An NGL recovery plant in the Persian Gulf area encountered
operating problems during performance test runs. Proper adjustment
of operating temperatures indicated on process flow diagrams
eliminated pump cavitation, severe vibration and stopped flaring of
sour hydrocarbons. Actual feed process simulations used air cooler
designs that showed lower operating temperatures than needed.
Raising temperatures above process design values eliminated
accumulation of lighter components in the liquid phase and reduced
flashing in the light-components pump suction drum. Consequently,
pump cavitation stopped and the system operated smoothly.
The process. The plant (Fig. 1) functions are:
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