INTRODUCTION

Produced natural gas contains water vapor. The gas is usually saturated under reservoir conditions of
temperature and pressure. As it flows up the tubing, some of this water vapor may condense as "free water."
The remainder will remain as water vapor. The process of removing water vapor from a gas stream is called
"gas dehydration. The amount of water vapor contained in a gas stream can be expressed in terms of
concentration, mg/m3 in metric units (in the U.S., the normal units are pounds of water vapor per million
standard cubic feet of gas, lbs/MMSCF), or in terms of the "dew point" of the gas. The dew point is the
temperature at which water will condense from the gas stream as it is cooled. The higher the concentration
of water vapor in a given gas stream the higher its dew point. Thus, gas dehydration is also called "dew
point depression," the lowering of the dew point of a gas by lowering the concentration of water vapor in
the gas.
Gas is dehydrated to prevent hydrate formation, to prevent corrosion, or to meet a sales gas contract.
Hydrates are loosely-linked, crystal-like chemical compounds of hydrocarbon and water resembling dirty
ice. If hydrates form, they can accumulate in valves and fittings, blocking or restricting gas flow. In order
for hydrates to form, water must be present in liquid form, and the gas must be cooled to below its hydrate
formation temperature, which is a function of gas composition and pressure. Thus, a gas stream which is
dehydrated so that its dew point is lower than the temperature to which it will be cooled will have no water
condensing from the gas, and hydrates will not form.
Water condensing in a gas line which is cooled below its dew point can cause corrosion, especially if the
gas contains carbon dioxide (CO2) or hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Also, water in a gas line reduces the line
capacity, increases the pressure drop in the line, and can produce undesirable or damaging slugging in the
pipeline. For these reasons most gas sales contracts specify a maximum amount of allowable water vapor in
the gas. For the Southern U.S. the limit is normally 112 mg/m3 (7 lbs/MMSCF), for the Northern U.S. 64
mg/m3 (4 lbs/MMSCF), and for Canada 32 to 64 mg/m3 (2 to 4 lbs/MMSCF). These limits are low enough
to prevent water from dropping out in the line at normal transmission pressures and the lowest anticipated
gas line temperature. These values correspond to dew points of approximately 0C for 112 mg/m 3 (32F
for 7 lbs/MMSCF), -7C for 64 mg/m3 (20F for 4 lbs/MMSCF) and -18C for 32 mg/m3 (0F for 2
lbs/MMSCF) in a 6900 kPa (1,000 psi) gas line.
Gas can be dehydrated by cooling and separating the condensed liquids, by using specially designed low
temperature separation processes, by using solid desiccants, or by using liquid desiccants.
Cooling the gas stream and removing the free water with a separator is the simplest method of dehydration.
However, this method is limited by the hydrate formation temperature unless some other hydrate
preventative method has been taken.
Low temperature separation methods can be used when the produced well stream is at a higher pressure
than the pipeline delivery pressure and there is adequate pressure differential to make use of the JouleThompson cooling effect caused by a pressure drop. This process is sometimes called a Low Temperature
Exchange or LTX Unit. In an LTX Unit shown in Figure 1 (Schematic of a low temperature exchange
unit), the temperature upstream of the choke must be controlled so that it is above the hydrate temperature
when it enters the choke body.

Figure 1

Hydrates are formed through the temperature reduction across the choke and blown into the separator
where they are melted in the liquid section of the separator by heat exchange with the inlet gas stream. If
the inlet gas stream is 13,800 to 20,700 kPa (2,000 to 3,000 psi), temperatures downstream of the choke on
the order of -18 to -29C (0 to -20F) are possible. This corresponds to the dew point of the gas leaving the
cold temperature separator ("residue gas").
There are a number of commercially available solid desiccants used to remove water vapor from natural
gas. Some of these are activated alumina, molecular sieves, silica gel and calcium chloride. With the
exception of calcium chloride, all of the desiccants can be regenerated and reused. A solid desiccant system
normally consists of multiple towers containing the desiccant, with the wet gas flowing through one or
more of the units while one unit is being regenerated. Since this system requires multiple towers, switching
valves, etc., this type of dehydration is typically more expensive than liquid desiccant systems. They are
capable, however, of reducing the water dew point to extremely low levels and are commonly used for
dehydrating gas prior to further processing in cryogenic plants.
Calcium chloride desiccants undergo several chemical reactions with water vapor, and the solid desiccant
gradually becomes a brine solution. This brine solution is then discarded and the vessel is refilled with fresh
solid calcium chloride. These units are not widely used, but are sometimes found in low volume fuel gas
systems where a heat source or electricity is not available.
The most commonly used method of gas dehydration is the liquid desiccant unit, typically using triethylene
glycol (TEG) as the desiccant. Under certain conditions diethylene glycol and tetraethylene glycol can also

be used. In these systems the glycol contacts the gas and absorbs water vapor from the gas in a "contact
tower" or "absorber" and is then circulated to a "regenerator" or "reconcentrator" where the absorbed water
is boiled off as steam.
This presentation discusses conventional TEG dehydration and presents a method to size and design the
glycol dehydration equipment. Its purpose is to provide basic information for the project engineer to specify
and evaluate vendors' proposals and troubleshoot glycol units.

THEORY
Water Content of Natural Gas
It can normally be assumed that hydrocarbon gas produced from wells is saturated with water vapor at
bottom hole conditions. As the gas is produced and the flowing pressure and temperature change, the water
content of the gas changes. Often water condenses out of the gas and is recovered in a separator.
The amount of water vapor a natural gas can contain depends upon the pressure, temperature, and the gas
composition. Figure 1 (Water content of natural gas.

Figure 1

(Courtesy of GPSA)) is a suitable correlation for lean, sweet natural gases containing 70 percent or greater
methane. As an example, assume it is desired to determine the water content for a natural gas with a
molecular weight of 26 that is in equilibrium with 3 percent brine at 20,700 kPa at 66C (3000 psia at
150F). From Figure 1 (Water content of natural gas. (Courtesy of GPSA)) at a temperature of 150F and
pressure of 3,000 psia there is 104 lb of water per MMSCF of wet gas. The correction for salinity is 0.93
and for molecular weight is 0.98. Therefore, the total water content is 104 x 0.93 x 0.98 = 94.8 lb/MMSCF
or 1518 mg/m3.
From an examination of Figure 1 (Water content of natural gas. (Courtesy of GPSA)), it is evident that
the higher the temperature and the lower the pressure, the more water vapor a gas is capable of holding. If
coded to 40C (100F), a water-saturated gas that was initially at 90C and 7000 kPA (200F and 1000 psi)
will have a lower capacity for water vapor, and free water will condense in the line.
When gases contain more than about 5 percent CO2 and/or H2S, corrections should be made for the acid
gas components. Figures 2a

Figures 2a

(Effective water content for carbon dioxide gas) and Figures 2b (Effective water content for hydrogen

sulfide gas) can be used to estimate the amount of water content of acid gases.

Figures 2b

As an example, assume the gas from the previous paragraph contains 15 percent H2S. The water content of
the hydrocarbon gas is 94.8 lb/MMSCF. From Figure 2b (Effective water content for hydrogen sulphide
gas), the water content of H2S is 400 lb/MMSCF. The effective water content of the stream is
approximately equal to (0.85)(94.8) + (0.15)(400) or 141 lb/MMSCF or 2260 mg/m3.
With high concentrations of acid gas (above 40 percent), additional experimental data should be obtained to
verify the calculated water contents.
Figures 2a (Effective water content for carbon dioxide gas) and 3b are not meant to show water contents
of pure H2S and pure CO2. Figure 2c (Water content of CO2) shows the water content of pure CO2.

Figure 2c

It can be seen that unlike natural gas, pure CO2 goes through a minimum at 4800 to 6200 kPa (700 to 900
psi), and then its ability to hold water vapor increases with pressure. For this reason, dehydration associated
with gas produced from CO2 floods normally occurs at 4800 to 6200 kPa (700 to 900 psi).

HYDRATE FORMATION
A hydrate in the gas system is a physical combination of water and other small molecules to produce a
solid, which resembles ice but has a different structure than ice. Hydrates resemble snow in appearance and
can form at temperatures well above 0C (32F). If a gas stream contains free water, and is at a temperature
and pressure at or below its hydrate point, hydrate formation is possible. Other conditions which promote
hydrate formation when the above conditions are met are: physical site for crystal formations such as rust,
elbows, thermowell, line scale, orifice, etc.; pressure pulsations; high velocities; or introduction of a small
crystal of the hydrate.
Removing the hydrate once it is formed is often difficult. Since the line can become completely plugged,
gas flow may be stopped and delivery interrupted until the hydrate can be removed.
Methanol or glycol can be injected to dissolve the hydrate plug, the line pressure can be lowered to lower
the hydrate formation temperature and thus "melt" the plug, or the temperature can be increased. In

lowering the line pressure, extreme care must be exercised as gas can be trapped between two plugs. One
plug can blow out when it begins to melt, causing large impact forces and a discharge of gas.
Hydrates can also cause physical damage to equipment. Slugs of hydrates moving through a pipeline at
normal gas velocities can produce high impact forces on valves, orifice plates, strainers, and other
equipment that impede their movement. Hydrate slugs leaving lines and flowing into separators, scrubbers,
compressors, and other equipment can likewise cause serious damage.
Figure 3 (Approximate hydrate temperature formation.) can be used to predict approximate temperatures
and pressures where hydrate formation is possible.

Figure 3

The presence of acid gases, especially H2S, will increase the temperature at which hydrates will form.
There have been instances where hydrates have formed in sweet gas at temperatures as much as 6C (10F)
above or below the hydrate temperatures predicted by the charts. For this reason a safety factor should be
used when designing a system until some experience with the particular stream in question is available.

DEW POINT DEPRESSION

The dew point depression is the difference between the gas dew point before and after dehydration. For
example, a sweet natural gas saturated at 6900 kPa and 38C (1,000 psia and 100F) is dehydrated to 112
mg/m 3 (7 lbs of water per MMSCF). This 7 lbs at 1000 psia corresponds to a temperature of 1C (34F)
(see Figure 1 ) (Water content of natural gas.) and consequently a dew point depression of 37C (38C
-1C) or 66F (100F -34F).

Figure 1

The actual operation of a glycol dehydration unit must fall within the design range of the unit in order for it
to perform satisfactorily. The dew point depression depends upon a number of factors, such as: inlet gas
temperatures, type of glycol used, concentration and temperature of the lean glycol, circulation rate of the
glycol, number of trays in the contactor, gas inlet pressure, and the quality or condition of the glycol.
The inlet gas temperature has a large effect on the amount of water vapor a gas can contain at a given
pressure. A gas saturated with water vapor at 6900 kPa abs (1000 psia) will contain approximately 1660
mg/m3 (104 lbs/MMSCF) at 49C (120F) as compared to 288 mg/m3 at 16C (18 lbs/MMSCF at 60F).
This is a difference of almost 600 percent. Six times more water vapor will have to be removed from a gas
with an inlet temperature of 49C (120F) as compared to one with an inlet temperature of 16C (60F). If

an outlet dew point temperature of 1C (34F) is required, the dew point depression is 48C for 49C (86F
for 120F) inlet and only 15C for 16C (26F for 60F) inlet gas temperature.

GENERAL PROCESS DESCRIPTION

The glycol dehydration unit consists of an inlet separator, glycol contactor, glycol reboiler, glycol pumps,
filters, heat exchangers, and often a three-phase (glycol, condensate, gas) separator. (See Figure 4 )
(Schematic flow diagram for a typical glycol dehydration unit).

Figure 4

The wet gas goes through an inlet scrubber to remove any free liquids before going to the glycol contactor.
The gas enters the bottom of the glycol contactor and flows up through the vessel exiting at the top of the
tower. Dry or "lean" glycol enters the top of the tower and flows down through the vessel, exiting at the
bottom of the contactor. The glycol and gas are intimately mixed on the trays as they flow counter-current
to each other. Normally the contactor contains trays and the glycol and gas are mixed on each tray. Packing
is sometimes used in lieu of trays. As the glycol flows down the column it picks up water from the gas and
becomes wet or "rich" glycol. The wet glycol leaves the tower, goes through a reflux exchanger section in
the reboiler still column, a heat exchanger and then to the glycol/condensate separator known as a
"skimmer" in Figure 4 (Schematic flow diagram for a typical glycol dehydration unit). The glycol
leaving the separator goes through filters to remove solids and dissolved hydrocarbon traces and then to the

reboiler where the water vapors are driven off to atmosphere. The hot regenerated lean glycol goes to a
storage tank and from there to the glycol/glycol heat exchangers where it is cooled before being pumped to
contactor pressure. The lean glycol goes through a glycol/gas exchanger where it is cooled to within 3 to
6C (5 to 10F) of the contactor temperature. It then enters the top of the contactor and the process is
repeated.
As the wet inlet gas enters the contactor, the water vapor is removed as the gas flows up the contactor and is
mixed with the glycol. The gas becomes drier as it goes from tray to tray up the contactor. The dry gas
leaving the contactor goes to the glycol/gas heat exchanger where it cools the inlet glycol.
The gas and glycol approach equilibrium as they are mixed on the trays; therefore, the higher the purity of
the glycol, the drier the gas leaving the tray. Approximately four actual trays are normally assumed to be
required to equal one theoretical tray where the gas and glycol are in equilibrium.

GLYCOL PROPERTIES
Liquid desiccants which are commonly used in the conventional dehydration unit are diethylene glycol,
triethylene glycol, and tetraethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol has been used in some applications, but its
vapor pressure is too high for use in conventional dehydration units without excessive vapor losses. The
more commonly used glycols for dehydration are diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, and tetraethylene
glycol. Diethylene glycol is the cheapest of the three glycols, but it has a higher vapor pressure and cannot
be regenerated to as high purity as the other glycols. It is more commonly used for injection systems and is
only sometimes used for limited dew point depression in conventional dehydration units.
Triethylene glycol is the most commonly used glycol for conventional dehydration units because of its
higher decomposition temperature allowing regeneration to a higher purity than diethylene glycol. This
higher purity of the reconcentrated glycol allows corresponding higher dew point depressions of the gas
stream. Triethylene glycol is more expensive than diethylene but cheaper than tetraethylene.
Tetraethylene glycol has recently become commercially available. It has a higher decomposition
temperature than the others and can be regenerated to higher temperatures and purities, allowing a slightly
higher dew point depression than triethylene glycol, using the same regeneration equipment. Another
advantage it has over triethylene glycol is its lower vapor equilibrium, resulting in lower glycol losses. This
is particularly true at elevated gas contact temperatures (above 49C (120F)). The major disadvantages are
its higher cost and higher viscosity, which becomes a factor at low gas contact temperatures.
Physical properties of the different glycols, together with viscosities, specific gravities, boiling points and
condensation temperatures, vapor pressures, specific heats, toxicological properties and thermal
conductivities are included in a later section. Material safety data sheets for these glycols can be obtained
from your local chemical supplier.
A triethylene glycol dehydration unit should operate between a maximum of about 49C (120F) to a
minimum of about 16C (60F). At temperatures higher than 49C (120F) the glycol vaporization loss
becomes excessive when the glycol enters the contactor and flashes on the first tray. At temperatures below
about 16C (60F) the glycol viscosity increases leading to low efficiency of the gas-glycol contact and an
increased tendency of the glycol to foam. Tetraethylene glycol can be used at higher gas contact
temperatures.
Another factor that influences the water vapor content of a natural gas is pressure. The higher the pressure
the less water vapor a gas can contain. In most instances the operating pressure of a dehydration unit is
fixed due to pipeline delivery requirements, but if a unit is designed for a given pressure and is then

operated at a considerably lower pressure, the unit may not be able to deliver the designed dew point
depression without making other operating adjustments. At lower than design pressures the contact tower
may have too small a diameter to handle the design flowrate of natural gas.

Design Parameters
The effects of glycol concentration, number of trays, and glycol circulation rate are all interrelated. In this
presentation, equilibrium data for water vapor over TEG-H20 solutions is computed at various temperatures
and pressures from an equation of state and a liquid-phase activity model. The Peng-Robinson-Stryjek-Vera
(PRSV) equation of state is used for the vapor phase, to calculate fugacities. Liquid fugacities are based on
an empirical correlation presented by Parrish and Won for pure water fugacity, modified by liquid activity
coefficients. The activity coefficients are based on the Parrish-3rd order Margules equation up to 100C
(212F), and on the Edwards-Won hyperboliccorrelation at higher temperatures. The equilibrium
relationship below is used, in conjunction with mass balances, to perform stagewise contactor and
reconcentrator design and performance calculations.

Equation 1

Glycol Concentration
The one change which can have the greatest effect on dew point depression is the glycol concentration,
normally stated as a percent of purity. The higher the purity of the glycol the drier it is possible to get the
gas, other conditions being equal. Figure 5 (Equilibrium water dew points with various concentrations of
TEG) shows the equilibrium water dew point with various concentrations of triethylene glycol.

Figure 5

Since the gas leaving the top tray or the top section of the tower is in contact with the leanest (highest
purity) glycol, the chart shows the ideal dew point depression for a gas in equilibrium with the glycol.
However, true equilibrium can never be reached, and in practice it is common to approach these
equilibrium dew points within about 11C (20F). That is, to obtain a 0C (32F) dew point with 49C
(120F) gas in the contactor it is necessary to have an equilibrium dew point of approximately 7C (12F)
and a 99.5 percent concentration of lean glycol is required.
There are several ways to increase the glycol purity. The simplest method is to increase the temperature of
the reboiler, thus driving off more water and obtaining a higher purity glycol. The Figure 6 (Glycol purity
versus reboiler temperature at different levels of vacuum) shows the glycol concentration as a relationship
to the reboiler temperature.

Figure 6

A temperature of 204C (400F) in the reboiler is about the highest recommended temperature for TEG as
thermal decomposition begins to occur at higher temperatures. Many operators like to limit reboiler
temperature to 200C (390F).
Another method of increasing the glycol purity is by lowering the pressure on the still with a vacuum
pump. Figure 6 (Glycol purity versus reboiler temperature at different levels of vacuum) also shows the
effect of different levels of vacuum on the glycol purity.
One other method of increasing the glycol purity is through the use of stripping gas. The wet gas entering
the contactor is saturated with water at contactor operating pressure and temperature. Under the conditions
of near atmospheric pressure and high temperatures in the reboiler, this gas can absorb large quantities of
water. In a stripping gas system the hot glycol leaving the reboiler is contacted with wet gas from the
contactor in a counter-current packed tower below the reboiler. Dehydrated gas could also be used from the
contactor.
The gas bubbles up through the glycol, "stripping" the glycol of additional water and exiting through the
still on top of the reboiler. The longer the stripping gas contactor the greater the number of equilibrium
stages "below the reboiler." Often the gas is injected through a sparger in the base of the reboiler, and just
bubbles through the glycol. The still provides approximately one or two equilibrium stages above the
reboiler.

Figure 7 Effect of different stripping gas flow rates on the concentration of triethylene glycol) shows the
effect of different stripping gas flow rates on the concentration of triethylene glycol at various
temperatures,

Figure 7

assuming a sparger is used in the reboiler. At a reboiler temperature of 204C (400F) and no stripping gas
the glycol purity is 99.05 percent. The glycol purity can be increased to 99.5 percent with the reboiler
temperature remaining constant by adding 33.7 m3/m3 (4.5 SCF/gal) of stripping gas to the glycol.
Stripping gas can be used more efficiently with a packed column located between the reboiler and the
storage tank, as shown in Figure 8a (Effect of stripping gas rate and adding stages below the reboiler on
the percent purity of lean TEG for 90.0 percent wet TEG),

Figure 8a

Figure 8b (Effect of stripping gas rate and adding stages below the reboiler on the percent purity of lean
TEG for 95.0 percent wet TEG),

Figure 8b

and Figure 8c (Effect of stripping gas rate and adding stages below the reboiler on the percent purity of
lean TEG for 97.5 percent wet TEG).

Figure 8c

Using the same conditions shown above, but with one stage below the reboiler, the glycol concentration
can be increased from 99.05 percent to 99.87 percent with 33.7 m 3/m3 (4.5 SCF/gal) of stripping gas.

Glycol Circulation Rate

Glycol circulation rates from 3.4 to 8.6 l of glycol per kg (2 to 5 gal of glycol per lb) of water to be
removed are normally used. The circulation rates required depend upon the glycol purity and the number of
trays in the glycol contactor. The higher the circulation rate the greater the dew point depression, other
factors being equal. However, the higher the circulation rate the greater the reboiler duty. A higher
circulation rate can also result in an increase in the glycol temperature entering the contactor. This will
cause an increase in the glycol overhead losses and will increase the glycol pump maintenance. Although
circulation rates lower than 3.4 l/kg (2 gal/lb) of water removed are sometimes used, a minimum circulation
rate of about 3.4 l/kg (2 gal/lb) is needed for adequate glycol flow across the trays.
Figure 9 (Effect of circulation rate and number of trays on the dew point depression) shows the effect of
circulation rate on dew point depression for a specified glycol concentration.

Figure 9

It can be seen that the number of trays has a greater effect on dew point depression than glycol circulation
rate.
Figure 10 (Effect of circulation rate and glycol purity on the dew point depression) shows that increasing
the glycol purity has a greater effect on dew point depression than increasing the circulation rate.

Figure 10

Number of Trays
Tray efficiencies in glycol contactors normally range from 25 to 35 percent. Due to the low liquid flow
rates, care must be used in the design of the trays to maintain a liquid seal on the tray. The more trays there
are in a contactor the closer the glycol and gas approach equilibrium and the greater the dew point
depression. Most glycol contactors are designed for one to three theoretical trays or four to twelve actual
trays. See Equipment Description subject for further descriptions of tray types and contactor design.

Combining Parameters
Each dehydration requirement involves a balance and trade off between glycol concentration, circulation
rate, and number of trays or height of contactor if packing is used. Figure 11a : (Water removed versus
recirculation rate for various glycol puritie) ,

Figure 11a

Figure 11b (Water removed versus recirculation rate for various glycol purities),

Figure 11b

Figure 11c (Water removed versus recirculation rate for various glycol purities),

Figure 11c

Figure 11d (Water removed versus recirculation rate for various glycol purities),

Figure 11d

qnd Figure 11e (Water removed versus recirculation rate for various glycol purities) can be used to
select one of these parameters if the others are fixed.

Figure 11e

. In using these figures, W is the water content of the gas at contactor inlet conditions and W is the
desired change in water content.
Example: 0.675 S.G. gas at 6900 kPa (1000 psig), 43C (110F), desire to dehydrate to 112 mg/m3 (7
lb/MMSCF)
From Figure 13

(Water content of natural gas. Courtesy of GPSA):

Figure 13

EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
Contactor/Separator
Before entering a glycol contactor the gas should go through a separator to remove any free liquid. This can
be either a horizontal or vertical separator or a filter/separator. On units with capacities greater than 1.4
MMm3 (50 MMSCFD) and units with high condensate rates or gas coolers before the dehydration system,
a filter/separator is often used to decrease the possibility of contaminating the glycol. On smaller units, the
separator is usually included as a part of the contactor in the bottom section as shown in Figure 1

(Schematic flow diagram of a typical glycol contact tower).

Figure 1

In the case shown, the gas leaving the separator section flows up through a hat or chimney tray into the
contactor section. The contactor is a tower using trays or packing to affect an intimate contact between the
glycol and gas.
The wet gas entering at the bottom of the contactor flows upward, contacting the downward flowing glycol.
The gas gets leaner and leaner in water vapor as it rises, and the glycol gets richer and richer in water as it
falls. In this manner a series of counter-current equilibria are set up with the leanest glycol contacting the
driest gas.
The glycol is forced to flow across each tray by a series of downcomers and spill over weirs. The distance
between trays is set so that the gas can disengage from the glycol prior to reaching the underside of the tray
above. Because there is a pressure drop as the gas flows upward from one tray to another, a seal weir is
needed to create a liquid seal at the base of the downcomer. Without this weir, some of the gas will blow up
the downcomer and not contact the glycol correctly.
The downcomer must be sized so that the pressure drop for the designed glycol flowrate does not exceed
the head available. Otherwise glycol will build on the top trays. This condition is called "flooding."
Typically, to provide a margin of safety the downcomer is designed for 75 percent or less of flooding. A
good rule of thumb is to size the downcomer so that the glycol velocity does not exceed 0.25 ft/sec.

The trays are orifice type devices, which disperse the gas uniformly on the trays and throughout the liquid
on the tray. Trays are commonly spaced 610 mm (24 in) apart vertically. The most commonly used tray in a
glycol contactor is the bubble cap tray, although valve trays are also used. An example of a bubble cap tray
is shown in Figure 2 (Typical bubble cap tray.

Figure 2

(Courtesy of Smith Industries, Inc.)).

In order to assure good contact between the gas and the liquid flowing across the tray, a minimum upward
flow of gas is necessary. The minimum flow of gas required to make the bubble caps or valves work
efficiently is typically taken as 25 percent of design flowrate. This is called "turndown." At lower flowrates,
liquid could fall from tray to tray through the valves or bubble caps, thereby bypassing most of the gas, or
gas will not be sheared into small enough bubbles to maximize the contact area between the gas bubble and
the liquid. Bubble caps, by virtue of their design, are less sensitive to turndown than valves. There are
instances where bubble cap contactors have successfully dehydrated gas at flowrates of 10 percent of
design.
If turndown is a problem, individual caps or valves can be blanked off, forcing the gas flow to be shared by
those remaining. For this reason, and also to service the caps or valves, a 203 mm (8 in) hand opening or
larger manway is often provided in the space above each tray.

The diameter of the tray tower determines the gas velocity. When the gas velocity is above a certain point,
significant quantities of glycol may be transported upward from one tray to the next. To avoid this problem,
the tower should be sized for m (micron) drops from the gas stream.removal of 120 to 150
Packing of various types, sizes and shapes can be randomly packed in the tower in place of using trays. An
example of some of the types of random packing used is shown in Figure 3a

Figure 3a

and Figure 3b

Various types of packing).

Figure 3b

Random packing provides a surface area upon which contact can be made between the gas and glycol by
creating a tortuous path for the gas to rise and glycol to fall. At low gas rates the glycol and gas may
channel, largely bypassing each other. Thus, randomly packed towers should not be expected to adequately
dehydrate the gas at flowrates less than 25 percent of design.
At high gas velocities, glycol may build above the packing, flooding the contactor. The diameter of the
tower is set to assure that gas velocities are kept below those required for flooding. The height of packing is
given by the manufacturer in terms of the number of feet required for an equilibrium tray.
Structured packing is also sometimes used. Structured packing is made up of folded perforated plates
welded together as shown in Figure 4a Example of structured packing.

Figure 4a

(Courtesy of Koch Engineering Co.) ) and Figure 4b Example of structured packing.

Figure 4b

(Courtesy of Koch Engineering Co.)) . Due to the defined nature of the gas and glycol paths through the
structured packing, structured packing is more efficient than either random packing or trays at creating
contact between the gas and glycol. Thus, with structured packing smaller contactor diameters and shorter
contactors are possible. Good lean glycol inlet distribution is essential for structured packing to perform as
desired.
Glycol contactors commonly use from one to three equilibrium trays (four to twelve actual trays) with the
higher number of trays required for higher dew point depressions.

Glycol/Gas Exchanger
The glycol/gas exchanger is used to cool the lean glycol before it contacts the gas in the glycol contactor. If
the lean glycol's temperature is more than 5.5 to 11C (10 to 15F) higher than that of the gas in the
contactor, some glycol will vaporize on the top tray and be lost with the dry gas. If the glycol is colder than
the gas, it may cause liquid hydrocarbons to condense, and the resulting condensate could contaminate the
glycol and cause foaming.
The most commonly used glycol/gas exchanger consists of two concentric pipes with one pipe inside the
other. The glycol flows counter current to the gas in the annulus space. The gas leaves the contactor in the
inner pipe. This is an economical type exchanger and requires very little additional space. If more efficient
heat transfer is required, a shell and tube exchanger or a multi-tube exchanger can be used. This exchanger,
as well as all the other exchangers in the system, can be sized using the procedures contained in the
presentation on Heat Transfer. For a first approximation, an overall heat transfer coefficient ("U" value) of
57 to 113 W/m2K (10 to 20 Btu/hr-ft2-F) can be used for the two concentric pipe type exchangers.

Glycol Regeneration System

The glycol regeneration system consists of several different pieces of equipment designed to regenerate a
wet ("rich") glycol by removing hydrocarbons and water vapor. A typical glycol regeneration system is
shown in Figure 5 Schematic flow diagram of a typical glycol regeneration system). A brief description of
the various pieces of equipment follows:

Figure 5

Reflux Condenser
The rich glycol enters the system and goes through a coil in the top of the glycol reboiler (or "glycol
regenerator") where it exchanges heat with the water vapor leaving the column and acts as a reflux
condenser. The rich glycol is heated in the reflux condenser.
The reflux condenser controls glycol losses to the atmosphere by condensing some of the water vapor in the
reboiler still overhead. The falling water helps to condense glycol vapors entrained in the vapor coming off
the still.
Typically, the reflux condenser is designed with enough surface area to condense 50 percent of the water
vapor being removed in the still. The temperature of the water vapor reaching the reflux condenser is
approximately 150 to 160C (300 to 320F) as the vapors are cooled with the incoming glycol. The
temperature of the vapors leaving the condenser are usually at the boiling point of water, that is, 100C
(212F) if there is no stripping gas and the regenerator is operated at atmospheric pressure. A typical overall
heat transfer coefficient for the reflux condenser is 400 W/m2K (70 Btu/hr-ft2-F).

Glycol/Glycol Heat Exchanger

The rich glycol flows to a glycol/glycol heat exchanger where it is heated by the lean glycol. The
glycol/glycol exchanger can be a double pipe exchanger, plate fin exchanger, or shell and tube type
exchanger. The heat exchanger cools the lean glycol and heats the rich glycol, thus reducing the size of the
reboiler and cooling the lean glycol prior to going to the glycol pumps.
An approximate overall heat transfer coefficient for glycol-glycol exchangers is 170 to 284 W/m2K (30 to
50 Btu/hr-ft2-F). Often there are two glycol-glycol exchangers, one upstream and one downstream of the
glycol/condensate separator as shown in Figure 5 Schematic flow diagram of a typical glycol regeneration
system). It is best to heat the rich glycol to between 66 to 93C (150 and 200F) before routing it to the
glycol/condensate separator. This reduces the viscosity of the glycol, which is the continuous phase, making
it easier to separate condensate. It also helps liberate dissolved gases from the glycol before the glycol
enters the still.
The temperature of glycol to the still is typically on the order of 135 to 150C (275 to 300F). Higher
temperatures would save on reconcentrator duty, but would add to heat exchanger cost.
Glycol/Condensate Separator
The glycol condensate separator (sometimes called a "glycol flash tank" or "pump gas separator") is a
three-phase separator used to separate hydrocarbon liquids, glycol/water mixture, and vapors. This is a
standard three-phase separator and can be either a horizontal or vertical separator, sized for 15 to 30
minutes retention time for the liquids. The procedures in the presentation on Three Phase Separators can be
used to size this vessel. The separator operates at a low pressure, approximately 200 to 350 kPa (30 to 50
psig). The gas leaving the separator can be used for fuel or recompressed for sales. The condensate flows to
the oil stream and the glycol/water mixture goes to the regenerator.
Since the glycol will absorb some of the heavier hydrocarbons from the gas, a glycol condensate separator
should be included when the gas stream contains heavier hydrocarbon components. For a gas stream of
methane, ethane and CO2 with very little or no heavier components a two-phase separator can be used to
separate only the gas which is absorbed by the glycol at the high pressures in the contactor or the gas which
is used to drive glycol-powered pumps.
Some small units do not have a separator at all. In these cases entrained gas is vented with the still vapors.
This is not recommended as it wastes gas, which could be used for fuel and could lead to pollution.
In Figure 5 Schematic flow diagram of a typical glycol regeneration system) the level control valve is
located downstream of the filters and heat exchangers to avoid flashing of the glycol upstream of this
equipment. Often the level control valve is located at the glycol condensate separator for convenience and
because the amount of flash gas is small.
Glycol Filters
The glycol leaving the separator is normally filtered through a sock type filter to remove 5 micron and
larger solids. A differential pressure indicator is installed to measure the pressure drop across the filter.
When the pressure drop increases to about 70 kPa (10 psi), the filter elements need to be replaced.
Manufacturer's recommendations should be followed regarding pressure drop requirements before
replacing filters. Sock type filters consist of a pressure vessel with a quick opening closure and a number of
filter elements. The filter elements are replaced when they become clogged and dirty.
The charcoal filter is a similar type of filter with charcoal instead of sock elements. For small glycol units,
less than 2.3 m3/hr (10 gpm), the charcoal filter is normally full flow, whereas for larger units a small side

stream of 10 to 25 percent of total glycol is filtered. The charcoal filter removes hydrocarbon and chemical
impurities. A differential pressure indicator is installed to measure the pressure drop across the bed. When
the pressure drop reaches about 70 kPa (10 psi), the charcoal needs to be replaced.
Glycol Pumps
Glycol pumps normally have low flow rates and high differential pressures. Usually, an electric motordriven plunger pump is used. The presentation on Reciprocating Pumps provides information for sizing and
selecting this type of pump, pulsation dampers, and associated equipment.
On smaller units, and where electricity is not readily available, glycol powered pumps are sometimes used.
A glycol powered pump uses high pressure rich glycol with a small amount of entrained gas to pump the
lean glycol. Figure 6 Schematic flow diagram of a glycol powered pump.

Figure 6

(Courtesy of Kimray Inc.) ) shows a cutaway of the glycol/gas powered pump.

Referring to Figure 6 Schematic flow diagram of a glycol powered pump. (Courtesy of Kimray Inc.) ), with
the Pilot "D" slide in the left position, high pressure wet glycol flows through the right hand speed control
valve to the right side of the main piston. This causes both pistons to move to the left. At this point the
Pump "D" slide places wet glycol discharge pressure on the left side of the Pilot "D" slide, allowing the
Pilot "D" slide to stay in its left position.
As the pistons move to the left, dry glycol is pumped from the right piston to the glycol contactor at high
pressure, and wet glycol is discharged from the left piston to the regenerator system. Dry glycol is also
sucked into the left piston from the glycol surge tank.
When the pump piston moves completely to the left, the Pump "D" slide places the high pressure wet glycol
on the left side of the Pilot "D" slide and the low pressure wet glycol on the right side of the Pilot "D" slide.
This causes the Pilot "D" slide to switch to the right as shown in Figure 6 Schematic flow diagram of a
glycol powered pump. (Courtesy of Kimray Inc.) ). The Pilot "D" slide now places high pressure wet glycol
to the left side of the left pump piston, causing the pump piston to move to the right. Wet glycol is now
discharged to the regenerator system from in front of the right piston, and dry glycol is sucked in behind the
right piston. Dry glycol is discharged to the contactor from in front of the left piston.
This process then proceeds as a reciprocating motion as first the pump slide and then the pilot slide change
positions.
Gas is entrained with the wet glycol from the contact tower to provide the energy to make the system
overcome friction losses. If a glycol powered pump is used, a level control is not installed on the glycol
outlet of the contactor. If the level falls in the contactor, more gas flows to the pump, speeding it up and
allowing it to pump drier glycol into the contactor. The pump speed is controlled by the throttling valves.
Gas consumption rates are shown in the following table.

CIRCULATION RATE -Gallons/Hour

*Pump Speed -Strokes/Minute. Count one stroke for each discharge of pump.
Model
Number

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

1715 PV

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

4015 PV

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

9015 PV

27

31.5 36

40.5 45

49.5 54

58.5 63

67.5 72
197

21015 PV

66

79

92

105

118

131

144

157

171

184

45015 PV

166

200

233

266

300

333

366

400

433

466

210

76.5 81

85.5 90

* It is not recommended to attempt to run pumps at speeds less or greater than those indicated in the above table

GAS CONSUMPTION
Operating Pressure
-psig.

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

Cu. Ft./Gallon @ 14.4

& 60 oF

1.7

2.3

2.8

3.4

3.9

4.5

5.0

5.6

6.1

6.7

7.2

7.9

8.3

Model Number

Dimensions, inches

"PV"
Series

"SC"
Series

1715 PV

815 SC

5
1/4

4015 PV

2015 SC

9015 PV

21015 PV

5
5 3/4
11/16

3
7/16

1 1/2

3 1/2

7 1/4

10
7/8

10
3/16

9 5/8

15

2 1/8

1 3/4

5
1/4

5
5 3/4
11/16

3
7/16

1 1/2

3 1/2

7 1/4

10
7/8

10
3/16

9 5/8

15

2 1/8

1 3/4

5015 SC

6
1/4

6 3/8

1 3/4

4 1/4

8 3/4

13
1/4

13
7/8

11
3/4

20

2 1/2

10015 SC

7
3/8

10
1/8

5 3/8

2 1/4

5 3/4

9 1/4

14
3/4

16
5/8

13

24

3
3/16

2 1/2

6 5/8

2 5/8

6 1/2

11
3/8

19

21
1/8

16
3/8

34

3 3/4

3 1/2

1/8

1/8
45015 PV

20015 SC

Model Number

10
3/4

14

1/8

Max. Cap.

Size of Pipe
Connections

Mounting Bolts

Approx. Weight

G.P.M.

G.P.H.

1715 PV

.67

40

1/2" N.P.T.

3/8" Dia.

66 Lbs.

4015 PV

.67

40

1/2" N.P.T.

3/8" Dia.

66 Lbs.

9015 PV

1/5

90

3/4" N.P.T.

1/2" Dia.

119 Lbs.

21015 PV

3.5

210

1" N.P.T.

1/2" Dia.

215 Lbs.

45015 PV

7.5

450

1 1/2" N.P.T.

1/2" Dia.

500 Lbs.

No matter which type of pump is chosen, reciprocating or glycol powered, the lean glycol should be cooled
to about 60C (140F) before it reaches the pump suction to promote longer seal and packing life and to

conserve heat energy. The glycol should be cooled to 11C (20F) below the maximum allowable
temperature recommended by the pump manufacturer.
The glycol pumps circulate the lean glycol from the storage tank at atmospheric pressure to the glycol
contactor at higher pressure. Glycol circulating rates can be determined by using a meter on the lean glycol
line to the contactor or by counting pump strokes on a glycol powered pump. Glycol pumps are one of the
high maintenance items in the glycol regeneration system. Often one extra pump is installed in the system
so that the system can be operated when one pump is out of service for maintenance.

Glycol Reboiler
The glycol reboiler heats the rich glycol and boils off the water vapor through the still column to
atmosphere. Normally the glycol reboiler operates at atmospheric pressure and between 190 and 204C
(375 and 400F). The purity of the glycol for various temperatures and pressures is discussed before under
Design Parameters section. A temperature controller in the glycol reboiler is set to maintain the desired
temperature and thus the purity.
Most onshore glycol reboilers use a fire tube with a natural gas burner to heat the glycol. The fire tube in
the reboiler is normally sized for a 1.89 to 2.52 W/sq cm (6,000 to 8,000 Btu/hr-ft 2) flux rate. Steam coils or
heat medium coils can also be used to heat the reboiler. Electric heating elements can also be used to
provide all or part of the heat for the reboiler. Sometimes the electric heating elements help load a gas
engine or turbine generator and the waste heat from the generator is used to heat a circulating heat medium
to provide the remainder of the heat required. The presentation on Heat Transfer Systems discusses the
design of circulating heat media systems, and the presentation on Waste Heat Recovery discusses the
recovery of heat from engines and turbines.
Many operators prefer not to use fire tubes on offshore platforms as a leak in the fire tube could cause the
glycol to burn. Others feel that the safety devices recommended by API RP 14C, Recommended Practice
for Analysis, Design, Installation and Testing of Basic Surface Safety Systems for Offshore Production
Platforms, provide sufficient protection.
The vapors leaving the reboiler go through a still column, with the reflux condenser in the top of the section
used to condense part of the vapors to lower TEG losses. Because of the large difference in the boiling
points between glycol 286C (546 F) and water 100C (212 F), the still can be relatively short. Normally
the still has ten to twelve feet of random packing although it is possible to use structured packing or trays
on larger diameter stills. The design of distillation columns is beyond the scope of this presentation.

Still Overhead
The vapors leaving the still are normally vented to atmosphere in a pipe routed away from the regenerator
skid and any potential source of ignition. Sometimes a steam trap or simple tee in the line is used to capture
any liquids which are condensed in the vent pipe. These liquids may contain hydrocarbons and impurities
such as benzene. This should be collected for disposal or pumped back to the oil system and should not be
allowed to just run out on the ground.
Because the still overhead vapors contain small amounts of hydrocarbons and may contain H2S in sour gas
applications, it may be necessary from an air pollution standpoint to recover or incinerate the vapors.
Recovery can be done by cooling the stream to condense the water and routing it to a two-phase separator.
The liquid from the separator is pumped to the water treating equipment for separation of hydrocarbon
liquids and disposal. The gas is routed to a vapor recovery unit for compression and eventual sales or routed
to an incineration point. This method of handling still overhead vapors is becoming more prevalent due to
more stringent air pollution regulations.

Glycol Piping
The glycol regeneration system normally operates at low pressure and, due to the small volumes circulated,
usually requires piping of less than 50 mm (2 in) in diameter. Hot glycol is hard to contain, and the piping
for this system is often specified as socket welded with a minimum of screwed fittings to minimize leaks.
Some companies specify the low pressure glycol piping as a 300 ANSI rating rather than a 150 ANSI rating
to increase the number of bolts at flange connections. Since glycol pumps are normally plunger type there
is some vibration associated with the glycol piping. Because of the corrosive nature of vapors and liquids
contacting the reflux condenser, often the pipe coils in the condenser are made of stainless steel.

DESIGN PROCEDURE
General
The design procedure presented in this section can be used for initial sizing determinations, to evaluate
vendor quotations, and to review existing systems. In the design, all functions and requirements should be
considered, including the operating variables of design flow rates and properties. For this reason, there is no
substitute for operating experience and good engineering evaluation of the glycol dehydration system.
The following information is required to design a glycol dehydration system.
Inlet gas flow rate
Gas composition, or Gas Gravity and Percent Content of H2S & CO2
Inlet Gas Temperature and Pressure
Inlet Gas Water Content
Required Gas Outlet Water Content or Dew Point
Outlet Gas Line Pressure

Water Content Inlet/Outlet

Unless other information is available, assume the inlet gas is saturated with water vapor at the inlet pressure
and temperature conditions. The maximum anticipated inlet temperature should be used when calculating
the water content of the inlet gas. The water content can be obtained from Figure 1 (Water content of
natural gas.

Figure 1

(Courtesy of GPSA)), Figure 2a,

Figure 2a

(Effective water content for carbon dioxide gas) and Figure 2b (Effective water content for hydrogen
sulphide gas), as explained earlier.

Figure 2b

The required water content of the dehydrated gas is fixed by a sales contract or is known. The water content
is normally given in pounds per million standard cubic feet. Using Figure 1 (Water content of natural gas.
(Courtesy of GPSA)) and the gas sales pressure a dew point temperature can be read. The difference
between the inlet temperature and the dew point of the dehydrated gas is the required dew point depression.

Determine Process Variables

The process variables such as glycol concentration, glycol circulation rate, and number of trays required in
the contactor are all interdependent. Their selection requires trade-off studies. As a rule of thumb, glycol
circulation rates of 3.4 to 6.8 l/kg (2 to 4 gal/lb) of water removed are normally used. For dew point
depressions of 33 to 44C (60 to 80F), a 98.5 to 99 percent (177 to 193C (350 to 380F) regenerator
temperature at atmospheric pressure) glycol purity, and one to one and a half theoretical trays in the contact
tower are reasonable selections. Once a selection of circulation rate and number of trays is made, the glycol
purity can be determined as shown in Section 3.6.1 and the regenerator heat duty calculated as described
below. Different circulation rates, purity, and tray selections can then be analyzed to determine the effect on
regenerator heat duty.
For dew point depressions in excess of 39C (70F), either a higher purity glycol, more trays, or a
combination of these will be required. Dew points of less than -29C (-20F) have been obtained with
triethylene glycol by using a vacuum on the regenerator, stripping gas and three theoretical trays in the
contactor.

Estimate Size of Glycol Contactor

The size of the glycol contactor is determined by the operating pressure, temperature, gas flow rate, and
type of trays or packing used in the contactor. The minimum inside diameter of trayed contactors can be
determined by the need to keep the upward velocity of the gas from carrying entrained glycol droplets to
the tray above. This is equivalent to the droplet settling theory explained in the presentation on Two Phase
Separators. The equation establishing minimum diameter was derived in the presentation
on Two Phase
Separators and is given by:

Equation 1

The values of the drag coefficient and of the gas compressibility factor can be determined using the
procedures described in the presentation on Two Phase Separators. Figure 4 Chart for estimating
contactor diameter.

Figure 4
(Courtesy of GPSA ) can be used for an initial estimate of inside diameter.
Both random and structured packing are normally sized so that the pressure drop for gas flowing through
the packing is one-half inch of water per foot of packing. The different manufacturers have empirical
procedures to evaluate the diameter required for the various designs of packing, which they manufacture.
Trayed contactors are normally sized for a 0.61 m (24 in) actual tray spacing, which is equivalent to 1.83 to
2.44 m (6 to 8 ft) height per theoretical tray, assuming 25 percent to 35 percent tray efficiency. Structured
packing is sized for 1.14 to 1.22 m (45 to 48 in) of packing per theoretical tray. The height of random
packing per theoretical tray is normally taken as the same as for bubble cap trays. Table 1 shows a
comparison of tower diameters and heights of the trayed/packing section for dehydration of 1.4 MMm 3
(50 MMSCFD) of gas at 6900 kPa (1000 psig) and 38C (100F), assuming two theoretical trays.
Table 1: Contactor Sizes for Dehydrating 50 MMSCFD at 1000 psig and 100F
Tower Diameter, m (in)

Tray/Packing
Height, m (ft)

1.22 (48)

4.87 (16)

Tower Internals
A. Tray
Bubble Cap

B. Structured Packing
B1-300

0.91 (36)

2.44 (8)

B1-100

0.76 (30)

2.44 (8)

Flexipac #1

1.07 (42)

1.83 (6)

Flexipac #2

0.76 (30)

2.44 (8)

1.22 (48)

4.87 (16)

C. Random Packing
2" Pall ring

The actual height of the tower must consider an allowance for a mist eliminator and glycol inlet above the
top tray (approximately 0.61 to 1.22 m (2 to 4 ft)), and for a wet gas inlet below the bottom tray
(approximately 0.61 to 1.22 m (2 to 4 ft)). If an integral scrubber is required in the base, additional height
may be required. For more exact sizing contact the tray or packing vendor with the gas and glycol flow
rates.

Estimate Size of Regenerator

Using the amount of water to be removed from the gas in pounds per hour and the glycol circulation rate in
gallons per pound of water to be removed as selected above, the glycol circulation rate in pounds per hour
can be calculated. The glycol concentration required determines the glycol regenerator temperature. The
glycol regenerator duty is the sum of the sensible heat required to heat the glycol, the heat required to
vaporize the water, the heat required for reflux, and any heat losses.
The procedures in the presentation on Heat Transfer Systems can be used to determine the regenerator
heat duty if the temperature of the wet glycol entering the still is known. This temperature depends on the
glycol-glycol exchanger designs. A typical incoming temperature is 135 to 150C (275 to 300F).
Table 2 can be used for first approximation of regenerator heat duty.
Table 2: Approximate Heat Duty

Design Glycol Circulation

Reboiler Heat Duty (q)

L Glycol/kg of Water
Removed

Gal Glycol/lb of Water

Removed

J/L Glycol

Btu/GalGlycol

12.5

1.5

346,980

1245

16.7

2.0

297,100

1066

20.8

2.5

262,800

943

25.0

3.0

240,200

862

29.1

3.5

224,400

805

33.3

4.0

212,400

762

37.5

4.5

203,200

729

41.6

5.0

195,400

701

45.8

5.5

189,500

680

50.0

6.0

183,700

659

Size at 150 percent of above to allow for start-up, increased circulation, fouling.
Size fire tube for 1.89 to 2.52 W/sq cm (6,000 to 8,000 Btu/hr ft2)

Size Glycol/Hydrocarbon Separator

The glycol/hydrocarbon separator is sized as a three-phase separator, either horizontal or vertical, using 15
to 30 minutes liquid retention time. The vessel should be sized using the principles outlined in the
presentation on Three Phase Separators. On small units handling lean gas, this is sometimes sized as only
a two phase separator, and no attempt is made to separate hydrocarbon liquids.

Size Glycol/Glycol Heat Exchangers and Gas/Glycol Exchangers

Size the glycol/glycol heat exchangers and the gas/glycol heat exchangers using the principles outlined in
the presentation Heat Exchangers.
Typical overall heat transfer coefficients ("U" values) are 0.006 to 0.012 W/cm2-C (10 to 12 Btu/hr-ft2-F)
for gas/glycol exchangers and 170 to 284 W/m3-K (30 to 50 Btu/hr-ft2-F) for glycol/glycol exchangers.

UNIT OPERATING PROBLEMS & TROUBLESHOOTING

Operating and corrosion problems usually occur when the circulating glycol solution gets dirty. Therefore,
to get a long, trouble free life with the glycol, it is necessary to recognize these problems and know how to
prevent them. Some of the major problems are presented below.

Oxidation
Oxygen enters the system with the incoming gas, through unblanketed storage tanks and sumps or through
the pump packing glands. The glycols will oxidize readily in the presence of oxygen and form corrosive
organic acids. The primary acid formed is formic acid although some acetic acid is also found to be present
in oxidized glycols.To prevent oxidation, tanks should have a gas blanket to keep air out of the system.
Oxidation inhibitors, such as hydrazine, can also be used to prevent corrosion.

Thermal Decomposition
Excessive heat, a result of one of the following conditions, will decompose the glycol and form corrosive
compounds:

A reboiler temperature above the glycol decomposition level.

A high heat flux rate, usually caused by trying to operate the unit above design capacity.
Localized overheating, caused by deposits of salt or tarry compounds on the reboiler fire tubes or by poor
flame direction on the fire tubes.

Low pH
pH is a measure of the acid content of the glycol (lower pH means more acid) and is an indication of the
degradation taking place. The desired pH of the glycol solution is 7.0 to 7.5. If proper measures are not
taken the pH will continue to decrease and equipment corrosion rates will increase. Organic acids, resulting
from the oxidation of glycol, thermal decomposition products or acid gases picked up from the gas stream,
are the most troublesome corrosive compounds.
The glycol pH should be checked periodically and kept in the desired range by neutralizing the acidic
compounds with borax, ethanol amines or other alkaline chemicals. The glycol should always be diluted at
least 50:50 with distilled water before its pH is determined to get accurate results.
The addition of bases should be made with care as large amounts of some of these bases will result in
precipitation of black matter. The addition of the base over a prolonged period will raise the pH to the
desired level without fouling the system. The amount of neutralizer to be added and frequency of addition
will vary from location to location depending mainly on operating conditions. The glycol manufacturer
should be consulted on the recommended amount and type of neutralizer.

Salt Contamination
Salt is normally contained in produced water, and it may carry over with the gas and dissolve in the glycol.
Salt deposits accelerate equipment corrosion, reduce heat transfer in the reboiler tubes and alter specific
gravity readings when a hydrometer is used to determine glycol-water concentrations. This troublesome
compound cannot be removed with normal regeneration. Therefore, salt carryover, either in slugs or fine
mist, should be prevented with the use of an efficient scrubber upstream from the glycol contactor.
The solubility of salt in glycol solutions decreases with increasing temperature, and, therefore, salt will
accumulate on the reboiler fire tube and decrease the heat transfer efficiency. When the salt content in the
glycol reaches 200 to 300 parts per million (ppm), it may start depositing on the fire tube. The solubility
limits of salt in triethylene glycol is approached when the salt content reaches 600 to 700 ppm. Above this
level, the salt deposition rate will quickly accelerate. The fire tube should then be regularly inspected before
it fails.

Hydrocarbons
Liquid hydrocarbons, a result of carryover with the incoming gas or condensation in the tower, increase
glycol foaming, degradation and losses. They should be removed in a glycol condensate separator.

Sludge
An accumulation of solid particles and tarry hydrocarbons very often forms in the glycol solution. This
sludge is suspended in the circulating glycol and, over a period of time, the accumulation becomes large
enough to settle out. This action results in the formation of a black, sticky and abrasive gum, which can
cause erosion of pumps, valves and other equipment. It usually occurs when the glycol pH is low and

becomes very hard and brittle when deposited onto the absorber trays, stripper packing and other places in
the circulating system. Good solution filtration will prevent a buildup of sludge.

Foaming
Foaming can increase glycol losses and reduce capacity. Entrained glycol will carry over the top of the
absorber with the sales gas when stable foam builds up on the trays. Foaming also causes poor contact
between the gas and the glycol, decreasing the drying efficiency.
Some foam producers are:
Hydrocarbon liquids
Field corrosion inhibitors
Salt
Finely-divided suspended solids
Excessive turbulence and high liquid to vapor contacting velocities will usually cause the glycol to foam.
This condition can be caused by mechanical or chemical problems.
The best cure for foaming problems is proper care of the glycol. The most important measures in the
program are effective gas cleaning ahead of the glycol system and good filtration of the circulating solution.
The use of defoaming chemicals does not solve the basic problem. They should only be considered as a
temporary control until the foam promoters can be determined and removed.
The success of a defoamer is usually dependent upon when and how it is added. Some defoamers, when
added after the foam is generated, act as good inhibitors, but, when added prior to foam generation, act as
good foam stabilizers, which makes the problem even worse. Most defoamers are inactivated within a few
hours under high temperature and pressure conditions, and their effectiveness can be dissipated by the heat
of the glycol solution. Therefore, defoamers should generally be added continuously, a drop at a time, for
best results. The use of a chemical feed pump will help meter the defoamer accurately and give better
dispersion into the glycol.
Water-soluble defoamers are sometimes made more effective by diluting them before addition into the
system. Defoamers with limited solubility should be added via the pump suction to insure good dispersion
into the glycol. If foaming is not a really serious problem, the defoamer can be added in slugs of 3 to 4
ounces when needed. The addition of too much defoamer is usually worse than no defoamer at all.
Excessive amounts sharply increase the foaming problem.
The following procedure can be used to determine the best defoamer and the proper dosage to control the
foaming problem.
Always experiment with the defoamer chemicals using clean sample bottles before adding to the systems.
Do not mix defoamers when running foam tests. If one defoamer does not do the required job, start with
another glycol sample to run the bottle foam test. The samples for the foam test should be taken from the
system at the point where most of the foaming occurs.
Pour a measured amount (a graduated cylinder can be used) of glycol sample into a clean bottle. Add about
5 ppm of defoamer, put a cap on the bottle and then shake the sample several times. (Shake the sample
bottles the same way each time the test is run for best results.) Make a visual inspection and study:

Type of foam-bubble size and consistency

Time required for the foam to reach a maximum height and record the foam height.
Time required for the foam layer to settle back to the liquid level.
Continue adding the same defoamer, in small increments, to determine the optimum concentration of
defoamer. There is normally a point at which addition of more defoamer causes the foam to become
uncontrollable. When this point is reached, the defoamer should be discarded.
When the most effective defoamer has been selected, slowly meter the recommended dosage into the
system at the point where most of the foaming occurs. The use of a continuous feed pump will usually help
give better foam control.
Some antifoam agents are:
Dow Corning Antifoam "A" Emulsion
Dow Corning Antifoam "B" Emulsion
Union Carbide "SAG" 470

Glycol Losses
The loss of glycol can be a very serious and costly operating problem. Losses can be incurred by
vaporization, entrainment, poor glycol condensate separator design/operation and mechanical leaks. The
total glycol loss from a properly designed and maintained dehydration unit should not exceed 13.4
l/MMm3 (0.1 gal/MMSCF) or about one pound per MMSCF of gas treated. It is not uncommon, however,
to see glycol losses averaging 134 to 536 l/MMm3 (1 to 4 gal/MMSCF) or even higher. Without proper
controls, several hundred dollars per day of excessive glycol can be used. Some average-sized units can
waste over $100,000 per year in excessive glycol losses, downtime, and equipment wear.
The following are some ways to reduce glycol losses:
A certain amount of glycol will always be vaporized in the sales gas stream. Adequate cooling of the lean
glycol before it enters the absorber will minimize these losses. Proper design, operation, and maintenance
practices require that the lean glycol entering the contactor be no more than 2.8 to 5.6C (5 to 10F) hotter
than the gas leaving the contactor. Often, an efficient separator, placed on the sales gas line downstream of
the contactor, can pay for itself quickly and save a great deal of money by recovering the excess glycol.
It may be necessary to cool the inlet gas prior to the contactor. Higher than normal vaporization losses can
be expected as gas temperatures approach 49C (120F). It may be necessary to use tetraethylene glycol if a
high gas temperature cannot be avoided.
Nearly all the glycol entrainment is removed by a mist extractor in the top of the absorber. Excessive gas
velocities and glycol foaming in the absorber will sharply increase the losses.
Vaporization losses in the stripper can be minimized with good glycol condensation. This can be
accomplished by increasing the reflux rate in the top of the reboiler still. An increase in reflux rate will
increase reboiler heat duty; too high a reflux rate will increase energy costs or may reduce reboiler
temperature.

A properly designed and operated glycol condensate separator with adequate retention time will efficiently
separate the glycol and hydrocarbon, preventing dumping of the glycol to the oil system.
Mechanical leaks can be reduced by proper maintenance of the pump, valves and other fittings.

Analysis and Control of the Glycol Solution

Analysis of the glycol solution is essential to good operation. Meaningful analytical information helps
pinpoint high glycol losses, foaming, corrosion and other operating problems. It enables the operator to
evaluate the plant performance and make operating changes to get maximum drying efficiency.
A glycol sample should first be visually inspected to identify some of the contaminants. For example:
A finely divided black precipitate may indicate the presence of iron corrosion products.
A black, viscous solution may contain heavy, tarry hydrocarbons.
The characteristic odor of decomposed glycol (a sweet, aromatic smell) usually indicates thermal
degradation.
A two-phase liquid sample usually indicates the glycol solution is heavily contaminated with hydrocarbons.
The visual conclusions should then be supported by chemical analysis. Some of the routine tests, which can
be run are pH, salt analysis, hydrocarbon determination, solids content, foam test and water content. These
analyses usually provide sufficient information to determine the condition of the glycol solution.
The glycol test results can be used to help prevent and solve operating problems. The following are some
general comments on glycol analysis:
Glycol weight percent. This establishes the amount of glycol in the solution. The lean glycol percent should
be as required for the design conditions, usually about 98 to 99 percent. If the spread between the lean and
rich glycol content is too narrow (about 0.5 to 1.5 percent), the glycol circulation rate may be too high and
there may not be sufficient contact time in the contactor. If the spread is too wide (over 4 to 5 percent) it
may mean the glycol circulation rate is too low and should be increased.
Types and amounts of glycol. When triethylene glycol is used, the amount of other glycols, such as
monoethylene and diethylene, should be fairly small. If the other glycol percentages (besides triethylene)
start increasing, it usually means the glycol in the system is degrading and decomposing.
Water content. This determines the amount of water in the samples.
Hydrocarbon content. This shows how much oil, paraffin or condensate is in the glycol. The hydrocarbon
content in the rich glycol will sometimes be higher since some of the hydrocarbons have not been exposed
to the high reboiler temperatures and boiled off. If the hydrocarbon content continues to increase, corrective
steps should be taken to remove the hydrocarbons.
Salt content. This shows how much salt or chloride is present in the glycol. In a typical glycol unit, salt
cannot be removed from the glycol once it gets into the system. Therefore, when the salt content exceeds
500 to 2000 ppm, the glycol should probably be drained from the system and regenerated with the proper
equipment to remove salt and other impurities. The glycol system should be thoroughly cleaned before new
glycol is added. Corrective steps, as previously discussed, should also be taken to prevent salt carryover

into the glycol system. Salt deposition in the regenerator could occur at concentrations as low as 200 to 300
ppm and cause hot spots on fire tube surfaces.
Solids content. This determines the suspended solids content in the glycol. When the solids content reaches
400 to 500 ppm, the filtration technique should be checked. The filter elements should possibly be changed
more frequently and/or a new type element should be used to remove the solids.
pH. Chemicals should be added, as necessary, to maintain the pH above 7.0.
Amount of neutralizer needed for pH adjustment. This determines the amount of neutralizer needed to
safely control the pH.
Iron content. This gives an indication of the amount of corrosion present in the glycol system. An iron
content of 5 ppm is usually the maximum Figure for a non-corrosive glycol system. An iron content of 10
to 15 ppm would indicate some corrosion products present in the glycol. The corrosion products, like iron
sulfide, could be coming in with the inlet gas or they could be forming in the plant itself. The iron content
should usually not exceed 100 ppm.
Foaming system. This is a measure of the amount of glycol foam present in the system.

NOMENCLATURE
= drag coefficient
= internal diameter, mm (in)
= droplet diameter, m (micron)
= pure water fugacity, kPa (psia)
= operating pressure, kPa (psia)
= gas flow rate, std m3/hr (MMSCFD)
= operating temperature, K (R)
= gas compressibility factor
= density of gas at operating conditions of temperature and
pressure, kg/m3 (lb/ft3)
= density of liquid kg/m3 (lb/ft3)
= specific gravity of gas relative to air
= water, kg/m3 (lb/MMSCF)

= inlet water contact/outwater contact, mg/std m3 (lb/MMSCF)

= percent water removed

= mole fraction of water in water-TEG phase
= mole fraction of water in gas phase
= fugacity coefficient of water in vapor phase
= activity coefficient of water in liquid phase

DESIGN EXAMPLE
Example Glycol Dehydration
Given:
Gas, 116,800 std m3/hr (98 MMSCFD) at 0.675 SG, Sat w/Water at 6895 kPa (1000 psig), 38C (100F)
Dehydrate to 111 mg/std m3 (7 lb/MMSCF)
Use Triethylene Glycol
No stripping gas, 98.8 percent TEG
Compressibility factor = 0.865
CD (contactor) = 0.852
Problem: Refer to Figure 1 (Schematic flow diagram for a typical glycol dehydration unit).

Figure 1

Calculate contactor diameter.

Determine glycol circulation rate and estimate reboiler duty.
Calculate duties of heat exchangers.
Note: Much of the available industry data for Glycol Properties and Design Procedures is available only in
customary units. For this reason, it will often be simpler to convert conditions given in metric units to
customary units, then solve design calculations using the methods for customary units. The following
conversion factors are obtained from The Society of Petroleum Engineers "SPE Metric Standard," (1982).
Table 1: Conversion factors from SI to oilfield units.
Oilfield Units
SI Units
1 std m3/hr

8.389 x 10-4 MMSCFD

1 kPa

0.145 psi

1 mg/std m3

6.305 x 10-2 lb/MMSCF

1 mm

3.937 x 10-2 in

1 m3/hr

4.403 gpm

1W

3.414 Btu/hr

1 kg/hr

2.205 lb/hr

T (C) x 9/5 +32

T (F)

To convert from SI units to oilfield units, multiply the metric value by

the number in the right hand column, (except for the temperature,
follow the formula explicitly).
Table 2: Conversion factors from oilfield to SI units.
SI Units
Oilfield Units
1 MMSCFD

1192 std m3/hr

(60F, 14.696 psia)

(15C, 100 kPa(A))

1 psi

6.895 kPa

1 lb/MMSCF

15.86 mg/std m3

1 in

25.4 mm

1 gpm

0.2271 m3/hr

1 Btu/hr

0.2929 W

1 lb/hr

0.4536 kg/hr

5[T(F)-32]/9

T(C)

To convert from oilfield units to SI units, multiply the customary

value by the number in the right hand column (except for temperature,
follow the formula explicitly)
Step 1. Calculate Contactor Diameter.

Use 1829 mm (72 in) I.D. Contactor

Step 2. Determine Glycol Circulation Rate and Reboiler Duty.

Using the Figure 2 :

Figure 2

Using n = 2 (8 actual trays) and Figure 3 with 98.8 percent lean glycol:

Figure 3

Estimate Reboiler Duty

Use a 200 kW (700 MBtu/hr) Reboiler

Step 3. Calculate Duties of Heat Exchangers.

Rich TEG from Contactor T1 = 38C (100F) (Given)
Rich TEG from Reflux Coil T2 = 54C (130F)
Rich TEG to Separator T3 = 93C (200F) (Assume for good design)
Rich TEG to Still T4 = 150C (300F) (Assume for good design)
Lean TEG from Reboiler T5 = 190C (375F)
Lean TEG to Pumps (Max) T7 = 93C (200F) (Given by manufacturer)
Lean TEG to Contactor T8 = 43C (5C above contactor temperature) (110F (10F above contactor
temperature))
Glycol/Glycol Preheater (Rich side, Duty) (See Figure 1 (Schematic flow diagram for a typical glycol
dehydration unit)
Rich TEG T2 = 54C (130F) (Assume 14C (30F) increase in reflux coil)

T3 = 93C (200F)
Lean Glycol Composition

Rich Glycol Composition

Rich Glycol Flow Rate (wrich)

Using Figure 4 , one can obtain the specific heat of the glycol solution:

Figure 4

Rich Glycol Heat Duty (qrich)

Glycol/Glycol Exchanger

Rich T3 = 200 T4 = 300

Lean T5 = 375 T6 = ?
Rich Glycol Heat Duty

Lean Glycol Flow Rate (wlean)

Calculation of T6

Glycol/Glycol Pre-Heater -Lean Side

Temperature
Lean T6 = 132C (270F)
T7 = ?
Assume T7 = 80C (175F)

Gas/Glycol Exchanger Duty

Lean T7 = 92C (197F)
T8 = 43C (110F)

Summary of Exchangers
Glycol/Glycol Exchanger
Rich T3 = 93C (200F), T4 = 150C (300F)
Lean T5 = 190C (375F), T6 = 132C (270F)
Duty q = 83,800 W (286 MBtu/hr)
Glycol/Glycol Preheater
Rich T2 = 54C (130F), T3 = 93C (200F)
Lean T6 = 132C (270F), T7 = 92C (197F)

Duty q = 53,600 W (183 MBtu/hr)

Gas/Glycol Exchanger
Lean T7 = 92C (197F), T8 = 43C (110F)
Duty q = 60,000 W (205 MBtu/hr)

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF GLYCOL

Physical properties of glycol are presented in the following figures.
Figure 1 Vapor Pressures of Glycols vs. Temperature (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 1

Figure 2 Viscosities of Aqueous Ethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 2

Figure 3 Viscosities of Aqueous Diethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp.)

Figure 3

Figure 4 Viscosities of Aqueous Triethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 4

Figure 5 Viscosities of Aqueous Tetraethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 5

Figure 6 Heat of Vaporization of Glycols vs. Temperature (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 6

Figure 7 Specific Heats of Aqueous Tetraethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 7

Figure 8 Specific Heats of Aqueous Diethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 8

Figure 9 Thermal Conductivities of Aqueous Diethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide
Corp )

Figure 9

Figure 10 Specific Heats of Aqueous Ethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 10

Figure 11 Thermal Conductivities of Aqueous Ethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide
Corp )

Figure 11

Figure 12 Specific Heats of Aqueous Triethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )

Figure 12

Figure 13 Thermal Conductivities of Aqueous Triethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide
Corp )

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 14

Thermal Tetraethylene Glycol Solutions (Courtesy of Union Carbide Corp )