These include excessive biomass growth and filter clogging as well as dynamic mass loadings that can exceed biological reaction capacities. Results indicate that a water prescrubber system effectively dampens spikes of hydrophilic compounds and simultaneously segregates hydrophobic and hydrophilic contaminants in the gas stream. Similarly, a scrubber system containing a water-oil emulsion was found to effectively dampen and equalize both hydrophobic and hydrophilic contaminant spikes. As a result of the prescrubber system, the downstream biofilter is able to handle contaminant spikes without breakthrough occurring. These regulations will have a significant impact on natural gas producers.
Ethylene glycol is used to remove water from natural gas.
A stripper column is used to regenerate the ethylene glycol recovered from the bottom of the column while a liquid two-phase mixture of water and BTEX compounds are recovered as condensed overhead products. Unfortunately, not all of the overhead vapor from the stripper can be condensed and, as a result, a BTEX contaminated vapor stream exits the stripper. Condensation is the primary method currently used to remove BTEX contaminants from stripper vents. A detailed technical and economic evaluation of the four potential separation processes is being performed and the effects of vent rate and BTEX composition are being determined. Five case studies will be performed for each separation process for a total of twenty evaluations.