CASE STUDY - Gulf Coast Environmental Systems

CASE STUDY
                                                                REGENERATIVE THERMAL OXIDIZER
                                                                        AMINE PLANT: MAY 2020

Amine Plant                              EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Location: Texas                          Gulf Coast Environmental Systems was tasked with find a
Employees: Over 11,000                   pollution control solution for an Amine Plant, that would treat Carbon
Industry: Oil & Gas                      Dioxide (CO2)
Project Type: Amine Plant                vent emissions.
Project Goal: Readying natural gas for
pipeline quality with subsequent CO2
sequestration
                                         CLIENT OVERVIEW:
Equipment Type: Regenerative
                                         This customer is one of the biggest energy infrastructure providers in
Thermal Oxidizer
                                         North America. They own and operate over 100 terminals, and tens
                                         of thousands of miles of pipeline. These terminals and pipelines
                                         store and transport petroleum products, chemicals, and CO2, among
                                         other things. Their customer portfolio includes some of the world’s
                                         largest oil producers, shippers, and distribution companies. They are
                                         a leader in enhanced oil recovery projects in the US using CO2
                                         collected underground and in their own Amine plants.

                                         EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

                                         Gulf Coast Environmental Systems has provided a number of
                                         pollution control solutions for this energy company’s Amine plants
                                         over the years. Amine plants present a specific pollution control
                                         challenge with potential formation of SO2 with entering H2S, and
                                         other sulfuric compounds. Amine plants, like this one, remove CO2
                                         and H2S from natural gas, using several alkanolamines, also
                                         referred to as amines. This process, also called gas sweetening or
                                         amine scrubbing, is a common process among refineries and natural
                                         gas processing plants.

SOLUTION:
After reviewing this customer’s conditions and requirements, GCES’ engineers determined that a 3-
canister Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer was the best solution available. This unit was made of stainless
steel and able to meet a 99% Destruction Removal Efficiency (DRE). This solution was designed to
achieve a lower than maximum 90% heat recovery due to potential high VOC concentration by installing
a blend of ceramic media. Using a natural gas fired burner to withstand an expected operating
temperature of 1,500°F, the life of equipment in this solution is expected to be upwards of 25 years with
proper care or maintenance.

The method of reduction of Volatile Organic Compounds in a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer revolves
around thermal oxidation. The chemical process of thermal oxidation is quite simple; the exhaust stream
temperature is raised to a point that the chemical bonds that hold the volatile organic molecules
together are broken. The VOCs in this process exhaust stream are converted to carbon dioxide, H2O,
and thermal energy by the high temperature of the combustion chamber.

Through this process, the RTO converts the
pollutants in the stream into carbon dioxide and
water vapor, all while recovering thermal energy
that could be used to reduce the cost of operating
the equipment. The process in which this is
accomplished is very similar to that of a two-
canister RTO. The exhaust stream laden with
VOCs, enters the heat exchange bed using a
high-pressure fan system. Here, the stream
passes directly through the media heating it in
preparation for the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber then heats the stream further using
burners to the optimal temperature for combustion to complete the oxidization process. After that, the
clean stream is lead to the heat recovery chamber where it passes through the media bed, which cools
the air and heats the media. The final step, which makes the 3-can regenerative thermal oxidizer more
efficient, occurs in the final chamber, which traps any remaining VOCs in the “clean” stream, by purging
the stream with clean air. The canisters operate under a “swing bed” absorption principle which is the
principle of transfer through the beds using flow reversal. In the use of this principle with ceramic
stoneware, the process is called regeneration. In the case of amine plants, the CO2 is collected and
then further refined in other GCES deployed technologies to be used in enhanced oil recovery.

SOLUTION:

 Enhanced oil recovery is a method in which carbon
 dioxide is injected into the reservoir to remove oil that
 would not have been able to be recovered from the
 oilfield otherwise. EOR can increase oil extraction
 efficiency by as much as 40%.

ADDED VALUE OF CAPTURED CARBON DIOXIDE:

There are many uses for CO2 and many trading markets and tax incentives that encourage its use. The
three most common sources of revenue for facilities capturing and liquefying carbon dioxide include:

  Solvent Recovery: Recovered carbon can be used in a number of manufacturing processes,
  including food and beverage, refrigerant, and fire protection.
  Carbon Trading: Carbon credits can be sold or traded between participating facilities. One ton of
  carbon equates to a single carbon credit, which is worth between $10 and $30 U.S. Dollars,
  depending on the market.
  Tax Incentives: Countries on nearly every continent are changing their regulations and attempting to
  incentivize industries to get on board with carbon emissions reduction.