Liliana Forero Noguera – Cod: 2135620

Jeiner Alexander Parra Riaño – Cod: 2145563

Dehydration is the process of removing
water from the gas stream. Water
removal from gas can be accomplished
by several processes. The two most
common methods are adsorption (solid
desiccant) and absorption (liquid Fig 1. TEG Dehydration Units
desiccant (glycol)).
In the absorption process, a hygroscopic
liquid is used to contact wet gas and
remove the water vapor.
The most common liquid used in
absorption type dehydration units is
triethylene glycol (TEG).

Fig 2. Absorption Process

 ABSORPTION STRIPPING

Absorption is a physical or Stripping is a physical separation

chemical phenomenon or a process in process where one or more
which atoms, molecules or ions enter components are removed from a
some bulk phase – liquid or solid material. liquid stream by a vapor stream.
The glycol dehydration process can be discussed in two parts:

Inlet Scrubber/Microfiber Filter

Separator
• Gas system
Glycol Gas Contactor
Fig 3. Gas System
 Charcoal (Carbon) Glycol-Glycol Heat
Filter Exchanger

• Glycol system

Microfiber Filter Still Column

Glycol Gas Heat Glycol-Glycol

Exchanger Preheater
• Gas-Glycol-Condensate Reconcentrator
Separator

Glycol Gas
Reflux Condenser Stripping Gas
Contactor
Fig 4. Glycol System
Several operating and design variables have an important effect on the
successful operation of a glycol dehydration system.
• Glycol Selection • Contactor Pressure
• Inlet Gas Temperature • Reconcentrator Pressure
• Lean Glycol Temperature • Contractor Pressure
• Glycol Reconcentrator Temperature • Glycol Concentration
• Temperature at the Top of the Still • Glycol Circulation Rate
Column • Number of Absorber Trays
 • Ethylene glycol (EG) tends to have high
Ethylene Glycol (EG) vapor losses to gas when used in a
contactor.
• It is used as a hydrate inhibitor where it can
be recovered from the gas by separation at
• Diethylene
temperatures below
glycol 50 °F.reconcentrates at
(DEG)
Diethylene Glycol temperatures between 315 and 325 °F
(DEG) • Purity of 97.0%.
• It degrades at 328 °F.
• It cannot achieve the concentration
required for most applications.
• It reconcentrates at temperatures between
Triethylene Glycol 350 and 400 °F, which yields purity of
(TEG) 98.8%.
• It degrades at 404°F and tends to
• experience
It’s expensive.high vapor losses to gas at
• temperatures
It reconcentrates at temperatures
in excess of 120 °F.
Tetraethylene Glycol •• With
between 400 and
stripping gas,430 °F.
dew-point depressions
(TTEG) • up
It experiences
to 150 °F arelower vapor losses to gas at
possible.
high gas contactor temperatures
• It degrades at 460°F.
 P = KTE • If the gas is saturated at the higher temperature, the
High Vol. of H20 if the glycol will have to remove about three times as much
water to meet the specifications.
temperature in the inlet
gas increases.
EXAMPLE: • Temperatures above 115 °F result in high glycol losses
and thus require TTEG.
Pressure of operation is
1000 psia.
• Temperatures below 60-70 °F can cause a stable
T1 : 80°F  34 lbs H20/
emulsion with liquid hydrocarbons in the gas and
MMSCF cause foaming in the contactor.
T2: 104°F  104 lbs H20/
MMSCF • > TEMPERATURE > VOL.GAS > DIAMETER OF
GLYCOL CONTACTOR.
 Dry glycol temperatures
entering the top tray of the
contactor (approach
temperature) should be held
low (10-15) ° F above the inlet
gas temperature.

> Temp of Glycol < Absortion

• Glycol entering the top
tray of the contactor may
raise the temperature of
the gas surrounding it and
prevent the gas from
releasing its remaining
water vapor.
• Drastic temperature differential
also has a tendency to emulsify
the glycol with any contaminants
resulting in subsequent glycol
loss.
 • Controls the concentration of the water in the Glycol.

CONSIDER:
NOTES:
P= Kte
• The degradation of TEG is about
High % of Glycol could be recovered
404°F
of water vapor if, and only if
• When higher lean glycol
temperature increases
concentrations are required,
WARNING: stripping gas should be added to
Temperature of operation is about ( the reconcentrator and/or the
350 – 400 °F) reconcentrator and still column
% Purity of Glycol  98.5% or 98.9% should be operated in a vacuum.
depending of process.
 99.3%  370°F
9.7 PSIA

98.6% 
98.7%  330°F
370°F
9.7 PSIA
17.69 PSIA

97.4%  330°F
17.69 PSIA

Fig 5. Glycol purity versus reconcentrator temperature at different levels of vacuum.

 Optimal Temperature
(215 – 225° F)

Notes:

• The still top temperature can be lowered by

WARNING increasing the amount of glycol flowing through
>> Temperatures > Glycol the reflux condenser coil.
losses
• Too much cool glycol circulation in the reflux
Excesive evaporation condenser coil can lower the still top temperature
below 220 °F, which can cause the excess water to
condense.
 T = KTE
Lower content of water of inlet gas decreases with an increase in pressure.

• The lower the pressure, the
larger the contactor diameter
required.
• Optimum dehydration pressure
is often in the range of 550-1200
psig.
Rapid pressure changes translate into rapid
velocity changes in the contactor, which breaks
the liquid seals between the downcomers and
the trays, allows the gas to channel up through
both the downcomer and bubble caps, and
allows the glycol to be swept out with the gas.
 Reducing the pressure in the reconcentrator at a constant temperature
results in higher glycol purity.

P > 1 psi result in: Most

• Glycol loss from the still column, reconcentrators
• Reduction of lean glycol concentration. operate between 4
• Reduction in dehydration efficiency. and 12 ounces of
pressure
If lean glycol concentrations
in the range of 99.5% are Consider:
required

• Pressure 500 mm Hg absolute

(10 psia)
• Using stripping gas.
 99.3%  370°F
9.7 PSIA

98.7%  330°F
9.7 PSIA

Fig 5. Glycol purity versus reconcentrator temperature at different levels of vacuum.

 The water content of the
dehydrated gas depends
primarily on the lean
glycol concentration.

At > concentration of lean glycol >

the dew-point depression for a Increasing the glycol concentration
given circulation rate above 99% purity can lead to dramatic
and number of trays. results on the outlet dew point
Fig 6. Equilibrium water
dew points with various
concentrations of TEG.

The glycol rate controls the total
amount of water that can be removed.
The normal operating level in a standard
dehydrator is three gallons of glycol per pound of
water removed
Note: (range two to seven).
Excessive circulation rates:
• Overload the reconcentrator
• Prevent good glycol regeneration
• Prevent an adequate glycol gas
contact in the absorber
• Increase pump maintenance
problems
• Increase glycol losses
Note: Heat required by the reboiler is
directly proportional to the circulation
rate.
Fig. 7 Calculated dew-
point depression
versus circulation rate
(1 equilibrium tray
(4 actual trays)).
A tray efficiency of 25% is commonly
The number of actual trays in a design
used for design.
ranges from 4 to 12.
4 real trays = 1 tray theorical tray

For high-performance units, the specification of more than four trays in a

new design can achieve fuel savings due to lower circulation rate, lower
reconcentration temperature, or lower stripping gas rate.
Fig 8. Trays of packing required
for glycol dehydrator.
Fig 9. Effect of number of
absorber trays on dew-point
depression.
1. Sizing Considerations

• Glycol gas contactor diameter

• Number of absorber trays (establishes the tower’s overall height)
• Glycol circulation rate
• Lean glycol concentration
• Reconcentrator heat duty
2. Glycol Gas Contactor
The two basic types of glycol gas contactor are trayed towers and packed
towers.

3. Contactor Diameter

1ൗ
𝑇𝑜 𝑍𝑄𝑔 𝜌𝑔 𝐶𝑑 2
2
𝑑 = 5040 ∗
𝑃 𝜌𝐿 ∗ 𝜌𝑔 𝑑𝑚
4. Tray Design
 Bubble Cap Trays: Bubble cap trays are
the most commonly used tray
configuration in glycol contactors. They
are better than conventional packing

Fig.11. Bubble cap tray outside the contactor tower.

Fig.10. Bubble cap components..

 Valve or Flapper Trays: In the valve, or flapper, tray
the gas moves upward through a hole in the
bottom of the tray. Over the hole is a device that
flutters, or flaps, in an “up and down” manner
breaking the gas stream into bubbles that form the
froth layer.

Fig.12. Top of flapper tray..

Fig.13. Top and bottom of valve tray..

 Perforated (Sieve) Trays: The perforated
(sieve) tray consists of hundreds of tiny
holes. The gas stream passes through
these holes and breaks up into the
bubbles necessary to form a froth.

 Structured (Matrix) Packing: Gas passes

upward, through small holes that are
drilled in the corrugations, and forms
channels by the opposing corrugation. Fig.14. Structured packing—side view.
Glycol runs down through the holes and
channels contacting the gas.
 Tray Spacing: Tray spacing ranges from 20 to 30 in. Preferred spacing is
24 in. but 30-in. spacing is recommended if foaming is anticipated.

 Number of Trays: Six to eight trays are used to meet normal dew-point
depressions. Twelve trays are typically required for high dew-point
depressions.

 Downcomers: Downcomers are sized for a maximum velocity of 0.25

ft./s.
5. Glycol Circulation Rate

For a given dew-point depression, the circulation rate is dependent on the

lean glycol concentration and the number of trays.

∆𝑊
∗ 𝑊𝑖 ∗ 𝑄𝑔
𝑊𝑖
𝐿=
24
Where,
• L= Glycol circulation rates, gal/h
∆𝑊
• = Circulation ratio, gal TEG/lb H2O
𝑊𝑖
• 𝑊𝑖 = Water content of inlet gas. Lb H2O/MMSCF
• ∆𝑊= 𝑊𝑖 − 𝑊𝑜
• 𝑊𝑜 = Desired outlet water content,
• 𝑄𝑔 = Gas flow rate, MMSCFD.
Fig.15. Fraction of water removed versus TEG circulation rate (n=1 theoretical trays, four actual trays)..
Fig.16. Fraction of water removed versus TEG circulation rate (n=1½theoretical trays, six actual trays)..
Fig.17. Fraction of water removed versus TEG circulation rate (n=2 theoretical trays, eight actual trays)..
6. Lean Glycol Concentration

Glycol purity can be increased by adding stripping gas, reducing the pressure in the
reconcentrator, and reducing the glycol circulation rate.

7. Glycol-Glycol Preheater

• Cool wet glycol from the contactor enters the preheater (heat exchanger) at 100 °F.

• The warm glycol leaves at 175-200 °F to the gas-glicol condensate separator.

• Hot dry glycol from the glycol/glycol heat exchanger enters the preheater at 250 °F.

• The warm dry glycol leaves at 150 °F to the glycol pumps on the way to the contactor.
8. Glycol-Gas Cooler

The TEG entering the gas contactor is limited to 10-15 °F above the inlet gas
temperature.

9. Glycol-Glycol Heat Exchanger

• Hot dry glycol from the reconcentrator enters the heat exchanger at 390 ° F
and leaves at 250 °F to the glycol/glycol preheater.

• Warm wet glycol from the charcoal filter enters the heat exchanger at 200 °F
and the hot wet glycol leaves at 350 F to the still column.
10. Gas-Glycol-Condensate Separator

Liquid retention times between 20 and 30 min, depending on API gravity of the
condensate, are recommended. The operating pressure of 35-50 psig is
recommended.

11. Reconcentrator

The reconcentrator should be designed to operate at 350-400 °F.

12. Reflux Condenser

Wet glycol inlet from the gas contactor enters at 115 °F and leaves at 125 °F
13. Heat Duty

𝑞𝑡 = 𝐿 ∗ 𝑄𝐿
Where
𝐵𝑡𝑢
• 𝑞𝑡 = 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟
ℎ
• L= Glycol circulation rate [gal/h]
𝐵𝑡𝑢
• 𝑄𝐿 = 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 [ ]
𝑔𝑎𝑙
 14. Stripping the Still Column

Fig.18. Still column with wet glycol entering above the ceramic saddle packing. Fig.19. Still column with wet glycol entering below the stainless steel pall rings.
Gas Qg= 98 MMSCFD at 0.67 SG saturated
with water at 1000 psig and 100 °F
Dehydrate to = 7 lb/MMSCF
Use TEG Determinate:
No stripping gas is available 1. Calculate contactor Diameter.
98.5% TEG concentration 2. Determinete Glycol circulation
CD (contactor)= 0.852 rate and estimate rebolier duty
T = 570 R; P = 1015 psia; 3. Size the still column
TC = 376 °R
PC = 669 psia
3. Design of still column
Use a 12-foot still column (standard packed arrangement)
dM = 125 mm; T=300 F = 760 R; P=1 psig