Patent ID: 7007701

Claim:
A process for removing contaminants from a continuous flow compressor in a methanol to olefin separation system, the process comprising the steps of: (a) compressing an effluent in the compressor, the compressor having an inlet and an outlet and an inner compressor surface, the compressing occurring under conditions effective to form a contaminant on the inner compressor surface; (b) injecting a contaminant-removal medium into the compressor; (c) contacting the contaminant-removal medium with the contaminant under conditions effective to remove the contaminant from the inner compressor surface thereby forming a mobile contaminant; and (d) removing the mobile contaminant from the compressor wherein the continuous flow compressor comprises at least one compression stage, the at least one compression stage comprising a plurality of sections, and wherein the injecting comprises injecting the contaminant-removal medium into the plurality of sections of the at least one compression stage.