Natural gas liquid fractionation plant waste heat conversion to simultaneous power and potable water using Kalina cycle and modified multi-effect-distillation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480354-B2
Application number	US-201715842205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2017
Priority date	Aug 8, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

Certain aspects of natural gas liquid fractionation plant waste heat conversion to simultaneous power and potable water using Kalina Cycle and modified multi-effect-distillation system can be implemented as a system. The system includes a waste heat recovery heat exchanger network coupled to multiple heat sources of a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) fractionation plant. The heat exchanger network is configured to transfer at least a portion of heat generated at the multiple heat sources to a first buffer fluid and a second buffer fluid flowed through the first heat exchanger network. The system includes a first sub-system configured to generate power. The first sub-system is thermally coupled to the waste heat recovery heat exchanger. The system includes a second sub-system configured to generate potable water from brackish water. The second sub-system is thermally coupled to the waste heat recovery heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a waste heat recovery heat exchanger network coupled to a plurality of heat sources of a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) fractionation plant, the heat exchanger network configured to transfer at least a portion of heat generated at the plurality of heat sources to a first buffer fluid and a second buffer fluid flowed through the first heat exchanger network;
a first sub-system configured to generate power, the first sub-system thermally coupled to the waste heat recovery heat exchanger; and
a second sub-system configured to generate potable water from brackish water, the second sub-system thermally coupled to the waste heat recovery heat exchanger, and
a flow control system connected to the heat exchanger network and the first sub-system or the heat exchanger network and the second subsystem or the heat exchanger network, the first sub-system and the second sub-system, the control system configured to flow fluids between the NGL fractionation plant, the heat exchanger network one or both of the first sub-system or the second sub-system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluids comprise one or more of a NGL fractionation plant stream or a buffer fluid.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat sources comprise:
a first plurality of sub-units of the NGL fractionation plant, the first plurality of sub-units comprising a de-ethanizer section, a propane dehydration section, a de-propanizer section, a butane de-hydrator section, and a de-butanizer section;
a second plurality of sub-units of the NGL fractionation plant, the second plurality of sub-units comprising a de-pentanizer section, an Amine-Di-Iso-Propanol (ADIP) regeneration section, a natural gas de-colorizing section, a propane vapor recovery section and a propane product refrigeration section; and
a third plurality of sub-units of the NGL fractionation a propane product sub-cooling section, a butane product refrigeration section, an ethane production section and a Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) control section.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger network comprises:
a first subset comprising one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers thermally coupled to the first plurality of sub-units of the NGL fractionation plant.

5. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a first subset comprises:
a first heat exchanger thermally coupled to the de-ethanizer section, the first heat exchanger configured to heat a first buffer stream using heat carried by a de-ethanizer refrigeration compressor outlet stream from the de-ethanizer section;
a second heat exchanger thermally coupled to the propane dehydration section, the second heat exchanger configured to heat a second buffer stream using heat carried by a propane de-hydration outlet stream from the propane de-hydration section;
a fourth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the de-propanizer section, the fourth heat exchanger configured to heat a third buffer stream using heat carried by a de-propanizer overhead outlet stream from the de-propanizer section;
a fifth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the butane de-hydrator section, the fifth heat exchanger configured to heat a fourth buffer stream using heat carried by a butane de-hydrator outlet stream;
a sixth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the de-butanizer section, the sixth heat exchanger configured to heat a fifth buffer stream using heat carried by a de-butanizer overhead outlet stream from the de-butanizer section; and
a seventh heat exchanger thermally coupled to the de-butanizer section, the seventh heat exchanger configured to heat a sixth buffer stream using heat carried by a de-butanizer bottoms outlet stream from the de-butanizer section.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger network comprises:
a second subset comprising one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers thermally coupled to the second plurality of sub-units of the NGL fractionation plant.

7. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a second subset comprises:
an eighth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the de-pentanizer section, the eighth heat exchanger configured to heat a seventh buffer stream using heat carried by a de-pentanizer overhead outlet stream from the de-pentanizer section;
a ninth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the ADIP regeneration section, the ninth heat exchanger configured to heat an eighth buffer stream using heat carried by an ADIP regeneration section overhead outlet stream;
a tenth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the ADIP regeneration section, the tenth heat exchanger configured to heat a ninth buffer stream using heat carried by an ADIP regeneration section bottoms outlet stream;
an eleventh heat exchanger thermally coupled to the natural gas de-colorizing section, the eleventh heat exchanger configured to heat a tenth buffer stream using heat carried by a natural gas de-colorizing section pre-flash drum overhead outlet stream;
a twelfth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the natural gas de-colorizing section, the twelfth heat exchanger configured to heat an eleventh buffer stream using heat carried by a natural gas de-colorizer overhead outlet stream;
a thirteenth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the propane vapor recovery section, the thirteenth heat exchanger configured to heat a twelfth buffer stream using heat carried by a propane vapor recovery compressor outlet stream; and
a fourteenth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the propane product refrigeration section, the fourteenth heat exchanger configured to heat a thirteenth buffer stream using heat carried by a propane refrigeration compressor outlet stream from the propane product refrigeration section.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger network comprises:
a third subset comprising one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers thermally coupled to the third plurality of sub-units of the NGL fractionation plant.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third subset comprises:
a fifteenth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the propane product sub-cooling, the fifteenth heat exchanger configured to heat a fourteenth buffer stream using heat carried by a propane main compressor outlet stream from the propane product sub-cooling section;
a sixteenth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the butane product refrigeration section, the sixteenth heat exchanger configured to heat a fifteenth buffer stream using heat carried by a butane refrigeration compressor outlet stream from the butane product refrigeration section;
a seventeenth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the ethane production section, the seventeenth heat exchanger configured to heat a sixteenth buffer stream using heat carried by an ethane dryer outlet stream; and
an eighteenth heat exchanger thermally coupled to the RVP control section, the eighteenth heat exchanger configured to heat a seventeenth buffer stream using heat carried by a RVP control column overhead outlet stream.

10. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a buffer stream which is a first buffer stream of a first type, wherein heat exchanger network comprise a third heat exchanger thermally coupled to the de-pentanizer section, the third heat exchanger configured to heat a second buffer stream of a second type different from the first type using heat carried by the de-propanizer overhead outlet stream.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first buffer stream of the first type comprises oil and the second buffer stream of the second type comprises water.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a first storage tank to store the first buffer stream; and
a second storage

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Noureldin Mahmoud Bahy Mahmoud
• Kamel Akram Hamed Mohamed

Classifications

• F01K25/10

  the vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether · CPC title

• B01D3/065

  Multiple-effect flash distillation (more than two traps) · CPC title

• F01K27/02

  Plants modified to use their waste heat, other than that of exhaust, e.g. engine-friction heat · CPC title

• C10G7/00

  Distillation of hydrocarbon oils · CPC title

• F25J2240/70

  Steam turbine, e.g. used in a Rankine cycle · CPC title