新型天然气超音速脱水净化装置现场试验

FIELD TEST STUDY ON NEW TYPE SUPERSONIC DEHYDRATING FACILITIES IN NATURAL GAS PURIFICATION PLANT

传统的天然气脱水技术存在处理量小、设备占用空间大、投资高、维护工作量大等缺点。2000年壳牌公司最先将超音速脱水技术用于天然气处理。它利用天然气在超音速状态下的蒸气冷凝现象进行天然气脱水，将膨胀机、分离器和压缩机的功能集中于一体。该装置具有无运动部件、结构简单可靠、无需人员职守、制造运行成本低等优点。2003年中国石化胜利油田和北京工业大学在国内率先开展了超音速分离管的研发工作，相继完成了基础理论研究、数值模拟研究、室内试验研究，近来又进行了现场试验研究，为超音速脱水工业化的可行性进行了验证。试验发现：超音速分离管进出口天然气露点降最大逾35℃，最小逾10℃；分离管的产液量为17mL／m^3，整个系统的产液量在28～40mL／m^3。该系统不仅有效地降低了天然气的水露点还可进行轻烃回收工作。

The traditional natural gas dehydrating technology has many disadvantages like small treatment capacity, bulky equipments, high cost, and huge handling works, etc. In 2000, the Shell Company started to apply the supersonic dehydrating technique to natural gas dehydration, which was thought to be the technical revolution in the field of natural gas dehydrating technology. In this technology, natural gas can be dehydrated by the occurrence of steam gas being condensed under the supersonic state. Both expander-booster compressor and separator are integrated into one whole unit with reliably designed parts in simple structure, no any moving parts, low operation cost, and even unnecessary staff on duty. In 2003, cooperating with Beijing University of Technology, SINOPEC Shengli Oilfield Company carried out initial studies and research on supersonic separating tubes, which have experienced a series of studies in succession on fundamental theory, mathematical simulation, and indoor experiment, and recently has carried through its field tests which testified its feasibility on the application of supersonic dehydrating technology. The field test concluded that at the entrance/exit of the supersonic separating tube natural gas dew point drop was measured to be the maximum up to above 35 ℃ and the minimum up to 10 ℃; the volume of the produced liquid in the tube was 17 mL/m3, and that of the whole system was 28-40 mL/m3 in total. It has proved that this new supersonic dehydrating technology for natural gas can not only reduce the dew point of natural gas but also recover light hydrocarbon at the same time.