RU88282U1 - INSTALLATION FOR DISPOSAL OF ASSOCIATED OIL GAS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to techniques for the utilization of associated petroleum gas by separation of its components in distillation columns. The utility model is aimed at ensuring the energy independence of plants and improving the quality of separation. The specified technical result is achieved in that a thermoacoustic heat pump is used as a refrigerator for cooling the condensers of the distillation columns.

A distinctive feature of the invention is the use of non-marketable fractions of associated petroleum gas as fuel for a thermoacoustic engine, which is part of the heat pump, as well as thermal emissions of a thermoacoustic engine for heating evaporators of distillation columns.

Description

The invention relates to the oil and gas industry, in particular, to a technique for utilizing associated petroleum gas by separating its components in distillation columns. The utility model is aimed at ensuring the energy independence of plants, improving the quality of separation and reducing costs for the manufacture and operation of plants.

The specified technical result is achieved in that a thermoacoustic heat pump is used as a refrigerator for cooling the condensers of the distillation columns. A distinctive feature of the invention is the use of non-marketable fractions of associated petroleum gas as fuel for a thermoacoustic engine, which is part of the heat pump, as well as thermal emissions of a thermoacoustic engine for heating evaporators of distillation columns.

The Russian Federation has significant reserves of associated petroleum gas. The problem of associated petroleum gas utilization is very relevant. The following methods for utilization of associated petroleum gas are known:

- Adsorption separation of oil associated gas components

- Separation of oil associated gas components by liquefaction

- Distillation separation of oil associated gas components

- Membrane separation of oil associated gas components

- Processing of associated petroleum gases by pyrolysis

- Processing of associated petroleum gas into propane-butane crystalline hydrates

Existing methods and devices for the utilization of associated petroleum gas are presented in the following basic patents:

Adsorption separation of oil associated gas components

- RU 2338734 - METHOD FOR PRODUCING HYDROCARBONS FROM ASSOCIATED OIL GASES

- RU 2342980 - ADSORPTION UNIT FOR CLEANING AND DRYING GASES

- US 4370156 - Process for separating relatively pure fractions of methane and carbon dioxide from gas mixtures

- US 4741745 - Process for separation of carbon dioxide from other gases

- US 2806552 - Absorption process

- US 5269833 - Process for cleaning a stream of crude gas or waste gas

- US 5861051 - Process for removing carbon dioxide from gas mixture

- US 6364933 - Apparatus for use with a natural gas dehydrator

- US 4498911 - Simultaneous removal of water and hydrogen sulfide from gaseous carbon dioxide

- US 4261716 - Apparatus for recovering hydrocarbons from air-hydrocarbon vapor mixtures

The disadvantage of this method is the need for regeneration of the used additional chemicals.

Separation of oil associated gas components by liquefaction

- RU 2340841 - METHOD FOR PROCESSING ASSOCIATED OIL GAS AND INSTALLATION FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION

- RU 2047061 - METHOD FOR GAS SEPARATION AND DEVICE FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION

- RU 1553018 - Method for separating a gas stream under high pressure

- RU 2324871 - METHOD FOR CLEANING ASSOCIATED OIL GAS FROM HEAVY HYDROCARBONS USING LOW TEMPERATURES

- RU 2318167 - METHOD FOR LIQUIDING AND SEPARATION OF OIL ASSOCIATED GAS

- RU 2272972 - METHOD FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE SEPARATION OF ASSOCIATED OIL GASES

- RU 2004102104 - METHOD FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE SEPARATION OF ASSOCIATED OIL GASES

- RU 2297267 - METHOD FOR SEPARATING MULTI-PHASE MEDIA AND A DEVICE FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION

- RU 2225971 - METHOD FOR SEPARATING ASSOCIATED OIL GAS

- US 4356014 - Cryogenic recovery of liquids from refinery off-gases

- US 4272269 - Cryogenic expander recovery process

- US 4,878,932 - Cryogenic rectification process for separating nitrogen and methane

- US 4654047 - Hybrid membrane / cryogenic process for hydrogen purification

- US 4923493 - Method and apparatus for cryogenic separation of carbon dioxide

- US 4012212 - Process and apparatus for liquefying natural gas

- US 4,548,618 - Process and apparatus for the separation of a mixture of gases

- US 4312652 - Process for fractionation of a gaseous mixture

- US 4272269 - Cryogenic expander recovery process

- US 5041149 - Separation of nitrogen and methane with residue turbo-expansion

- US 7337631 - Use of cryogenic temperatures in processing gases

- US 4851020 - Ethane recovery system

- US 4061481 - Natural gas processing

- US 4,596,588 - Selected methods of reflux-hydrocarbon gas separation process

The disadvantage of this method is the high energy costs of liquefaction.

Distillation separation of petroleum gas components

- RU 2147916 - METHOD FOR SEPARATING NATURAL GAS COMPONENTS

- RU 2277961 - METHOD FOR CLEANING ASSOCIATED OIL GASES

- US 4,753,666 - Distillative processing of CO.sub.2 and hydrocarbons for enhanced oil recovery

- US 4732598 - Dephlegmator process for nitrogen rejection from natural gas

- US 4,230,469 - Distillation of methane from a methane-containing crude gas

- US 4318723 - Cryogenic distillative separation of acid gases from methane

- US 4383842 - Distillative separation of methane and carbon dioxide

- US 3983711 - Plural stage distillation of a natural gas stream

- US 4936887 - Distillation plus membrane processing of gas streams

- US 4404008 - Combined cascade and multicomponent refrigeration

- US 4350511 - Distillative separation of carbon dioxide from light hydrocarbons

- US 4,869,740 - Hydrocarbon gas processing

- US 4,278,457 - Hydrocarbon gas processing

- US 4,519,824 - Hydrocarbon gas separation

- US 4,687,499 - Process for separating hydrocarbon gas constituents

- US 4,545895 - Fractional distillation

- US 4,657,571 - Process for the recovery of heavy constituents from hydrocarbon gaseous mixtures

- US 5685170 - Propane recovery process

- US 4203741 - Separate feed entry to separator-contactor in gas separation

- US 4617039 - Separating hydrocarbon gases

- US 4846863 - Separation of hydrocarbon mixtures

- US 4056444 - Vacuum separation of mixtures with similar boiling points

- US 4312652 - Separation system

- US 4,158,556 - Nitrogen-methane separation process and system

- US 4747858 - Process for removal of carbon dioxide from mixtures

- US 4149864 - Separation of carbon dioxide and other acid gas components from hydrocarbon feeds

- US 5442924 - Liquid removal from natural gas

- US 4061481 - Natural gas processing

- US 4,657,571 - Process for the recovery of heavy constituents from hydrocarbon gaseous mixtures

- US 5566554 - Hydrocarbon gas separation process

- US 4666483 - Method and installation for recovering the heaviest hydrocarbons

The disadvantage of this method is the need to use high pressures, which increases the intensity and reduces the reliability of the product.

Membrane separation of oil associated gas components

- RU 2144842 - ASYMMETRIC MEMBRANE FOR GAS SEPARATION AND METHOD FOR ITS MANUFACTURE

- RU 2121393 - MEMBRANE ROLL ELEMENT FOR SEPARATION OF GASES AND STEAMS

- RU 2126290 - MEMBRANE UNIT FOR GAS SEPARATION

- RU 2026725 - MEMBRANE APPARATUS FOR GAS SEPARATION

- RU 2077373 - METHOD FOR MEMBRANE SEPARATION OF GASES AND LIQUIDS

- US 4936887 - Distillation plus membrane processing of gas streams

- US 4,645,516 - Enhanced gas separation process

- US 4,732,583 - Gas separation

- US 5352272 - Gas separations utilizing glassy polymer membranes at sub-ambient temperatures

- US 4119417 - Gas separator

- US 4654047 - Hybrid membrane / cryogenic process for hydrogen purification

- US 5032148 - Membrane fractionation process

- US 5129921 - Membrane gas separation process and apparatus

- US 4,264,338 - Method for separating gases

- US 4701187 - Process for separating components of a gas stream

- US 6128919 - Process for separating natural gas and carbon dioxide

- US 4952219 - Membrane drying of gas feeds to low temperature units

- US 5,240,472 - Moisture removal from a wet gas

- US 5772733 - Natural gas liquids (NGL) stabilization process

- US 5089033 - Process for removing condensable components from gas streams

- US 6128919 - Process for separating natural gas and carbon dioxide from a raw feed stream

- US 5964923 - Natural gas treatment train

The disadvantage of this method is the low productivity. Associated Petroleum Gas Processing by Pyrolysis

- RU 2330058 - METHOD FOR PROCESSING ASSOCIATED OIL GASES

- RU 2188846 - METHOD FOR PROCESSING HYDROCARBON RAW MATERIALS

The disadvantage of this method is the inability to obtain marketable motor fuel.

Processing of associated petroleum gas into propane-butane crystalline hydrates

- RU 2319083 - METHOD OF GAS PROCESSING WHEN DEVELOPING OIL AND GAS DEPOSITS AND A COMPLEX OF EQUIPMENT FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION

The disadvantage of this method is the complexity and inability to obtain marketable products.

The distillation separation of petroleum gas components in the separation columns has the best combination of productivity and separation quality of components, however, it requires external energy to drive refrigerators for cooling the condensers of the distillation columns and heating the evaporators of the distillation columns. The present invention aims at creating energy-autonomous installations for separating the components of associated petroleum gas.

The prototype of the invention is patent RU 2147916 - "Method for the separation of components of natural gas." As in the prototype, the invention uses a technique for separating the components of associated petroleum gas in distillation columns. The prototype uses traditional high-pressure distillation technology, when the temperature of the condensers of the distillation columns significantly exceeds the ambient temperature. The invention uses a new low-pressure distillation technology when the temperature of the distillation column condensers is negative. As a refrigerator for cooling condensers of distillation columns, a thermoacoustic heat pump [1] is used as a refrigerator for cooling condensers of distillation columns.

At first glance, it seems that the addition of a new element - the refrigerator complicates the design of the plants and makes them ineffective. However, when using thermoacoustic technology in the invention, the energy independence of the plants is ensured, the quality of separation is improved, and the costs of manufacturing and operating the plants are reduced, which creates advantages over the prototype. A radical decrease in pressure in the distillation columns can significantly reduce the metal consumption of the product and significantly increases reliability. The use of thermoacoustic technology avoids moving mechanical parts.

Thus, the technical result of the invention consists in ensuring the energy independence of the plants, improving the quality of the products, reducing the cost of manufacturing and operating the plants, reducing the metal consumption and significantly improving reliability.

Commercial products of plants include:

- Liquefied propane

- Liquefied butane

- Liquefied hydrogen sulfide

- Liquid carbon dioxide

- Propanobutane mixture (summer)

- Propanobutane mixture (winter)

Schematic diagram of a thermoacoustic installation for separating the components of associated petroleum gas is presented in figure 1. The installation consists of the following main components:

1 - Air intake

2 - Air filter

3 - Blower

4 - chimney

5 - Water cooling radiator

6 - Economizer

7 - Auxiliary fan drive

8 - Burner

9 - Water supply pipelines

10 - Flue gas pipe

11 - Thermal-acoustic engine

12 - Linear Generator

13 - Waveguide

14 - Columns of separation

15 - Thermally insulated cold block

16 - Gas inlet

17 - Dryer and pressure control unit

18 - Thermoacoustic refrigerator

19 - Combustible gas supply pipe

20 - Storage products separation

21 - Switching unit

22 - Output terminal

23 - Emergency Torch

Thermoacoustic heat pump consists of the following elements:

8 - Burner

11 - Thermal-acoustic engine

13 - Waveguide

18 - Thermoacoustic refrigerator

Due to the direct thermoacoustic effect, the heat flow from burning non-commodity gas fractions is converted in the thermoacoustic engine into acoustic vibrations of the working gas (compressed helium) in the waveguide. Oscillations of the working gas in the waveguide due to the inverse thermoacoustic effect create a reverse flow heat flow in the thermoacoustic refrigerator, cooling the associated petroleum gas, leading to liquefaction of its commercial fractions. The heat exchangers of the condensers of the separation columns are cooled using a thermoacoustic refrigerator. The temperatures of the condensers and evaporators of the distillation columns of the gas fraction separation unit are regulated to ensure accurate separation of the gas components.

To heat the evaporators of the distillation columns, thermal emissions of the thermoacoustic engine, which is part of the heat pump, are used.

Associated petroleum gas from the desiccant and pressure control unit 17 enters the switching unit 21 and then to the separation columns, the product fractions of which are fed through the storage units and the switching unit to the output terminal 22. Air passes through the air intake 1, air filter 2 and blower 3 to the economizer 6 and further into the burner 8 of the thermoacoustic engine 11. The flue gases from the burner 8 of the thermoacoustic engine 11 enter the economizer 6 and then into the chimney 4. The chimney 4 is equipped with a radiator 5 for taking heat from the liquid, serving boiling for the cooling thermoacoustic heat pump and the evaporator temperature controlled separation columns. Oscillations of the working gas in the waveguide 13 are used to drive a linear electric generator 12, which feeds the electronic control system, an auxiliary chimney fan 7 and a blower 3. In an emergency, the incoming gas is discharged to the emergency torch 23.

Thermoacoustic installations for separating the components of associated petroleum gas are energetically autonomous. Unlike traditional installations, they do not require the use of powerful mechanical compressors, gas turbine or electric drives, power supply and the construction of power lines.

The absence of moving mechanical parts, i.e. Exceptional simplicity and reliability, as well as their energy autonomy, allows you to place thermo-acoustic installations for liquefying associated petroleum gas directly in the fields.

The simplicity of thermoacoustic installations is also due to the fact that they use only one type of energy - the energy of compressed gas and there are no multistage conversions of some types of energy to others. The energy autonomy and simplicity of thermoacoustic plants for gas liquefaction allows us to optimize their location in the technological chain of oil and gas production and processing.

Bibliography

1. R. Radebaugh, C.M. McDermott, G.W. Swift and R.A. Martin. Development of a thermoacoustically driven orifice pulse tube refrigerator. In Proceedings of the Interagency Meeting on Cryocoolers, page 205. October 24, 1990, Plymouth, MA, David Taylor Research Center, publication 91/003, Bethesda, MD, 1990.

Claims (1)

Installation for the utilization of associated petroleum gas by separating its components in distillation columns with evaporators and condensers, having a burner, a gas dryer and storage of separation products, characterized in that the condensers of the distillation columns are connected to a refrigerator of a thermoacoustic heat pump, consisting of a thermoacoustic engine with a burner, a waveguide and thermo-acoustic refrigerator.