Gas dehydrator process

Claim 2

Method of desalting a gas dehydrator system wherein salty wet gas is scrubbed in a contacting tower with a drying agent to remove moisture and salt therefrom comprising the steps of: (1) removing salt water from the salty moist gas by contacting the salty wet gas with a dehydrating agent; (2) removing the water from the salty wet agent by flowing the salty wet agent into a distillation unit and effecting a separation between the water and the agent, thereby leaving a salt containing agent; (3) reducing the temperature of the salt laden agent to a value to cause crystallization of some of the salt to occur; (4) filtering the crystallized salt from the agent; and, (5) pumping the desalted agent back into the contacting tower.

Claim 3

Process of claim 1 wherein the step of crystallization is carried out by flowing cold dry gas from contact tower through the secondary side of a heat exchanger, and flowing the drying agent through the primary side of the heat exchanger to thereby reduce the temperature of the agent.

Claim 4

Process of claim 2 and further including the step of raising temperature of the agent downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of pump, to thereby prevent salting the pump.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein crystallization is attained by flowing the dry gas from the contact tower and said drying agent in countercurrent flow relationship respective to one another through a heat exchanger to thereby reduce the temperature of the drying agent; and further including the step of raising the temperature of the drying agent at a location downstream of the last said heat exchanger and upstream of said pump to thereby prevent salt from accumulating within said pump.

Claim 6

A process for a gas dehydrator which employs a glycol dehydrating agent for removing salty water from salt, moist natural gas and thereafter the salt and the water are removed from the dehydrating agent comprising the steps of: removing salt water from a stream of salty, moist gas by contacting the salty, moist gas with glycol, thereby providing a stream of relatively salt-free dry gas and a stream of salty, wet glycol; removing water from the salty, wet glycol by flowing the salty, wet glycol through a distillation unit to effect separation between the water and the salty, wet glycol; thereby leaving a stream of glycol which contains salt therein; flowing the stream containing salt and glycol through a heat exchanger until the temperature of the salty glycol reaches a value to cause crystallization of a substantial amount of the salt therefrom; removing the crystallized salt from the agent to provide a relatively salt-free dry glycol drying agent; and, pumping the salt-free dry glycol back into contact with the salty, moist natural gas.

Claim 7

A process for a gas dehydrator which employs a glycol dehydrating agent for removing salty water from salt, moist natural gas and thereafter the salt and the water are removed from the dehydrating agent comprising the steps of: removing salt water from a stream of salty, moist gas by contacting the salty, moist gas with glycol, thereby providing a stream of relatively salt-free dry gas and a stream of salty, wet glycol; removing water from the salty, wet glycol by flowing the salty, wet glycol through a distillation unit to effect separation between the water and the salty, wet glycol; thereby leaving a stream of glycol which contains salt therein; flowing the stream containing salt and glycol through a heat exchanger until the temperature of the salty glycol reaches a value to cause crystallization of a substantial amount of the salt therefrom; removing the crystallized salt from the agent to provide a relatively salt-free dry glycol drying agent; and, pumping the salt-free dry glycol back into contact with the salty, moist natural gas.

Claim 8

The process of claim 5 wherein the crystallization step is carried out by flowing cold, dry gas from the contacting step through said heat exchanger to thereby enable the stated reduced temperature of the salty glycol to occur.

Claim 9

The process of claim 5 wherein said salt-free dry glycol is heated before the pumping step to assure that no additional salt crystallizes from the glycol during the pumping step.

Claim 10

The process of claim 5 wherein the crystallized salt is removed by employing a filter means upstream of the pumping step, and further including the step of heating the salt-free dry glycol downstream of the filter and upstream of the pumping step to thereby dissolve any crystals of salt which may be present therein.

Claim 11

The process of claim 5 wherein said salt-free dry glycol is heated before the pumping step to assure that no additional salt crystallizes from the glycol during the pumping step; the crystallized salt is removed by employing a filter means upstream of the pumping step, and further including the step of heating the salt-free dry glycol downstream of the filter and upstream of the pumping step to thereby dissolve any crystals of salt which may be present therein.