Treating · Gas Plant
Amine Regenerator
The stripping tower and reboiler that heat the rich amine to release the absorbed acid gas, so the lean amine can go back to the contactor.
What it does
Rich amine is let down to a flash drum, where dissolved hydrocarbons come off, then heated in the lean and rich exchanger and regenerated in the still at low pressure with heat from the reboiler. The acid gas leaves the top, usually to sulphur recovery. MDEA needs less regeneration energy than the other common amines.
Basics
| Main parts | Flash drum, exchanger, still, reboiler, reflux |
| Still pressure | About 12 to 15 psig |
| Acid gas goes to | Sulphur recovery |
| Regeneration energy | Lower for MDEA |
Common failures
- Corrosion, which rises with temperature, amine strength and acid gas loading
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Lean amine still loaded and treated gas off spec
- Likely cause
- Not enough regeneration heat
- What to check
- Check the reboiler duty and the lean and rich exchanger