Troubleshooting Tower Carryover

This presentation summarizes the lessons learned in debottlenecking a “dirty” TEG contactor at our LaBarge Black Canyon Facility in Wyoming US. The facility modifications included replacement of all bubble cap trays with fixed valve trays, addition of a new Inlet Vane Diffuser at the gas inlet, a new full stream carbon filtration system, and optimization of the polishing section at the top of the tower. This work was performed in progressive steps between 2001 and 2004. Conclusion:

• A clean TEG system will minimize foaming and increase capacity as well as decrease maintenance, operating expense and downtime. Full stream carbon filtration reduced TEG carryover by 65-70%.
• Although vendor data was available on demisting cyclones with glycol at elevated pressure and good experience was also available with cyclones in hydrocarbon service at high pressure, this application was outside the data range.
• The combination of the high capacity trays and mist elimination equipment, along with the new solvent filtration system, allowed the gas capacity of the Black Canyon Facility to be almost doubled.