Coalescer for co-current contactors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486100-B1
Application number	US-201916513156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2019
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure includes a method, comprising passing a fluid into a co-current contactor, passing a solvent into the co-current contactor, dividing the solvent into solvent droplets having a first average droplet size, placing the fluid in contact with the solvent droplets to create a combined stream, coalescing at least a portion of the solvent droplets to create solvent droplets having a second average droplet size, wherein the second average droplet size is greater than the first average droplet size, and separating the fluid and the solvent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
passing a fluid into a co-current contactor, the fluid including a hydrocarbon and a contaminant;
passing a solvent into the co-current contactor,
dividing the solvent into solvent droplets having a first average droplet size;
placing the fluid in contact with the solvent droplets to create a combined stream;
absorbing the contaminant into the solvent droplets;
coalescing at least a portion of the solvent droplets to create solvent droplets having a second average droplet size, wherein the second average droplet size is greater than the first average droplet size;
separating the fluid from the solvent droplets;
collecting the solvent droplets in a boot; and
recycling gas, collecting in the boot, to the co-current contactor via a recycle gas inlet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first average droplet size is between less than about 1 micrometer (μm) and about 1000 μm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second average droplet size is between about 2 micrometers (μm) and about 10000 μm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein coalescing comprises electrically inducing coalescence, mechanically inducing coalescence, or both.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein coalescing takes between less than about 0.01 seconds and about 15 seconds of residence time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein coalescing comprises passing the combined stream through a pre-coalescer to create solvent droplets having a third average droplet size, wherein the third average droplet size is greater than the first average droplet size and less than the second average droplet size.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid and the solvent are liquids.

Assignees

• Freeman Stephanie A
• Grave Edward J
• Cullinane J Tim
• Northrop P Scott
• Yeh Norman K
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Freeman Stephanie A
• Grave Edward J
• Cullinane J Tim
• Northrop P Scott
• Yeh Norman K

Classifications

• B01D2257/304

  Hydrogen sulfide · CPC title

• C10L3/10

  Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas · CPC title

• B01D53/1462

  Removing mixtures of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B01D53/1406 Primary

  Multiple stage absorption · CPC title

• B01D53/526

  Mixtures of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide · CPC title