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Simulation of a Process Unit for the Recovery of Light Ends from Natural Gas Mixture

Received: 9 October 2021    Accepted: 1 November 2021    Published: 20 July 2022
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Abstract

Simulation of a process unit for the recovery of light ends from natural gas was carried out in this study by considering a three stage process column. The three stage process column was designed and simulated for the recovery of methane, ethane and propane from natural gas mixture respectively. The unit operations adopted in achieving these separations were de-methanizer column for absorption of methane and distillation unit using de-ethanizer column for ethane and de-propanizer column for propane recovery respectively. The process was imulated using Aspen Hysys and the result obtained showed 98% recovery of methane from de-methanizer column, 97.7% of ethane from de-ethanizer column and 94.7% of propane obtained from de-propanizer column respectively. Functional parameters effects such as variations of temperature, pressure, molecular weight and flow were investigated in the three stage separator (De-methanizer, De-ethanizer and De-propanizer). In addition, methane was obtained from de-methanizer column at temperature of -92.69°C, pressure of 2275KPa, flow rate of 1322Kgmole/h and molecular weight of 16.37g/mole, ethane was obtained from de-ethanizer column at temperature of 5.299°C, pressure of 2725KPa, flow rate of 320Kgmole/h and molecular weight of 30.37g/mole and propane was obtained from de-propanizer column at temperature of 46.49°C, pressure of 1585KPa and molecular weight of 43.91g/mole respectively.

Published in Bioprocess Engineering (Volume 6, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.be.20220602.14
Page(s) 27-33
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Natural Gas Mixture, Light Ends, De-Methanizer, De-Ethanizer, De-Propanizer, Aspen Hysys

References
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[3] Najibi H., Darabi H., & Kamali M. J. (2012). A Feasibility Study of the Technologies for Deep Ethane Recovery from the Gases Produced in One of the Iran Southern Fields. Iranian Journal of Oil & Gas Science and Technology, 1, 1, 13-24.
[4] Al-Sobhi, S., Alfadala, H. & El-Halwagi, M. M. (2009). Simulation and Energy Integration of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Plant. Advances in Gas Processing: Proceedings of the 1st International Gas processing Symposium, Elsevier, 131-135.
[5] Odumugbo, C. A. (2010). Natural Gas Utilization in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2, 6, 310-316.
[6] Arash E. & Omid G. (2011). Steady State Simulation and Experimental Study of an Ethane Recovery Unit in an Iranian Natural Gas Refinery. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 51, 45 -67.
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[15] Binous, H. & Bellagi, A. (2013). Simulation of the Separation of Industrially Important Hydrocarbon Mixtures by Different Distillation Techniques using Mathematica, In: Advances in Systems Engineering Research, 2013, 47-78.
[16] Fissore, D. & Sokeipirim, D. (2011). Simulation and Energy Consumption Analysis of a Propane Plus Recovery Plant from Natural Gas. Fuel Processing Technology, 92, 3, 656–662.
[17] Faizan A., Lau K. K., Shariff A. M. & Ghulam M. (2012). Process Simulation and Optimal Design of Membrane Separation System for CO2 Capture from Natural Gas. Computers and Chemical Engineering 36, 119 –128.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Dagde Kekpugile Kenneth, Akpa Jackson Gonurubon, Adeloye Olalekan Michael, Nnanna Henry Douglas. (2022). Simulation of a Process Unit for the Recovery of Light Ends from Natural Gas Mixture. Bioprocess Engineering, 6(2), 27-33. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.be.20220602.14

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    ACS Style

    Dagde Kekpugile Kenneth; Akpa Jackson Gonurubon; Adeloye Olalekan Michael; Nnanna Henry Douglas. Simulation of a Process Unit for the Recovery of Light Ends from Natural Gas Mixture. Bioprocess Eng. 2022, 6(2), 27-33. doi: 10.11648/j.be.20220602.14

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    AMA Style

    Dagde Kekpugile Kenneth, Akpa Jackson Gonurubon, Adeloye Olalekan Michael, Nnanna Henry Douglas. Simulation of a Process Unit for the Recovery of Light Ends from Natural Gas Mixture. Bioprocess Eng. 2022;6(2):27-33. doi: 10.11648/j.be.20220602.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.be.20220602.14,
      author = {Dagde Kekpugile Kenneth and Akpa Jackson Gonurubon and Adeloye Olalekan Michael and Nnanna Henry Douglas},
      title = {Simulation of a Process Unit for the Recovery of Light Ends from Natural Gas Mixture},
      journal = {Bioprocess Engineering},
      volume = {6},
      number = {2},
      pages = {27-33},
      doi = {10.11648/j.be.20220602.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.be.20220602.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.be.20220602.14},
      abstract = {Simulation of a process unit for the recovery of light ends from natural gas was carried out in this study by considering a three stage process column. The three stage process column was designed and simulated for the recovery of methane, ethane and propane from natural gas mixture respectively. The unit operations adopted in achieving these separations were de-methanizer column for absorption of methane and distillation unit using de-ethanizer column for ethane and de-propanizer column for propane recovery respectively. The process was imulated using Aspen Hysys and the result obtained showed 98% recovery of methane from de-methanizer column, 97.7% of ethane from de-ethanizer column and 94.7% of propane obtained from de-propanizer column respectively. Functional parameters effects such as variations of temperature, pressure, molecular weight and flow were investigated in the three stage separator (De-methanizer, De-ethanizer and De-propanizer). In addition, methane was obtained from de-methanizer column at temperature of -92.69°C, pressure of 2275KPa, flow rate of 1322Kgmole/h and molecular weight of 16.37g/mole, ethane was obtained from de-ethanizer column at temperature of 5.299°C, pressure of 2725KPa, flow rate of 320Kgmole/h and molecular weight of 30.37g/mole and propane was obtained from de-propanizer column at temperature of 46.49°C, pressure of 1585KPa and molecular weight of 43.91g/mole respectively.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Simulation of a Process Unit for the Recovery of Light Ends from Natural Gas Mixture
    AU  - Dagde Kekpugile Kenneth
    AU  - Akpa Jackson Gonurubon
    AU  - Adeloye Olalekan Michael
    AU  - Nnanna Henry Douglas
    Y1  - 2022/07/20
    PY  - 2022
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.be.20220602.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.be.20220602.14
    T2  - Bioprocess Engineering
    JF  - Bioprocess Engineering
    JO  - Bioprocess Engineering
    SP  - 27
    EP  - 33
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2578-8701
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.be.20220602.14
    AB  - Simulation of a process unit for the recovery of light ends from natural gas was carried out in this study by considering a three stage process column. The three stage process column was designed and simulated for the recovery of methane, ethane and propane from natural gas mixture respectively. The unit operations adopted in achieving these separations were de-methanizer column for absorption of methane and distillation unit using de-ethanizer column for ethane and de-propanizer column for propane recovery respectively. The process was imulated using Aspen Hysys and the result obtained showed 98% recovery of methane from de-methanizer column, 97.7% of ethane from de-ethanizer column and 94.7% of propane obtained from de-propanizer column respectively. Functional parameters effects such as variations of temperature, pressure, molecular weight and flow were investigated in the three stage separator (De-methanizer, De-ethanizer and De-propanizer). In addition, methane was obtained from de-methanizer column at temperature of -92.69°C, pressure of 2275KPa, flow rate of 1322Kgmole/h and molecular weight of 16.37g/mole, ethane was obtained from de-ethanizer column at temperature of 5.299°C, pressure of 2725KPa, flow rate of 320Kgmole/h and molecular weight of 30.37g/mole and propane was obtained from de-propanizer column at temperature of 46.49°C, pressure of 1585KPa and molecular weight of 43.91g/mole respectively.
    VL  - 6
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

  • Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

  • Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

  • Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

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