Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Bert Brouwers · Michael Zvi Golombok · Ralph Van Wissen ·
Assignee(s)	Shell Oil Company ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	William E. Hickman ·
Primary Examiner	Robert A Hopkins ·
Application Number	US11355620
Filing date	02/16/2006
Issue date	06/23/2009
Prior Publication Data	US20060225386 - 10/12/2006
Predicted expiration date	09/15/2027
Patent term adjustment	576
U.S. Classifications	951/41  · 554/4  · 554/  · 962/70  ·
International Classifications	B01D4512  ·
Kind Code	B2

Patent Family

Abstract

A method for removing contaminating gaseous components, such as CO2 and/or H2S, from a contaminated natural gas stream. The method includes the steps of expanding the contaminated gas stream in an expander to form an expanded gas stream; allowing at least part of the contaminants in the expanded gas stream to liquefy to form a dispersion of a contaminants enriched liquid phase in a contaminants depleted gaseous phase; and separating at least part of the contaminants enriched liquid phase from the contaminants depleted gaseous phase in one or more centrifugal separators.

Independent Claims | See all claims (29)

1. 1. A method for removing contaminating gaseous components from a contaminated natural gas stream, the method comprising: expanding the contaminated gas stream in an expander to obtain an expanded gas stream; allowing at least part of the contaminants in the expanded gas stream to liquefy to form a dispersion of a contaminants enriched liquid phase in a contaminants depleted gaseous phase; and separating at least part of the contaminants enriched liquid phase from the contaminants depleted gaseous phase in a centrifugal separator which comprises a bundle of parallel channels that are arranged within a spinning tube parallel to an axis of rotation of the spinning tube; wherein the centrifugal separator is spun by introducing a swirling gas stream into the spinning tube.
2. 19. A method for removing contaminating gaseous components from a contaminated natural gas stream, the method comprising: expanding the contaminated gas stream in an expander to obtain an expanded gas stream; allowing at least part of the contaminants in the expanded gas stream to liquefy to form a dispersion of a contaminants enriched liquid phase in a contaminants depleted gaseous phase; and separating at least part of the contaminants enriched liquid phase from the contaminants depleted gaseous phase in a centrifugal separator which comprises a bundle of parallel channels that are arranged within a spinning tube parallel to an axis of rotation of the spinning tube; wherein the separated contaminants depleted gaseous phase is discharged via a central fluid outlet of the centrifugal separator and supplied to a second centrifugal separator which also comprises a bundle of parallel channels that are arranged within a spinning tube substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the spinning tube.