Patent ID: 9631864
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: C10L,F25J

Claim:
1. A method of removing heavy hydrocarbons from a natural gas feed stream, wherein the heavy hydrocarbons are aliphatic hydrocarbons having six or more carbon atoms in total and/or aromatic hydrocarbons, the method comprising the steps of: cooling the natural gas feed stream; introducing the cooled natural gas feed stream into a gas-liquid separation system, comprising a stripping column or a phase separator, and separating the cooled natural gas feed stream into a heavy hydrocarbon depleted natural gas vapor stream and a heavy hydrocarbon enriched liquid stream; warming the heavy hydrocarbon depleted natural gas vapor stream; passing at least a portion of the warmed heavy hydrocarbon depleted natural gas vapor stream through one or more beds of adsorbent of an adsorption system to adsorb heavy hydrocarbons therefrom, whereby the adsorbent is selective for the heavy hydrocarbons, thereby producing a natural gas stream lean in heavy hydrocarbons; and cooling at least a portion of the natural gas stream lean in heavy hydrocarbons to produce a cooled natural gas stream lean in heavy hydrocarbons; wherein the heavy hydrocarbon depleted natural gas vapor stream is warmed and the at least a portion of the natural gas stream lean in heavy hydrocarbons is cooled in an economizer heat exchanger via indirect heat exchange between the heavy hydrocarbon depleted natural gas vapor stream and the at least a portion of the natural gas stream lean in heavy hydrocarbons.