Corrosion, erosion, foaming, amine degradation, circulating solvent losses, and cracking are major concerns associated with the regenerator section of a gas processing plant, especially if the gas treating solvent in use to treat the raw gas is chemical or a hybrid. This paper introduces the Regenerator Gas Treating Function (RGTF), which quantifies the risk of a number of operating factors affecting the integrity of the equipment in a regenerator section. When the requirement for a plant is total risk quantification, the procedures outlined in this document and the procedures outlined in the Absorber Gas Treating Function (AGTF) evaluation for the absorber section, should be completed.

The RGTF value has been developed to incorporate the essential variables that affect the risk to the equipment in the regeneration section. These variables include the

  • characteristics of the solvent;

  • stability of the amine;

  • design of the filtration system;

  • operating conditions for the reboiler;

  • operating conditions for the regenerator;

  • metallurgy of the equipment;

  • configuration of the plant and its operating practices;

  • health, safety, environment and loss prevention record;

  • management of change practice.

The classical method of using rich solvent acid gas loading values to predict the risk to the equipment in a regenerator section of a gas plant has its limitations, since it does not consider all the different variables that can contribute to the potential risk to the equipment. A major benefit of the RGTF value is its capacity to make direct comparisons of the risks associated with different operating conditions, including changes in the type of circulating solvent used to treat the raw gas in a plant.

Subject
Acids, Tubes, Gas treatment, Solvents, Inspection, Amines, Reboilers, Equipment, Health, safety, and environment, Risk management, Pitting, Metallurgy, Sampling
Keywords:
regenerator, gas treating, corrosion, amine degradation, risk, equipment integrity, RGTF, RGTF-03
© 2004 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2004
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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