초록 ▼

Method and system for processing natural gas containing contaminants through the use of one or more rotary screw compressors. A natural gas containing a contaminant (e.g., water or carbon dioxide and/or hydrogen sulfide) and a contaminant removing agent are combined and processed within a rotary scr

Method and system for processing natural gas containing contaminants through the use of one or more rotary screw compressors. A natural gas containing a contaminant (e.g., water or carbon dioxide and/or hydrogen sulfide) and a contaminant removing agent are combined and processed within a rotary screw compressor. The contaminant removing agent may be a dehydrating agent such as a glycol or a carbon dioxide and/or hydrogen sulfide removing agent such an amine. The method and system of the present invention also may employ a series of rotary screw compressors to process natural gas containing a plurality of contaminants.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of processing a natural gas containing a contaminant comprising the steps of: a) feeding said natural gas containing said contaminant to a rotary screw compressor; b) feeding a contaminant removing agent to said rotary screw compressor and permitting said contaminant

What is claimed is: 1. A method of processing a natural gas containing a contaminant comprising the steps of: a) feeding said natural gas containing said contaminant to a rotary screw compressor; b) feeding a contaminant removing agent to said rotary screw compressor and permitting said contaminant removing agent to associate with said natural gas containing said contaminant within said rotary screw compressor; c) causing said rotary screw compressor to compress and process said natural gas containing said contaminant with said contaminant removing agent to produce a combination of a contaminant removing agent/contaminant mixture in a liquid phase and a compressed and processed natural gas in a gaseous phase; d) feeding said combination of said contaminant removing agent/contaminant mixture and said compressed and processed natural gas from said rotary screw compressor to a separator; e) causing said separator to separate said contaminant removing agent/contaminant mixture from said compressed and processed natural gas; f) recovering said compressed and processed natural gas from said separator; g) recovering said contaminant removing agent/contaminant mixture from said separator. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said contaminant removing agent is selected from the group consisting of a glycol, an amine, and a combination of said glycol and said amine. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said glycol is selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethlyene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, and any combination thereof. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine (MBA), diethanolamine (DEA), and any combination thereof. 5. A method of processing a natural gas containing a first contaminant and a second contaminant comprising the steps of: a) feeding said natural gas containing said first and second contaminants to a rotary screw compressor; b) feeding a first contaminant removing agent to said rotary screw compressor and permitting said first contaminant removing agent to associate with said natural gas containing said first and second contaminants within said rotary screw compressor; c) causing said rotary screw compressor to compress and process said natural gas containing said first and second contaminants with said first contaminant removing agent to produce a combination of a first contaminant removing agent/first contaminant mixture in a liquid phase and a compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant in a gaseous phase; d) feeding said combination of said first contaminant removing agent/first contaminant mixture and said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant from said rotary screw compressor to a separator; e) causing said separator to separate said first contaminant removing agent/first contaminant mixture from said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant; f) recovering said first contaminant removing agent/first contaminant mixture from said separator; g) feeding said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant from said separator to a second rotary screw compressor; h) feeding a second contaminant removing agent to said second rotary screw compressor and permitting said second contaminant removing agent to associate with said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant within said second rotary screw compressor; i) causing said second rotary screw compressor to further compress and process said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant with said second contaminant removing agent to produce a combination of a second contaminant removing agent/second contaminant mixture in a liquid phase and a further compressed and processed natural gas in a gaseous phase; j) feeding said combination of said second contaminant removing agent/second contaminant mixture and said further compressed and processed natural gas from said second rotary screw compressor to a second separator; k) causing said second separator to separate said second contaminant removing agent/second contaminant mixture from said further compressed and processed natural gas; l) recovering said further compressed and processed natural gas from said second separator; m) recovering said second contaminant removing agent/second contaminant mixture from said second separator. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said first contaminant removing agent is selected from the group consisting of a glycol, an amine, and a combination of said glycol and said amine. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said glycol is selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethlyene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, and any combination thereof. 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and any combination thereof. 9. The method according to claim 5, wherein said second contaminant removing agent is selected from the group consisting of a glycol, an amine, and a combination of said glycol and said amine. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said glycol is selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethlyene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, and any combination thereof. 11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and any combination thereof. 12. A system for processing a natural gas containing a contaminant comprising: a first line feeding said natural gas containing said contaminant to a rotary screw compressor; a second line feeding a contaminant removing agent to said rotary screw compressor, said contaminant removing agent associating with said natural gas containing said contaminant within said rotary screw compressor; wherein actuation of said rotary screw compressor compresses and processes said natural gas containing said contaminant to produce a combination of a contaminant removing agent/contaminant mixture in a liquid phase and a compressed and processed natural gas in a gaseous phase; a third line feeding said combination of said contaminant removing agent/contaminant mixture and said compressed and processed natural gas from said rotary screw compressor to a separator, said separator separating said contaminant removing agent/contaminant mixture from said compressed and processed natural gas; a fourth line feeding said compressed and processed natural gas from said separator for recovery thereof; a fifth line feeding said contaminant removing agent/contaminant mixture from said separator for recovery thereof. 13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said contaminant removing agent is selected from the group consisting of a glycol, an amine, and a combination of said glycol and said amine. 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said glycol is selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethlyene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, and any combination thereof. 15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and any combination thereof. 16. A system for processing a natural gas containing a first contaminant and a second contaminant comprising: a first line feeding said natural gas containing said first and second contaminants to a rotary screw compressor; a second line feeding a first contaminant removing agent to said rotary screw compressor, said first contaminant removing agent associating with said natural gas containing said first and second contaminants within said rotary screw compressor; wherein actuation of said rotary screw compressor compresses and processes said natural gas containing said first and second contaminants to produce a combination of a first contaminant removing agent/first contaminant mixture in a liquid phase and a compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant in a gaseous phase; a third line feeding said combination of said first contaminant removing agent/first contaminant mixture and said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant from said rotary screw compressor to a separator, said separator separating said first contaminant removing agent/first contaminant mixture from said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant; a fourth line feeding said first contaminant removing agent/first contaminant mixture from said separator for recovery thereof; a fifth line feeding said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant from said separator to a second rotary screw processor; a sixth line feeding a second contaminant removing agent to said second rotary screw compressor, said second contaminant removing agent associating with said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant within said second rotary screw compressor; wherein actuation of said second rotary screw compressor further compresses and processes said compressed and processed natural gas containing said second contaminant to produce a combination of a second contaminant removing agent/second contaminant mixture in a liquid phase and a further compressed and processed natural gas in a gaseous phase; a seventh line feeding said combination of said second contaminant removing agent/second contaminant mixture and said further compressed and processed natural gas from said second rotary screw compressor to a second separator, said second separator separating said second contaminant removing agent/second contaminant mixture from said further compressed and processed natural gas; an eighth line feeding said second contaminant removing agent/second contaminant mixture from said second separator for recovery thereof; a ninth line feeding said further compressed and processed natural gas from said second separator for recovery thereof. 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said first contaminant removing agent is selected from the group consisting of a glycol, an amine, and a combination of said glycol and said amine. 18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said glycol is selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethlyene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, and any combination thereof. 19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and any combination thereof. 20. The system according to claim 16, wherein said second contaminant removing agent is selected from the group consisting of a glycol, an amine, and a combination of said glycol and said amine. 21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said glycol is selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethlyene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, and any combination thereof. 22. The system according to claim 20, wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and any combination thereof.