Source/Cause: Compressor suction gas containing aerosols of oil/condensate, salt water/fresh water and solids.
Economic Damage: Suction gas containing oil/condensate and salt water aerosols will precipitate salt and/or carbon onto the compressor valves. This precipitation causes unscheduled downtime, loss of production and maintenance expenses to dramatically increase. Sometimes chemical anti-foulants are added to the suction gas trying to pass the salt through the compressor, this passes the problem downstream to the glycol dehydrator; the anti-foulant chemicals and the salt and/or carbon precipitation problems can be prevented or eliminated with a Sepra-Chem Coalescer.
Before pictures show compressor internals fouled with contaminants.
After pictures show compressor internals after 1,000 hours of operation with a Sepra-Chem Coalescer.
This customer stated, "I have never seen screens or valves that clean in any of our facilities after 1,000 hours."
Source/Cause: Compressor lube oil will build up in the dehydrator causing the glycol to foam, carry over and lose its capacity to efficiently remove water vapor from the gas.
Economic Damage: Unscheduled downtime, loss of production, glycol replacement, steaming the contactor, off-spec wet gas and potential venting/pigging of the off-spec gas are very costly. A Sepra-Chem Coalescer can prevent or eliminate this problem.
Source/Cause: Entrained salt water aerosols in the inlet gas stream.
Economic Damage: Chlorides in the salt water aerosols will build up in the glycol lowering the glycol’s capacity to efficiently remove water vapor; the chlorides will eventually build up on the fire-tube decreasing heat transfer which magnifies the problem. Eventually the glycol has to be replaced. Unscheduled downtime, loss of production, replacement of glycol and repairing the re-boiler are costly. A Sepra-Chem Coalescer can prevent or eliminate this problem.
Source/Cause: Any free liquids, solids and entrained liquid aerosols will contaminate the molecular sieve by coating the sieve with liquid allowing off-spec wet gas to enter the cryogenic section of the plant.
Economic Damage: Free liquids and aerosols flowing into the molecular sieve will coat and shield the sieve material reducing its capacity to remove water vapor. Downstream of the molecular sieve in the NGL/LNG process water aerosols will freeze causing unscheduled shutdowns to defrost the plate fin exchangers and other equipment. These unscheduled shut downs and loss of production are costly, but very preventable with a Sepra-Chem Coalescer.
Source/Cause: Glycol, Amine, Selexol and other processing solvents are lost downstream due to foaming caused by inlet contamination, mainly liquid hydrocarbon aerosols.
Economic Damage: Unscheduled downtime, loss of production and replacement of processing solvents are expensive; the solvent losses also cause additional downstream contamination problems. A Sepra-Chem Coalescer can prevent the occurrence of foaming saving you time, money and preventing the downstream problems.
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