Heat transfer & exchangers

Gas dehydration - relief and vent system

Prepared by: DSc PhD Dževad Hadžihafizović (DEng)

Sarajevo 2023
HEAT TRANSFER & EXCHANGERS & GAS
DEHYDRATION -RELIEF AND VENT
SYSTEM
HEAT TRANSFER
Heating and cooling are operations vital to petroleum industry. It is necessary
that engineers in the industry understand the principles of heat transfer in order to
design, select, or maintain heat exchanger equipment.
The mechanisms of heat transfer, without mass transfer, are conduction
convection, and radiation. Evaporation and condensation are important heat transfer
phenomena which involve transfer.
Heat transfer occurs whenever regions of different temperatures can
communicate. Heat flows from the high-temperature region to the low-temperature
region. Equilibrium is achieved when the temperatures of the regions are equal.
Equilibrium is independent of the heat content of the regions. There are three basic
ways of transferring heat from one substance to another. They are:
(a) conduction.
(b) Radiation.
(c) Convection.

Conduction. In most heat exchangers there are metal walls (tubes)

separating one fluid form another at different temperature. Heat from the hotter fluid
passes through the separating wall to the cooler fluid. This heat transfer depends
upon:
(a) The temperature difference of the two fluids.
(b) The area of the heat path.
(c) The nature of the substances involved in the heat transfer.

Radiation. We are all familiar with the radiant heat given off by the sun. The
heat is transferred through space by electromagnetic waves. Radiant heat plays
a relatively minor part in heat exchanger heat transfer, but a major part in
furnace and boiler heat transfer.
Convection. The third mode of heat transfer, is the one most commonly used to
heat one's house. Air is heated by a radiator, or some form of heat source. Ad
the air then becomes hotter, it becomes lighter, it moves upwards and is
replaced by heavier colder air. This process is known as natural convection, and
the same phenomenon applies to fluid heat transfer.
FACTORS AFFECTING HEAT TRANSFER
(a) Temperature difference. The greater the temperature difference between two
material the greater the driving force causing heat transfer.

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(b) Thermal conductivity. Every substance has a definite thermal conductivity
which affects the amount of heat transferred. Metals are good conductors while
wood and carbon are very poor conductors.
(c) Area. The cross-sectional area affects the heat transfer. The larger the area,
the more heat can be transferred.
(d) Velocity. Of the fluids in the tube affects the amount of heat transfer. The
velocity also affects the fouling with higher velocities reducing the possibility of
scale or dirt deposits on the tubes. An increase in the velocity of the fluids
increases the heat transfer rate.
(e) Direction of flow . of the liquids exchanging heat influence the rate of heat
transfer. It is seen from the diagrams that when using identical equipment with
rates of flow the same, the one with counter-current flow and the other with
parallel flow, the final temperature will be higher with counter current flow.
Therefore, in the design of this equipment, countercurrent flow is usually
preferred to parallel flow due to the fact that cooler medium can be raised to
higher temperature and that in general, a smaller area is needed for the same
amount of heat transfer. As can be seen from the diagrams, countercurrent flow
occurs when hot and cold fluids travel through the exchanger in opposite
directions; while in parallel flow, both hot and cold fluids travel through the
apparatus in the same direction .

HEAT TRANSFER EQUIPMENT

There are types of heat transfer equipment direct and indirect.
In the direct transfer equipment the fluids, hot and cold, mix together. For
example, a cooling tower or a fractionating tower. Heat transfer through the wall of a
tube is known as indirect heat transfer. Examples of this are double pipe heat
exchangers as well as shell and tube heat exchangers. Each piece of heat transfer
equipment is designed for a specific purpose on each process unit. Heat transfer
equipment is designed to control the process temperature and to conserve as much
heat energy as possible and may be classified as follows:

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(a) Heat Exchangers. These recover heat by exchange between two process
streams.
(b) Coolers. Which use either water or air as the cooling medium to cool process
fluids where no suitable process stream is available.
(c) Condensers. Are coolers whose function is to remove latent and normally also
sensible heat tuming vapor to sub-cooled liquid.
(d) Reboilers. Are used to supply the heat required for a distillation process. The
heating medium can be steam, hot oil, or process stream.
(e) Furnace. These are used to transfer heat to a process stream by the
combustion of fuel.
(f) Chiller. Is used to cool a liquid or gas using a refrigerant instead of water.
TYPES OF EXCHANGERS
Double Pipe Exchangers
The inner pipe consists of a finned section and two lengths of finned pipe
welded to a 180' return bond. The element or hair pin formed is then inserted into two
shell pipes. The outside diameter of the fins is slightly less than the inside diameter of
the shell. The shells are welded to an end plate, where the floating end of the hair pin
is closed with a bolted and gasketed cover providing enough clearance for expansion
and contraction of the inner tubes or elements.
The inlet and outlet connections are made at the head end. The inlet and
outlet pipe are sealed by a conical metal to metal machined facing. These double
pipe exchangers are then joined into banks form larger heat exchangers.
Shell And Tube Heat Exchanger
A shell and tube heat exchanger consists of a number of parallel tubes
enclosed in a cylindrical shell.
One fluid flows inside the tubs and is called the tube side fluid. The other fluid
flows outside the tubes and is called the shell side fluid. All shell and tube
exchangers consists of basically the same parts, although they may be arranged
differently to suit a specific need.
Shell and tube exchangers may be divided into the following classifications
from the construction of the tube sheet. In all cases, the tubes are rolled or welded
with the tube sheet to prevent leakage into the shell.
I. FIXED TUBE SHEET. This is the simplest form of exchanger, but has
limitations:
a. Temperature limit of water cooler between the two fluids as there is no
provision for expansion.
b. Refiner cannot clean shell side. Limits the shell side fluid to a clean surface.

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 TYPES OF EXCHANGERS

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 II. FLOATING HEAD. To allow for tubes to expand due to the temperature
difference in a heat exchanger, one tube sheet moves inside the shell. This
floating head sheet must be enclosed by a floating head cover within the shell to
return the tube side fluid to the channel end. Most heat exchangers are of this
type.
III. U-TUBE. The tubes are one piece and made for a particular exchanger. The
tubes can expand and contract and only one tube sheet is required. The bundle
may be pulled for inspection, and cleaning the shell, but the tubes may only be
cleaned with the used of chemicals. Most common use is in rebollers when
steam is condensed in the tubes.
Tube Bundles
TUBE BUNDLES. Consist of three main parts, tube sheets, and baffles.
Tubes are necessary to keep the shell and tube side fluids separate. The tube sheet
is for the same reason and the tubes are attached to the tube sheet. Baffles direct
the flow of liquid through the shell side and support the tubes inside the shell. Tubes
are spaced in the tube sheet in one of three patterns:
TRIANGULAR PATTERN. This gives the most tubes for a given size but
cleaning the outside of the tubes can only be done by chemical means.
SQUARE PITCH. This type is the easiest to clean the outside of the tubes.
DIAGONAL PITCH. Is similar to square pitch but rotated through 45'. This
layout contains the least number of tubes.
Increasing the number of passes on the tube or shell side increases the velocity flow
of the fluid which in turn increases the heat transfer rate.

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 SHELL AND TUBE HEAT EXCHANGERS

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Air Fin Coolers and Condensers
A large portion of the cooling and condensing m a refinery is performed by air
fin exchangers.
An air fin exchanger consists of a fan with one or more heat transfer sections
mounted horizontally on a frame. The heat transfer sections consists of finned tubes
fixed between header boxes. They are designed so that one header box is fixed
while the other header is allowed to move to allow for thermal expansion of the tubes.
The header boxes have removable plugs to enable the tubes to be cleaned and
inspected. The purpose of the fin is to increase the surface area of the tubes and so
their heat dissipation capability. A fan that is mounted above the tubes is known as
an induced draft fan, and a fan mounted bellow the tubes is known as a forced draft
fan.
To control the outlet temperature, the air flow through the finned elements is
varied, either by varying the pitch of the fan blade or by openffig and closing louvers.
The fan speed is set and determined by the tip speed. The fan blades are
normally made of plastic or aluminum. All fans have vibration switches; and in the
case of severe vibration, the motor is stopped automatically. Even when the fan
stopped, most air fin coolers have 30 percent efficiency.
During normal operation, regularly check the header boxes for leaking plugs.
Check the fan blades for rotation and completeness.
If a fan is found stopped, before attempting to restart check as to the cause of
stoppage. Ensure that all the blades are intact they have been known to come off.
The fan will then have stopped on the vibration switch. An operator should know
which fans are supposed to be in operation on his unit at all times so that he can
check them.
Forced-draft aerial coolers have the fan mounted so that air is blown or
pushed across the tubes. The tubes are designed for at least two passes of the hot
fluid through the tubes before leaving the heat exchanger. Many draft coolers have
six to eight passes.

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Induced-draft aerial coolers have the fan mounted to draw or pull the air across the
tubes instead 6f pushing it. For certain service, induced- draft is more desirable than
forced-draft because it reduces the chance for warm exhaust air being drawn across
the tubes.

Typical applications for aerial coolers include: removing heat from compressor
cooling, water, cooling compressor discharge or inter-stage cooling, and cooling
compressor lubricating oil.

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Heat Transfer & Exchangers & Gas Dehydration -Relief And Vent System 10
GAS DEHYDRATION
Removal of Water
In order to prevent hydrate formation, and to reduce corrosion in pipelines,
water must be removed from the gas stream. The most common methods for water
removal are: liquid desiccants, solid bed desiccants and methanol injection.
Liquid Desiccants
The process of removing water from a substance is called dehydration.
Although there are several methods for removing water from a natural gas stream,
the most common method uses a liquid desiccant known as glycol. (A desiccant is
defined as a drying agent).

Glycol absorbs water from the wet gas stream, thereby "drying" the gas. The
two most widely used glycol dehydration methods are AN ethylene glycol (T.E.G)
contactor column and an ethylene glycol (E.G.) injection system.

For more detailed information, you may study the modules in this series
entitled, Principles of Glycol Dehydration and Glycol Dehydration Unit Operation.

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Solid Bed Desiccants
Solid bed desiccants can also be used to dehydrate a gas stream. This
process employs a solid of some kind to remove the water.
One common example of a solid bed desiccant is the "molecular sieve". The
molecular sieve consists of ceramic pellets that are electronically polar to water. They
are placed in line with the gas stream, and their polarity attracts the water droplets
out of the gas stream into molecular sized pores on the surface of the pellet. The
water is held there until the bed is saturated.

MOLECULAR SIEVE BED

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 Regeneration of the pellets is accomplished when a small volume of heated
gas is fed through the unit. The heat causes the water to evaporate, and the water
vapor is carried out of the dehydration system by the gas stream. The hot gas is
cooled, allowing the water to condense. The dry gas is recycled back to the inlet
phase, or used elsewhere if it meets quality specifications. Silica beds are another
form of solid desiccant. The process of dehydration with a silica bed is identical in
principle to the molecular sieve. Silica beds, however, do not rely on polarity to attract
the water out of the gas stream. Silica beds work because the concentration of water
in the silica is so much less than the water concentration in the gas that the water in
the gas stream is adsorbed into the silica. Silica beds are not as effective as
molecular sieves for drying gas.
Methanol Injection
Methanol injection is sometimes used as yet another way to remove water from a
natural gas stream. The injected methanol absorbs water from the gas stream, then
the methanol and water mixture is disposed off, in an environmentally safe manner.
Methanol is expensive, toxic, and disposal is complicated. For these reasons, it is not
often used to dehydrate natural gas streams.
Removal of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
Several different types of processes are also used to remove hydrogen sulfide
(H2S) from a natural gas stream. The most common methods are: chemical
reactions, membrane separation, and batch processes.
Chemical Reaction Processes
A chemical reaction process mixes a chemical with, the gas stream in order to
neutralize hydrogen sulfide, or "sweeten" the gas. The most common of these
processes is called "amine sweetening:" Alkanolamines (or simply, amines), are
substances which are weak bases. They react chemically with acid gases like
hydrogen sulfide to form salt complexes. These salt complexes can be broken down
so the amines are relieved of acid gases and can be recycled. An acid gas is a gas
that forms an acid when combined with water. Examples of acid gases include
hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide

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 The process is actually quite simple. Sour gas (or natural gas with acid gas in
it), is subjected to a stream of amines, which absorbs the acid gas, leaving sweet gas
(or natural gas without acid gas in it). The amine solution containing the acid gas
then goes through a process of distillation to remove the acid gas. The lean amine
sol is then reused. H2S gas becomes concentrated during the distillation process.
Typically, it is burned in a flare stack. If the volume of (H2S) is very large, then the
(H2S) must be converted to sulfur can be sold to help offset operating costs. For
more detailed information you may study the module entitled, Principles of Mine
Sweetening.

RELIEF AND VENT SYSTEM

System Description
The relief and vent system (Figure 1) is designed to handle and safely dispose
of the excess high and low pressure hydrocarbon gases from the plant and
equipment installed at the Production Facility.
The atmospheric vent system is designed to safely vent gas from the storage
tanks and sumps to atmosphere.
The relief system is made up of the following:

 Low Pressure (LP) Flare Knockout Drum. A horizontally installed vessel, it

receives fluid from the HP flare header and separates out the liquid from the
gas. Gas is routed to the flare where it is burned off, and liquid flows to the
process drain sump under the control of a level valve via a closed drain
header.
 High Pressure Flare Knockout Drum. A horizontally installed vessel, it
receives fluid from the HP flare header and separates out the liquid from the
gas. Gas is routed to the flare where it is burned off and liquid flows to the
process drain sump under the control of a level valve via a closed drain
header.

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  Flare Regulator Panel. Regulates air and fuel gas pressure for the flame
front generator as well as fuel gas pressure for the flare pilots.
 Flare Tower. Where the gas discharge from the HP and LP flare knockout
drums is combined and burned.
The flare tower is furnished with the following:
 Flame Front generator. The flam front generator combines fuel gas,
compressed air and an electric spark to ignite the pilot burners.
 Flare Tip. A single smokeless tip with two pilot burners which provide a
continuous ignition source. Any liquid drop out in the flare tower is drained to
the burn pit through a trapped drain.
 Pilot Burners. Situated at the flare tip, are remotely ignited with fuel
supplied from the flame front generator. A continuous supply of fuel gas is
supplied to the pilot burners through the flare regulator pane!.
 A Molecular Seal. Is provided below the flare tip and functions as a flame
arrester to prevent a flashback into the relief header. The gas seal is provide
by feeding a continuous gas purge to the baffle plate section of the seal.

(Figure.1) Refile and Vent System

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 The control of liquid discharge from the HP or LP knockout drum is by level
indicator controllers (LIC), operating level valves in the discharge line from each
Drum. A rise or fall in the liquid level is sensed by the level controller which initiates a
signal to the level valve causing it to open or shut. The amount of valve movement
being proportional to the signal strength.
The liquid discharged is routed to the process sump via a closed drain header
where it will eventually be stored in the slop oil storage tank for further processing.
Pilot Gas & Ignition System
Tow gas lines from the fuel gas header enter the flare regulating panel where
the gas pressure is regulated by pressure control calves. One gas supply is routed to
the pilot burners, while a second supply is routed to the flam front generator. A third
pressure control valve in the flare-regulating panel regulates a supply of instrument
air before that passes to the flame front generator.
The air and gas combined in the flame front generator and a spark is provided
to ignite the mixture. Once ignited/this is used to ignite the fuel gas supplied at the
pilot burners.
Flares
Located at a safe distance from the plant, flares ate designed to burn
unwanted gas and so prevent pollution.
Unwanted gas is a poor phrase to use. However, in some fields the yield of
low pressure gas is so small that it can discarded. It is common for high pressure and
medium pressure gas recovery from the separators to be utilized as fuel gas for gas
turbines, gas engines and heaters whilst low pressure gas recovery is that it can be
discarded. It is common of high pressure and medium pressure gas recovery from
the separators to be utilized as fuel gas for gas turbines, gas engines and heaters
whilst low pressure gas recovery is flared. In other fields where the gas content is
high this gas can be re-injected into the ground and stored for future gas lift or gas
injection.
Flares can be mounted on towers or at ground level. Ground level flares
discharge over a flare pit filled with water to reduce fire hazards. Tower mounted
flares can be low or high level.
A flare is basically a burner where unwanted gas is mixed with air in a
combustible proposition and burned. The flare normally has a ceramic tip capable of
resisting the high temperatures of combustion as shown in Figure 5.2. Established
flares have a constant flame at the tip provided by a pilot feed gas line. Intermittent
flares are ignited by means of an electric spark operated from a panel some distance
from the flare.

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 (Figure 2) Typical Flare Tip

Flare Ignition-Flare Gas Panel

Select the correct pilot tube on the panel distributor.
Unlock and remove the safety pin from the Triboliter plunger.
Test the Triboliter by pushing the plunger. (This action will cause a flash
which, can be seen through the sightport).
With the control valves closed, open the air and gas cocks.
Set the control to the pressure given in local station instructions.
When the flow to the pilot is established ignite it by with drawing the plunger
and pushing it back in.
The flare can also be lit by the use of a flare gun should be Triboliter be
inoperative. Care must be taken to ensure that the gun is fired with to reduce the
possibility of gas ignition near the operator. It may be necessary for a number of
flares to be fired before ignition is achieved.

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CAUTION
Great care must be taken when lighting flares. Unlit gas from a flare stack can
lay a blanket of gas over a wide area; if the day is still, Le. No wind this gas will lay
just above the ground and will ignite when the flare is lit with could be a violent
explosion.
Wind direction should also be noted. A light wind blowing from the stack
towards the control room will lay a trail of invisible and flammable gas, which will
carry a fireball of gas towards the control room.

(Figure 2) Typical Piping Scheme For Triboliter Installation

It is extremely important that no staff should be in the area of the flare pit/stack
when it is being lit.
Purging
Before attempting an ignition allow gas to move through the pipe and stack for
a period long enough to push out any air that may be in them.
WARNING. Failure to do so may lead to a violent explosion which could
destroy the flare stack, and kill!!
Atmospheric Vent System
The following tanks and sumps are provide with atmospheric vents and flame
arresters for safe venting of hydrocarbon vapors:
 Crude oil storage tanks.
 Slop oil tank.
 Produced water surge tank. Diesel fuel storage tank.
 Utility, Drain and Process sump.

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 The crude oil storage tank vents are piped to a vent header which is routed to
a remote area. All other tanks and sumps are vented to atmosphere locally.
Pre-shutdown warning alarms will be initiated by:
High level in the HP or LP knockout drum.
An emergency shutdown will be initiated by:
High level in the HP or LP knockout drum.
Whenever a pre-shutdown warning or emergency shutdown is initiated audible
and visual alarms will be activated at the local shutdown panel as well as on the
control room annunciator panel.

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