases as the inlet gas temperature
increases. For example, at 1000 psia and 120 F it will hold about 104lb/MMscf. At higher
temperature, the glycol will have to remove over three times as much water to meet pipeline
specification of 7lb/MMscf.
An increase in temperature above 120 may result into increase in the diameter of the contactor’.
This is because the increase in temperature results into increase in actual gas velocity. The inlet
gas temperature is normal above the hydrate formation temperature and should be above 50F.
Contactor pressure
Contactor pressure have little effect on the glycol absorption process as long as the pressure
remain below 3000 psig. At a constant temperature, the water content of the inlet gas decreases
with increasing pressure. thus, less water must be removed. But with less pressure we will have
a less wall thickness.
Number of contactor trays.
The glycol and the gas do not reach equilibrium on each tray. A tray efficiency of 25 % is
commonly used for design. that is if one theoretical equilibrium tray is needed four actual tray
are specified. In bubble cap tower, tray spacing is normally 24 in.
Lean glycol temperature
The temperature of the lean glycol entering the tower has effect on dew point depression and
should be held low to minimize required circulation rate.
Glycol concentration
The higher the glycol concentration the greater the dew point depression for a given glycol
circulation rate and number of trays.

System sizing
Glycol system sizing involves specifying the correct contactor diameter and number of trays,
which establishes its overall height; selecting glycol circulation rate and lean glycol concentration
and calculating the reboiler heat duty.

The units are in field units.

Key design parameters of absorber are;

 Gas flow rate and specific gravity

 Gas temperature
 Operating pressure (gas pressure)

Outlet dew point or water content required

Assumptions
Number of trays between= 6-8 trays
Density of gas = 3.7𝑙𝑏/𝑐𝑓𝑡
Density of glycol= 70𝑙𝑏/𝑐𝑓𝑡
Diameter of droplet= 125
Temperature = 605 oR
Inlet pressure= 1400𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
Cd= 0.34

The amount of water to be removed in a TEG system is calculated from the gas flow rate, the water
content of incoming gas, and the desired water content of outgoing gas. The water removal rate, assuming
the inlet gas is water saturated, can be determined as

40(100−7)
WR = =155𝑙𝑏/ℎ𝑟
24
Minimum glycol circulation rate
= 𝐺×𝑊 =
155 × 3𝑙𝑏/𝑝𝑒𝑟 pound of water removed
=465 gal TEG/hr.
= 5040 × 580 × 40 × 0.85 × ((3.7) × 0.34) ∧ 0.5
1000 × ((70 − 3.7)120) ∧ 0.5
= 35 in
We use 39(using safety factor of 0.1) in as the diameter.