Prevent hydrate formation with high-pressure deethanizer design

C. C. Chen and Y.-S. Liu, Wood Group Mustang, Houston, Texas To produce high-purity ethane from a wet NGL feed, a high-pressure deethanizer design has been developed to prevent hydrate formation without using a dehydration unit. Formations of hydrates, which are crystalline solids composed of water and light hydrocarbon molecules, can result in issues with operation and safety. If high-purity ethane is desired as a product, then the deethanizer condenser and the top tray temperatures may be lower than the hydrate point. This can cause hydrate formation at these locations if the wet NGL is not dehydrated. Conventional methods used to prevent hydrate formation include removing the content wa