Adsorption process for treating natural gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034903-B2
Application number	US-201916392314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A process of treating a natural gas stream is provided comprising sending natural gas stream through a first adsorbent bed to remove water and heavy hydrocarbons (C8+) to produce a partially treated gas stream in which the first adsorbent bed is regenerated by a temperature swing adsorption process and then sending the partially treated gas stream through a second adsorption bed to remove carbon dioxide and lighter hydrocarbons (C7−) to produce a purified natural gas stream wherein said second adsorption bed is regenerated by a temperature pressure swing adsorption process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process of treating a natural gas stream comprising
sending said natural gas stream through a first adsorbent bed to remove water and heavy hydrocarbons (C8+) to produce a partially treated gas stream wherein said first adsorbent bed is regenerated by a temperature swing adsorption process; and
sending said partially treated gas stream through a second adsorption bed to remove carbon dioxide and lighter hydrocarbons (C7−) to produce a purified natural gas stream wherein said second adsorption bed is regenerated by a temperature pressure swing adsorption process.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said natural gas stream comprises less than about 3 vol % carbon dioxide.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein a closed loop or semi-closed loop regeneration gas stream is used to regenerate said second adsorbent bed.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein a semi-closed loop regeneration gas stream is used to regenerate said second adsorbent bed.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature pressure swing adsorption process comprises a series of steps in order comprising adsorption, co-current depressurization, closed-loop heating, a purge with heating, a purge without heating, repressurization of the adsorbent bed and cooling with feed and then withdrawal of product.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature pressure swing adsorption process comprises a series of steps in order comprising adsorption, co-current depressurization, a first closed loop heating step and a second closed loop heating step, a depressurization step, a purge without heat, repressurization and cooling with feed and withdrawal of product.

7. The process of claim 5 wherein a portion of said product is used in said purge without heating step.

8. The process of claim 6 wherein a portion of said product stream is heated and sent through said adsorbent bed.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein a stream exiting said adsorbent bed is sent into said adsorbent bed or into a second adsorbent bed.

10. The process of claim 5 wherein said heating step is at a higher pressure than said purge step.

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Doong Shain-Jer
• Davis Mark M
• Sharma Bhargav C

Classifications

• B01D2259/404

  using four beds · CPC title

• B01D2259/40075

  More than ten · CPC title

• B01D2259/40052

  Recycled product or process gas · CPC title

• B01D2257/702

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C10L2290/12

  Regeneration of a solvent, catalyst, adsorbent or any other component used to treat or prepare a fuel · CPC title