Predictions of wet natural gases condensation rates via multi-component and multi-phase simulation of supersonic separators

摘要

Proper correction of water and heavy hydrocarbon dew points of sweet natural gases is essential from various technical and economical standpoints. Supersonic separators (3S) are proved to be capable of achieving these tasks with maximum reliability and minimal expenses. The majority of the previous articles have focused on the flow behavior of pure fluids across a 3S unit. Multicomponent fluid flow inside 3S accompanied with condensation phenomenon will drastically increase the complexity of the simulation process. We tackle this issue by considering a proper combination of fundamental governing equations and phase equilibrium calculations to predict various operating conditions and composition profiles across two multi-component and multi-phase 3S units. Various Iranian sweet gases are used as real case studies to demonstrate the importance of 3S unit practical applications. Simulation results clearly illustrate the effectiveness of 3S units for faithful dehydration of various natural gases, while successfully controlling its dew point, suitable for any practical applications. Conventional HYSYS simulation software is used to validate the simulation results.