Tom Cnop, UOP N.V., Belgium
Membrane technology has been widely used for separating acid gases such as CO2 and H2S from natural gas due to cost effectiveness, reliability, ease of operation and suitability for remote installation (land-based or offshore). Some recent projects will be reviewed.
Membrane elements are installed in series in a membrane tube and multiple membrane tubes are installed in parallel to form membrane skids. The size of such skids is controlled by the height and shipping limitations of the project. For large systems the amount of pipe work, as well as the structural steel to support the membrane modules, adds footprint and weight to the overall membrane system.
UOP has developed a novel system for the membrane assembly called MultiTube. The MultiTube is based on a compact design with a pressure vessel containing a plurality of membrane tubes and flow adapters simplifying the process stream connections; thus increasing membrane packing density; and reducing the footprint and weight. UOP has developed this system from concept to commercial site demonstration. A 7-tube unit has been successfully demonstrated at a commercial natural gas plant. The MultiTube system will allow membrane systems to become even more attractive for large projects, whether onshore or offshore.
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