Glycol Dehydration Systems

Standard Products to Meet Your Gas Dehydration Needs

The NATCO glycol dehydration processes
removes water vapor from natural gas.
Removing water vapor prevents hydrate
formation and corrosion, and maximizes
pipeline efficiency.

NATCO engineers, fabricates and installs

complete dehydration systems, including
custom and standard dehydration
systems, glycol purification modules,
glycol injection units, and stripping gas
recovery systems. A complete program of
support services is available, as well, to
satisfy every aspect of your dehydration
problems.

How it Works
Advanced systems remove water
to less than 1lb/MMscf
The dehydration process is simple. Wet
gas contacts dry glycol and the glycol
absorbs water from the gas. Figure 1
below shows how the system works,
including the contacting system and the
glycol reconcentration system.
Wet gas enters the tower at the bottom.
Dry glycol flows down the tower from the
top, from tray to tray, or through packing
material. NATCO’s special bubble cap
configuration maximizes gas/glycol
contact, removing water to levels below
5 lbs/MMscf. Systems can be designed to
achieve levels down to 1lb/MMscf.
The dehydrated gas leaves the tower at
the top and returns to the pipeline or
goes to other processing units. The water-
rich glycol leaves the tower at the
NATCO Glycol Dehydration
Systems
Standard or Custom Designs
NATCO provides glycol dehydration
systems in standard or custom sizes.
Standard units are available, some with
immediate delivery, for certain
applications. Systems for large gas flow
rates or for meeting other specified
conditions are custom engineered.
Specifications are computer analyzed and
many variations and combinations of
equipment are examined (features listed
on the back page). All systems optimize
efficiency, capital investment, and
operating costs to provide more product
for your money. Figure 2 NATCO Bubble Cap
HIGH PRESSURE LOW PRESSURE
TC
VAPOR OUTLET
CONTACTING
SYSTEM
REGENERATION
SYSTEM
TCV
(OPTIONAL)
BTEX CONTROL
(OPTIONAL)

bottom, and goes to the reconcentration REFLUX

COLUMN
system. In the reconcentration system, GAS

the wet glycol is filtered of impurities and SKIMMER

SURGE
heated to 400°F. Water escapes as steam, LC
LCV (OPTIONAL)

and the purified glycol returns to the LC LC

FUEL
GAS

tower where it contacts wet gas again. LCV

LC
LCV GLYCOL/GLYCOL
GAS/GLYCOL HEAT
INLET LCV
HEAT EXCHANGER
The entire system operates safely, SCRUBBER
EXCHANGER

unattended. Controllers monitor CONDENSATE

SOCK CHARCOAL
pressures, temperatures, and other CONTACTOR
TOWER
FILTER FILTER
(OPTIONAL)
aspects of the system to ensure safe and WET GAS TO FREE DRY GAS
INLET DRAIN LIQUID OUTLET GLYCOL CIRCULATION PUMP
efficient operation.
Figure 1 Typical flow Diagram – Glycol Dehydration Unit

Issue 7 July 2002 Page 3014-A1

 Glycol Dehydration Systems
Contactor features available: • Automatic pilot re-light systems Standard Systems
• Diameters from 8-5/8 in. to 15 ft. • Moisture analyser Quick delivery from inventory
• Design pressures from 230 to 2,160 • Construction materials are carbon steel, NATCO offers a series of contactor towers and
psig 304 or 316-L stainless steel, 316-L reconcentrator packages, including a low-pro-
• Flowrate capacities from 100 to stainless steel clad, or 316-L stainless file unit, that are ready for immediate delivery.
200,000 Mscfd steel overlay. These systems are complete with accessories
• Special coatings and controls.
• ASME Code, National Board, or British
Standard stamped • Galvanized skids, ladders, and access Contactor towers are available with packed
platforms or trayed columns:
• Corrosion allowance with ASME code
inspection openings • Fiberglass cold-weather housings • Packed columns: 8-5/8” to 10-3/4” O.D.
• Modular design with working pressure to 1,440 psi
• Internal or external glycol-gas heat
exchangers or air coolers • Stripping gas recovery system • Trayed columns: 12-3/4” to 36” O.D. with
working pressure to 1,440 psi
• Integral inlet scrubber • Combustion Air Controller or Firetube
Turbulator for increased fuel efficiency These are available with six trays and integral
• 3 to 15 trays or packed columns inlet scrubber.
• 18, 24 or 30 inch tray spacing Reconcentrator systems are available with:
• Carbon steel or stainless steel trays and • Heat duty from 75,000 Btu/h to 550,000
bubble caps Nominal Gas Capacity – MMscfd Btu/h
• Tray drains Glycol Contactor and Integral Inlet • Glycol powered pump with rates from 13
• Tray inspection openings Scrubber to 450 gallons per hour
• External or inter-tray manways Vessel Size Design Pressure – PSIG
• Glycol pumping hook-up kits for use with
O.D. 230 500 600 1000 1200 1440 12”, 16”, 20” and 24” six-tray absorbers
• Gas piping and valves
12-3/4” 1.4 1.9 2.2 2.6 3.0 3.1 along with 75,000; 150,000; and 250,000
• Instrumentation and alarm systems
16” 2.1 3.2 3.5 4.2 4.7 4.8 Btu/hr reconcentrators
• Special coatings 20” 3.4 5.0 5.5 7.0 7.3 7.5 Support Services
• Safety caged ladders and platforms 24” 4.9 7.2 7.5 10.5 10.6 12.5 A 24 hour support service program from over
• Construction materials are carbon steel, 30” 7.5 11.3 12.5 17.0 18.0 21.0 30 service centres can maintain efficiency and
304 or 316-L stainless steel, 316-L 36” 11 16.5 20 25 27 31.7 minimize downtime. NATCO expertise ensures
stainless steel clad, or 316-L stainless system performance to its strict design specifi-
42” 17 25.5 27.5 34.5 38.0 41.0
steel overlay cations.
48” 22.0 33.0 37.0 46.0 50.0 54.0
Reconcentrator features available: 54” 28.0 42.0 46.0 58.0 63.0 68.0 • Scheduled maintenance by trained
• Glycol purity to 99.0% with standard 60” 34.5 52.0 57.0 72.0 78.0 84.0 technicians maximizes performance.
type and to 99.97% with stripping gas • Laboratory analysis of field glycol samples
66” 41.5 64.5 70.0 87.0 94.0 102.0
type detects problems early.
72” 50.0 75.0 82.0 100.0 110.0 123.0
• Heat duty from 75,000 to 8,000,000 • Chemical cleaning removes scale and
Btu/h Note: Nominal gas capacity (MMscfd) at design
pressure 0.7 specific gravity and 100ºF inlet gas contaminants from equipment.
• Heat sources can be direct fired, steam, temperature • Specially blended chemicals increase system
hot oil, electric, or natural gas efficiency, reduce corrosion, and minimize
Table 1: Glycol Contactor Capacities
• ASME Code or TEMA C or R design downtime.
heat exchanger • High quality glycols are available in bulk
• ASME Code or National Board Stamped and in drums.
• Pulsation dampeners Maximum Capacity – Pounds
Water/Day Removed Glycol For more information on NATCO Glycol Dehydration
• Flame arrestors Reconcentrator
Systems or other NATCO Group products contact:

• Internal or external glycol-glycol heat (with Glycol Powered Pumps) NATCO Group Head Office
exchangers or air coolers Houston, USA
Reconcentrator Glycol Circulation Rates Capacity Tel: +(1) 713 683 9292
• Glycol flash drums or hydrocarbon Duty (Gallons of Glycol/Pound Water Removed) Email: sales@natco-us.com
skimmers Duty Pump NATCO Canada
• Glycol sock or charcoal filters with M Btu/h Gal/h 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Calgary, Canada
Tel: +(1) 403 236 1850
standby 75 40 393 343 304 268 233 Email: sales@natco.ab.ca
• Glycol pumps can be electric, gas or 150 40 480 384 320 274 240 NATCO Japan
glycol powered, with standby, automat- Tokyo, Japan
250 90 1080 864 720 617 540 Tel: +(81) 33288 1901
ic switching. Email: natco1@natcojapan.com
375 210 1680 1344 1120 960 840
• Automatic reflux/overhead temperature 550 210 2520 2016 1680 1440 1260 Axsia Group
control Gloucester, England
750 450 4112 3446 2966 2604 2320 Tel: +(44) 1452 833800
• Temperature or filter differential 1000 660 5482 4595 3955 3472 3100 Email: asbl@axsia.com
pressure recorders Axsia Howmar
1500 900 8223 6893 5934 5208 4641
• Instrumentation and alarm systems Camberley, England
Note: Maximum capacity of reconcentrator in pounds Tel: +(44) 1276 681101
• High level, low level, and high temper- of water per day removed, when limited by firebox Email: ahl@axsia.com
ature alarms capacity or pump capacity
• Automatic shutdown panels Table 2: Glycol Reconcentrator Capacities
www.natcogroup.com

Issue 7 July 2002 Page 3014-A2