Patent ID: 7273513

Claim:
A method for simultaneously absorbing selected acid gas components from a gas stream and flashing off hydrocarbons entrained in a liquid steam including a solvent or reagent for the selected gas component, in which: the gas stream and liquid steam are fed into a first contactor where they are contacted co-currently and subjected to turbulent mixing conditions; the multi-phase flow from the first contactor is passed to a second contactor comprising a housing adapted to be inserted into a pipe and to have a fluid flow pass therethrough, said housing comprising an inlet and an outlet opening respectively, the housing being provided with at least one interior moveable sealingly mounted regulating element partially enclosing a central chamber, to provide first wall portions associated with an upstream side of said housing, and second wall portions associated with a downstream side of said housing, said wall portions being provided with a number of through-going flow channels, each having a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than the flow cross-section of the inlet and outlet openings respectively, and in which the regulating element is adapted to be moveable in relation to said housing; and the multi-phase flow from the second contactor is separated into a gas phase and a liquid phase after the second contactor.