Technical paper
Pushing Boundaries: Two Amine Regenerator Case Studies
The refinery amine unit regenerator is a significant consumer of energy, and with so much emphasis currently placed on carbon intensity, there is an increased interest in the performance of regenerators. The primary function of the amine unit regenerator is to reverse the acid gas absorption reaction, and by doing so provide adequately-stripped lean solvent for the amine absorber(s). However other often-minor considerations can also influence regenerator energy requirements. In this paper we focus on two case studies that highlight regenerator operation. By analyzing the conditions in the regenerators with the PROMAX® amine simulator, we examine performance and consequences when the systems operate near low-energy and turn-down boundaries. Both Cases are set in refinery primary treating systems. The first case explores the consequences of a step change in operating conditions resulting from a refinery crude diet change. The second case reveals effects of a loss of lean/rich exchanger performance. "Rules of Thumb" for managing reboiler duty are considered for both cases.
The refinery amine unit regenerator is a significant consumer of energy, and with so much emphasis currently placed on carbon intensity, there is an increased interest in the performance of regenerators. The primary function of the amine unit regenerator is to reverse the acid gas absorption reaction, and by doing so provide adequately-stripped lean solvent for the amine absorber(s). However other often-minor considerations can also influence regenerator energy requirements. In this paper we focus on two case studies that highlight regenerator operation. By analyzing the conditions in the regenerators with the PROMAX® amine simulator, we examine performance and consequences when the systems operate near low-energy and turn-down boundaries. Both Cases are set in refinery primary treating systems. The first case explores the consequences of a step change in operating conditions resulting from a refinery crude diet change. The second case reveals effects of a loss of lean/rich exchanger performance. “Rules of Thumb” for managing reboiler duty are considered for both cases.