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Production facilities, including platforms or FPSO, are becoming more and more complex structures. Reducing the weight of the process units is an important challenge, and represents a huge source of costs savings. IFPEN, PROSERNAT and INDUSTEEL have evaluated two alternative metallurgies with high mechanical properties to reduce the weight of equipment of amine gas treating units (AGRU). Duplex stainless steels are considered as an alternative to more conventional austenitic stainless steel grades. High strength alloy steel ASME SA-533 type E class 2, having an UTS above 90 ksi, can be an alternate to carbon steel ASME SA-516 Gr65 type (UTS 65 ksi). The compatibility of these steel grades with amine service was checked through autoclave corrosion tests in amine solutions. Various experiments were performed in conditions representative of the bottom part of absorber and of upper section of regenerator of AGRU, with variable loadings of CO 2 and H 2 S. Study used different specimens: weight-loss coupons, four-point-bend assemblies, and U-bends. For all these tests, alternative metallurgies proved to behave at least as well as the reference ones generally considered in amine plants with no significant corrosion nor cracking. In addition to experimental tests and presentation of steel properties, the paper describes a case study of AGRU where the mass gain and CAPEX benefits are elaborated for a 75 bar, 4.5 meters diameter absorber, and for a 4.8 meters diameter, low pressure, stripper.

Measurements of the CO2 absorption rate into a diethanolamine (DEA) aqueous solution were made using a Lewis cell to determine the CO2−DEA kinetic parameters. The absorption rate was controlled by ...

To conquer the current FLNG challenge, experts have to answer the question " What effect does the movement of the ship have on the amine process?". It is necessary to rely on accurate knowledge of the impact of the floating support movement on the towers operation, to first secure then optimize the design of the process units. Indeed both flooding and internals efficiency will significantly impact the towers sizing (diameter and height) and thus the whole FLNG project. It is a complex problem to be able to take into account the multitude of factors such as liquid viscosity, height of packing, diameter of column, acceleration, liquid/gas flowrate, type of packing, and motions imposed on the system. After first years of work when they completed an extensive review of bibliographic data to build an early model of maldistribution based on a theoretical approach, Total, Prosernat and IFPEN have now performed more than one year research and development at Heriot-Watt University to model mass transfer and hydraulics of a tilting, moving tower. To assess the impact of experimental column diameter and to be in position to scale-up the results, two columns have been used and will be described. The program has included both static and motion tests with varying periods and angles, at different liquid loads to map the distortion of liquid distribution at adjustable heights of packing. The data now acquired has shown, depending on operating conditions, a significant impact on liquid distribution in the packing bed, leading to differentiated wetted zones, including dry and overloaded areas. Some examples will be given to illustrate the impact on tower efficiency and the corresponding tower oversizing based on the results of test campaign.